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585858 DDDECEPTION OF MMMARTIAL AAARTSRTSRTS PPPAGE 111 FFFRED GGGRIGG (1986) HHHOLROYD NNNEW LLLIFE CCCHURCH RRRESOURCE TITLE PAGE 1. Doorway to the Demonic 2. History and Origins 3. Principles Behind Martial Arts 4. Types of Martial Arts 5. Yoga 6. Meditation: The False and True FOREWORD Today's complex society brings many influences on people. One such influence is Martial Arts. Many who approach us for an understanding, from a Christian viewpoint, feel vaguely uneasy about Martial Arts. It became clear to us that people were not aware of the spiritual implications and origins of such practices. To satisfy a need in this area I have endeavoured, in Christian love, to present the truth. I have used as my "yardstick" the Bible. I believe that God has given us, in His Word, principles for living a fulfilled and satisfying life Jesus said, " I came that they (the people) may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) It is easy for people to be led astray when there is a vacuum or lack of adequate information and teaching. This booklet seeks to fill that vacuum. Fred Grigg, Sydney Australia 1986. 1] DOORWAY TO THE DEMONIC Martial Arts are more than just bodily exercises' and physical skills. They involve contact with evil supernatural powers. Such contact is not altogether easy and so various techniques and exercises have to be used. This booklet describes various "ways" or "paths" in which these techniques are so subtly framed. Attainment of mastery in Martial Arts by contacting demon spirits involves hard work, discipline and training. What a wonderful difference there is for the Christian who so easily makes contact with God on the basis of the "hard work" of what Jesus Christ did in dying at Calvary and rising again as our Saviour and Friend. In Bob Larson's "Book of Cults", page 300, we read: "..The Christian practitioner of the martial arts must ask himself whether or not any involvement in such physical disciplines implies an inherent approval of the religious principles Behind them. Whether the form of martial art .......is based on the doctrine of naturalism found in Taoism or the doctrine of illusion found in Buddhism, the philosophical basis of both explicitly deny the blood atonement of Christ.." The reader has no doubt noticed that in the natural healing therapies that are becoming more prominent in the western world, that one type of practice that has become an accepted form is ACUPUNCTURE. In this practice, it is said that the 'life force.' (or CHI) can be charted into its main poles, fields and meridians. It is also said, that the Shaolin monk,' well trained in knowledge of the meridians and pressure points of the body, when confronted by an attacker, could strike a blow to these points, thereby stopping the life force (or CHI) thus killing his opponent with the TOUCH OF DEATH ... Supposedly, he was able to hit certain of the pressure points on these meridians and start a haemorrhage that could kill his attacker instantly or gradually as desired. Some people would say that martial arts are harmless so why not let people enjoy themselves and be happy. In answering that question let us firstly say, that GOD IS NOT A SPOILSPORT - God wishes his people to be happy. Jesus came that we might have abundant life in enjoying His wonderful creation. (John 10:10) But we then need to understand two seemingly unrelated things:- 1. the first of the 10 Commandments "..You shall have no other gods before me.." (Exodus 20:3) 2. that humans have been created with three parts; SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY. (1 Thess 5:23, Heb 4:12) Martial Arts are not harmless, because, what we do with our bodies and our minds (meditation, etc,) affects the spiritual realm and God has forbidden us to relate to any "other gods". Many are learning martial arts with sincere intentions. They want nothing more than exercise and a knowledge of self-defence. Unfortunately because of the origins of the activity it can easily result in demonic oppression after the pattern experienced by (Western) yoga practitioners who start what they think is only a series of relaxation exercises. Barry Smith in his book 'Second Warning' says of Martial Arts on page 143: (a) “Martial arts are demonic (b) As you bow to the picture of the master, you bow to a spirit of violence, which is in that man. 585858 DDDECEPTION OF MMMARTIAL AAARTSRTSRTS PPPAGE 222 FFFRED GGGRIGG (1986) HHHOLROYD NNNEW LLLIFE CCCHURCH RRRESOURCE (c) As you do your deep breathing exercises, you breathe in an Eastern spirit of violence. Your breath is actually reserved for the Spirit of God. (d) The continual longing for someone to attack you, comes from this proud spirit of violence that inhabits you, upon your clear invitation." The purpose of this booklet, then, is to show that: (1) Martial Arts are dangerous to Christians and non-Christians alike. (2) Christians should adopt a right concept of physical and mental fitness (i.e. God's "wholeness") and oppose counterfeits - such as martial arts - on that basis. 2] HISTORY & ORIGINS To understand why we emphatically say to people that Christians should not be involved in any form of martial arts ; it is imperative that we study the origins, or roots, of the 'arts'. It is said that in the year 470AD, Bodhidharma, the 28th Buddhist Patriarch, travelled from India to China. During his journey he was attacked frequently by bandits. He was able to overcome his assailants by learning a fighting technique which he supposedly learnt from the observation of animals. Supposedly he stayed for nine years at the famed Shaolin Monastery, a place that figures prominently in the lore of the martial arts. For a total of seven of these years he sat meditating in front of a cave wall, 'listening to the screams of ants'. During-this time he became enlightened of a new mystic type approach to fighting. The technique that he developed was based on the Ch'an Meditation concept and Yoga. The Shaolin Temple is always linked with modern day Kung-fu, but, this is only part of the Shaolin technique. There were many systems which became separate techniques and are today many and varied. These systems included 'hard' techniques., such as KARATE, and 'soft' as in TAI CHI. Taoism had its beginnings in 212BC, when Emperor Shi Huang Ti burnt Confucian books. He established Taoism in its place and on different occasions sent his navy to the Fairy Islands to find the herb of immortality. 200 years later in AD1 the chief Taoist in China was attempting to compound a pill that would impart immortality. Taoists in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 died readily, believing that their bodies would not be touched by arms or bullets. THEY DIED IN THEIR THOUSANDS!! 3] PRINCIPLES BEHIND MARTIAL ARTS The Dictionary says of the word "martial" - "suitable for and appropriate to warfare, militant, ready, eager to fight..". This of course is an attitude that is quite different to the attitude that Paul encourages Timothy to display towards those who were in opposition, " and the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness…." (2 Tim. 2:2425). They are all referred to as 'arts' because they are not just a fighting technique, but, are also an expression of the various forms of Eastern spiritual philosophy. CHI - OR LIFE FORCE All martial art techniques were based on the concepts of CHI. CHI is the life force or breath . There are said to be many ways of developing CHI in the varied philosophies from the East. It is said that the Shaolin monks saw the need, through their breathing exercises, to not only develop their fighting prowess, but also to develop their consciousness to a higher state of mystical awareness. The physiology of breath as taught by the monks, and the full potential thereof, was known also to the ancient Yogins - for YOGA is based on the same principles. Through training the practitioner can learn to control and direct CHI to any part of his body., thereby gaining great strength and power. It is this practice that enables the practitioner to smash bricks, tiles, etc, with his bare hands and other parts of his body, without apparent injury. An article on KUNG-FU says, "..many exponents of kung-fu have gained great psychic powers akin to those of JESUS..". Tradition in the arts, has it that some Shaolin monks could walk under water through rivers without breathing, or walk on fire without being burned. These sorts of powers are still evident today in many who use the techniques mentioned. In the world today wherever people gather into occult groups one will find demonstrations of the same powers in the lives of the members. The power source for such feats, to the discerning Bible student, is none other than the devil and his agents, the demons.. (Refer: 2 Thess. 2:9-12, 1 Tim 4:7-8, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, Eph 6:12.). YIN AND YANG CHI consists of two forms – 1] Yin Chi, and 2] Yang Chi. Yin and Yang is a Taoist teaching. Tao means the ‘way' or 'path' and man's aim should be to conform to this way. The Taoist is taught that this is done by practicing the attitude of WU WEI. This literally means “inaction”. This is achieved by avoiding all aggression and living passively and communing and harmonising with nature. These goals seem quite at odds to the 585858 DDDECEPTION OF MMMARTIAL AAARTSRTSRTS PPPAGE 333 FFFRED GGGRIGG (1986) HHHOLROYD NNNEW LLLIFE CCCHURCH RRRESOURCE fighting or aggression of the martial arts.

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