The Story Behind Our Logo
Every martial arts dojo has their own logo. We are often asked the meaning behind ours. In fact, a lot of thought went into our logo, as we felt it had to represent what we would like our students to achieve at Quantum Martial Arts. And, as we live in an ”image is everything” society, the logo had to look goooood (especially to the kids).
Our logo starts with the Dragon. There is a lot of history on the role of the Dragon in martial arts folklore. We do not want to get into too much detail on this part, but rather explain what the Dragon meant to us. The Dragon represents an enlightened martial artist who shows great wisdom and knowledge of the physical, mental and spiritual aspects. When people first start in martial arts, they only know the physical side of it. You learn how to defend yourself, you learn how to fight and you build up some very decent skills. But, with due respect, the physical side of martial arts is the easy part. We could teach you enough self-defence and fighting skills in your first class that could last you forever. However, while martial arts could take one hour to learn, it takes a lifetime to master.
The Dragon is very adept at the physical part of martial arts, however is more emotionally rational. The Dragon is not eager to fight and show everything that they have learned. Instead, the Dragon contains the knowledge within and only uses martial arts as a last resort. This should be the goal for all martial artists. You should learn valuable virtues to master yourself, serve others and contribute to society. This is not taking any emphasis away from the physical part of martial arts. You need to know your stuff and have confidence in your own abilities. However, you also need to be wise enough to know when to use them and when not to (for example, there may be better ways to resolve a conflict).
You may have noticed that the logos of all the schools that teach Northstar Ju Jitsu incorporate a Dragon of some kind. This is also a mark of respect and loyalty to our Sensei, Andy Dickinson, who developed Northstar Ju Jitsu. Respect and loyalty are one of many cornerstones of true martial arts.
Unless you are guided to be a Dragon by your instructor, there can be an unbalance in you. This is where the next part of our logo comes in, which is the Taijitu (more commonly known as the yin / yang symbol). The yin / yang is two halves that together complete wholeness. If a person is whole, this means they are complete, so there is no need for change. But, be honest with yourself, would you consider yourself a complete…read perfect….human being? I think the answer would be ‘’no’’. Therefore, yin and yang is the starting point of change, which is an important part of our teachings and your martial arts journey. By learning about yourself…physically, mentally and spiritually…via martial arts, this starts the two halves of yin and yang chasing each other to seek a new balance with each other. This helps you become the person you want to be, both inside and outside of the dojo.
In martial arts, yin is soft and passive, while yang is hard and energetic. In life, we encounter yin and yang every day. You cannot have yang without a bit of yin, and vice versa. Nothing is completely yin or completely yang. They depend on each other and become the beginning point for the other. A simple example is that day becomes night and vice versa. This is where proper martial arts training is invaluable. As you start by learning the physical side of martial arts, this absolutely needs to be counter-balanced by learning great emotional and social skills as well. This helps you learn how to deal with situations correctly. The yin and yang is helping you become the Dragon we want you to be.
You may also notice, if you look hard enough, that the Dragon is protecting the Taijitu in our logo. This is part of the virtuous cycle where pursuit of being a balanced entity feeds our personality and vice versa.
In saying this, the Yin Yang is not static. As an individual, you will change throughout your life. It happens to all of us. This will disrupt the yin and yang balance within you. This is where martial arts helps, as it helps bring you back to the aspects that need working on, whether it be physical, mental or emotional. A good instructor will work with you to get this balance right. We have been instructing for a really long time now and we have seen a lot of positive changes in many, many students. It is actually quite heart warming and a testament to the student’s ability to learn and adapt.
The other part of our logo is the blue, red and white colours. Why? Because they are the colours of the Australian flag and we are an Australian martial art. Northstar Ju Jitsu, which is what we teach, immortalises the spirit of the ancient samurai in modern society. The program is a newer, evolved approach to martial arts and life relevant to our society and culture. Northstar Ju Jitsu integrates modern and traditional elements of Ju jitsu, into a holistic practice of self-defence, fitness and mindfulness. While some of the traditional martial arts styles were developed in another country, the integration happened here in Australia and therefore is an Australian martial art. We believe that it fits in with the philosophies above. Australia is a multicultural society. Australia embraces all of the traditional cultures and takes what works for a blended society (just like a good martial art does). Australia embraces people from all over the world, which is exactly what our classes do.
Finally, does the logo look good? Of course it does. It looks so good that I am happy to wear it on my gi, caps, t-shirts and polo shirts. You can also wear our logo around as well. It will certainly add to your sense of style ha ha.
There you have it, our philosophy behind our logo and the story on how it was developed. We would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this (info@quantummartialarts.com.au).
