There are mixed opinions on whether it's okay for Christians to practice martial arts. At one extreme, any fighting training at all would conflict with "turning the other cheek", and some Christians take this view.

Others consider Western forms such as boxing to be acceptable, but Eastern forms such as Karate to not be — on the grounds that the Eastern forms cannot be separated from their Eastern religious/spiritual aspects.

Still others consider that the Eastern forms are okay for Christians, provided that the Eastern spiritual/religious elements are removed. Among these are the prominent martial arts experts Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the well known Baptist preacher Paul Washer.