Unity in Motion: A Martial Arts Socio-Economic Project
Allen and Judi Ruppel
Just
as the spiritual principles of karate are compatible with the teachings
of the Bahá’í Faith, so the basic ingredients of the Unity in Motion
project can be combined with any type of skill to create projects that
improve people’s lives and confidence.
The Ruppels’ “recipe card” contained universal needs
for a development project—under the categories of program direction,
formulation, implementation and post-implementation.
But they were happy to have their students demonstrate some karate
moves. From children to teenagers, many branded “at risk,”
these students attend weekly training at the Milwaukee Bahá’í Center
or at an inner-city community center.
“We’re not teaching fighting, we’re teaching health,
spirituality, unity and discipline,” said Allen Ruppel, a black
belt. Principles include honesty, courtesy, perfection of character
and avoidance of “impetuous courage.”
Unity and discipline, in fact, were evident as groups of students displayed
consistent form through a variety of self-defense techniques and series
of movements called katas. Workshop-goers joined in, and got useful
coaching.
Ruppel added that he felt he gains at least as much as he gives in
this service: “I’m more in contact with God when I’m
giving rather than when I’m staying in my own little space of the
world.”
The departing salutation: Shu shu (Go in peace).
—James Humphrey (reporter)
