History of Martial Arts
The history of martial arts dates back to the dawn of many when our early ancestors felt the need to use force. Traditional martial arts weren’t for sport, but for self defense and every culture created their own styles. Many styles were invented as armies began to evolve. Early fighters had no idea how the human body worked and how to deal with injuries. For early man it was trial and error until they developed techniques that worked the best.
It is believed some of the first techniques for self defense were created in China and India around 600 B.C., and the knowledge was spread by the trade routes. One of the groups to help develop martial arts early on were the Shaolin Monks of China who often had to defend themselves and the communities around them. They would help develop Kung Fu which would directly lead to the development of Karate, and later Tae Kwon Do. Many styles involving weapons would also be created and this would lead to the creation of schools and elite military orders like the samurai.
In Europe there were many different martial arts, while wrestling and boxing were both popular sports in the ancient world. The Greeks, Vikings, and many other groups came up with their own styles of hand to hand combat. As armies grew in size so did the need for combat training, and ideas were shared. Styles of martial arts changed as new weapons were developed, but when firearms were invented few saw the need to continue martial arts training. Many great ideas were lost, but some understood the need for close combat training.
The history of martial arts is long and complex with many chapters. It would take a life time to study all the different styles our different cultures have come up with. The important thing to remember is that it was all about self defense from the beginning. Our warrior ancestors enjoyed sport, but they knew it was about staying safe and surviving combat. So enjoy sport martial arts, but take time out to learn self defense. It hasn’t stopped being necessary and as long as human beings disagree, they will be needed. By learning the history of your favorite martial art you will better understand the principals involved and become a better fighter.
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