Folklore in the Martial Arts
The martial arts, like all areas of human endeavor, have developed folklore
(materials that are learned as an element of the common experience in a
special interest group, which could be based on ethnicity, avocation, gen-
der, among other factors) as an integral element of their core knowledge.
In fact, by virtue of the secrecy and exclusively oral transmission inherent
in most traditions, martial arts communities provide especially favorable
conditions for the development of folklore. The most highly developed
folk genres in the martial arts fall into three principal categories: myth, leg-
end, and folk belief. The first two genres often focus on origins and include
tales ranging from those concerning the origins of war and weapons in
general to the origins of specific styles of martial arts. The third type tends
to focus on the qualities of particular arts and, in general, articulates rela-
tionships between fighting systems and larger belief systems (e.g., religion,
medicine).
Myths are narratives set in an environment predating the present state
of the cosmos. The world and its features remain malleable. The present or-
der and laws of cause and effect have not yet been set into motion. The ac-
tors in such narratives tend to be gods, demons, or semidivine ancestors.
Myth characteristically concerns itself with basic principles (the ordering of
the seasons, the creation of moral codes).
Legends, on the other hand, are set in the historical reality of the
group, are populated by human (though often exceptional) characters, and
focus on more mundane issues. In many cases, these narratives are based
to some degree on historically verifiable individuals. Although the events
described may be extraordinary, they never cross the line into actions that
are implausible to group members.
Folk belief may be cast in narrative form, may exist as a succinct state-
ment of belief, or may survive simply as allusions to elements of the common
knowledge of the group (i.e., as traditional axioms). Finally, the label “folk”
should not serve as a prejudicial comment on the validity of the material so
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