Martial Arts

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Introduction

Martial Arts, various kinds of fighting arts, with or without weapons, most of which originated in East Asia. Martial arts are now practiced throughout the world. About 100 million people participate in the martial arts as a means of self-defense, physical fitness, mental tranquility, and competition. There are about 200 distinct martial arts, and within each one are specific schools called styles or systems. These styles number in the thousands.

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Types of Martial Arts

Despite the array of martial arts and styles, most of them share common techniques, and so they can be organized into broad categories that facilitate understanding. The primary way of classifying martial arts is by the basic physical technique they use: striking or grappling.

The striking technique, technically referred to as percussive, uses blows with the hands, elbows, feet, knees, and head. Such popular martial arts as karate, kung fu, and tae kwon do fall under this category.

Grappling arts, on the other hand, primarily employ throwing, locking, and wrestling techniques. These arts seek to neutralize aggressive action by gaining control over an adversary without necessarily striking the person. The most popular grappling arts are jujutsu, judo, and aikido.

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The martial arts can also be divided into those that prohibit weapons and those that require them. In judo, for example, competitors use only their bodies, but in many styles of kung fu, weapons represent an essential part of the basic training. Common weapons used in martial arts include swords, staffs, and spears made of wood or metal. Firearms are never used.

Martial arts can also be divided by function and philosophy into traditional and nontraditional, according to the way they are taught. Traditional teachers emphasize self-improvement, whereas nontraditionalists emphasize self-defense. When instructing their students, traditionalists focus on three priorities, in the following order: spiritual development, discipline, and aesthetic form. Nontraditional instruction accents combat, discipline, and spiritual development. Both schools of thought offer advantages to students, encouraging the cultivation of such traits as self-confidence, which can then be successfully carried over and applied to everyday life.

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Philosophy

In their development, many of the martial arts were influenced by Eastern philosophical and religious thought, particularly Buddhism and Daoism (Taoism). Buddhism emphasizes the role of individual seeking and effort to attain self-mastery, self-realization, and enlightenment. Daoism advocates the use of certain physical exercises and breathing exercises directed to the same end. The martial arts therefore require students to develop both their bodies and their minds. Because the martial arts give specific attention to both elements, they differ from most other sports and physical activities, which usually focus on purely physical training.

Serious martial arts students believe that the martial arts are not about fighting, but about living—that is, the principles students learn in the martial arts help provide guidance on how to act outside the training hall. In the end, martial arts schools aim to produce students who practice the martial arts to better themselves, not to dominate others. The martial arts can also produce intangible benefits for students. Studies have shown that many of those who practice the martial arts differ from the general public in that they have a lower level of anxiety, an increased sense of responsibility, and a higher level of self-esteem.

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Principal Martial Arts

The world’s most popular martial arts are karate, kung fu, and tae kwon do. In these and most other martial arts, practitioners wear colored belts (or sashes in kung fu) to denote rank and advancement. A white belt indicates a novice. By passing increasingly difficult tests of competency, students move through a series of colored belts to reach black belt status. Even at the black belt status, practitioners can be at various levels. The levels of black belt (or dan, meaning 'degree' in Japanese and Korean) move from first degree, denoting a beginning black belt, to fifth degree, usually signifying a junior master. The degrees from six to ten are honorary ranks that people earn through the time they have spent practicing the martial art and the stylistic contributions they have made to it.