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The Martial Arts Portal

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Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage. (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...)

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Chōmo Hanashiro, an Okinawan karate master c. 1938
Karate (空手) (/kəˈrɑːti/; Japanese pronunciation: [kaɾate] ; Okinawan pronunciation: [kaɽati]), also karate-do (空手道, Karate-dō), is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called te (手), "hand"; tī in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While modern karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate training also employs throwing and joint locking techniques. A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).

Beginning in the 1300s, early Chinese martial artists brought their techniques to Okinawa. Despite the Ryukyu Kingdom being turned into a puppet state by Japanese samurai in 1609, after the Invasion of Ryukyu, its cultural ties to China remained strong. Since Okinawans were banned from carrying swords under samurai rule, groups of young aristocrats created unarmed combat methods as a form of resistance, combining Chinese and local styles of martial arts. Training emphasized self-discipline. This blend of martial arts became known as kara-te 唐手, which translates to "Chinese hand." Initially, there were no uniforms, colored belts, ranking systems, or standardized styles. Many elements essential to modern karate were actually incorporated a century ago. (Full article...)
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A pair of tonfa

The tonfa (Okinawan: トンファー tonfā, 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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A kickboxing match

Kickboxing (/ˈkɪkbɒksɪŋ/ KIK-boks-ing) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. 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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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, and has been commonly translated into the English language as a longsword; while a dao is a single-edged sword (mostly curved from the Song dynasty forward) mainly used for cutting, and 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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The traditional martial arts of the Mainland Southeast Asia are related to one another, and as a group to Indian martial arts. The most salient common feature is Mainland Southeast Asia kickboxing. The region of Mainland Southeast Asia is believed to be the land of Suvarnabhumi that ancient Indians mentioned in Buddhist text and Hindu text. In 790 A.D., a Khmer prince who grew up abroad by the name of Jayavarman II returned to unify the Khmer civilization. In 802 A.D., Jayavarman II established the Khmer Empire, the precursor to modern Cambodia, and declared himself the Chakravatin (universal ruler). Around 850 A.D., Pagan, the ancestor of modern-day Burma, was established by Tibeto-Burman speakers. For 200 years, Pagan remained a small principality until the reign of King Anawrahta. In 1238 A.D., Thailand's first state, Sukhothai, was started when the residents declared independence from the Khmer Empire. In 1353 A.D., Laos's first state, Lan Xang, was started by Fa Ngum with the assistance of the Khmer from Angkor. (Full article...)
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Part of the Zliten mosaic from Libya (Leptis Magna), about 2nd century AD. It shows (left to right) a thraex fighting a murmillo, a hoplomachus standing with another murmillo (who is signaling his defeat to the referee), and one of a matched pair.

A gladiator (Latin: gladiator, "swordsman", from gladius, "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their lives and their legal and social standing by appearing in the arena. Most were despised as slaves, schooled under harsh conditions, socially marginalized, and segregated even in death.

Irrespective of their origin, gladiators offered spectators an example of Rome's martial ethics and, in fighting or dying well, they could inspire admiration and popular acclaim. They were celebrated in high and low art, and their value as entertainers was commemorated in precious and commonplace objects throughout the Roman world. (Full article...)
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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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Greek wrestling (‹See Tfd›Greek: πάλη, translit. pálē), also known as Ancient Greek wrestling and Pále (πάλη), was the most popular organized sport in Ancient Greece. A point was scored when one player touched the ground with his back, hip or shoulder, or conceding defeat due to a submission-hold or was forced out of the wrestling-area. Three points had to be scored to win the match.

One particularly important position in this form of wrestling was one where one of the contestants was lying on his abdomen with the other on his back trying to strangle him (back mount). The athlete on the bottom would try to grasp an arm of the one on top and turn him over onto his back while the athlete on top would try to complete the choke without being rolled. (Full article...)
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This emblem is the combination of the Japanese flag, the word, "Yōshūkai" and Yata no Kagami, which are reflected in this mirror, Yata no Kagami are the spirits of Yōshūkai. Also, they express the ambition which is to try to spread the Japanese martial arts all over the world.

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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Kung fu in Iran

Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms kung fu (/ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/; Chinese: 功夫; pinyin: gōngfu; Cantonese Yale: gūng fū), kuoshu (國術; guóshù) or wushu (武術; wǔshù), 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 All Other 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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Walker Smith Jr. (May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989), better known as Sugar Ray Robinson, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is often regarded as the greatest boxer of all time, pound-for-pound.

Robinson was a dominant amateur, but his exact amateur record is not known. It is usually listed as 85–0 with 69 knockouts, 40 in the first round. However it has been reported he lost to Billy Graham and Patsy Pesca as a teenager under his given name, Walker Smith Jr. He turned professional in 1940 at the age of 19 and by 1951 had a professional record of 129–1–2 with 85 knockouts. From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak, the sixth-longest in professional boxing history behind Pedro Carrasco with 93, Jimmy Wilde with 95, Buck Smith with 102, Packey McFarland with 104, and Young Griffo with 107. Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and won the world middleweight title in the latter year. He retired in 1952, only to come back two-and-a-half years later and regain the middleweight title in 1955. (Full article...)

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The 2003 SummerSlam was the 16th annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place August 24, 2003, at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

Seven professional wrestling matches were set on the event's supercard, a scheduling of multiple high-level matches. The first main event was an Elimination Chamber match, in which World Heavyweight Champion Triple H defeated Chris Jericho, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Randy Orton, and Shawn Michaels to retain his championship. In the other main event, defending WWE Champion Kurt Angle defeated Brock Lesnar in a standard wrestling match. The undercard included Kane defeating Rob Van Dam in a No Holds Barred match, and Eddie Guerrero defending his United States Championship against Chris Benoit, Rhyno, and Tajiri. There was also a match that occurred on the Sunday Night Heat pre-show.

The event marked the second time the Elimination Chamber format was used by WWE; the first was at Survivor Series 2002. SummerSlam (2003) grossed over $715,000 ticket sales from an attendance of 16,113 and received about 415,000 pay-per-view buys, more than the following year's event. This event helped WWE increase its pay-per-view revenue by $6.2 million from the previous year.

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Credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen

Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. The three disciplines of modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also saber); each discipline uses a different kind of blade, which shares the same name, and employs its own rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one discipline. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century and is based on the traditional skill set of 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 an opponent. (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 3Japanese judoka Takamasa Anai Vs French judoka Thierry Fabre during the 2010 World Judo Championships held in Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 4MMA gloves. They are fingerless gloves which allow both striking and grappling to occur. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 5Masahiko 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 6Karatekas wearing different colored belts (from Karate)
Image 7GAMMA medallists on the podium at the 2023 African Games (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 8Judo (1935) (from Judo)
Image 9Kung fu sword (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 10Ancient Chinese weapons (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 11Fol. 4v of the I.33 (from History of martial arts)
Image 12A ring used by PRIDE (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 13The Yang style of tai chi being practiced on the Bund in Shanghai (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 14Jigoro Kano and Yamashita Yoshitsugu performing Koshiki-no-kata (from Judo)
Image 15MMA fighter attempts a Triangle-Armbar submission on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 16An octagon cage used by the UFC (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 17Two children training in judo techniques (from Judo)
Image 18Ancient Greek pankratiasts fighting. This drawing is an early 20th century copy of a scene from a Panathenaic amphora. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 19A Chinese martial artist preparing to throw his opponent during a lei tai contest in ancient China (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 20A "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 21The judogi is made from a heavy weave to withstand the stress of throwing and grappling. (from Judo)
Image 22Jigoro Kano, founder of judo (from Judo)
Image 23Gichin Funakoshi (from Karate)
Image 24Two 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 25Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu attempting to throw Toshiro Daigo with an uchi mata in the final of the 1951 All-Japan Judo Championships (from Judo)
Image 26Juji gatame (十字固, cross lock)(armbar), a kansetsu-waza (from Judo)
Image 27International judo camp in Artjärvi, Orimattila, Finland (from Judo)
Image 28Fighter performs a takedown on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 29Kung fu in Iran (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 30Vale tudo match between thai boxer Flávio Molina and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Marcelo Behring, 1984 (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 31Masters 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)
Image 32Depiction of fighting monks demonstrating their skills to visiting dignitaries (early 19th-century mural in the Shaolin Monastery). (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 33All-Japan Judo Championships, 2007 men's final (from Judo)
Image 34Pankratiast in fighting stance, Ancient Greek red-figure amphora, 440 BC. (from History of martial arts)
Image 35Gina Carano applying a ground-and-pound on her opponent (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 36Eisho-ji temple, Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 37Chōki Motobu in Naihanchi-dachi, one of the basic karate stances (from Karate)
Image 38Bruce Lee is known for practicing many martial arts styles, including Karate, having trained with Chuck Norris for many years. (from Karate)
Image 39Olympic Judo pictogram (from Judo)
Image 40Karatekas at a dojo with different colored belts (from Karate)
Image 41Groundfighting 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 42Karate training in front of Shuri Castle in Naha (1938) (from Karate)
Image 43Mural at Shaolin temple from 1830's depicting forearm strikes and reverse kicks (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 44Karate movements in Lappeenranta (from Karate)
Image 45King Shō Shin (from Karate)
Image 46jūdō (柔道, "Judo"), written in kanji (from Judo)
Image 47UFC 74; Clay Guida vs. Marcus Aurelio (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 48Throw during competition, leads to an ippon (from Judo)
Image 49Modern forms are used in the sport of wushu, as seen in this staff routine (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 50Bronze medal match at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (from Karate)
Image 51Two judoka wearing judogi (from Judo)
Image 52Yuki Nakai fights UFC 1 finalist Gerard Gordeau at Vale Tudo Japan 1995. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 53Bōgutsuki, a form of full-contact karate fought with armour, one of the competition formats for kumite (from Karate)
Image 54Karate in Naha before the war; (before 1946) (from Karate)
Image 55Harai goshi (払腰, sweeping hip), a koshi-waza (from Judo)
Image 56A ring-side doctor attends to a fighter following a loss. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 57Bruce 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)

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The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant.

— Gichin Funakoshi, Karate-do: My Way of Life

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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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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.