Martial art

Martial arts, also known as fighting systems, are bodies of codified practices or traditions of training for combat, usually without the use of guns and other modern weapons. Today, people study martial arts for various reasons including competition, fitness, self-defense, self-cultivation (meditation), mental or character development, and self-confidence.

Notable styles of martial arts

• Aikijujutsu is a Japanese martial art which dates back to the samurai. It has been suggested that Aikido evolved from this style.
• Aikido is a Japanese martial art which evolved from Jujutsu and Kenjutsu.
• Baguazhang is an internal Chinese martial art that trains in distinctive circular footwork patterns and is also known for training with unusually large weapons at advanced levels in some schools.
• Bando is the official Burmese Fighting System. A full body, comprehensive and evolving martial art that includes techniques of throws, holds, locks, chokes, foot-sweeps, etc.. These are only various aspects of Empty-Hand Bando Discipline. The style is based loosely on Boxing, but incorporates many "animal style" maneuvers thrown in for extra measure. Several Bando sub-systems include Lethwei, Naban and Banshay which includes stick fighting, sword fighting, knife fighting, spear fighting, etc., are but other aspects of Weapon-Hand Bando Discipline.
• Capoeira is a survival-oriented dance-fight-game originally developed in the 16th century by Angolan slaves in Brazil for self-defense against the Portuguese oppressor, then further developed by Brazilian street fighters. It emphasizes kicks, dodging, and mental training including trickery, sense of humor, and understanding of rhythm. High-level Capoeira mestres (masters) are adept in unarmed combat, knife fighting, singing, and playing traditional Capoeira music.
• Eskrima highly combative Filipino martial art
• Fencing (the European Olympic style), exists now almost entirely as a sport.
• Hapkido is a Korean martial art with kicks, punches, joint manipulation, locks, and throws that is said to have developed from Aikijutsu. Many of its techniques are similar to those of Aikido.
• Jeet Kune Do was developed by Bruce Lee, one of the most famous martial arts actors of the 20th century. It means 'Way of the intercepting fist'.
• Jiu Jitsu is a Japanese martial art with strikes, throws, grappling and locks.
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu A much modified version of the original Japanese art which focuses on ground fighting. Sometimes referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu after its most famous exponents.
• Judo means gentle way, ('Do' means 'Way of'), a Japanese martial sport that consists of the throws from Jiu Jitsu without any of the striking moves.
• Karate simply means 'Open/Empty hand', and is perhaps the most popular martial art in Japan and the West. It is Okinawan in origin and has several sub styles including Shotokan, Shotokai and Wado Ryu.
• Kendo is the Japanese art of sword fighting, using bamboo swords (shinai) and protective clothing.
• Kuk Sool Won is a systematic study of all of the traditional fighting systems, which together comprise the martial arts history of the Korean Peninusla.
• Kung Fu is a term used by Westerners to describe many diverse Chinese martial arts - the Chinese words kung fu can be used to describe one's skill in any discipline, not just martial arts. Chinese styles include: Shaolin, Shuai Chiao, Wing Chun, Drunken boxing, Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Yiquan, Lau Gar, Hung Gar and many more. These styles could be more accurately termed wushu.
• Krav Maga is a modern martial art, derived from the distinctive fighting style of the Israeli Haganah and the modern day IDF. The style is purely focused on practical combat skills and eschews competitions beyond occasional 'fight club' nights, wherein practitioners can free-form spar with protective padding.
• Mixed martial arts or MMA, a modern martial art which attempts to combine practical aspects of many martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling, among others. The emphasis is on actual combat and freestyle competition with few rules, as opposed to theoretical philosophy. Well-known MMA organizations include PRIDE and UFC. By definition, any combinational or open-ended style of fighting may be considered a form of MMA.
• Muay Thai, a Thai martial art, from which most styles now known as kickboxing descend.
• Ninjutsu is a Japanese style said to have originally been practiced by Ninja, this martial art combines traditional attacks with scout style survival and elusive moves.
• T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan), the different styles of which are a Chinese martial art practiced nowadays by many people for health maintenance. Its slow moving training forms are often described as "moving meditation," but are also a catalogue of self-defence techniques. Despite the emphasis on relaxed training the name actually means "Supreme Ultimate Fist" and often uses its soft style interceptions to simultaneously counter attacks and strike the attacker in its advanced level martial training. Traditional T'ai Chi classes at intermediate level and above should include weapons training, two person pushing hands as well as ch'i kung, for greater health benefits and generating coordinated martial power. Ch'i kung (qigong), although used for health maintenance, is also taught in conjuction with martial arts by other styles (usually Chinese arts or Japanese and Korean arts derived from Chinese styles) and can be applied in defensive and offensive contexts. On television and in wuxia movies the effects of ch'i kung are regularly exaggerated to the point of being confused with psychokinesis.
• Taekwondo is modern Korean art, similar to Karate except that kicking is given more focus. Along with Judo, one of only two Asian martial arts to make it into the Olympic Games.
• Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial art which remained outside the merging of Korean styles into a national sport in 1961. Its most famous proponent is Chuck Norris.
• Xingyiquan is also an internal Chinese martial art, known for its direct offensive style.
• Yiquan is a relatively modern Chinese martial art, which attempts to move away from traditional concepts.