“I really think that martial arts and music are very close to each other and both require a lot of focus and improvisation because you don’t know where or when you’re going to get kicked!”
Hiromi
Surreal it may sound but there lies a profound connection between Music and Martial arts. Music plays a pivotal role in the entire essence of Martial Arts. Martial arts and Music pursue similar patterns and concepts hence they are woven by a single thread despite being two different dimensions of creativity.
In music, the notes go from one to three and similarly in Martial arts numbers are assigned to each action as it becomes easier for learners to decode the nuances of these two creative fields. For an instance, if the pattern to be followed in Martial arts is 1-2-3 then the pattern in Martial Arts would be 1 for High Block, 2 for Punch, and 3 for Kick so it is easy to remember as 1-2-3. As far as music is concerned, the learning process is no different than the Martial Arts where the notes are A-B-C that can be easily remembered.
Rhythm is yet another element that is common between Music as well as Martial Arts. When students are taught any form of martial art the instructor instructs the counts for them to perform the action that is needed to be performed at a given moment. Similarly in Music, the song is sung or played according to the tune. To teach Martial arts, musical instruments like Drums are also used at some places and accordingly people perform the steps following the beat.
In an eBook penned down by Kingsley Umoh known as “Taekwondo Poomsae: The Fighting Scrolls- Guiding Philosophy and Basic Applications”, the author has highlighted the striking similarity between Taekwondo Poomsae and an ancient dance performed during the time of harvesting meant to express heartfelt gratitude towards the God for bestowing the beautiful gifts on the planet Earth. A medical doctor by profession in Jamaica, Kingsley Umoh trained for 31 years in Taekwondo training. “I grew up in Lagos, which is a large multicultural city and former capital of Nigeria. I am living at present in Jamaica, which is a smaller country but no less vibrant, and with an equally warm personality.” Pyongwon is the pattern/Poomsae/form learned from the fourth Dan black belts.
The movements in this dance are intriguingly similar to the farming and harvesting activities of the farmer that are performed on the dance beats. This dance was transformed into ‘The Farmers Music’ in the later centuries. This goes on to prove that Music and Martial Art shared a connection since time immemorial. Even numerous research papers go on to elaborate on the connection between Music and Martial Art and a few of the prominent ones are put forward by Collin Patrick Mcguire encompassing
- Music of the Martial Arts: Rhythm
- Movement, and Meaning in a Chinese Canadian Kung Fu Club
- The Rhythm of Combat: Understanding the Role of Music in Performances of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts, and Lion Dance.
A museum in America reckoned as the “Martial arts History Museum” was the first museum devoted to the history of Martial arts in America. The mission of this museum is to spread information about the influence of martial arts in Asian arts, its tradition, culture, and history. This museum is located at 2319 West Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91506. Here have a sneak peek at diversified forms of top-notch martial arts and their connection with Music.
Kalarippayattu
Reckoned as the Mother of all martial arts, Kalarippayattu originated in Kerala (India). This ancient martial art is witnessing a revival owing to being the captivating amalgamation of Dance, Yoga, Techniques of Defense, and Healing Therapy that helps in boosting mental and physical fitness besides strengthening body functioning and flexibility.
This Martial art form deploys the use of sword, shield, sticks, bow, and arrow. The instructions are also voiced when there is a forward or backward moment when striking of sticks, sword, and more does take place based on a step that needs to be followed. This automatically creates a natural rhythm akin to Music.
Taiko Drumming
The history of Taiko dates back to 2000 years ago in Japan. Used as a form of communication, Taiko Drumming is still used by the actors and singers. In olden times Taiko Drumming was also deployed for intimidating the enemy by coordinating the battle troops. The size of the taiko drums is generally similar to that of the wine bottle. However, there are many size variants of drums involving small drums such as a snare drum and large drums such as a car.
Karate
Originated in Japan, Karate kata is linked to Kung fu forms called Taolu. Music may or may not be there in this form of martial art. Even though there is a resemblance between some form of Kata and the traditional Okinawan style of dancing, Kata was originally not performed on Music.
Muay Thai Music
Muay Thai, also known as Thai Boxing, is a form of Martial art and Combat sport in which stand-up striking along with different clinching techniques are used. Before the Muay Thai match starts, music is played with the help of a variety of instruments like
- Pi Java (it is originated in India and is an instrument made by Javanese Clarinet)
- Klong Khaek (it is a type of double head drum which are used in Thai Music)
- Kong Mong (it is a drum which is originated from the south of Thailand and the name is kept from the sound that is produced from it).
- Ching (Finger Cymbals made of brass or iron and are used at Thai and Cambodian theatres for dance and theatre ensembles
Ha’A Koa (Dance of the Warrior)
An unsullied blend of Dance, Music and Martial arts, Ha’A Koa (Dance Of The Warrior) is a conventional practice of Hawaii. It encompasses Lua, Hula, and Oli. Where Lua connotes martial arts, Hula implies dance and Oli represents Music. Hoe is used as one of the weapons in dance and musical instruments. Ipu (an instrument made of gourds for providing a beat to Hula which is Dancing) and Pahu (the drums used for religious ceremonies) are also included in this art form.
Escrima Dance
In the 1700s when Spanish rulers came to the Philippines Island, they banned the weapons. So to learn Kung-fu techniques, music and stick dancing were combined. The sticks used in this dance are called Escrima sticks and they are crafted from the rattan wine traditionally. The standard size of the stick is 26 inches to 28 inches.
Lion Dance at Chinese Opera
Chinese opera showcases comprehensive art that comes across as an impeccable blend of dancing, singing, fighting, acrobatics, and acting. These elements are leveraged to narrate a story and to depict different characters. The Lion Dance is a dance form in which two individuals wear an elaborate costume, one in a head and another in a tail, respectively. In this enchanting dance form, Lion signifies a sign of Courage, Superiority, and Stability. Every movement of the lion is directed by a specific rhythm of a specific musical instrument. The instruments used in this dance form are required to be learned in the traditional Kung-Fu schools. The instruments that need to be learned are:-
- Drums (also known as Tanngu are the traditional drums used in China from the 19th Century)
- Cymbals (These are thin and round plates of various alloys which are normally used in Pair)
- Gong (an East and South Asian musical instrument is a circular flat dish that produces the sound when hit with a mallet.
Even in current times, there are few playlists available on Apps like Spotify which are specifically designed for Martial arts players to listen while practising a martial art to be more focused. It has also been proved scientifically that while doing exercise if you listen to music it helps in distracting your attention from exertion. Also, the rhythm in music helps in improving the performance while doing the task as the body adapts easily to the rhythm. Nevertheless, it is extremely crucial to select the right music as it helps to enhance confidence to perform the workout in a better way. Since time immemorial, music has remained an integral part of all civilizations of the world. Be it in the form of rhythm, Voicing out instructions or playing of the drum, striking of sticks and beyond, Music and Martial arts continue to share an unsullied rapport.
When it comes to mastering the art of self-defence, discipline, meditation and fitness, nothing beats Martial Arts. This non-combative form of art is simple, practical and universal. Rooted in the concept of a non-combative approach, Martial Arts teach about respect and discipline. This is one-of-a-kind of art where the relationship between the Teacher and Disciple is extremely reflective. Wolfe Glass is amongst those rare creators across the world who did pursue martial arts and music both and went on to accomplish a degree of proficiency for both.
Wolfe Glass has been singing and writing songs since he was 12 yrs old. He lived in Brazil for 3 and a half years thereby mastered the art of writing songs in Portuguese. He studied Guitar in West Africa and recorded 3 CD’s and delivered impactful musical performances in Brazil, Canada, California and of course NY. He created Tai Gong and in 2017 he seized a remarkable opportunity to be a personal Tai Gong instructor of Paul Simon on a tour. Simon mentored him in Songwriting and the same proved to be a milestone in the musical career of Wolfe Glass.
He has been practising Martial Arts since he was 10 years old and studied Tai Chi and Qigong with a master from China for 26 years. CEO at Anticosti Music Publishing, Wolfe Glass is a multilingual singer and songwriter who sings and writes in English, Portuguese, French, Spanish and some West African dialects. He is also a celebrated Tai Gong instructor. Tai Gong is a new exercise form that combines Tai Chi, Qigong and Healing Sounds. He describes himself as an eclectic Singer/Songwriter who is well-versed with a multitude of music genres.
“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
― Bruce Lee
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