Realizing Purposelessness in Martial Arts and in Life

Purposelessness doesn't really sound like anything anybody would want to realize in their lives, does it? Particularly to western ears - I know this because I myself happen to possess a western pair of ears -  the first connotations might be that if there is no purpose in something, it's something useless and terrible which is to be avoided. Further this may lead to accusations of laziness or hedonism because if you do something that has no use you are not productive. Taking a look at the Martial Arts with this in mind, it may seem even wronger. Every move you make in a fight fulfills a purpose and going into a fight with a carefully worked out gameplan has proven to be effective for fighters at all levels, including the highest. Maybe though, just maybe there is something to be learned from accessing a state of purposelessness, at least sometimes.

Alan Watts was one of the leading interpreters of Asian philosophy in the west and, coming from a western culture, found quite some ideas from which westerners could benefit. Apparently, this included the idea of purposelessness.

"[The Chinese] think nature is purposeless. [...] When [they] say nature is purposeless this is a compliment. It's like [...] wandering on and on in a great forest without a thought of return. Haven't you done this? Haven't you gone on a walk with no particular purpose in mind? Carry a stick with you and you occasionally hit at old stumps. [...] It is at that moment that you learn purposelessness. [...] You pick up a pebble on the beach. Look at it. Beautiful. Don't try to get a sermon out of it, just enjoy it. [...] If you do that you become healthy. You become able to be a loving, helpful human being."*

*Quote taken from this video: Is there a Purpose to Living? - Alan Watts by theJourneyofPurpose

Here Alan Watts is eluding to the human tendency of searching for a deeper meaning beyond things, beyond what there is. Often times we want more than we have, sometimes manifested as greed, we cannot accept that what we see is all there is, sometimes manifested in philosophy or science. In the same way in which this human trait has helped humanity achieve a lot of good, it can however also be detrimental. Again, the key seems to be balance. Going too far and looking further and further always, can render one unsatisfied and always on the run. Always in mind that there must be something more to gain, to gather, to achieve, the focus shifts from the present to the future and if it stays there, satisfaction will always remain elusive. Therefore, being content with what is and thus realizing purposelessness can be a healthy step to take at certain times. This does not mean that ambitions or goals are bad, but being too focused on them and the future all the time, can become unhealthy.


When looking at fighting and many other things in life, goals and ambitions are essential. Without them we might limit ourselves and never discover our true potential. Yet within the fight, while we are doing exactly what we wish to do or achieve, pondering the future is not the priority anymore. If I myself want to become a writer, I will most likely have to work my ass off. Yet, as I am actually writing, like I am now, I want to enjoy it, enjoy the dance. Of course I am also writing for some sort of a purpose as far as a career goes, fundamentally though, in the moment I am writing because I want to write. In fighting, the consequences of looking beyond what there is during a fight can be rather harsh and immediate, therefore fighting is a great example for this. Precisely in the moment of attacking there is no space or time left for any second thoughts. If you attack, you attack. Being hesitant can get you killed or hurt. It is in this moment where purposelessness can be realized. You do not fight in order to win, you just fight with all your heart and attention focused on the task at hand. You do not ponder victory or defeat and attach yourself to it, but you rather move freely and in the moment. The moment itself is self-sufficient and does not need anything pointing further. Therefore your head is clear and ready to react and adapt. Towards the middle of aforementioned video Alan Watts gives two great analogies for this:

"All music is purposeless. Is music getting somewhere? [...] If the aim of a symphony would be to get to the final bar, the best conductor would be the one who got there fastest. See, [...] when you dance, do you aim to arrive at a particular place on the floor? Is that the idea of dancing?"

Nietzsche

In his masterpiece Thus Spoke Zarathustra Friedrich Nietzsche uses the analogy of the acrobat walking over the tight-rope. In the German original Nietzsche uses the word 'Seiltänzer' which, literally translated, means rope dancer and since the idea of the dance is very important, I will resort to using that expression. On the tightrope, any mistake, any small error in your balance, can cost you everything. If you however, constantly think about how terrifying that is and how far you still have to go, you will not be able to relax, hence be more prone to mistakes and you will also not be able to enjoy your chosen profession (in this case, being a rope dancer or acrobat). The rope dancer is a beautiful analogy because even though you are just one step away from the abyss, as you can clearly see, you still dance. The dance, because it is self-sufficient, is the only way out of the terror that will come sooner or later which is death and decay. If what you are doing in the moment is in itself all you want, the possibility to truly enjoy life arises. Also, less dramatically speaking, you can only master a skill like rope dancing if you are fully with it. Fully with it in the sense of having a clear mind which can react to any subtle movements of the rope spontaneously and therefore more quickly because no preliminary thinking is required. You cannot be focused on the outcome while you are in the midst of battle for exactly that reason. Hence, Nietzsche goes on to write:

"I would only believe in a god who can dance."

When everything else is said and done and it is really time to act, you do not consider victory or defeat anymore. You just act and within action everything is fulfilled. In that moment nothing more is neccessary and therefore it is purposeless (in the aforementioned sense). With a unified mind that is dissolving in the action itself, there are no distractions and therefore mastery is within grasp. For the only way to master something is to be truly with it.*

*Paraphrasing Alan Watts