Gabug Glaydelle N.

BSN 1a

WHAT is MARTIAL ART?

 The term martial art refers to all of the various systems of training for combat that
have been arranged or systematized. Generally, these different systems or styles are
all designed for one purpose: physically defeating opponents and defending against
threats. In fact, the word 'martial' derives from the name Mars, who was the Roman
god of war.
 Ancient peoples of all types engaged in fighting, war, and hunting. Thus, each and
every civilization subscribed to a version of martial arts or combat all their own. Still,
most people think of Asia when they hear the term martial arts. Along with this,
around the year 600 BC trade between India and China flourished. It is believed that
during this time information regarding the Indian martial arts was passed onto the
Chinese and vice versa.
 According to legend, an Indian monk named Bodhidharma facilitated the transmission
of Chan (China) or Zen (Japan) to China when he moved to southern China. His
teachings lent a lot to martial arts philosophies like humility and restraint that
continue even today. In fact, some have credited Bodhidharma with the initiation of
Shaolin martial arts, though this assertion has been discredited by many.

Types of Martial Arts

Generally, martial arts can be broken down into five distinct categories: Stand-up or striking
styles, grappling styles, low impact styles, weapons based styles, and MMA (A Hybrid Sports
Style). Along with this, the emergence of MMA has caused quite a bit of mixing of styles in
recent years to the point that a lot of dojos don't look quite the same as they used to.
Regardless, below are some of the more well-known styles.

Striking or Stand-Up Styles

 Boxing- Boxing first appeared as a formal Olympic event in the 23rd Olympiad (688
bce), but fist-fighting contests must certainly have had their origin in mankind's
prehistory. The earliest visual evidence for boxing appears in Sumerian relief carvings
from the 3rd millennium bce.
  Karate- The word karate is a combination of two kanji (Chinese characters): kara,
meaning empty, and te, meaning hand; thus, karate means "empty hand." Adding the
suffix "-dō" (pronounced "daw"), meaning "the way/path," karate-dō, implies karate
as a total way of life that goes well beyond the self-defense applications.

 Krav Maga- Krav Maga is a self-defense system developed by the Israel Defense
Forces for training military personnel in hand-to-hand combat. Krav Maga uses
instinctive movement aggressive counter attacks and a no-holds-barred mentality
without the ceremonial elements of traditional martial arts.

 Kung Fu- Kung Fu (or gongfu) literally means “adroitness” or “a high level of skill
achieved over time with effort”. In the last century, the words “Kung Fu” became
associated with traditional Chinese martial artists, whose dedication and skill clearly
embodied these qualities.

 Kickboxing- Kickboxing is one of the most popular combat sports around the world.
Kickboxing derives its name from classic boxing as it incorporates punching and
other striking techniques. There are different styles of kickboxing including Dutch-
style, Karate, Sanda, Kun Khmer and Muay Thai.

 Tae Kwon Do- Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean
traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline
that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind.
Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation, and
stands among the official games in the Olympics.

Grappling or Ground Fighting Styles

 Brazilian jiu-jitsu- is a grappling-based martial art whose central theme is the skill of
controlling a resisting opponent in ways that force him to submit. Due to the fact that
control is generally easier on the ground than in a standing position, much of the
technique of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is centered around the skill of taking an
opponent down to the ground and wrestling for dominant control positions from
where the opponent can be rendered harmless.

 Russian Sambo- is a martial art and combat sport developed and used by the Soviet
Red Army in the early 1920s to improve their hand-to-hand combat abilities. The
 sport is similar in many ways to judo and jujutsu but also incorporates different types
of wrestling and various self-defence systems.

 Shoot fighting- is a hybrid martial art system that came from a grappling technique
known as shoot wrestling. Shootfighting combines catch wrestling with other martial
arts such as Kenpo, Jujutsu, Muay Thai, etc.

 Wrestling- Wrestling is a sport of physical engagement between two unarmed

persons, in which each wrestler strives to obtain a position of advantage over their
opponent. Wrestling involves different grappling-type techniques such as clinch
fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds.

Throwing or Takedown Styles

 Aikido- The Japanese martial art of Aikido is a comprehensive system of throwing,

joint-locking, striking and pinning techniques, coupled with training in traditional
Japanese weapons such as the sword, staff and knife. Founded by Morihei Ueshiba
early in the twentieth century following his own extensive study of various armed and
unarmed martial systems, Aikido represents a potent distillation of centuries of
Japanese martial knowledge.

 Judo- The traditional explanation for the meaning of JUDO is: “The word judo
consists of two Japanese characters, ju, which means “gentle”, and do, which means
“the way”. Judo, therefore, literally means the way of gentleness.

 Hapkido- Hapkido is a Korean martial art practiced the world over. Characterized by
joint locks, throws, and dynamic kicking techniques, it is unique among Korean
martial arts (Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do) in its emphasis on deflecting an opponent’s
attacks instead of forceful blocking.

 Shuai Jiao- is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling wushu style of
Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the North China Plain which was
codified by Shan Pu Ying of the Nei Wu Fu.

Weapons Based Styles

 Iaido- Iaido was created during the feudal age of Japan by a man named Hayashizaki
Minamoto Jinsuke Shigenobu, under the name 'Iaijutsu'. 'Iai' is the name given to a
 sword motion where the sword is drawn from the saya, or scabbard, a cut is made, and
the sword is returned to the saya in a smooth motion, which is the style practiced in
Iaido. The 'Jutsu' part of the word means technique, while 'do' in Iaido, means way.

 Kali- Kali is the term used by our ancestors to describe the ancient Filipino fighting
method, referring to the hand and body motion with the blade, and the characteristic
of it being secret knowledge, only taught within the family to protect against
oppressors.

 Kendo- kendo, Japanese kendō (“way of the sword”), traditional Japanese style

of fencing with a two-handed wooden sword, derived from the fighting methods of
the ancient samurai (warrior class). The unification of Japan about 1600 removed
most opportunities for actual sword combat, so the samurai turned swordsmanship
into a means of cultivating discipline, patience, and skill for building character.

Low Impact or Meditative Styles

 Baguazhang- Baguazhang (also called Ba Gua Zhang, Bagua, Pakua Chang, Pa Kua
Chang, Pa Gua Chang) is one of the three main Wudang School martial arts. Wu Tai
Chi and Xingyiquan are the other two. Bagua literally means "Eight Trigram" while
Zhang means "Palm." Baguazhang originally was called Zhuan Zhang, which means
“Turning Palms” because of the way practitioners move in a circle while turning their
palms in various ways.

 Tai Chi- is a practice that involves a series of slow gentle movements and physical
postures, a meditative state of mind, and controlled breathing. Tai chi originated as an
ancient martial art in China. Over the years, it has become more focused on health
promotion and rehabilitation.

 Chi Gong based styles- Qigong, pronounced “chi gong,” was developed in China
thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using
exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of
improving and maintaining health and well-being.

MMA- A Hybrid Sports Style

 MMA- Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling
and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from
 around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a
review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993.

Martial Artists

 Helio Gracie: Gracie died in January of 2009 at the age of 95. He is considered the

inventor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, having taken the teachings of judo and made them less
about strength and more about leverage.

 Dr. Jigoro Kano: During a time when all individualized activities in Japan were on a
decline (Japanese jujutsu included), Kano invented Kodokan Judo with the idea that it
might someday be mainstream enough to become a sport and hence, less
individualized. Thus, he eliminated many of the techniques he deemed dangerous in
jujutsu and eventually, his dream came true. In 1910, judo became a recognized sport.
 Itosu Anko: Anko (1831-1915) is widely considered to be "the Grandfather of
Karate," for his work with creating simplified katas and forms for less advanced
students. In this way and more, he is credited for helping the art to gain more
mainstream acceptance.

 Bruce Lee: Bruce Lee was important for more than just his ability to act in popular
movies and the television series, The Green Hornet. He was also an innovator in the
arts, realizing that the things that did not work should be discarded for techniques that
were effective. He was the founder of the art Jeet Kune Do, a style designed to live
outside the boundaries of other traditional martial arts styles. On July 20, 1973, Lee
died in Hong Kong at the age of 32. The official cause of his death was a brain edema,
which had been caused by a reaction to a prescription painkiller.

 Royce Gracie: Helio's son, Royce Gracie, won three of the first four UFC
tournaments. This served to show the world just how effective the art that his father
had invented, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, was. He did this, by the way, while only weighing
approximately 170-180 pounds in tournaments where there were no weight limits. His
performance in these early UFC tournaments changed martial arts forever.