Spheres of fight in martial arts

Study aim: On the ground of holistic anthropology of martial arts the authors analyze the spheres of fight - from the physical dimension of a duel to transcendent and moral dimensions placed in the fighter's conscience. The aim of the work is an attempt to explain the phenomenon of martial arts. Material/methods: The qualitative methods of empirical social studies have been used - the expert's judgement (meijin Sieber 10 dan and opinions given by other specialists in martial arts and combat sports), long-term participating observation of the authors and heuristics from the humanist perspective of the theory of martial arts. Results: One may distinguish the following categories of fight - its spheres: physical (perception, pain stimuli, movement and techniques of fight), emotional, referring to the will, intellectual, ethical, symbolic and not connected directly with psychophysical practice - the spiritual sphere (of individual moral choices on the way of life). Moreover, the following dimensions of practicing fight have been distinguished: health (exemplified by qigong); ritual (e. g. sumo); utilitarian (for the purpose of self-defense or real fight); sport (for rivalry of recreation); self-realizational (for personal transgression and inner spiritual development); symbolic (for cultural values, respect for tradition etc.). Conclusions: Fight is practiced in physical time and space in technical conventional arrangements or limited by rules in various formulas of "free fight". In the sphere of the practitioner's mind it may concern his imagination (mental training) or moral choices made. The axiological connection between the transcendent aspect of the way of martial arts with the ethical way of Christian personalism has been noted.