Harmony of Mind and Body

Japanese martial and cultural arts have been growing in popularity around the world for decades. In the West, many people practice flower arrangement, bonsai, tea ceremony, shiatsu, and budo. Despite their wide popularity, however, Japanese arts are often misunderstood and distorted in the West.

What are the underlying aesthetics of the Japanese martial arts? Some arts are touted as effective forms of “moving meditation,” but how exactly do they function in this manner? What about the often-mentioned but usually unexplained “spiritual dimensions” in the Japanese martial arts?

Studying with a knowledgeable instructor, like teachers certified by the SMAA, can reveal important and little understood aspects of these disciplines.

Despite outward differences, most Japanese arts share certain aesthetics; and more importantly, they demand the acquisition of related positive character traits for their successful performance. Notice that many of the names for these arts end in the Japanese word Do. Do means “the Way,” and its use in these names indicates that an activity has surpassed its utilitarian purpose and has been elevated to the level of art, that its students are practicing it as a Way of life. In sum, a Do is an art that allows us to understand the ultimate nature of the whole of life by closely examining ourselves through a singular activity of life: to arrive at the universal through studying the particular.

Read more about the spiritual dimension of Japanese martial arts here.

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SMAA is proud to be a world martial arts association and a source of authentic Japanese teachings. To get started, call (734) 729-0330 or contact us on our website.