Martial Arts

MARTIAL Arts have been around as long as one man has had the ability to pick up a sword, club, spear or gun.

Most martial arts were originally armed. Those in power had the arms. Some martial arts were unarmed, mainly because weapons were forbidden. But also, many martial arts have been turned into sports over the years.

The British had their Boxing and the French had Savate kick-boxing, most Europeans had styles of Fencing (using swords) which became a sport. European Wrestling morphed into choreographed entertainment for TV (although the actors are superb athletes). Real, 'amateur' wrestling like in the Olympics is highly-skilled stuff. Russian Sambo and Turkish wrestling used to be pretty well unknown outside their own countries.

Most non-Asian peoples had never heard of Martial Arts or even thought about them until after the end of World War II, when Aikido, Ju Jitsu and Karate started spreading from Japan to the USA and Europe.

It is only the last decade or so that the world in general has become aware of other martial arts styles, which had previously been unpublicised. These include fighting arts from India, Thailand, and Vietnam... Capoeira from Brazil, and the numerous types of Kung Fu (and Wushu) from all across China.

Korean martial arts such as Hap Ki Do and Tae Kwon Do were only recently 'discovered' by the western world (although TDK is relatively new), and fighting systems such as the Israeli Krav Maga and Russian Systema were 'unknown' on the international Martial Arts scene even a few years ago.

Whatever you're looking for, there's sure to be a martial arts system which will be right for you.

• Jodo - The Art of Japanese Stick Fighting
  
  Jodo is the Way of the 5 foot short staff. A deadly efficient weapon.
• Kendo - the Japanese Way of the Sword
  
  Ken do is the modern art and sport of the Samurai Sword.
• Bruce Lee, master of Kung Fu and founder of Jeet Kune Do
  
  Bruce Lee was a master of Chinese Kung Fu and a master showman as well.
• Kung Fu or Gung-Fu, It's All Chinese Boxing to me!
  
  Kung Fu - China has hundreds, maybe thousands, of different martial arts styles.
• Tae Kwon Do - Korea's Olympic Sport Martial Art
  
  Tae Kwon Do - In 1955, a Korean General founded this martial art and made it his country's national sport. It has now spread worldwide and, like Judo, even to the Olympic Games.