Martial Arts and Spiritual Brain Washing

One of the common questions I get is whether or not kung fu is spiritual.

I understand what motivates the question of martial arts and spirituality. Most people know of the association between the Shaolin Temple and kung fu. Even in Kung Fu Panda, training occurs in a remote temple-like area. So the association is there in story and legend.

Let me make this clear: Kung Fu is not spiritual. Not even a little bit.

Even in ancient China, kung fu was not inherently spiritual. The confusion arises from a cultural overlap: many great kung fu practitioners were also deeply spiritual individuals. That doesn’t make the art itself spiritual.

The Spiritual Landscape of Ancient China

In ancient China, a person who had not undertaken some form of spiritual development was considered incomplete. This wasn’t optional. It was a cultural expectation. People without spiritual cultivation were viewed as unrefined or even animalistic.

But here’s what gets left out of many Western interpretations: Ancient Chinese society was spiritually plural. There were Buddhists, Taoists, Confucians, ancestor worshippers, and even local cults of heroes or nature spirits. What mattered wasn’t what you believed, but that you believed something.

Let’s say three friends head off to train at a famous kung fu school. They learn the same forms, the same drills, the same tactics. But one is Buddhist, one is Taoist, and one is a nonbeliever. Two become famous and morally upright; the third becomes corrupt. Different outcomes, same kung fu.

What About the Shaolin Temple?

The Shaolin Temple did house monks who practiced martial arts, and yes, those monks were Buddhist. But martial arts were only one facet of their training. More importantly, the inclusion of martial arts was pragmatic. They needed to defend themselves. Period.

You can find similar overlaps throughout history: warrior monks in Japan (sōhei), Islamic fityan brotherhoods, and even Christian monastic military orders like the Knights Templar. That doesn’t make sword fighting or grappling inherently spiritual.

Why the Confusion Persists

Most martial arts schools in the West are run by sincere people trying to offer personal development, discipline, and maybe even a bit of ethical guidance. That, in turn, can feel spiritual.

And yes, spiritual charlatans have also used martial arts imagery to push cult-like agendas. It’s easy to look authoritative when wearing robes, standing still, and speaking softly. But those aesthetics don’t indicate depth. They can just as easily be used for manipulation.

The Real Role of Spirit in Martial Arts

Spirituality, when it shows up in a martial artist, is a layer, not a core component. It can support clarity, restraint, and perspective—things that benefit a fighter. But without character, those skills become dangerous.

At Water Mountain, we teach moral restraint: avoid conflict when possible, de-escalate rather than dominate, and never confuse violence with power. But that doesn’t make the punch or kick spiritual. That’s a matter of ethics and responsibility, not mysticism.

Martial Arts Are Tools

And like all tools, they reflect the person who wields them. A sword in the hands of a monk may protect. In the hands of a tyrant, it destroys. The weapon didn’t change. The person did.

Kung fu, escrima, jiu-jitsu, MMA—none of these are spiritual paths by themselves. But if the practitioner has a spiritual practice, it can shape how they walk the martial path.