Martial arts and dualistic philosophy: conflict, harmony and the search for balance
Trans/Form/Ação August 3, 2025 Fanghui Li, Liang Fu
This paper argues that martial arts, particularly Wushu, serve as embodied vehicles for ethical transformation and spiritual freedom. Drawing on Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, it examines how martial arts integrate opposing forces—mind and body, strength and softness, offense and defense—through the dynamic structure of Yin and Yang. The author contends that this embodied dialectic fosters virtue by unifying affective, physical, and cognitive dimensions of self-cultivation. Engaging with Western subjectivity and modern body theory, the paper proposes that martial arts transcend dichotomies and offer a holistic ethical perspective. Ultimately, martial arts emerge as a lived ethical practice of self-cultivation, resilience, and harmony.