Martial arts ministry often reaches people who would not otherwise attend church. The premise is really quite simple. The school does a karate demonstration in the community, and people stop to watch. After the show, they hear an evangelistic message. Unlike most commercial karate schools, the martial arts ministry schools often have low tuition fees and available scholarships, making this training available to people with limited financial resources. Sometimes the students have a challenging home life, and flourish in a structured martial arts program. My husband’s local karate school is located in a church gymnasium, and it teaches discipline, discipleship, and evangelism. All instructors are volunteers. The tuition fees are low, and money is applied to direct costs, scholarships, and ministry activities. Over the course of time the ministry has spread to 5 local locations, each led by volunteer black belts. The ministry is financially self-sustaining, and has had a consistent presence in our church for two decades. Many students have been baptized or joined the church after having first attended the karate classes. In summary, churched and unchurched people are taught, encouraged, nurtured, discipled, and saved. This is exactly what an effective ministry should be doing.
My husband has taken a martial arts mission trip to the Philippines for several years, and each year the footprint of this ministry gets bigger and bigger. The ministry is blessed with an inspired local martial artist, who has given his life to full-time missionary work in this region. The result is impressive. Martial arts is strongly regarded in the Philippines, and American martial artists are seen as celebrities. When "Americano" martial artists come to town to host tournaments, give seminars, do community demonstrations, and run belt tests, this gives a jolt of energy to the ministry which empowers it to grow, with larger class sizes and more karate schools. Each of these schools are Christ-based, with devotional instruction and prayer as regular class activities. Instructors become mentors to the students, teaching self-control, discipline, and confidence. Through dedicated personal training, students excel from one belt rank to the next. Tournaments encourage students to polish their skills, and give them exposure to students outside of their school. They learn to perform under pressure. They develop a martial arts "family," who steps in to give high-fives, congratulations, and encouragement. These students learn about the Bible, and this develops their character.
Karate ministry works. Karate ministry causes souls to be saved. Karate ministry helps to instill Godly character into students. Karate ministry helps Christians be more mature in their faith. The karate ministry is an effective ministry, and the mission trip is an effective mission trip.
In contrast, I went on an international mission trip once with my local church to do vacation bible school and provide basic medical services. While this is a more typical mission trip itinerary, the experience for me was not fulfilling. While we gave a week of energy to a church that was already established in the community, I did not feel that my personal actions made a lasting difference. The limited medical services I provided was a drop in the bucket compared to what was needed, and there was no local clinic which would continue my treatment recommendations after I left. I was left feeling that my experience was more of a "mission tourism" visit which did not produce lasting changes.
Yet when I look at my husband’s karate mission trips, I see that he directly supports the local Filipino ministry, infusing a new level of energy and training into the local schools, and successfully builds lasting relationships and camaraderie. The schools in east Texas are invested in the success of the Filipino schools, and seek to support them emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially. This is what a “real” ministry does. This is what a “real” mission trip should seek to do.
At this time, my husband and son are on the way home from the Philippines. I could not be more proud of their activities there, or their commitment to using their unique giftedness for the cause of Christ. Martial arts ministry is unique. Martial arts ministry is non-traditional. Martial arts ministry is hard to understand if you have not been a part of it. Yet martial arts ministry is most certainly effective. It is a “real” ministry, producing consistently “real” results. Praise be to God!
