*On April 14-16, 2023, 5 FILKENJUTSU students tested for their Black Belts! While they were preparing for their test, the candidates were asked to write a thesis paper. This is Connor Melton’s paper. Connor is 18, and has been training at PMA for 9 years!

Beneath the strikes and blows of the martial arts lies a rich tapestry of tradition, history, philosophy, and character. Years of training and conditioning teach discipline, humility, and control over one’s emotions. Skills are built on hard work, respect, and receptiveness. Students learn to fall and get back up, leave their ego at the door, and maintain self-control. A martial artist strives to continually develop these traits within themselves, but this all happens behind the scenes. A passing familiarity with the martial arts is often not enough to appreciate these foundational conditions. So, some have wrongly attributed the martial arts to violence and aggression. As their popularity grows, so too does the misconception. The record must be set straight. To understand and combat this fallacy, we must first look at its conception.

Connor (front right) and some friends after a Jiu Jitsu Tournament in 2018.

In the early 6th century, the legendary Bodhidharma travelled thousands of miles to China to spread his teachings on meditation, mindfulness, and the pursuit of enlightenment. He was a Buddhist monk from India and the founder of Chan Buddhism (later known in Japan as Zen Buddhism.) It is said that when he arrived at the Song Mountain range, home of the Shaolin Temple, he noticed the frail condition of the monks and trained them in techniques that “strengthened their bodies and allowed them to withstand the rigors of their isolated existence and the demands of a concentrated meditation program.” These techniques are said to have laid the foundation for Shaolin Kung Fu centuries later. It would provide the monks with the tools they needed to hone their minds and bodies and stay in shape.

Resources are scarce, but our earliest concrete evidence of regular training at the Shaolin temple dates back to the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644). But, historical records indicate that monks were involved in battles and military conflicts dating all the way back to the early Tang dynasty in the 7th century. Central to their combat was the bow staff, and Shaolin monks became renowned for their skills with the weapon, garnering the attention of military experts all over China. Their martial skills were used to combat robbers and criminals in the larger Henan region, especially as it descended into lawlessness after a disastrous famine in 1593-94.

Despite these reasons, some began feeling uncertain about the martial training of the monks. How could monks justify their Buddhist faith, which prohibited killing, with their history of marital arts and battle? So, “By the sixteenth century at the latest, Shaolin monks sought to justify their staff-practice by attributing it to a Buddhist deity named Jinnaluo.” According to their legend, Jinnaluo repelled a bandit invasion with a divine staff and was appointed by the Shaolin monks as qielan shen, or guardian spirit—training in the divine arts of the staff from then on. This legend helped justify the monks’ martial arts training religiously to a predominately Buddhist China. Most importantly, they emphasized that their training was used in self-defense and in protection of the Henan region, Buddhism, and their monasteries—not out of violence, aggression, or anger but as an act of “compassion.”

Connor (far left) and some of his training partners in 2017.

As centuries passed, the martial arts continued to spread out of monasteries and develop throughout Asia. The 20th century, in particular, saw drastic change in the martial arts. As Judo and Jiu-jitsu developed in Japan, Mitsuyo Maeda brought them to Brazil, teaching the Gracie family. After years of study and innovation, Carlos and Hélio Gracie formulated Gracie Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. In 1993, Rorion Gracie co-founded the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Royce Gracie competed, dominated, and won in the first ever UFC event. The early days of the UFC juxtaposed the “gentle art” of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu with a violent image of the martial arts, which in the end did little to combat the misconception. Despite the present-day UFC being regulated, sanctioned, and organized, it is still quite violent.

These perceptions of violence do not do the martial arts justice. The martial arts discourages violence by developing humility, respect, self-confidence, and self-control. I will use Kenpo as an example. When Grand Master James Mitose brought Kenpo from Japan to Hawaii, he brought not only the strikes but also the philosophy and mindset of the martial artist. In his book, What is Self Defense, Mitose explains that “The innermost and true spirit of Kenpo lies in humility and selfrestraint. It is tremendously effective in the building of character. Its misuse is strongly discouraged.” The Kenpo practitioner must learn humility, respect, and self-control to ensure their skills are used only in defense of themselves or another. Otherwise, Kenpo techniques may be misused or abused. Similar philosophies can be found in other styles as well.

Connor (right) and his sibling after earning their brown belts in 2018.

Humility is one reason why the well-trained martial artist rejects violence. Students learn to temper their egos and control themselves each time they salute one another before and after a match, regardless of the outcome. They learn to take care of their partners and not explode in anger while sparring, even when it’s frustrating or uncomfortable. Forms and regimentation train the mind in discipline and focus just as much as in power or endurance. On the street, in a bar, or elsewhere, these skills are crucial to preventing a violent altercation if at all possible.

Another reason is respect, foundational to Kenpo and other martial arts. Kenpo students learn to respect themselves, their instructors, and their training partners, regardless of their rank. Students also learn to respect their dojo, their mat, their equipment, and their belt. That respect translates into their day-to-day life and encourages respect for all people on and off the mat.

The martial arts also develops self-confidence, which can make people less appealing as targets for bullying or violent crime. Thus, they are less likely to have to resort to violence to protect themselves. In addition, when the Kenpo practitioner gains the ability to protect themselves or their loved ones, they gain peace of mind. In a tense situation, the ability to remain calm, assess, and deescalate could, again, subvert a violent altercation all together.

Connor (right) on the third day of his Black Belt Test on April 16, 2023.

From the outside looking in, one may see a martial artist throwing strikes to the throat, groin, eyes, or neck and conclude that martial arts are aggressive or violent. But this is far from the truth. Techniques are brutal out of necessity. There are no rules on the street, and when defending yourself you may have to use whatever tools you can to survive, especially when at a disadvantage in size or strength. What’s important is that Kenpo and other martial arts develop humility, respect, and self-control, all of which are skills and traits needed to avoid conflict or deescalated a tense situation.

A true martial artist learns how to kick and punch in order to never have to truly kick or punch. They learn skills they hope to never have to use, but are ready to at a moment’s notice. This was true at the Shaolin temple and has remained true to this day. Although it’s difficult to grasp and seemingly contradictory for the non-martial artist, it’s a philosophy that rejects violence. That’s true Go Shinjutsu. Those students go out into the world and use what they learn—humility, respect, and self-confidence—to make the world a better place.