Portal:Martial arts

The Martial Arts Portal

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 (in particular wrestling) 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...)

Selected articles

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Megumi Fujii (left) vs. Cody Welchlin (right)

While mixed martial arts is primarily a male dominated sport, it does have female athletes. For instance, Female competition in Japan includes promotions such as DEEP Jewels. Now defunct promotions that featured female fighters were Valkyrie, and Smackgirl. Professional mixed martial arts organizations in the United States that invite women to compete are industry leader Ultimate Fighting Championship, the all female Invicta Fighting Championships, Resurrection Fighting Alliance, Bellator Fighting Championships, and Legacy Fighting Championship. Now defunct promotions that featured female fighters were Strikeforce and EliteXC.
There has been a growing awareness of women in mixed martial arts due to popular female fighters and personalities such as Amanda Nunes, Megumi Fujii, Gina Carano, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, Alexa Grasso, and Joanna Jędrzejczyk and among others. Carano became known as "the face of women's MMA" after appearing in a number of EliteXC events. This was furthered by her appearances on MGM Television's 2008 revival of their game show American Gladiators.

The UFC's decision to allow female fighters in the organization, to promote the dominant fighter Ronda Rousey, is often cited as the reason women's mixed martial arts became known to the general public. Rousey won the Best Fighter ESPY Award at the 2015 ESPN ESPY awards, beating out noted fighters such as Floyd Mayweather Jr., and becoming the first UFC and MMA fighter to win the award. (Full article...)
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Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms kung fu (/ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/; Chinese: 功夫; pinyin: gōngfu; Jyutping: gung1 fu1; Cantonese Yale: gūng fū), kuoshu (Chinese: 國術; pinyin: guóshù; Jyutping: gwok3 seot6) or wushu (Chinese: 武術; pinyin: wǔshù; Jyutping: mou5 seot6), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" of martial arts. Examples of such traits include Shaolinquan (少林拳) physical exercises involving Five Animals (五形) mimicry or training methods inspired by Old Chinese philosophies, religions and legends. Styles that focus on qi manipulation are called internal (内家拳; nèijiāquán), while others that concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness are called external (外家拳; wàijiāquán). Geographical associations, as in northern (北拳; běiquán) and southern (南拳; nánquán), is another popular classification method. (Full article...)
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The tonfa (Okinawan: トンファー tonfā, Japanese: 旋棍; rōmaji: senkon Chinese: 柺; pinyin: guǎi lit. old man's staff / "crutch", also spelled as tongfa or tuifa, also known as T-baton) is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts where it is known as the tunkua. It consists of a stick with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length of the stick, and is about 15–20 inches (380–510 mm) long. It was traditionally made from red or white oak, and wielded in pairs. The tonfa is believed to have originated in either China, Okinawa or Southeast Asia, where it is used in the respective fighting styles. (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.

In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place throughout Japan and the countries of East Asia. At the same time, in Brazil there was a phenomenon called vale tudo, which became known for unrestricted fights between various styles such as judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, luta livre, Muay Thai and capoeira. An early high-profile mixed bout was Kimura vs Gracie in 1951. In mid-20th-century Hong Kong, rooftop street fighting contests between different martial arts styles gave rise to Bruce Lee's hybrid martial arts style, Jeet Kune Do. Another precursor to modern MMA was the 1976 Ali vs. Inoki exhibition bout, fought between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki in Japan, where it later inspired the foundation of Shooto in 1985, Pancrase in 1993, and the Pride Fighting Championships in 1997. (Full article...)
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Shintō Musō-ryū, or Shindō Musō-ryū (神道夢想流), most commonly known by its practice of jōdō, is a traditional school (koryū) of the Japanese martial art of jōjutsu, or the art of wielding the short staff (jō). The technical purpose of the art is to learn how to defeat a swordsman in combat using the jō, with an emphasis on proper combative distance, timing and concentration. The system includes teachings of other weapon systems which are contained in Shintō Musō-ryū as auxiliary arts (Fuzoku ryuha). The school is sometimes abbreviated as SMR.

The art was founded by the samurai Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi (夢想權之助勝吉, fl. c.1605, dates of birth and death unknown) in the early Edo period (1603–1868) and, according to legend, first put to use in a duel with Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵, 1584–1645). The original art created by Musō Gonnosuke has evolved and been added upon ever since its inception and up to modern times. The art was successfully brought outside of its original domain in Fukuoka and outside Japan itself in the 19th and 20th century. The spreading of Shintō Musō-ryū beyond Japan was largely the effort of Takaji Shimizu, (1896–1978), considered the 25th headmaster, who, unlike many other traditional martial arts teachers, wanted Jodo to be known and taught internationally. With the assistance of his own students and the cooperation of the kendō community, Shimizu spread Shintō Musō-ryū worldwide. (Full article...)
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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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A kickboxing match

Kickboxing is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or for competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, and Savate.

Although since the dawn of humanity people have faced each other in hand-to-hand combat, the first documentation on the use of kicking and punching in sports combat is from ancient Greece and ancient India. But nevertheless, the term kickboxing originated in Japan, in the 1960s, and developed in the late 1950s from karate mixed with boxing, having some influence, with competitions held since then. American kickboxing originated in the 1970s and was brought to prominence in September 1974, when the Professional Karate Association (PKA) held the first World Championships. Historically, kickboxing can be considered a hybrid martial art formed from the combination of elements of various traditional styles. This approach became increasingly popular since the 1970s, and since the 1990s, kickboxing has contributed to the emergence of mixed martial arts via further hybridization with ground fighting techniques from Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and folk wrestling. (Full article...)
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Catch wrestling (also known as catch-as-catch-can) is an English wrestling style with fewer restrictions than other wrestling styles. It allows techniques using or targeting the legs (unlike Greco-Roman wrestling), it allows joint locks (unlike freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling), and there are no mandatory grips. It was spread by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission holds, referred to as "hooks" and "stretches", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents, as well as immigrants through Europe and the Anglosphere.

Catch-as-catch-can was included in the 1904 Olympic Games and continued through the 1936 Games; it had new rules and weight categories introduced similar to other amateur wrestling styles, and dangerous moves – including all submission holds – were banned. At the amateur level, FILA developed and codified new rules and regulations to replace catch wrestling with freestyle wrestling, which was then considered separate from the dangerous, professional catch style. After a revival effort starting in the 1980s, competitive catch wrestling gradually made a return, leading to The Snake Pit's Catch Wrestling World Championships and notable competitions such as the Snake Pit British Championships and ACWA US Open. (Full article...)
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Boxer at Rest
bronze sculpture, dated variously from 300 to 50 BC

Ancient Greek boxing (Greek: πυγμαχία pygmachia, "fist fighting") dates back to at least the 8th century BC (Homer's Iliad), and was practiced in a variety of social contexts in different Greek city-states. Most extant sources about ancient Greek boxing are fragmentary or legendary, making it difficult to reconstruct the rules, customs and history surrounding this activity in great detail. Still, it is clear that gloved boxing bouts were a significant part of ancient Greek athletic culture throughout the early classical period. (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...)

Selected biography

Otávio Maeda (born Mitsuyo Maeda [Japanese: 前田光世]; November 18, 1878 – November 28, 1941) was a Japanese and Brazilian judōka, catch wrestler, and prizefighter who is considered one of the fathers of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. He was commonly known by the nickname Conde Koma.

Maeda was the head of the second generation of Kodokan judōka, and was integral to the martial art's expansion into the United States during the 1900's. Along with Soshihiro Satake, he pioneered judo in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and other countries during the following decades, eventually becoming a naturalized Brazilian citizen and a promoter of Japanese immigration to Brazil. (Full article...)

Selected entertainment

The King of Fighters '94 (KOF '94) is a fighting game released in 1994, developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, AES, and CD home consoles. It is a crossover game, featuring characters from SNK’s earlier titles, including Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting, updated versions of characters from Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier, and new, original characters. The story centers around the tournament organized by the antagonist Rugal Bernstein.

Designer Takashi Nishiyama recruited Masanori "Kuwa" Hashi as the game's director after admiring his work at Irem. Hashi's first project at SNK was Baseball Stars Professional, where he met Toyohira Tanabe. Tanabe would later become the series' battle designer. Together, they aimed to create an all-star fighting game that combined established SNK characters with new ones. This included the Japan Team, led by the new protagonist Kyo Kusanagi, a high school delinquent skilled in fire-based martial arts.

KOF '94 was developed with the concept of bringing together characters from several of SNK's existing games to attract their fanbases. The character designs and the innovative team-based gameplay system, where players use three-member teams, received praise. The game's success led SNK to launch the King of Fighters series, beginning with KOF '95, which eventually became the company's flagship franchise.

In 2004, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the series, SNK released a remake titled KOF '94 Re-Bout for the PlayStation 2, featuring higher-resolution graphics and 3D environments. KOF '94 has also been included in SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii, and is available individually for digital distribution on modern platforms.

Sports portals

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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...)

General images -

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

Image 1A ring used by PRIDE (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 2jūdō (柔道, "Judo"), written in kanji (from Judo)
Image 3A Chinese martial artist preparing to throw his opponent during a lei tai contest in ancient China (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 4International judo camp in Artjärvi, Orimattila, Finland (from Judo)
Image 5All-Japan Judo Championships, 2007 men's final (from Judo)
Image 6Bruce Lee is known for practicing many martial arts styles, including Karate, having trained with Chuck Norris for many years. (from Karate)
Image 7Gichin Funakoshi (from Karate)
Image 8Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu attempting to throw Toshiro Daigo with an uchi mata in the final of the 1951 All-Japan Judo Championships (from Judo)
Image 9Megumi Fujii (left) facing Cody Welchlin (right) (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 10Groundfighting 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 11A ring-side doctor attends to a fighter following a loss. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 12Modern forms are used in the sport of wushu, as seen in this staff routine (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 13Yuki Nakai fights UFC 1 finalist Gerard Gordeau at Vale Tudo Japan 1995. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 14Ancient Greek pankratiasts fighting. This drawing is an early 20th century copy of a scene from a Panathenaic amphora. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 15Jigoro Kano and Yamashita Yoshitsugu performing Koshiki-no-kata (from Judo)
Image 16Olympic Judo pictogram (from Judo)
Image 17UFC 74; Clay Guida vs. Marcus Aurelio (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 18Fighter performs a takedown on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 19An octagon cage used by the UFC (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 20Bronze medal match at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (from Karate)
Image 21Mural at Shaolin temple from 1830's depicting forearm strikes and reverse kicks (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 22Bōgutsuki, a form of full-contact karate fought with armour, one of the competition formats for kumite (from Karate)
Image 23Panel 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 24GAMMA medallists on the podium at the 2023 African Games (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 25Two 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 26The 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 27Fol. 4v of the I.33 (from History of martial arts)
Image 28Judo (1935) (from Judo)
Image 29Kung fu sword (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 30The Yang style of tai chi being practiced on the Bund in Shanghai (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 31Juji gatame (十字固; cross lock)(armbar), a kansetsu-waza (from Judo)
Image 32Harai goshi (払腰; sweeping hip), a koshi-waza (from Judo)
Image 33Gina Carano applying a ground-and-pound on her opponent (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 34MMA gloves. They are fingerless gloves which allow both striking and grappling to occur. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 35MMA fighter attempts a Triangle-Armbar submission on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 36Bruce 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 37Throw during competition, leads to an ippon (from Judo)
Image 38Cosplayers of Karateka characters from Street Fighter (from Karate)
Image 39The judogi is made from a heavy weave to withstand the stress of throwing and grappling. (from Judo)
Image 40Karate movements in Lappeenranta (from Karate)
Image 41King Shō Shin (from Karate)
Image 42Eisho-ji temple, Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 43Martial arts fan (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 44Two judoka wearing judogi (from Judo)
Image 45Depiction of fighting monks demonstrating their skills to visiting dignitaries (early 19th-century mural in the Shaolin Monastery). (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 46Karate in Naha before the war (before 1946) (from Karate)
Image 47Two children training in judo techniques (from Judo)
Image 48Japanese judoka Takamasa Anai Vs French judoka Thierry Fabre during the 2010 World Judo Championships held in Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 49Ancient Chinese weapons (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 50Karatekas wearing different colored belts (from Karate)
Image 51Chōki Motobu in Naihanchi-dachi, one of the basic karate stances (from Karate)
Image 52A "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 53Jigoro Kano, founder of judo (from Judo)
Image 54Karatekas at a dojo with different colored belts (from Karate)
Image 55Masahiko 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 56Pankratiast in fighting stance, Ancient Greek red-figure amphora, 440 BC. (from History of martial arts)
Image 57Karate training in front of Shuri Castle in Naha (1938) (from Karate)
Image 58Kung fu in Iran (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 59Masters of karate in Tokyo (c. 1930s), from left to right, Kanken Toyama, Hironori Otsuka, Takeshi Shimoda, Gichin Funakoshi, Chōki Motobu, Kenwa Mabuni, Genwa Nakasone, and Shinken Taira (from Karate)

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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 - Melee weapons - 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

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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WikiProject Mixed martial arts
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