Relevance of Martial Arts in Modern Society - Essay Example

The most interesting aspect of Martial Art is that it is found in wide range of styles which though based on primary philosophy of awareness and self defense, offers different people to choose a style which most appeals to their temperament. In recent years there has been increased interest in Martial Art, which is a wonderful thing. Martial Art has profound relevance in the present day modern lifestyle. Interestingly, in modern world with globalization and inter-cultural integration the term "Martial Art" has come to mean different things to different people.

There are different styles depending upon different institutions and the place of origin. Martial Art, as is prevalent today covers a wide range of activities from hard core training for self defense to relaxed, esoteric and higher spiritual practices leading to meditation and relaxation aimed at sole fitness, health and relaxation. There is no universal standard which dictates the style of Martial Art. There has been linked muti-dimensional benefits from practice of martial Art, affecting different facet of modern life of humans.

There is significant relevance of such training in the fast-paced terrorism dominated modern life, where safety and harmony are essential goals. Martial Art places great importance to character development. Those who take up Martial Art seriously, realize that with passage of time the practice of their chosen style of martial Art eventually became part of their life and changes them subtly as a person. The change is manifested in such a subtle manner that they are unaware of the transformation which has taken place in them internally and externally, altering their state of awareness to a higher degree of response and reflex.

Universally, people lack conscious self-awareness of precisely why they do what they do and are surprised at the relevance which their training has on how they live their everyday life in the world. Martial Art is essentially taken as a technique for self defense, and that is how it evolved. Martial Art was first developed as a means to self preservation, a defense against cruel and savage world of ancient times, when survival of the fittest was the criterion for life. It was not acknowledged as a matter of recreation or sport, but an essential tool for survival, on which depended human beings life or death.

With the evolution of human beings and emergence of developed societies, the role of martial Art changed to that of a means to preserve and protect the society. Eventually, they developed into warfare methods with enhanced fighting techniques using swords shields, spears, axes, lances etc. and had great practical relevance in the changing modern world to maintain order and control. The relevance of martial art changed with evolution of the society. The technique of warfare changed and so did the urban lifestyles.

This presented a significant need for organized methods of training for individual self defense and personal dueling