Magic

There is no magic in martial arts.

None.

It can certainly seem that way, what with all the charlatans that claim otherwise.

Once the air gets cleared of all of the death touch stuff, and levitation, it can still seem that there is magic.

But there is not.

It is all physics, and human behaviour.

In 1993, Royce Gracie used Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to win a tournament of 16 trained martial artists, all of whom were significantly larger than he was, and went on to repeat his victory several more times. At the time, it seemed like witchcraft, but it wasn’t.

It was physics and human behaviour.

You have to understand the physics involved in how a human body can move, and of the leverage involved with all the bones, tendons and muscles.

The human behaviour aspect is even harder. You have to understand how a typical, unskilled opponent will react in a combat situation, and have answers for all of these possible reactions. That is the base. Beyond that, you have to understand the most typical reactions of people who have different combat-related skill sets. What would a wrestler likely do if a certain behaviour is used by the Jiu-Jitsu person, and how can that be countered? What if instead of that reaction, they instead do another likely move?

Above that, in Jiu-Jitsu, we learn how to defeat each other at increasing levels of proficiency.

I have been a student of Jiu-Jitsu for 7 years, and every so often get taught a move that seems like wizardry to me, but it never is. There is no talk of energy, or chi; it is all about how to line up your bones, and how to use leverage to maximum effect, and to get your opponent to react in a way that seems correct to them, but is actually a step towards defeat.

Try doing that with somebody trained in the art, who is trying to do it right back to you.

No magic.

If anything; the magic is more like science.

The moves are answers to particular problems, and the answer is never to out muscle your opponent. If you find a solution that requires power, it means you have to start over. Jiu-Jitsu is designed with the assumption that your opponent will be bigger and stronger than you. That way it works for everybody, and if you are lucky enough to be stronger than your opponent, you will be able to beat them while using so little energy that your heart rate won’t elevate at all.

It also means that you can do it all while being perfectly gentle with your opponent.

Science that could be mistaken for magic?

Our new car tells me when I’m driving badly, and in a pinch will slam on the brakes to save my sorry ass. It parks itself, and knows the way to every address in North America, and where every Starbucks is. That’s certainly like magic.

But it’s not really sorcery at all.