The "Second Rule" of sin moo hapkido, the Korean martial art which translates as "the fighting art of the gods", is likely to give the casual browser pause for thought. Under the heading "Healthy Sex", it advises: "Do not misunderstand! A man rejuvenates his energy and a woman enhances her countenance through the act of making love. However, ejaculating too often saps a man's strength and may weaken him to the point of death." As the more fanciful among us try to imagine what it would be like to shuffle off this mortal coil in that particular manner, the Second Rule goes on to advise strictly limiting the frequency of male orgasms: once a week for those aged 20-30, once a month for those aged 40-50 and once every two months for those aged 50-60. As for the over-60s, they should find something less exhausting to pass the time, since sin moo hapkido recommends that they should never reach orgasm in order to conserve their energies.
Other rules - there are nine in all - advise against the consumption of pork (it restricts the circulation), fish without scales (they suppress the detoxification properties of the liver) and poultry, with the exception of web-footed birds like ducks (open-clawed birds reduce the oxygen intake of the lungs and slow the body's natural healing processes). Fighters must also refrain from smoking or drinking alcohol while in training.
In other words, from the frequency of one's effusions to the nature of one's diet, there is a serious philosophy underpinning this martial art, covering not only the physical aspect of the person but the mental and spiritual aspects as well. "A lot of clubs have let go of the mental and spiritual aspects of martial arts," says Master Mohamad "Massan" Ghorbani, the Master Representative for sin moo hapkido in Ireland, who operates his own Zarbat Academy for health, meditation and martial arts in Bray, Co Wicklow. An Iranian by birth, he initially took up wrestling and martial arts as a way of defending himself against Tehran's street gangs.
"The mental and spiritual aspect is at least as important as the physical," he continues. "It's the same with everything we do, but especially in martial arts. If the person has not developed his or her personality or mental aspects, and harmonised the elements together, then the physical training is not much better than aerobic exercising."
His training, he says, is closer to the original spirit of martial arts as an extension of meditation practised by Taoist monks. "I tell my members that it is up to each individual whether they benefit from the physical aspect or the mental aspect as well, including positive thinking, personal development and self-control. I do everything in life based on my martial arts philosophies. Even in business, I apply them."
It is difficult to calculate precisely how many Irish people are involved in martial arts, whether for reasons of fitness, self-defence, self-development, or simply socialising, but a conservative estimate would put it at anywhere from 12,000-20,000 people. Most train two or three times each week, for an hour each time, while those at higher levels probably train more frequently. "We have 220-230 instructors on our books and I'd certainly allow for the same again outside, if not more," says Brendan Dowling, general secretary of the Irish Martial Arts Commission, one of the principal representative bodies for the martial arts in this country. "Membership-wise, we would have 6,000 members and, again, there would be at least the same outside."
The various arts place different degrees of emphasis on their spiritual aspects, but all aim to contribute to the larger personal development of those who practise them.
"One of the things you develop is better self-confidence," says Gerry Martin, an instructor in the Korean art of tae kwon-do at the Tae Kwon-Do Centre in Exchequer Street, Dublin, which is also the headquarters of the Irish National Tae Kwon-Do Association. "You also get a great sense of achievement. It's an individual activity, with different goals or belts that you go through. You have to work to achieve them."
For younger members, there are social and sometimes educational benefits to the training as well. "Because of the range of techniques, there are aspects that members like and find easy but there is also stuff that they don't like and that they find hard," says Gerry Martin. "That tends to make the children realise that they have to concentrate on the things they don't like to achieve their goals. Quite often there's a crossover effect and they apply that to their schoolwork as well because they've learned how to concentrate on a specific task for a sustained period. It also tends to bring out kids who are a bit shy, or who didn't mix so much before."
There have also been some positive developments for the martial arts in the rapidly expanding world of computer games. "Computers are bringing a lot of kids away from sport," says Dowling. "The benefit for us is that a lot of the games are martial arts-oriented so we wouldn't find them quite as much of a pull-away as other sports."
At first glance, "beat 'em up" games like Mortal Kombat would not seem to be the ideal introduction to the martial arts. The sector has suffered in the past from bad press and a popular conception that these arts contribute to violent behaviour, a misapprehension that martial artists are anxious to correct.
"We find that when you practise a martial art, the early, mundane stages weed out those who want the early quick fix to learn how to beat up somebody," says Martin. "If it's taking them three months to learn a basic block, they're not going to stick around. The respect you have to show to your fellow members and your instructors weeds them out as well."
He also suggests that the selfconfidence which martial arts develop in their practitioners helps them to respond to difficult situations in a more controlled manner. "Most martial artists know exactly what their capacities are and they can walk away. They have nothing to prove."
The next step for the martial arts in Ireland is to achieve Government recognition through the Sports Council. Negotiations in this area have been ongoing for some time and there is growing optimism that they could soon reach a positive conclusion.
"It's a major concern for us," says Martin. "Anybody could go out and open a club tomorrow and that kind of thing can lead to a negative press for the martial arts. We would hope that we could put some sort of control on who can and who can't open clubs, what type of basic qualifications they must have and make sure that the insurance industry would only insure fully-qualified people."
Meanwhile, participation rates continue to grow, from children as young as five to those aged 50 and over. "Some come for health and fitness, some hoping for some improvement in the mental aspect, such as greater self-control or selfesteem," concludes Master Gharbani. "But, on a deeper level, it is a journey for the person to the inner self."
The Irish Martial Arts Commission can be contacted at 01- 4783831. The Tae Kwon-Do Centre is at 01-6710705 and details of sin moo hapkido are available from 01-2864085.