Martial arts

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.

Etymology

According to John Clements, the term martial arts itself is derived from an older Latin term meaning the "arts of Mars", in reference to the Roman god of war, and was used to refer to the combat systems of Europe as early as the 1550s.

The term martial arts was popularized by mainstream popular culture during the 1960s to 1970s, notably by Hong Kong martial arts films and martial artists such as Bruce Lee, during the so-called "chopsocky" wave of the early 1970s.

The term martial science, or martial sciences, was commonly used to refer to Asian martial arts up until the 1970s, with the term Chinese boxing also being used to refer to Chinese martial arts until then.

Some authors have argued that fighting arts or fighting systems would be a more appropriate term as many martial arts were never "martial" in the sense of being used or created by professional warriors.

Variation and scope

Martial arts may be categorized using a variety of criteria, including:

Traditional/historical arts vs. contemporary styles: e.g., folk wrestling compared to modern hybrid martial arts.

Techniques taught: armed vs.