03/09/2026
Sneak peek at next week’s article. What do you think we’ll talk about, and how do you think it connects to the martial arts?
“The phrase ‘mind, body, and spirit’ can be traced back to a doctor named Luther Gulick. This was in 1891, before he became a doctor and when he worked at the YMCA.”
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“Having an unhealthy mind or spirit affects your physical health. Having an unhealthy body affects your mind and spirit. You can be mentally and physical healthy but have no meaning in life, and you can be a top star at your church but suffer mentally.
‘Unity of mind, body, and spirit.’ Some would say that a fight gym isn’t the place for that mumbo jumbo. I say those people are shortsighted and emotionally stunted. If you’re not teaching your fighters the mental and spiritual, then you’re just playing kids’ games. ‘Good job buddy, you won the match. Let’s go get you some ice cream. Yeah, I did see you get that kimura!’
The argument against this is that traditional martial artists have long treated their instructor as a fount of wisdom in a way that borders on cult-thinking. That is an excellent argument for focusing on the physical in training more than the mental and spiritual. If your instructor isn’t a financial advisor working at a financial company in the day time, don’t ask them financial questions you wouldn’t ask your best friend. If they’re not a psychiatrist, don’t treat them like one.
But that doesn’t mean you, as an instructor, can’t learn the basics of budgeting and give some friendly advice to a student who has no idea how to do it. It doesn’t mean you, as an instructor, can’t discuss the meaning of life, the universe, and everything (42) with your students when you’re out getting a beer.
It doesn’t mean your students can’t come to you for advice or get help from you when they’re down and depressed. As a coach, a sifu, or a kumu, it’s your responsibility to do what you can to help your students get and stay healthy, and not just in the physical sense. The Kajukenbo dojo should be promoting health in the body, mind, and the spirit. “
