Can Faith and Martial Arts Co-exist?

Faith and martial arts have co-existed for centuries. Many martial arts carry eastern mysticism origins with it. Symbols on the walls of a dojo or meditations used in the teaching may reflect these origins. Each dojo should be examined and prayerfully considered based on your comfort level. But apart from spirituality, learning a martial art has many benefits such as meeting fitness goals, learning self-defense skills and character development.

I’m thrilled to share a Christian worldview here at The Great Flip. From the beginning of The Great Flip journey, I’ve had three goals:

First, to give girls an online venue to try simple self-defense inspired by Brazilian jiu-jitsu in her own comfort zone with trusted family and friends.

Second, I want to emphasize nutrition as a form of self-defense against illness and obesity. I share recipes, resources and stories to equip and inspire girls to lead healthy, well-balanced lifestyles.

And finally, third, I want to give girls a Grace Place. A Grace Place is a safe space to learn about Jesus and discover his unconditional love for her. The Great Flip is for all people from all backgrounds and beliefs. I welcome everyone to ponder and mediate on the Christian worldview presented at The Great Flip.

Want to go deeper into Martial Arts and Spirituality. Listen to my friend at the Intersection of Jesus and Jiu-jitsu

Words of Wisdom

The martial art’s experience usually includes a moment of wisdom delivered by the wise instructor. The sense, professor, or coach imparts wisdom to the student. They might talk about respect, authority and teamwork to name a few.

Here at The Great Flip, I have developed a series of “Words of Wisdom” talking points. Consider this my way of adding a spiritual element to the martial arts community. Each Word of Wisdom is downloadable, just look for the PDF file in the blog. Each Word of Wisdom has a Bible verse, a short message and follow-up questions or comments for you to discuss with the girls in your life.

Feel free to open or close a “self-defense training” event with these talking points. Encourage the girls to memorize the Bible verses and reflect upon the teaching. Check back from time to time. I’ll continue to add The Great Flip Words of Wisdom!

Here’s a Sample from “Words of Wisdom #3”

Girl Power vs. God Power

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13

I believe jiu-jitsu is the best martial art for self-defense because it equips a smaller person to defend against a larger opponent. A girl learns to trust techniques, not her own strength.

Today’s culture attempts to convince girls to reach within herself to find strength. “Girl Power” sounds empowering, but in reality, it’s exhausting. Pressure to perform and expectations to succeed crush a girl’s spirit. Girls suffer from depression and anxiety now more than any time in history. Girl power falls short. Thank goodness for God’s power! A girl can do anything NOT because of who she is. A girl can do anything because of WHOSE she is! Let His power strengthen you!

How would you describe the difference between Girl Power vs. God Power?

Ask God to fill you with His Power and memorize Philippians 4:13.