Bare Knuckles and Budo, A Comparison of Eastern and Western Martial Ethos
by Evan Dicken

Until recently (historically speaking) there has been a marked separation between Eastern and Western Martial Culture. Although Asia may be linked geographically to continental Europe it may as well be across an ocean both culturally and historically. Now however, with transportation and communication being what they are we are able to bridge the gap between the East and the West, allowing for a free exchange of styles and ideas. Unfortunately, this selfsame stylistic exchange causes a great deal of stress to be placed on each martial art as it is taken from its traditional stomping grounds and transplanted far away into a veritable sea of other combative arts. The biggest conflict in this area is that between traditional Eastern and Western fighting styles, who each approach the term "Martial Art." in a very different manner. To properly compare and contrast both Eastern and Western Martial Arts philosophies we must attempt to examine them in both a historical and cultural context, and attempt to determine what sort of factors lead to the creation and implementation of each among its specific culture. Through this examination we gain insight into martial arts as a whole, and how each culture in turn can develop such a different view of what constitutes a Martial Art.

Though there are claims to the contrary it is widely accepted that most Asian fighting arts are descended (at least in part) from the teachings of the Warrior Monk Daruma (the founder of Zen Buddhism in India) who developed and taught a predecessor to Kung-fu in order to give his disciples greater strength and endurance. Adopted throughout Shaolin temples in most of Asia Shaolin (or Shorin) Kung-fu spread throughout Asia and was adopted by many of its indigenous peoples who in turn either adapted it to fit in with their combative needs (Wing Chun, Hung Gar), or synthesized it into their own native forms of combat (Okinawan Karate). However, while Eastern martial arts may differ in form and function they are all similar in that they are impregnated with the philosophical and spiritual teachings of their monk creators. As many arts in Asia were taught and passed down by priests and monks, or descended from styles that were we see actual philosophical and spiritual ideas embedded into their very fabric. These ideas such as Chi-Gong in Kung-fu, Budo in Japanese Martial Arts, The Wai-Kru in Muay Thai, or even Animal Styles in Bando show us a deeper side of Combative art that encourages its practitioners to approach their style not only as a means for self defense, but as a life style that can encompass physical, emotional, and spiritual beliefs as a facet of their art. As such, many individuals wishing to begin a course of study in an Eastern Style often find that it requires a great deal more than physical devotion, and often requires one to totally immerse oneself in the history, culture, and philosophy of the culture from which it came. This all inclusive approach does not make for a quick study, and often frustrates many Western practitioners who wish to pursue training, but as we are about to see this does not stem from the "slow" pace of the art itself, but from our typically Western approach to learning.

The Western approach to martial arts represents a harsh counterpoint to the Eastern philosophy. Where Eastern styles see one's life practices as a facet of the art he or she does, Western styles often emphasize just the opposite, viewing one's art as merely a facet of his or her life practices. Western martial philosophy draws its roots from early European fighting styles. Having never experienced the unification like the Eastern Martial Arts Western arts often exemplified dynamic change and improvisation. Focused merely on combat in and of itself European Martial arts often came and went as newer more effective ways of fighting came along. It is perhaps for this reason that while many Eastern Fighting Arts can trace their ancestry back through a long unbroken line of masters, it is hard to find a Western Art that has existed unchanged for even a century. Take a look at modern boxing, which bears little resemblance to the type of boxing done by fighters a mere century ago, which in turn does not even approach the style favoured by boxers in the 16th or 15th century. This adaptation is a common trend among Western Martial arts, whose practitioners rather that take an Eastern approach and see every situation as encompassed by their art, see their art a permutable in response to the situation at hand. It is this singular nature that allows many Western Styles to benefit from a simplicity very much unlike their Eastern Counterparts. A wrestler does not need to focus his or her chi, be aware of the philosophical implications of his art, compose poetry, or be aware of the energy flows within his or her body, he or she merely needs to focus solely on the combative aspects of his or her art, and leave the rest for a different arena. This combative mindset seemingly exists as a result of necessity, as historically we see Western martial arts have adapted to train individuals to fight as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is why most Western styles focus primarily on a few, straight forward, adaptable, easily implemented techniques, rather than relying on a multitude of techniques that are each useful for only a small cross section of the situations in which a practitioner may find himself. This knowledge-efficient style of learning requires its practitioners to be able to quickly improvise from among a small number of techniques, rather than picking and choosing from a larger group.

As modern day martial artists we live in a very interesting time, as forms of Eastern and Western Martial Arts must attempt to coexist within the same territory and make sense of the other's very different approach to Martial Arts. Through this we have seen a great deal of adaptation on both sides, Karate schools abandoning more traditional training methods in favour of more efficient techniques, Boxers practicing Chi-gong in order to improve their fighting, or even the hybridization of old arts to create new ones like Gracie Jujitsu, or Shoot Fighting. Some stylists see this adaptation as a step forward in the natural evolution of fighting styles, others as a dilution of traditional martial thought. However no matter what their thoughts on the matter, every martial artist can benefit from insight and understanding of other arts whether it be to choose and practice a single art, or to draw from a wide variety to create their own personal fighting style.