When you read the word art, are you thinking about mortal combat?

Probably not.

Martial arts have a softer side, an internal side that give them deep rooted philosophical stratum often not understood by non-artists. This is one of the reasons why it is an excellent idea for children to study martial arts.

Many parents worry that teaching their kids martial arts will make them more aggressive and more likely to fight. The opposite is actually true. And there is a fundamental reason why.

Martial arts are actually made of two components, an external and an internal part. Remember the Chinese yin/yang, the never ending circle which visually depicts that all things have an opposite. The sky has earth, good has evil and hot has cold.

What is referred to as external martial arts is what most people are familiar with. This is the action you enjoy on the movie screen and on television. It’s the sometimes violent or even deadly, hard hitting power that one can learn to use to overcome an opponent. But remember, that what you see on the screen is only what Hollywood deems glamorous.

Martial arts are flamboyant and exciting at their external course. But just as the yin-yang shows, martial arts also has an internal course of philosophical study that pins the artist in search of harmony and peace. One philosophy in particular that can be hard to grasp is consequentialism or more easily understood as the “right action.”

All actions cause reactions or consequences. The theory of “right action” is the practice of choosing to take the highest road and thereby causing the most moral results. Because this does not always come naturally to humans, martial artists believe they must actively practice choosing the the most moral course which in turn brings the best outcome for more people.

Nearly all martial arts share origins in Asian nations where Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism began. It’s not surprising that martial arts instruction adapts itself to the core philosophies of these teachings. These ideals require great patience, insight and acceptance of others.

Author Doug Cook writes of a Korean proverb that when translated states, “Peace within the individual brings peace within the family; peace in the family brings peace in the community; peace in the community, peace in the country and peace throughout the world.” The concept of “right action” to bring about peace in the individual is believed to spread virally through society and consequently, the world.

This one concept is just a small part of the philosophy that sculpts the internal root of the martial artist. Just as there are many kicks and punches, blocks and strikes to learn in the physical root, there are many more pieces to the internal structure.

Children who receive martial arts instruction learn the physical actions of self defense that build strength and increase flexibility. They become more confident and begin to absorb the philosophical ideals of good citizenship. As they learn to know the “right action” combined with this increased confidence, they become fundamentally better decision makers. It becomes apparent that defense is no longer a concern because they know how to avoid the situations that would need defending.

Suddenly, world peace doesn’t sound so far fetched.