MORE IN MARTIAL ARTS

If you’ve never studied a martial art, your awareness of them most likely starts at Bruce Lee movies and ends with the stylized theatrics of The Matrix. If that’s the case, you may not realize from what you’ve gleaned onscreen that there are an estimated 200 unique kinds of martial arts, and within these, thousands of different styles. Karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do are among the most popular and well-known of the martial arts in the U.S., but there are numerous others. Wikipedia has an exhaustive, constantly updated list organized by continent and country, including the lesser-known forms of Kalarippayattu from India, savate or French kickboxing, and Brazilian capoeira.

The word "martial" literally means "military," and once upon a time, the one-to-one combat and self-defense skills we collectively call the martial arts were actually taught for fighting wars, or at the very least, individual aggressors. Although they vary widely, some common characteristics include the use of striking, kicking, grappling, holding, and throwing, as well as mental concentration, and often, spiritual guidance. Mastery often involves the repetition of individual movements, as well as partnering or sparring. Some martial art forms also use props or weaponry, such as poles or swords, in addition to the human body and gravity. Up to 100 million people globally practice some form of martial arts, some motivated by an interest in fitness and competition, others seeking to increase self-confidence, inner clarity, and creativity. Levels of mastery in any given martial art are often formalized (by different color belts in karate, for example). Tae kwon do, judo, and aikido are official Olympic sports, but competitive tournaments are usually seen as secondary to self-mastery.

History

Despite the fact that most contemporary societies now employ advanced technologies to achieve military goals, the word "martial" has nonetheless stuck. While these traditional fighting arts are still studied for self-defense (including, in special cases, training active military troops), they are increasingly studied for their own sake as well, as something akin to an athletic pursuit, artistic discipline, and rigorous path towards a healthy mind and body. For some, martial arts are all these things at once.

Most martial art forms have deep roots in tradition, but have had their innovators over the years. Karate, for example, dates to 17th-century Okinawa and was influenced by Chinese kung fu, itself about 2,000 years old and perhaps indebted to an ancient Indian style of combat. Modern karate is considerably more recent, having been introduced to Japan in 1922 by Funakoshi Gichin, an Okinawan karate teacher for whom philosophy was an essential part of the art. Similarly, the techniques of Japanese samurai fighters in the late 15th and early 16th centuries later evolved into jujutsu, which then gave birth to the derivative forms of judo in the 1880s and aikido in the 20th century. Aikido incorporates the Zen concept of harmony, and Buddhist and Taoist philosophy, generally speaking, inform many of the better-known Asian martial arts.

Context

Because karate, judo, kung fu, and tae kwon do have been more prominent than other forms in popular culture, from film to sporting events, many people mistakenly believe that all martial arts are Asian in origin. In fact, diverse cultures throughout history from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East have also given birth to their own martial art forms.

One little-known fact is that the peaceful, widely popular practice of T’ai chi ch’uan, or t’ai chi—which has been recognized for its positive health benefits and is widely practiced as a form of daily exercise—is actually a martial art. The slow continuous movements of T’ai chi, which means "great ultimate fist" in Chinese, are a stylized form of kung fu.

External Links:

Wikipedia - Martial Arts

MSN Encarta’s entry on Martial Arts

Tae Bo

Tai Chi DVD's

World Karate Federation

Shoalin Gung Fu Institute

World Tae Kwon Do Federation

USA Judo

Budokon

Qigong

Aikido World Headquarters

Further Reading:

Ultimate Martial Arts Encyclopedia

Martial Arts for Dummies

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Martial Arts