Do you guys think that it's a sin to train martial arts / grappling as an Orthodox Christian ?

[buzuxi02]

Most of these "arts" or sports or whatever you want to call them are fine. Even if there is some spiritual element to them most here in the west are so ignorant of them we wouldnt even know. There have been successful Sumo wrestlers from places like Bulgaria and no one ever thought these wrestlers throwing salt over their shoulders and other Sumo Japanese customs made them Shintoists.

 

[prodromos]

Boxing is a martial art. So is the venerable British art of shin-kicking. I fence, that is also a martial art. No weird theologies in those, as far as I'm aware, but I think that such a sport is superior than football or the other weird 'ball' sports which are simply absurd and the opiate of the masses.

I'm a black suspender belt in the ancient Lancashire martial art of Ecky Thump!

 

[ArmyMatt]

I'm a black suspender belt in the ancient Lancashire martial art of Ecky Thump!

sounds schismatic

 

[prodromos]

sounds schismatic

We only use t' black pudding as a weapon. We would never consider eating it.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I disliked Big Ben for his antics with the ladies and I wasn’t a fan of Antonio Brown for obvious reasons and I wasn’t watching Pittsburgh during their taking a knee to the flag stupidity. But I like the team. I loved Mean Joe Green, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, Lynn Swan when I was a kid. Big fan of Hines, The Bus, Troy, Coach Cowher. I miss him.

Antwaan Randle El....gotta love Kryptonian wide receivers.

whoa, I distinctly remember you telling me you hated the Steelers. I think it was the first of our many sports discussions.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I disliked Big Ben for his antics with the ladies and I wasn’t a fan of Antonio Brown for obvious reasons and I wasn’t watching Pittsburgh during their taking a knee to the flag stupidity. But I like the team. I loved Mean Joe Green, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, Lynn Swan when I was a kid. Big fan of Hines, The Bus, Troy, Coach Cowher. I miss him.

Antwaan Randle El....gotta love Kryptonian wide receivers.

hmmm, I still say I do distinctly remember you saying the 9ers were your team (this was before Kaepernick).

 

[JohnTh]

What is sin? ...speaking about Saint Seraphim.

It depends on what brings you closer to God, taking in account your existential status.

That's why we have confessors and there isn't somewhere an internet form / list in order to tell you if you are doomed or not.
Of course, your question is valid because you wanted to get the practical experience with MMA but in the final analysis is between you and your priest: if you are on a spiritual level like Saint Seraphim or something similar - yes, it is definitely a sin, if you aren't then it depends on who/where you are.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

long story, but I was a Patriots fan starting 1985 or so when they went up against the mighty invincible Bears. All the kids in my fifth grade class were into Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, the Refrigerator, etc. I decided, being underdog guy, to pull for Steve Grogan and the lowly Patriots....well, youknow how that turned out.....

but I stuck with those lovable losers. And in 2001 Bledsoe was injured....enter Brady. Finally my team were champs!

but as the scandals came, cheating, deflating, affairs, lies, and corruption, I was fried. My buddy at work, Mike, is a big Niners guy. I pulled for them with him around the time Alex Smith was QB. I am a huge SF Giants fan, so, what the heck....I’ll support Mike’s 49ers.

They bored me to tears, but I pulled for them....even when Kaepernick was QB and they went all the way....but I hated the guy as QB. I had always liked Pittsburgh and had pulled for them in all the super bowls since I was a boy....so I finally jumped on board fully.
If I were a bandwagon boy, I’d be touting the Niners right now!

hmmm, I still say I do distinctly remember you saying the 9ers were your team (this was before Kaepernick).

 

[ArmyMatt]

long story, but I was a Patriots fan starting 1985 or so when they went up against the mighty invincible Bears. All the kids in my fifth grade class were into Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, the Refrigerator, etc. I decided, being underdog guy, to pull for Steve Grogan and the lowly Patriots....well, youknow how that turned out.....

but I stuck with those lovable losers. And in 2001 Bledsoe was injured....enter Brady. Finally my team were champs!

but as the scandals came, cheating, deflating, affairs, lies, and corruption, I was fried. My buddy at work, Mike, is a big Niners guy. I pulled for them with him around the time Alex Smith was QB. I am a huge SF Giants fan, so, what the heck....I’ll support Mike’s 49ers.

They bored me to tears, but I pulled for them....even when Kaepernick was QB and they went all the way....but I hated the guy as QB. I had always liked Pittsburgh and had pulled for them in all the super bowls since I was a boy....so I finally jumped on board fully.
If I were a bandwagon boy, I’d be touting the Niners right now!

alright, I'll allow it. and I didn't think you were a bandwagon, I just must have remembered wrong.

 

[Not David]

Wait, I thought those guys took a knee because they were tired

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Gurney's info card for Father Matt:

MLB----San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox plus ANYONE who plays the Dodgers

NBA----Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors plus ANYONE who plays the Lakers

NFL----Pittsburgh Steelers plus ANYONE who plays the Raiders

alright, I'll allow it. and I didn't think you were a bandwagon, I just must have remembered wrong.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Gurney's info card for Father Matt:

MLB----San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox plus ANYONE who plays the Dodgers

NBA----Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors plus ANYONE who plays the Lakers

NFL----Pittsburgh Steelers plus ANYONE who plays the Raiders

noted

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Any my policy is any Orthodox player must be pulled-for....no exceptions.

noted

 

[ArmyMatt]

Any my policy is any Orthodox player must be pulled-for....no exceptions.

seconded

 

[ILiekCatz]

*** You Are In The Eastern Orthodox Forum ***


I know that the spiritual side of eastern martial arts does absolutely have negative occult / demonic stuff :
The Secrets Behind Martial Arts !

But I'm specifically referring to :

• The Self Defense Aspect

and

• The Physical Sporting (Wrestling) Combat / Exercise Aspect


.

I've been into MMA for four or so years now. You will be glad to hear that most (if not all) of what eastern martial arts claim to offer, such as "ki control" is an absolute fraud. go to youtube and look up something like "mma fighter vs kung fu" and you will see the latter get defeated easily.

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

Sorry to bring back this thread, but this is what I was mostly meaning as in Submission Grappling like this :

.

 

[buzuxi02]

Personally I don't mind it. Heck I wish I could turn back time so I could get into mma training. Probably never as a professional fighter but to train in a gym. In fact I think it's a neccesity in this day and age.

 

[Hermit76]

Krav Maga teaches a little more of the mixed stuff including grappling... But if attacked you have to respect social distancing

 

[walking.away.123]

I'm joining this a bit late, but I'll throw in. There are different forms of martial arts, and some do have unscientific aspects that boarder or cross into a type of spirituality, movement of good and bad energy through the body for example, and at worse a very traditional school might have students bowing to an alter with images of gods on it, but you don't always find that even in the countries where martial arts began.
A lot of what is on that wordpress site linked in the first post is just poorly researched protestant nonsense. It's very very very historically inaccurate, the conclusions are not based on facts, and it's full meaningless pietism. If we believe things like this, we'd have to say that universities are evil because school systems were developed by pagans and they have the same Greco-Roman columns as pagan temples.
Traditionally, one of the main reasons people practiced martial arts was for health reasons. The purpose was to keep the body strong. Here, a lot of elderly people meet in the park every morning to practice one form. I don't like these sports where the only purpose is for one opponent to pummel the other. It appeals to our passions, but so does the way a lot of sport is approached. As an art, it can be something beautiful, or ugly.
In combat terms, knowing a martial art can give you the skills to know what to do in a situation so that no one needs to get seriously hurt. There are times where a person needs to be restrained for their own good or the good of those around them. There are few martial arts that solely each defense.

 

[buzuxi02]

. In fact I think it's a neccesity in this day and age.

I want to clarify this point. When I say it is a neccesity in this day and age. I do not mean because going out in public has gotten dangerous The fact is Christianity has developed an image that it is an effeminate religion and there is some credence to this . Seriously think about this; what woman would marry a man who attends church whose leader is a liberal woman and is taught to be a pacifist (pushover)? Not only do I know men that have left Christianity over this (yet still believe in Christ) but the amount of women purposely avoiding marrying "church guys" is huge.