Cage Religion - Where MMA is The Gospel

This past week, many students seemed to take on a negative stance regarding the merge of religion and sports. As apologetics were listed off one by one, it was the problematics that provoked the most discussion. These included: the normalizing of violence, the ethics behind the commodification of sports, and the valorization of pain. Although the arguments given were understandable, I took on a rather different view. I will be exploring the realm of Mixed Martial Arts, karate in particular, to attempt to prove that not all sports should be condemned for their practices. Perhaps it is due to the fact that I come from a karate background, that I wish to defend the negative connotation it has assumed. Nevertheless, it is important to me to clear up some confusion...

Mixed Martial Arts dates back to Ancient Greece, where men would grapple and strike in a combat sport called, Pankration.  It was passed onto the Romans and from there, it experienced many different adaptations; Karate, Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, etc. These sports combined, created: Mixed Martial Arts. MMA competition emerged in the 1900s paving the way for one of my favourite spectacles, the Ultimate Fighting Competition. The first one was held in 1993, with  Royce Gracie taking the win, and continues to be a very popular and growing sport world wide. 

My teenage years were full of UFC. The last Saturday of every month, my family, friends and I would sit down to enjoy this televised event (just like Christians attend church every Sunday). Whether it was in a restaurant, in my living room, or my uncle's basement, the joy and inspiration it brought each of us was and still is so very strong. As a result of the love of the sport, I decided to commence training Shotokan karate in grade nine. Since then, I have been attempting to perfect this art. As explained on Wikipedia: 

"Karate can be practiced as an art, sport, combat sport, or as self defense training. Traditional karate places emphasis on self development (budō). In Japanese style training emphasizes the psychological elements incorporated into a proper kokoro (attitude) such as perseverance, fearlessness, virtue, and leadership skills. Sport karate places emphasis on exercise and competition."

The first time I entered the dojo, a surge of awe sparked through me. Seeing all of the students in complete unison was almost transcendent like; they had reached some form of salvation that I immediately wanted to experience. As I embarked on this new adventure, I looked forward to every single class; I would train four to five times a week. I started receiving my stripes and eventually, my belts (which bear a unique similarity to the act of receiving sacraments). I became enthralled by the feeling of getting closer and closer to the ever so amazing black belt.  

The clarity of the mind on the floor was a unique one, that could not be compared to anything else. The physical strength I developed, was invigorating. The self peace that ensued, was phenomenal. I slowly began to learn the true meaning behind the art. 

Section 3 John 1:2 of the bible states, "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers,"  The creator of Shotokan Karate, Gichin Funakoshi himself stated that karate was a sport used, "to purge oneself of selfish and evil thoughts." How can a predicament arise between the two if they both advocate the same thing?

Perhaps many people are offended by the full contact sparring aspect of Karate and other MMA sports, that has blown up into this very large and new form of entertainment, the UFC. However, it might be beneficial to comprehend the sport from a fresh perspective.

Every few Saturdays, fighters come into the ring, mentally and physically prepared to not fight another being, but to put their years of hard work and perseverance, in order to present their acquired skills to the world, and test their strength. Each fight is supposed to be a new challenge. Injury, in this sport, is very common. It is a consequence but it is not meant to act as something to be valorized, but something to be learned from."Put your hands up next time, " as my Sensei Min would say.

My favourite fighter, Georges St. Pierre, who is the current Welterweight champion of the world (pictured above), is one of my biggest inspirations. As seen in this interview, St. Pierre trains twice a day, seven days a week. He is disciplined, enlightened and has reached the height of his physical potential. He leads by example and always leaves the ring, whether a winner or loser, with a new sense of achievement. Although not many fighters carry around his characteristics, it is still very important to know that "the marriage between faith and fighting," is nothing to be disproved of.

-Arina


Here is another interesting article that talks to the issue at hand. This is an excerpt below: 


"It's an individual sport," Sugar said of combat sports. "You don't have other help. Maybe you're looking to God for help. It's not like you're standing around looking at 10 other men in football or four other men in basketball or eight men like in baseball. You're on your own, one on one." And so it's an easy mental transition for a fighter. One man fighting another man becomes good fighting evil. Supernatural faith helps David conquer Goliath. It all goes to explain why the marriage between faith and fighting has endured all the way into the 21st century glitz and glamor of the UFC.