The Meaning of Conflict in Martial Arts

By: Francisco Pherez

Martial arts, to the untrained person, seem to be all about learning how to fight and how to defend oneself. As we have explored before, the constant practice of martial arts has different meanings and connotations that go beyond the training hall and vary depending on one's objectives and perspective.

I would now like to explore the meaning of training in martial arts as it relates to actual physical conflict. Physical conflict is something that we all fear; it’s primal and dates back to the very beginnings of humanity, being ingrained in human and animal behavior. Most humans like to avoid it and dread facing it, and most of us do not enjoy it. We enjoy watching it and are fascinated by it on many levels. However, when it comes to facing it individually, most fear it and many do not know how to handle it.

One of the most prevalent myths about martial arts and martial artists is that anyone who trains in the martial arts knows how to fight well and can defend themselves at all times, regardless of the opponent or the circumstances. While a trained martial artist probably has a much better chance of defending themselves or defeating an untrained opponent, this is not always the case. Losing a confrontation should not reflect negatively on the person, the art, or the training.

I would actually argue that someone who is good at fighting and has an excellent fight record is not always the better fighter. Bear with me for a second: if someone wins a fight but, at the end of it, completely loses themselves and goes into a deep downward spiral because they don’t know how to handle the success, did they actually win the fight? Or did they simply defeat an opponent in that moment only to lose everything else because of it?

There are many fighters who have lost many fights but have recovered, made comebacks, and then tasted victory again. They overcame and conquered not only their opponents but also their fears, doubts, and failures. I would argue that those fighters are more formidable than one who has never lost a fight because they know how to handle all aspects of conflict, not just one.

At the end of the day, a well-rounded martial artist is one who knows how to handle the pre-fight, the fight, and the post-fight, because all of that is part of the conflict—it's not just the battle in the middle, but the whole process.

Take war, for example. War is not only won on the battlefield the day of the battle; in fact, it never is won that way. It's won by preparation before the battle, laying down the strategy, executing the plan, and then making the most of the victory or learning the lessons from defeat. All of that matters, not just one aspect but all.

One can lose a fight, but in losing, one can win the battle and win the war, because the conflict is not over at the ring of the bell; it goes on well after that.

Sometimes, the best outcome is to lose in order to learn and make a stronger comeback, ultimately achieving true victory.

Losing a fight is just that; losing oneself is a much bigger issue, and some fighters may win a lot of fights but find themselves lost in the end. Related: Shotokan Karate a History

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Francisco Pherez trains at the Missouri Karate Association Dojo with his 4 daughters. He's a Nidan in Shotokan and is also a M.D. with a specialization in Infectious Diseases.