History of Martial Arts
The history of martial arts is as varied as the methods being used in each type of martial arts.
The Trick With History
Just like you found out when you were in history class, sometimes finding out the history of something is not as simple as it seems it should be. When you’re trying to find out more about martial arts, you might find there are just as many ‘true’ histories as there are types of martial arts. And they’re all true. Depending on which martial arts students you ask.
Each school of martial arts is going to have their own history, as it has been passed down from teacher to teacher to teacher. This story is told to each of the teachers and then its changes are new teachers take the place of old ones. These types of histories tend to be the most accurate, as they do not always extend back as far as some of the more ancient practices.
Modernized Fighting
Of course, as the world has grown up and wanted to be cooler than everyone else, martial arts developed. In the past, this was not the term that people used – combat was the word to use for fighting since that was when it was used. To fight off attackers. Today, we look at martial arts as a way to hurt others, often for sport and for contests. Oh, how times have changed. What you will want to realize is that the term ‘martial’ arts is one which was not coined until the 1920s, when they people were probably itching for anything to entertain them during the Prohibition.
The martial arts as they are seen today are not the same systems they were in their initial phases, to be sure. They have changed, evolved, and become something more concrete today, with systems including forms and specific movements, as in taekwondo. But if you’re interested in finding out where the kick you just learned came from, you might find that there are more answers than you might expect – and they are all right.
And really, it’s not about the founder of your marital arts – it’s about whether they have a kick ass system.
