Sinclair Martial Arts: Core concepts

07/01/20 23:05 Filed in: Philosophy | Martial Art | Pedagogy

Some of the core concepts taught at Sinclair Martial Arts:

1. No one ever wins a fight.
A fight is the failure of one or more parties to achieve harmony. In the event of such a failure, the best we can hope for is to survive long enough to win the peace.

2. Conflict has no beginning.
Peace is the constant balancing of self and selflessness, so that we may be in harmony with the world. When a fight happens, it is an indication that a conflict has been building for a long time.

3. Conflict has no end. Balance is a verb.
A comprehensive martial art should provide tools necessary to be constantly be resolving conflicts of all kinds. We apply the warrior's intensity to the most subtle of conflicts, even in times of apparent tranquility.

4. Love is a practical weapon.
Consistent victory requires that we know our enemy and know ourselves. But we can never learn anything about anyone by hating them.

5. With real skill, there is no enemy.
True victory is only achieved by treating conflict as an integrative negotiation. Distributive negotiation strategies inevitably lead to worsening conflict. History has consistently disproven the theory that one can achieve lasting victory by simply defeating the enemy in combat.

6. Combat skills are transferable. The mental and physical skills can be applied to all aspects of daily life. Courage, compassion, insight, awareness, focus, coordination, discipline, optimism, prudence, stillness, patience, agility, timing, etc. These are just a few of the martial virtues. A martial artist should look for ways that the lessons of combat can learn from and inform science, diplomacy, relationships, art, athletics, music, politics, philosophy, medicine, sport, etc.

7. A martial art is not a sport. Martial sports can be a useful. But the goal of a martial sport is to win a contest. The goal of a martial art is to avoid losing. These are two very different goals, and use very different tactics and strategies. (See the preceding rules.)

8. Peace is power.

- Ian Sinclair