“The Trojan Horse” of the New Age
One of the phenomena that prevails in the contemporary Greek society is the increasing spread of the martial arts (Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, Aikido etc.) originating in the Eastern countries like China and Japan. Many people consider this movement harmless ignoring apparently that it represents a vehicle of initiation into a different religious tradition like the Buddhism and the oriental religions and therefore leads to the denial of the Orthodox faith. Moreover, many ignore the fact that the spread of the martial arts is part of a systematic active plan of the New Age, a well-known occult and religious movement that intends to change the Christian consciousness and in general to abolish Christian faith.
Indeed, the propagandist advertisement of this movement invades our houses daily through TV movies and shows and offers us as well a) access to mass media through special broadcasts, b) specialized brochures and magazines; c) special dedications in newspapers and magazines of all kinds; d) direct support from the New Age press (magazines as The Third Eye, Searches, The Unexplainable, The Path, etc.) educating schools for these techniques almost in each neighborhood of the cities from our country) collaborations with different new-ageist organizations, as well as with private schools or institutions for superior education. The most concerning fact is that the teachers of martial arts impel these often through the public schools to the prejudice of Helen taxpayers together with all the implications associated with those.
The connection with the New Age movement is relevant also from the publication of articles on a regular base by the Greek teachers of martial arts in new-ageist brochures. Their former adepts confess about the connection of their schools with occult organizations like: Harmonious life of Robert Najemi, disciple of guru Sai Baba, Gnostics, Sunlight organization of Panaghiotis Toulatou, The Church of Unification of Korean fake messiah SanMyousMoon, as well as the implication of their teachers in black arts. Organizations like Nea Akropolis, Osiris-Isis, Armoniki Zoi (Harmony Life) etc. offer lessons of martial arts while their teachers do not hesitate to make public their connections with occultism. The Athletic and Cultural Association SAGITARRIUS, accredited by the General Secretary of Athletic Sport, organizes yearly a seminary on subjects like: Hatha and Raja, Meditation, Positive Thinking etc. where the customary bibliography comprises books of the so-called “Christ of New Age”(!), of Guru Sai Baba and his disciple Robert Najemi, of Ron Hubbard, the messiah of Scientology, of New Acropolis and other new-ageist organizations.
This proves that the martial arts are the toils of the New Age that catch “fresh” fish daily, without any loss. Moreover, all these prove that the heresies from our country act like communicating vessels and their connection are by no mean competitive. Yet, what actually are the martial arts, what is their origin and “spiritual” base?
The Apparition and evolution of the martial arts
The techniques of the weaponless war were very well known to the nations of Far East from ancient times. Over the time they were performed, multiplied and thus formed different schools. They were always connected to a religious philosophy and thereby they were part of a religious system.
In China, the forefather of martial arts was the Kung Fu. Around year 520 AD a Buddhist monk who wandered in India, Bodhidharma or Da Mo crossed Himalaya and reached the Shaolin Monastery from China where he taught the monks from there, the techniques of war united with the Buddhist principles. The monks used those techniques at the very beginning to eradicate the thieves and pirates and later on they developed them so that their monastery became the cultivation center of the so-called “hard” Kung Fu based on strong hits and kicks. There is among them also the so-called “touch of death” (from poppy) a technique known only by a few teachers whereby if a body is hit on a certain spot, way and hour then it will slowly, inevitably die. In the same time, during the XIII century a “light” or “inner” form of Kung Fu was developed by the Taoist monk Jang Sung-Fe that does not use hits but is focused on the maximization of “inner energy” by calming down.
Karate appeared in Okinawa island of Japan in the XVIIth century and it was officially introduced in Japan at the beginning of the XXth century. It translated through “empty hand” (weaponless) and is based on hits using the hands, legs, head and knees combined with Kung Fu techniques.
In Japan the far forefather of martial arts is the Jiu Jitsu. It most probably appeared around the year 23 AD and became a standard during the Shogun Tokugawa (1606-1868) dynasty when the fight without weapons was emphasized and the use of swords was forbidden. The technique is related to Zen Buddhism and is characterized by hits in the vital parts of body using the legs strangles and blocks of joints.
The evolution of Jiu Jitsu is Judo that represents a sportive version of the aforementioned technique and focuses on sprains.
Moreover the Jiu Jitsu is the forerunner of Aikido, a contemporary technique invented in 1922 by Jiu Jitsu teacher Morihei Uyeshiba and focuses on the harmonization with the moves of the opponent. Recently, a school of this technique has appeared in Tripoli.
