At first glance, probably everyone would answer “No“ if being asked if yoga is a martial art. What comes to mind when we think about martial arts is self-defense, practicing combat and sometimes even aggressive, violent fighting scenes imposed on us from Hollywood movies.
Yoga on the other hand is a peaceful practice that teaches ahimsa, which means non-harming, and helps us to become more self-aware and kind human beings.
And while it is true that nowadays yoga cannot be seen as a martial art per se, the ancient practice of yoga has many similarities with traditional eastern practices of martial arts and their roots are deeply intertwined. Let’s explore the roots of yoga and martial arts in its traditional forms and see how yoga can improve flexibility in martial arts and how martial arts can help yoga students to become stronger and more focused. Yoga and martial arts are like yin and yang - they complement and complete each other.
Yoga vs Martial Arts
In its Eastern origins, martial arts was designed purely as a self-defense mechanism and was introduced to Buddhist monks by their sensei, their teachers. Often, physical development was overridden by the monks as they solely focused on spiritual expansion. Martial arts were introduced to them to empower them when needed, strengthening their minds and bodies as physical weapons.
Yoga has existed since pre-Vedic times and got into the world by Lord Shiva, the first yogi ever. Since then the traditional Indian practiced got passed down to us as a legacy. Although traditional yoga poses are not meant for combat but are rather a preparation to sit in meditation to attain enlightenment, there are poses that are inspired by martial arts.
If we take for example the famous warrior I, II and III poses, or in Sanskrit Virabhadrasana I, II and III. They originate from the powerful warrior Virabhadra, who in Indian myth was created and sent out by Shiva, the ruler of the universe.
The idea that yogis always need to be peaceful is a myth of our day and age. The ancient yogis used the practice to get closer to enlightenment, yes, but it was also mandatory for them to be able to defend themselves against intruders of their peace.
The Sadhus, the spiritual Hindu ascetics of India and Nepal have renounced all world’s possessions. They dedicate their lives to achieving spiritual liberation through meditation, yoga, worshipping deities, and other spiritual practices. Whereas they lead an extremely peaceful and highly enlightened life, they travel a lot from temple to temple and need to know martial arts in case they get attacked, as they do not possess any weapons.
It is a common misperception that yoga and martial arts do not go together or are completely different entities. Yoga and martial arts might not be exactly the same in its practical form, but their benefits and foundations are very similar.
Sharp focus
Both martial arts and yoga require intrinsic focus, if practiced right. In yoga, we focus on being completely present in the body and synching our breath with our movements, letting the energy cultivate and flow freely in our bodies. This keeps our mind from wandering and sharpens the mind to be in the here and now.
In martial arts, we also gather energy, called chi in Chinese and draw the energy inside so that we are well equipped to combat in the event of an attack. If the martial art practitioner is not focused and aware of what he or she is doing, too much energy would unnecessarily be spilled out, performing useless movement without effect.
Balance is key
Balance is not only required from us within yoga and martial arts but also in our everyday life. Remaining balanced and centered during the challenges of the day is the key to a happy life. Both yoga and martial arts can help with this. Yoga dedicates postures such as tree pose to finding and cultivating balance within us. And also in martial arts, balance has to come from our center inside. Only from there is it possible to throw combatting movements to your opponent. Balance is in essence a mastering of our core strength, as this is the place of origin of balance.
Practicing ahimsa
As explained already, ahimsa means non-violence in Sanskrit. How does this relate to martial arts you may ask yourself? Well, attack and combat is only the smallest parts of martial arts and never the center of attention. Martial arts traditionally strive for peace. Martial arts like Aikido seek to resolve conflict without injury. Aikido founder Morehei Ueshiba described ahimsa as his inspiration for developing Aikido. In Aikido practice one finds the path of least resistance. Aggressive situations are solved by peaceful means for conflict resolution.
Marilyn St. John writes: “Force must be the last resort. If it is necessary, its cause must be just, its purpose virtuous, and its aim peaceful. These are values taught to students as they enter martial arts training. Knowing how to fight, you realize the skills acquired are only used to protect yourself, your loved ones, or the weak. Only the minimal amount of force necessary to secure safety is used. Martial artists learn to assess situations, recognize risks and not place themselves in harm’s way.“
Budokon - merging yoga and martial arts
Although martial arts and yoga are not entirely the same, they have many similarities. Budokon yoga, a contemporary fusion of yoga, martial arts and calisthenics synchronizes the practices effectively together, demonstrating how similar they are at their core.
Ancient traditions of self-inquiry are mixed with modern movement and contemporary constructs of morality and spirituality. In this respect, Budokon rests on the common grounds of yoga and martial arts and creates a symbiosis of their principles.
The practice of yoga might not be a martial art by definition and vice versa, but through the centuries until today yoga and martial arts have inspired and complemented each other and are deeply intertwined. In the end, the benefits of yoga such as a sharper focus and more peace of mind can be attained during martial arts practice as well. On the other hand, martial arts also acknowledges and values the ethical codes of yoga.
- Written by Clara Malzer