Cosmetics?

The main philosophy behind Budo (Japanese Martial Arts), and in true physical culture, is to get better and more effective without regard for outside appearances (ego). So why are so many people involved in martial arts and “fitness” only concerned with how they look or what people think about them?

The big shift toward “cosmetic” martial arts began when low-level practitioners who weren’t fully trained began to bring their arts from the Orient to the West. These fellows, some not knowing any better, began to teach and create their own systems and associations. When their students got to a level that challenged their own ability, these instructors then implemented controls to make training physically tougher or tortuous and incorporated techniques from other styles to fill in the apparent gaps in their own knowledge. All this happened while usually promoting themselves to high black belt degrees so they could stay on top in their new “business.” Then they would sell people on how their martial art was the best.

Old-school traditional and classical martial arts never had to do this because the instructors didn’t stop training and would not teach until they were ready.

I think that “cosmetic” fitness and health began when technology started taking over society’s need to be physical to get work done and eat natural and homegrown food. I’m talking around the time of the Industrial Revolution or, arguably, earlier. It really hit hard when sports took over the physical education curriculum in the US. People forgot or “unlearned” how to properly use and care for their bodies because winning a game was more important. I would also like to blame the bodybuilding movement that really took off in California in the mid-20th Century. They tried to emulate the old strongmen like Sandow, Hackenschmidt, Calvert, and Saxon with fancy new adjustable barbells and dumbbells and a lot of muscle isolation techniques to enhance hypertrophy. Nothing was truly functional.

Up to this point, people exercised with precision and used a variety of techniques to perfect strength in movement and didn’t care if they won an event or had huge biceps. Looking good was a by-product of being active, strong, and fit.

Can people now see this wisdom from our past? Can we leave the cosmetics behind?