As martial artists, we train to be warriors, but few people understand what that means. On a superficial level, people think of warriors as people who train to fight, to defeat enemies and to win battles. On a deeper level, warriors have a much higher purpose. To understand that purpose, we can analyze the Chinese term Wu Shu (武术).

In traditional terms, wu shu referred to the “art of war” or “martial art” in Chinese. The character for Wu (武) contains the characters Zhi (止) or stop, and Ge (戈) , a type of dagger-axe used in battle. Therefore, the term wu shu can be seen as saying that martial art is the art of stopping war. This should be the highest purpose of a true warrior – to prevent or end conflict and to promote harmony and peace.

Unfortunately, some warriors only know war. They may be adrenaline junkies who only feel alive when facing death. They only feel purpose when fighting, so in times of peace, they will stir up conflict. In battle, they prolong conflict and see victory only in the total destruction of their opponent. They are often motivated by hate and anger or seeking personal glory. They prefer to destroy rather than to build. These people are warmongers, not true warriors.

The true warrior is motivated by love. Love of country, love of family, love of peace, love of humanity. They seek to create – to build up rather than to tear down. They train not just to be a better fighter, but to be a better person.  Although they seek to avoid conflict, they are not weak. Rather, they are strong enough to resist the call of ego and self-interest and instead seek to promote a greater good. They work quietly, steadfastly and often in the background. They do what needs to be done simply because it needs to be done, not for glory or personal gain. They risk their own safety to preserve the safety of others.

At Jing Ying Institute, we want to help people be warriors, not just fighters. We want to help people as they strive to be the best version of themselves they can be!