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Martial Arts

The term “martial arts” refer to an array of activities, usually related to some sort of fighting system. Literally, “martial” means military or warlike, while “art” denotes specialized skill. In English “martial arts” stem from the 15th Century European use of the term, meaning the art of fighting.

In the Orient, similar expressions like Budo (Japanese) or Mudo (Korean), meaning “martial skill” or “martial art”, are common. This focus on “martial” (i.e. military), can be misleading as many martial arts do not have any military relationship.

Contents:

1. History Of Martial Arts
2. The Military Traditions Of Martial Arts
3. Philosophical Systems
   1. Tao (Universal Law)
   2. Yin-Yang (Law of Change)
   3. Moral Code
4. Types of Martial Arts
   1. Striking (Stand-up)
   2. Grappling
   3. Weapon Wielding
   4. Hard and Soft Style
   5. External and Internal
   6. Traditional and Modern
   7. Mixed Martial Arts
5. Self-Defense
6. Sport and Recreation
   1. Sparring
   2. Destruction
   3. Forms
7. Martial Art Techniques
   1. Stances and Stepping
   2. Blocking
   3. The Body's Striking Weapons
   4. Other Ways of Fighting
8. Ranking Systems
   1. Belts
   2. Promotional Testing
9. Clothing and Equipment
   1. Japanese Styles
   2. Korean Styles
   3. Chinese Styles
   4. Sparring Focussed Martial Arts