Article By: Constance Francois

Tara Arthur’s main style of Martial Arts is Shotokan Karate. She has always been surrounded by martial arts in her life. She grew up in the dojo, her father being the one who passed Martial Arts on to her. Tara is passionate about the world and social issues. She works on projects with the hope of helping others around the world; including, the Faces of Martial Arts Project! In addition to Martial Arts and being the Director of the FOMA Project, Tara is an international development and advocacy professional, consultant, realtor, and business-owning mother.

Q: What is the connection between Motherhood and Martial Arts in your experience?

A: The connection between martial artist and mothers… This is a powerful connection for me. Being raised in the dojo atmosphere, I’ve known how important this experience has been in my life. My father, an accomplished martial artist, instilled in me-- from a young age, the teachings and legacy of martial arts. I now have an enduring spirit and appreciation for the different ways martial arts is integrated into who I am. From confidence to collaboration, wellness, education and so much more. As a mom, I would like to pass down the traditions, values and similar opportunities  on to my own children. 

I used my martial arts training to deliver my first child.

I had a complex, high risk situation in my last pregnancy. I was in labor for several hours, days even. It was nearly moments from the doctor deciding if she was going to leave the room to tend to another patient, if I couldn’t deliver the baby in a certain time, when mentally I became determined. In short, I just said, ‘Oh this baby will come out now’ and the baby came out right on time. I just took all of my chi and focus. I had every ounce of my faith, my martial arts training everything was right there in that moment and I felt my whole mind, body, spirit, really activate in action. I’m doing this and we are going to make this work in unison…and it worked!

Q: How do you relate Mother Martial Artists with the tendencies of Martial Arts being male driven?

A: The legacy and training, the importance of all of the different benefits Martial Arts can offer, you often hear perspectives of a father passing it on; but you don’t always hear of the mother, the woman, or a female figure passing it on. There are definitely examples of it so it’s not to say it doesn't exist.

My father is the martial artist and he is passing it on to me, his daughter. Now the script is a little different because I am a woman, I think of things differently, I experience things differently, and my experiences in passing on this kind of legacy will be different. 

The experiences of being a woman in a long time male dominated space, definitely has had it’s opportunities and challenges. While fortunate that my father helped me feel that my gender is no barrier in martial arts or in society, other factors attempt to challenge my resilience. I feel like I  have an opportunity to pass on a different set of perspectives to my children. Especially because I have girls.. I will be able to relate to them in different ways than a father daughter relationship.

The persistence of women is becoming more prominent in the martial arts community. You see more women learning martial arts, training, teaching, and coaching martial arts. There's still so much room to grow. I am encouraged to be raising my girls in the martial arts community while simultaneously preparing them for what lays beyond. The next generation of martial artists are facing some of the same challenges as those before them and yet under a very different global landscape and circumstance. I strongly believe women, and in particular female martial artist, can and should continue to leave a mark on progress within the martial arts community and in the issues facing the wider world.  

Q: How does this relate to the relationship you have with your own mother?

A: My mother in many ways, was the dojo mom. 

For example, she has always been extremely supportive of me and my martial arts journey, every step of the way. Whether she is in class with me or not, her presence and her support has definitely uplifted me in a way that compliments any other physical or other martial arts training that I am acquiring in any other way or from my father.

Q: How do the preconceptions of pregnant women tie into this?

Just because I’m pregnant does not mean I’m not going to get back into training.

As a woman, who is now deep in my pregnancy, I think about the physical challenges of pregnancies and the very different pregnancies that women have. I believe that women should have agency and choice in handling how to go about returning to training. 

I always found this to be an interesting question mark in the lives of martial artists in general; once you start having kids, how does that affect your training? There's a lot of cultural, familial and societal pressures surrounding pregnancy and recovery, let alone raising children in general. It is not always easy to navigate any of them, but charting one’s own path can be daunting, even for a well trained martial artist. Overall it’s critical that women give themselves the much deserved patients and time for their own for their individual needs. To heal and transition back to training. Just like with each pregnancy and child’s development, we too recover differently from each situation.

Q: Any additional comments?

Ultimately I think, being a mom and a martial artist, is a true blessing,

I am particularly excited to add to the number of women who get introduced and hopefully carry on their own ways through the martial arts.