Are Taoist Martial Arts Off-Limits to Christians?

Author: Bret Gordon

​I’ve been writing a lot about the Taoist origins of the internal arts lately, and naturally the question arises: Can Christians study practices that developed within Taoist and Buddhist cultures? For some believers, the association with monasteries, Eastern philosophy, and unfamiliar metaphysical language suggests potential spiritual conflict. Yet simply because these arts were once practiced by monks does not automatically make them religious acts. 

​A Buddhist monk performing coordinated breathing exercises is no more inherently engaged in idol worship than a Catholic priest who goes to the gym to lift weights. In both cases, the movements are neutral. It is the intent behind the activity that gives it moral or spiritual character. A squat remains a squat whether performed by an athlete, a pastor, or a monk. Likewise, standing meditation, soft forms, or slow-motion spirals remain physical practices unless one layers spiritual ideology onto them.

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