Cultivation of Character in Traditional Martial Arts

Wu De, the often misunderstood Cultivation of Character in traditional martial arts, is an important topic.

As we learned in Is Kung Fu a Martial Art?, the term "Kung Fu" can relate to martial arts, yet truly applies to the cultivation of any skill – a level of mastery in a skill through hard work.

This does not mean, however, that one must be a "master" of the martial arts; simply walking the proper path will do the trick.

However, there’s more to improve than just the physical and mental skills – there is the character.

Like any other skill, development and progress in the martial arts requires a good teacher, endurance, patience, and a fairly strong will, among other requisites.

It may be a cliché of sorts, however the power of its truth can not be overstated; Martial Arts, and Chinese Martial Arts in particular, are not merely about overcoming an adversary, but about cultivating a great many other things; overcoming oneself being an important one.

In today’s world of fast-food, instant gratification, commercialism, violence, apathy, etc., people care less and less about principles of old. Education is always important, but cultivation of character? Some may consider it merely semantics, but hmmm…

I wonder.

Yet, few can dispute the benefits of refining one’s character and mind; the cultivation of a good, strong personality, the "aura", if you will, of someone who others can lean on, the die-hard-ness of a…

Well, a warrior.

All too frequently I find that the "cultivation" aspects of traditional martial arts are fading away in today’s regimen; believing in the efficient tossing-away of tradition, mainly due to a lack of deeper understanding.

I now find it necessary to explain and to share the importance of these cultivated things.

Let us begin with What is Wu De.