Portal:Martial arts

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Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat. They are practiced for a number of reasons ranging from self-defense, street fighting, military, and law enforcement to non-violent exercising, ceremonial, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and to preserve the intangible cultural heritage of a nation. The term "martial arts" was originally used to refer to the traditions of East Asia, but has subsequently been applied to other practices which originated outside that region. (Full article...)

Although the earliest evidence of martial arts goes back millennia, the true roots are difficult to reconstruct. Inherent patterns of human aggression which inspire practice of mock combat, combat sports, and optimization of serious close combat as cultural universals are doubtlessly inherited from the pre-human stage and were made into an "art" from the earliest emergence of that concept. Indeed, many universals of martial art are fixed by the specifics of human physiology and not dependent on a specific tradition or era.

Specific martial traditions become identifiable in Classical Antiquity, with disciplines such as shuai jiao, Greek wrestling or those described in the Indian epics or the Spring and Autumn Annals of China. (Full article...)

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Selected articles

Image 1

Yoshukai Karate patch

Yoshukai (養秀会, Yōshūkai) is a Japanese style of Karate–dō. Karate-do. Karate-do translates as "Way of the Empty Hand."
The three kanji (Japanese symbols) that make up the word Yoshukai literally translate as "Training Hall of Continued Improvement." However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence." Yoshukai Karate has been featured in Black Belt Magazine. Yoshukai karate is a separate Japanese style from Chito-ryu (which still retains its strong Okinawan roots). Kata, kobudo, kumite, and all karate aspects are drawn from the Founder, Mamoru Yamamoto. Yoshukai is a newer derivative Japanese style. (Full article...)
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Japanese swords. Two tachi with full mountings (middle and bottom right), a sword with a Shirasaya-style tsuka (top right), a wakizashi (top left), and various tsuba (bottom left).

A Japanese sword (Japanese: 日本刀, Hepburn: nihontō) is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1,000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794–1185) to the present day when speaking of "Japanese swords". There are many types of Japanese swords that differ by size, shape, field of application, and method of manufacture. Some of the more commonly known types of Japanese swords are the katana, tachi, ōdachi, wakizashi, and tantō. (Full article...)
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A version of the "four-direction throw" (shihōnage) with standing attacker (Uke) and seated defender (Tori)

Aikido (Shinjitai: 合気道, Kyūjitai: 合氣道, aikidō, Japanese pronunciation: [aikiꜜdoː]) is a modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Aikikai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in around 140 countries.

It was originally developed by Morihei Ueshiba, as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy and religious beliefs. Ueshiba's goal was to create an art which practitioners could use to defend themselves against attacks, while also protecting the attackers from injury. Aikido is often translated as "the way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the way of harmonious spirit". According to the founder's philosophy, the primary goal in the practice of aikido is to overcome oneself instead of cultivating violence or aggressiveness. Morihei Ueshiba used the phrase "masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi" (正勝吾勝勝速日, "true victory, final victory over oneself, here and now") to refer to this principle. (Full article...)
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5th-century terracotta sculpture of wrestlers from Uttar Pradesh, India.

Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, IAST: mallayuddha) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian wrestling is described in the 13th century Malla Purana.

Malla-yuddha incorporates wrestling, joint-breaking, punching, biting, choking and pressure point striking. Matches were traditionally codified into four types which progressed from purely sportive contests of strength to actual full-contact fights known as yuddha. Due to the extreme violence, this final form is generally no longer practised. The second form, wherein the wrestlers attempt to lift each other off the ground for three seconds, still exists in south India. Additionally, malla-yuddha is divided into four categories (see below). Each yuddhan is named after Hindu gods and legendary fighters:
- Hanumanti - concentrates on technical superiority.
- Jambuvanti - uses locks and holds to force the opponent into submission.
- Jarasandhi - concentrates on breaking the limbs and joints while fighting.
- Bhimaseni - focuses on sheer strength.
(Full article...)
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Historically, Chinese swords are classified into two types, the jian and the dao. A Jian is a straight, double-edged sword mainly used for stabbing; the term has been commonly translated into the English language as a longsword. Meanwhile, a dao is a single-edged sword (mostly curved from the Song dynasty forward) mainly used for cutting, and the term has been translated as a saber or a "knife".

Bronze jians appeared during the Western Zhou period and switched to the more durable wrought iron and steel during the late Warring States period. In modern times, the ceremonial commissioned officer's sword of the Chinese navy has been patterned after the traditional jian since 2008. Besides specialty weapons like the butterfly dao, Chinese swords are usually 70–110 cm (28–43 in) in length. However, longer swords have been found on occasion. (Full article...)
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Indian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A variety of terms are used for the English phrases "Indian martial arts", deriving from ancient sources. While they may seem to imply specific disciplines (e.g. archery, armed combat), by Classical times they were used generically for all fighting systems.

Among the most common terms today, śastra-vidyā, is a compound of the words śastra (weapon) and vidyā (knowledge). Dhanurveda derives from the words for bow (dhanushya) and knowledge (veda), the "science of archery" in Puranic literature, later applied to martial arts in general. The Vishnu Purana text describes dhanurveda as one of the traditional eighteen branches of "applied knowledge" or upaveda, along with shastrashāstra or military science. A later term, yuddha kalā, comes from the words yuddha meaning fight or combat and kalā meaning art or skill. The related term śastra kalā (lit. weapon art) usually refers specifically to armed disciplines. Another term, yuddha-vidyā or "combat knowledge", refers to the skills used on the battlefield, encompassing not only actual fighting but also battle formations and strategy. Martial arts are usually learnt and practiced in the traditional akharas. (Full article...)
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Five types of shuriken

A shuriken (Japanese: 手裏剣; lit. 'hand-hidden blade') is a Japanese concealed weapon used by samurai or ninja or in martial arts as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. (Full article...)
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Krav Maga course at an Israeli paratroopers school in 1955

Krav Maga (/ˌkrɑːv məˈɡɑː/ KRAHV mə-GAH; Hebrew: קְרַב מַגָּע, IPA: [ˈkʁav maˈɡa]; lit. 'contact combat') is an Israeli self-defence system. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it is known for its focus on real-world situations.

Krav Maga was originally developed by Hungarian-born Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld. Having grown up in Bratislava during a time of antisemitic unrest, Lichtenfeld used his training as a boxer and wrestler to defend Jewish neighborhoods against attackers in the mid-to-late 1930s, becoming an experienced street fighter. After his immigration to Mandatory Palestine in the late 1940s, he began to provide lessons on combat training to Jewish paramilitary groups that would later form the IDF during the 1948 Palestine war. As an instructor, he compiled his knowledge and experience into the combat system that would later become known as Krav Maga. This system would continue to be taught long after he left the IDF. (Full article...)
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Renzo Gracie does a soccer kick (tiro de meta) on Eugenio Tadeu at the Pentagon Combat event in Rio de Janeiro, 1997

Vale Tudo or vale-tudo (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvali ˈtudu]; English: "anything goes", "everything allowed"), also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact fighting style or competition format characterized by having very few rules. Popular in Brazil during the 20th century, it eventually evolved into modern mixed martial arts (MMA). "Vale Tudo" was long used as a synonym for MMA in Brazil, but fell into disuse with the emergence of stricter rules and media influence for a more "civilized" name; the term now refers to an early, more rules-free stage of the modern sport.

Vale Tudo initially started as an informal ruleset for fighters from different martial arts to fight each other. The Gracie family was known to organize their famous "Gracie Challenge", in which they would fight other martial artists in Vale Tudo bouts to prove the efficiency and superiority of their own Gracie jiu-jitsu. Many fighters eventually started to train specifically for Vale Tudo events, mixing striking and grappling, eventually advertising "Vale Tudo" as its own standalone style. For example, Marco Ruas referred to his hybrid style of Luta Livre and Muay Thai striking simply as "Vale Tudo". (Full article...)
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Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin, the main event of UFC 131 in Vancouver in 2011

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking and grappling, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.

The precursors of modern MMA existed in various parts of the world since the ancient period to the 20th century in different forms. Prior to 1970s, various inter-stylistic contests and/or no-holds-barred bouts took place throughout different countries in East Asia. One example is from mid-20th-century Hong Kong, where rooftop street fighting contests between different martial arts styles occurred. As a result, this naturally contributed to the rise of Bruce Lee's hybrid martial arts style, Jeet Kune Do in United States. (Full article...)

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Takanohana Kōji (Japanese: 貴乃花光司, Hepburn: Takanohana Kōji; born August 12, 1972, as Kōji Hanada (花田光司, Hanada Kōji)) is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler and coach. He was the 65th man in history to reach sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, and he won 22 tournament championships between 1992 and 2001, the sixth highest total ever. The son of a popular ōzeki ranked wrestler from the 1970s, Takanohana's rise through the ranks alongside his elder brother Wakanohana and his rivalry with the foreign born yokozuna Akebono saw interest in sumo and attendance at tournaments soar during the early 1990s.

Takanohana was the youngest ever to reach the top division at just 17, and he set a number of other age-related records. He had a solid but aggressive style, looking to get a right hand grip on his opponents' mawashi and move them quickly out of the ring. He won over half his bouts by a straightforward yorikiri, or force out. In his later career he suffered increasingly from injuries, and he retired in January 2003 at the age of 30. He became the head coach of Takanohana stable in 2004 and was on the board of directors of the Japan Sumo Association from 2010 until January 2018, when he was removed and demoted in the Sumo Association's hierarchy. He resigned from the Sumo Association in September 2018. (Full article...)

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Girlfight is a 2000 American sports film written and directed by Karyn Kusama in her feature directorial debut. Starring Michelle Rodriguez in her film debut, it follows a troubled Brooklyn high school student, who decides to channel her aggression by training to become a boxer, despite the disapproval of her father and prospective trainers, as well as the competitors in the male-dominated sport.

Kusama wrote the screenplay for Girlfight after learning to box, wanting to make a film about the sport with a female protagonist. Although she struggled to find financiers for the film's $1 million budget, the production was eventually funded by John Sayles, Maggie Renzi and the Independent Film Channel. Rodriguez was cast in the lead role despite having never acted before, and trained in boxing for four months before filming commenced in New York and New Jersey.

Girlfight premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2000, where it tied with You Can Count on Me for the Grand Jury Prize, and Kusama won the Best Director Award. It was theatrically released on September 29, 2000, to critical acclaim, with particular praise for Rodriguez's performance and Kusama's direction. The film earned several accolades, including a nomination for the Bronze Horse at the 2000 Stockholm International Film Festival. At the 16th Independent Spirit Awards, Kusama was nominated for Best First Feature and Rodriguez won for Best Debut Performance.

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Credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen

Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: foil, épée, and sabre (also spelled saber), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one of these disciplines. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century, evolving from historical European swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with the opponent with one's sword. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various martial arts-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Martial arts fan (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 2The Pancrastinae: a statue portraying the pancratium, an event which took place in the Roman Colosseum. Even as late as the Early Middle Ages, statues were put up in Rome and other cities to honor remarkable pankratiasts. This statue, now part of the Uffizi collection, is a Roman copy of a lost Greek original, circa 3rd century BC. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 3Throw during competition, leads to an ippon (from Judo)
Image 4Two Brazilian fighters in a Sanda/Sanshou match. Sanda is a modernized form of Kung Fu and one of the two disciplines of Sport Wushu (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 5Jigoro Kano and Yamashita Yoshitsugu performing Koshiki-no-kata (from Judo)
Image 6Karate movements in Lappeenranta (from Karate)
Image 7Ancient Greek pankratiasts fighting. This drawing is an early 20th century copy of a scene from a Panathenaic amphora. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 8Panel by Alfredo Storni featuring capoeirista Ciríaco defeating jujitsu fighter Sada Miyako with a rabo de arraia kick, O Malho, 1909. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 9Juji gatame (十字固; cross lock)(armbar), a kansetsu-waza (from Judo)
Image 10Ancient Chinese weapons (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 11Chōki Motobu in Naihanchi-dachi, one of the basic karate stances (from Karate)
Image 12jūdō (柔道, "Judo"), written in kanji (from Judo)
Image 13Modern forms are used in the sport of wushu, as seen in this staff routine (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 14Groundfighting in MMA. Differently from other grappling-based martial arts, you are allowed to strike your opponent when fighting on the ground. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 15Gina Carano applying a ground-and-pound on her opponent (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 16An octagon cage used by the UFC (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 17Japanese judoka Takamasa Anai Vs French judoka Thierry Fabre during the 2010 World Judo Championships held in Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 18International judo camp in Artjärvi, Orimattila, Finland (from Judo)
Image 19MMA fighter attempts a Triangle-Armbar submission on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 20Eisho-ji temple, Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 21Judo (1935) (from Judo)
Image 22Pankratiast in fighting stance, Ancient Greek red-figure amphora, 440 BC. (from History of martial arts)
Image 23Two children training in judo techniques (from Judo)
Image 24Karate training in front of Shuri Castle in Naha (1938) (from Karate)
Image 25Bruce Lee popularized the concept of mixed martial arts via his hybrid philosophy of Jeet Kune Do during the late 1960s to early 1970s. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 26Cosplayers of Karateka characters from Street Fighter (from Karate)
Image 27Megumi Fujii (left) facing Cody Welchlin (right) (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 28Fighter performs a takedown on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 29MMA gloves. They are fingerless gloves which allow both striking and grappling to occur. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 30Yuki Nakai fights UFC 1 finalist Gerard Gordeau at Vale Tudo Japan 1995. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 31Two judoka wearing judogi (from Judo)
Image 32A ring-side doctor attends to a fighter following a loss. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 33A Chinese martial artist preparing to throw his opponent during a lei tai contest in ancient China (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 34Masahiko Kimura vs. Hélio Gracie, a 1951 bout between Japanese judo fighter Masahiko Kimura and Brazilian jiu jitsu founder Hélio Gracie in Brazil, was an early high-profile mixed martial arts bout. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 35Karate in Naha before the war (before 1946) (from Karate)
Image 36Mural at Shaolin temple from 1830's depicting forearm strikes and reverse kicks (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 37GAMMA medallists on the podium at the 2023 African Games (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 38Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu attempting to throw Toshiro Daigo with an uchi mata in the final of the 1951 All-Japan Judo Championships (from Judo)
Image 39Karatekas at a dojo with different colored belts (from Karate)
Image 40A "soccer kick", movement where the fighter kicks the head of a downed opponent. While common in vale tudo, early MMA and Japanese promotions, the soccer kick has been banned from the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 41UFC 74; Clay Guida vs. Marcus Aurelio (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 42Kung Fu in Iran (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 43The judogi is made from a heavy weave to withstand the stress of throwing and grappling. (from Judo)
Image 44Fol. 4v of the I.33 (from History of martial arts)
Image 45Depiction of fighting monks demonstrating their skills to visiting dignitaries (early 19th-century mural in the Shaolin Monastery). (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 46The Yang style of tai chi being practiced on the Bund in Shanghai (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 47Bronze medal match at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (from Karate)
Image 48Jigoro Kano, founder of judo (from Judo)
Image 49Bōgutsuki, a form of full-contact karate fought with armour, one of the competition formats for kumite (from Karate)
Image 50King Shō Shin (from Karate)

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There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure

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Topics

Martial arts - Hard and soft - History - List of styles - Outline - Timeline

Regional origin - China - Europe - India - Indonesia - Japan - Korea - Philippines

Unarmed techniques - Chokehold - Clinch - Footwork - Elbow strike - Headbutt - Hold - Kick - Knee strike - Joint lock - Punch - Sweep - Takedown - Throw

Weapons - Archery - Duel - Knife fighting - Shooting - Stick-fighting - Swordsmanship - Nunchaku

Training - Kata - Practice weapon - Punching bag - Pushing hands - Randori - Sparring

Grappling - Brazilian jiu-jitsu - Judo - Jujutsu - Sambo - Sumo - Wrestling

Striking - Boxing - Capoeira - Karate - Kickboxing - Muay Thai - Lethwei - Sanshou - Savate - Taekwondo - Vovinam

Internal - Aikido - Aikijutsu - Baguazhang - Tai chi - Xing Yi Quan

Full contact / Combat sports - Professional boxing - Professional kickboxing - Knockdown karate - Mixed martial arts - Pankration - Submission wrestling - Armored combat (sport)

Self-defense / Combatives - Arnis - Bartitsu - Hapkido - Kajukenbo - Krav Maga - MCMAP - Pencak Silat - Systema - Wing Chun - Legal aspects

Eclectic / Hybrids - American Kenpo - Chun Kuk Do - Jeet Kune Do - Shooto - Shorinji Kempo - Unifight

Entertainment - Fighting game - Martial arts film (Chanbara) - Professional wrestling - Stage combat - Wuxia

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See the list on the right of Martial art related projects who organise work on these articles. You can also add your self to the list of Wikipedians by martial art

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If you come across a martial arts related article, adding the project template {{WikiProject Martial arts}} to the talk page will help identify them for improvement and linking to related articles. For Boxing, Fencing, Mixed martial arts and Sumo. Use {{WikiProject Boxing}}, {{WikiProject Fencing}}, {{WikiProject Mixed martial arts}} and {{WikiProject Sumo}} respectively.