THE TERM "MARTIAL ART"
CAN BE DEFINED as an art of combat that combines codified fighting
techniques with philosophy,strategy, and cultural traditions.A martial art
may be an offensive art for combat or a defensive art for self-defence.It
may also be practised to promote health and fitness, as a means of personal
and spiritual development, and as a form of sport or entertainment.Martial
Arts can be performed both with and without weapons.View a complete listing
of Martial
Arts around the world.
Martial Way
Martial Arts can also be refered to a
Path to Enlightenment or Way of War or Way of the Warrior
Styles of martial art
There are many different styles of
martial art practised throughout the world.Generally however they can be
categorized into three broad types:Traditional martial arts,sport-based
martial arts and weapons-based martial arts.
Traditional martial artssuch as
Jujutsu
which was used by Japan's
Samurai warriors evolved from battlefield
training.Used in combat situations these arts had the sole aim of of
equipping a practitioner with the skills and techniques necessary to kill or
incapacitate the enemy.
Sport-based martial arts on the other hand
incorporate training regimes that prepare a practitioner for sporting
competitions rather than solely life-threatening situtations.Muay
Thai,
Boxing,Judo,
Tae Kwon Do &
Mixed Martial Arts are prime examples.
Weapons-based martial arts concentrate
specifically on the use of weapons.The techniques learned here can then be
applied in either traditional battlefield arts or in sporting
competitions.Kendo and
Eskrima are examples of weapons-based
arts.
Depending on the style of martial art,the school, and the individual
teacher,varying amounts of emphasis will be placed on each of these
aspects,with some martial arts combining elements of all three like
Karate,
Ninjutsu
and
Krabi-Krabong.
Ancient
arts,modern myths Fighting and humankind's need to
dominate and defend is as old as life itself.Our ancestors survival
instincts undoubtedly sowed the seeds for the development of martial
arts.Primarily methods of cultivating effective battlefield techniques and
first codified to ensure high quality and consistent teaching across the
troops, many of the martial arts practised today have a surprisingly long
history, which is believed to span approximately 5,000 years.Furthermore,
contrary to popular belief, they are not solely defined by the traditions of
the East. Extensive archaeological evidence points to the millennia-old
practice of martial arts in
China and
India,many other nations and cultures
can make similar claims.In
Egypt tombs dating from approximately 2000BCE
show that
stick-fighting arts were highly evolved and the ancient
full-contact art of
Pankration is thought to have already been considered an
ancient sport at the time of the first appearance at the ancient Olympics in
648 BCE.
The
paradox of martial arts The greatest paradox of the martial arts is that many
practitioners regardles of the style of their art form regularly seek peace,
enlightenment, and a deep sense of the self through the practice of violent,
often deadly skills. Many Eastern arts include philosophical concepts such
as Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism have had a profound effect on
the evolution of many martial arts around the world. Some of the world most
accomplished martial artist are also some of the world most gentlest people.
Martial Arts and the movies Interest in the martial arts in the West can be traced back to
the popularity and iconic status of
Bruce Lee in the 1970's. His popular
movies - The Big Boss, Fist Of Fury, Way of the Dragon, Game of
Death, and Enter The Dragon, put martial arts firmly on the map.
Chuck Norris also came to the attention as he acted alongside Lee in the
film Way of the Dragon.Norris himself is also a renowned martial arts
in his own right and has starred in numerous movies Missing In Action
& Delta Force series Lone Wolf McQuade, Firewalker and others
and the series Walker Texas Ranger. A number of television series have
also helped to broaden knowledge of Chinese and Asian philosophy and martial
arts such as Kung Fu and
Monkey. as well as The Matrix
and the
Kill Bill series and foreign language films like
Crouching
Tiger Hidden Dragon.
