Martial Arts: Return of the Warrior

Kungfu Magazine: E-Zine Feature Article
by Returning Warrior advisor Clay Worley.

Many Returning Warriors continue their practice with the martial arts as a functional way to reintegrate the Warrior into their everyday lives. The arts are a powerful way to re-introduce control and discipline to life in the community.

One of the underlying assumptions of contemporary warfare, going back to at least WWI, is that when the war is over, soldiers can just go back home and pick up where they left off. This is not so. Once released, trained and honed, the Warrior cannot be put "back into the box." The Warrior must be integrated into the overall personality of the soldier, given context and perspective. Failing this, the disconnect of experience of the soldier in his external environment is monumental. PTSD is one result of this disconnect.

To the extent that the martial arts can provide support and perspective to the integration, they are an extremely valuable asset.