As Christianity is a notoriously peaceful faith, one may ask whether or not it is permissible to learn martial arts. If we are commanded to love our enemies, and live at peace with all men (so far as it depends on us, see Romans 12:18), is it possible to reconcile such violent practices with our faith?
Although the Bible does not directly say "thou shalt" or "thou shalt not" practice martial arts, it does have a lot to say that is directly relevant. However, for this article, I want to focus on a different angle that, to my memory, I have never seen any Christian source approach the issue from. That is, I want to talk about the inseparable partnership of faith and wisdom.
It cannot be disputed that, though God has promised to be with His people, He has not promised to spare us trials. Ever since the fall of man, many evil things, including pain, suffering, and even death, have been a possibility for our kind. Because of this, God commands us to live not only by faith, but also by wisdom.
In our modern world, 3 very specific services exist which can be called in the event of an emergency. These services are experts in dealing with their special areas. First, we have the medical service. If you, or someone in your vicinity, are physically harmed, you can call the medical service. But there are two problems. First, sometimes our problems are not quite severe enough, and so calling the medical service may be redundant, even selfish given their limited resources. Second, even in an emergency, calling them may not be fast enough. A paramedic may be able to save a bleeding or unconscious person, they cannot save a dead person.
The solution to the above is to be prepared for potential medical emergencies. Even something as simple as a box of pain killers is better than nothing. It also can't hurt to learn first aid, and keep a kit nearby. What does hurt is sitting around praying (though obviously, do not completely skip prayer), while doing absolutely nothing to stop the blood flowing.
Similarly, it is possible for fire to break out. If you find a fire that poses a threat to life, or even property, you may summon the fire service, who will control, and eventually extinguish the blaze. But this faces the same issue as the medical service. Smaller fires are a waste of time and resources to put out, and a larger fire may potentially grow out of control if the fire service cannot reach the scene in time.
Once again, there are civilian solutions. The first, of course, is to learn fire safety, which should hopefully prevent unwanted fires in the first place. But in the event of an unwanted fire, it is wise to prepare by learning how to extinguish fires, and keeping any equipment you may need to do so, such as a fire extinguisher or a bucket of sand. No sane person would encounter an unwanted fire and merely pray their way out of it. Pray, absolutely. Do nothing but pray? Well now you're just a numpty with third degree burns.
The third of the emergency services is the police force. These exist due to the fallen nature of man. Every single one of us has gone astray, and for many, that sinful nature manifests in violence. When crime is committed, the police force can be summoned.
Due to the conscious element, crime is unique among the potential emergencies. As Christians, we are absolutely commanded to pursue peace, and even to obey the governing authorities. Therefore, de-escalation is a must, and "vigilante justice" is a contradiction in terms. Where we can avoid a fight, we should avoid a fight. However, there is a problem: We cannot always avoid a fight.
In a mugging, sometimes the wisest thing is compliance. Your life is infinitely more valuable than your phone, your watch, or your wallet, and handing these things over may well end the situation and allow you to report the crime later. But there are scenarios in which violence is unavoidable. Kidnapping, rape, attempted murder, these are all scenarios in which violence is absolutely necessary.
From first hand experience, I know that faith does not prevent violence. You can pray, but the likelihood of this deterring a determined attacker is low. Not that it is beyond God's abilities, but as with all of the above, He may not always intervene directly. So, what are we to do? Prepare. Learn de-escalation strategies, but where these fail, martial arts are a very helpful thing. Becoming proficient in combat raises the possibility of escaping even the most dangerous scenarios with your life. Counter your opponent, disable them if necessary, flee when possible.
There is one added bonus in that a skilled fighter not only knows how to fight, but also how to exercise self control. Whereas an unskilled fighter may do the first thing that comes to their heads, endangering themselves, their attackers, and potentially others around them, a skilled fighter is more capable of inflicting the exact amount of harm necessary to end the confrontation without either killing, or permanently injuring the attacker. I myself practice Krav Maga, which is notorious for its "extreme" violence, yet my instructors often give advice on how to minimise the harm inflicted, often even clarifying that the techniques they teach should be used according to our own conscience. There are multiple ways of dealing with various attacks, and some of them are less dangerous than others. Therefore, if peace and love are our goal, it may actually be significantly better to learn martial arts, simply because it's better to know how to put your attacker on the ground than in the ground.
You see, then, how faith is not a substitute for wisdom, but a partner. They are the left and right hand. We can talk about peace and love all day long, but the problem with peace is it only works when everyone does it. If even one party is not committed to peace, peaceful parties may need to resort to violence. Otherwise, violence wins, and there is no love in allowing that to happen. Therefore, if possible, so far as it depends on you, pursue peace with all men (Romans 12:18). However, as long as there are people in this world who are prepared to do violence, it will always be wise to be prepared to face violence. Thus, the short answer to whether or not Christians can practice martial arts is unequivocally yes, and it is my belief that those who say otherwise are as foolish as those who would jump from a cliff and expect angels to catch them.