Most martial systems worth their salt are founded on mysticism. Indeed most martial arts are based on the creations of Chinese ascetic monks almost a thousand years ago. These systems spread out from China into Japan, Indonesia, and the Phillipines, hence the degree of similarity between many arts.
Typically, most Japanese & Chinese martial forms rest on elemental systems - Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Void. These elements characterize an attack and inform the appropriate response. At very advanced levels of training the elements, as well as the forms, are totally internalized and aligned with the flow of life, the Tao if you will. This is where martial art and mysticism blur, evidenced perhaps best by certain Kung Fu forms which can be profoundly adept at utilizing so-called "invisible forces" to repel seemingly insurmountable attacks.
Personally, I've studied budo taijutsu for several years and found that it does interact with magick but in very subtle ways. Martial arts are about body movement and flow, so any conscious attempt to inform them with western magickal principles can hinder the art itself. But martial practice, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, will subtly affect every other aspect of one's life, particluarly in overcoming obstacles and generally feeling more grounded and less affected by the day-to-day annoyances and problems faced in life. When you're regulary being beaten and bruised and thrown to the ground, a term paper or work meeting or a big bike ride doesn't seem like such a big deal.
And then there's the simple aspect of feeling like a bad ass that can really charge and transform the depth of magickal workings. Oh, and as an interesting aside, in my dreams I always win my fights. |
