Balance of Body

The body is itself an incredible creation.  The cells, tissue, organs and systems all work together to maintain balance.   There is even a word to describe this balance, referred to as “homeostasis.”   The physical body requires balance and is the most easily recognized characteristic.  Internally the body constantly fights to maintain balance.  Externally, the body develops the balance needed to allow survival.  We are born in to a physical balance.  However, if not maintained this balance deteriorates.  Martial arts education teaches to maintain this physical balance.  Exercise is something that has in modern times come to be a hobby or competition.  It is a means to cure the physical condition when the body is already reached the point of imbalance.  However, it is the preventative nature of maintaining the physical condition that is most important.     

If exercise is considered a hobby, then its true purpose is not recognized.  One’s health is often taken a back seat to other aspects in life.  However, sadly wealth, work and social pressures all become factors in affecting health.  Health is not a hobby; it is the key aspect of a valuable life.  Martial arts teach us that health is key to life.  Without health, the other facets of life that we consider valuable, such as money, are meaningless.  “Way of life” is a good description for how the public should treat health.  Health maintenance is a way of life.  It is something that must be continually developed and much discipline is involved in maintaining a healthy physical condition.   

When we consider maintaining this healthy physical condition, we must again take in consideration the balance of nature and learn from it.  Just like water, although necessary to life, too much exercise is bad for the physical condition.  There is a common misconception that conditioning the body to endure tremendous amounts of punishment is considered a good physical conditioning.  Muscles are important to maintain the skeletal system, maintain the spine and keep structure to vital body systems.  There is a balance to the physical condition.  Martial arts teach natural physical conditioning.  The use of traditional martial arts exercises that have been developed for thousands of years promote and maintain a healthy physical condition.  If this balance of the physical condition is compromised, then injuries and damage may occur.   

Consider a person who excessively lifts weights to build strength.  The human race has developed over thousands of years. Each particular race of people and even individuals developed different physical ability according to lifestyle.  Even today, this concept is clearly visible.  Consider a person who works manual labor.  If the body is used for lifting and carrying heavy objects, performing extreme feats of physical demand in extreme environmental conditions like summer heat, then the physical condition will be strong.  The human body will have adapted to survive in this physical condition.  If the human condition is to sit at a desk all day doing some kind of computer work, then the body will adapt and suffer from the lack of physical condition.  We are all products of our environment.  However, we can use the tools of the martial arts as a means to gain control of that physical balance.    

Just like the ancient warriors who battled as a means of survival.  Through their rigorous training, the body adapted to survive.  But how long was their life expectancy?  Were their lives considered long?  Usually no.  They usually met with a violent death because of the life they either chose or were forced to live.  But, during these modern times, most people are most often lucky not to have to fight daily to survive in a physical confrontation.   

In order to maximize the physical condition, proper exercise is necessary.  This proper exercise is martial arts.  Again, martial arts taught by traditional means teach health as a way of life.   This way of life involves not only the physical condition, but also a mental and philosophical body of thought.  These are incorporated with exercise and together help attain the balance necessary to extend life and produce a long healthy active life.   

Nutrition is another concept to promote the physical condition.  Without nutrition the physical body simply cannot survive.  In order to maximize the physical condition, there must be balance in the diet.  Eastern medicine and martial arts are tied together through the concept of Ki.  Ki is the main focus of study involved in both martial arts and eastern medicine.  Eastern medicine and martial arts teach health through natural methods.  Food is the most natural method for nourishing the body.  A good balanced diet is key.  When the diet becomes out of balance, then illness occurs.  For example, a consistent high fat diet leads to high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and many life-threatening conditions.  Remember anything in excess is not good.