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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Should I steer my kids away from martial arts?	Mary	Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Question: My kids previously attended a summer camp that taught mixed martial arts, tae kwan do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Muay Thai kickboxing. They loved the camp, but this summer I am not sure that I want to send them back after learning that martial arts could have spiritual associations. Are ALL martial arts a problem? Or is it possible that this camp is teaching styles that are not spiritually derived? Bottom line...should I send my kids back? Thank you!
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Mary: My colleague Joe Meineke studied Tae Kwon Do. He gave this answer in a previous Q&A: I know that this is a controversial subject and that opinions vary widely. However, I personally believe that Tae Kwon Do is an acceptable form of martial arts for Christians (along with Judo and Jujitsu) - at least in general terms. I cannot say for sure that there aren't at least some schools out there that also teach eastern mysticism. However, I can vouch for the fact that my school (An ATA school) does not teach anything other than positive virtues (i.e., respect, perseverance, loyalty, honor, self-control) and the actual Tae Kwon Do techniques. My advice to anyone wanting to get involved in martial arts would be to always ask the instructor what if anything they teach in terms of the philosophical and/or religious and mystical aspects of their particular discipline. If they say they teach virtues such as those that I mentioned above, or if they teach nothing at all other than the forms and self-defense techniques, then you probably have nothing to be concerned about. On the other hand, if they start talking about Chi, universal energy, controlling one's environment, emptying the mind and things of that nature, find a different school. There are some martial arts forms out there, such as Tai Chi and Aikido, that should most definitely be avoided (I know of at least one client of ours who was demonized as a result of participating in Tai Chi). Other forms, such as Karate and Kung Fu, might be okay if and only if they are taught without the meditative, mystical or philosophical aspects - even subtly - and as long as the movements do not lead to a meditative state or an altered state. Yoga, by the way, fails this test. I hope Joe's answer help you. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

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Posted By

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Should I steer my kids away from martial arts?

Mary

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Question:

My kids previously attended a summer camp that taught mixed martial arts, tae kwan do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Muay Thai kickboxing. They loved the camp, but this summer I am not sure that I want to send them back after learning that martial arts could have spiritual associations. Are ALL martial arts a problem? Or is it possible that this camp is teaching styles that are not spiritually derived? Bottom line...should I send my kids back? Thank you!

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Mary:

My colleague Joe Meineke studied Tae Kwon Do. He gave this answer in a previous Q&A:

I know that this is a controversial subject and that opinions vary widely. However, I personally believe that Tae Kwon Do is an acceptable form of martial arts for Christians (along with Judo and Jujitsu) - at least in general terms. I cannot say for sure that there aren't at least some schools out there that also teach eastern mysticism. However, I can vouch for the fact that my school (An ATA school) does not teach anything other than positive virtues (i.e., respect, perseverance, loyalty, honor, self-control) and the actual Tae Kwon Do techniques.

My advice to anyone wanting to get involved in martial arts would be to always ask the instructor what if anything they teach in terms of the philosophical and/or religious and mystical aspects of their particular discipline. If they say they teach virtues such as those that I mentioned above, or if they teach nothing at all other than the forms and self-defense techniques, then you probably have nothing to be concerned about. On the other hand, if they start talking about Chi, universal energy, controlling one's environment, emptying the mind and things of that nature, find a different school.

There are some martial arts forms out there, such as Tai Chi and Aikido, that should most definitely be avoided (I know of at least one client of ours who was demonized as a result of participating in Tai Chi). Other forms, such as Karate and Kung Fu, might be okay if and only if they are taught without the meditative, mystical or philosophical aspects - even subtly - and as long as the movements do not lead to a meditative state or an altered state. Yoga, by the way, fails this test.

I hope Joe's answer help you.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.