The Different Types of Martial Arts

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The world has come to a point that you need to put in extra effort to stay healthy, fit and also protect yourself. We live in a society that has many dangers. Even though you may live in a first world country in the west or a third world country in the east, it pays to be able to defend yourself against any unforeseen situation, and it can make you feel more confident.Martial Arts 04

Not many people are big made or have enough brute strength to handle themselves, but if you learn some martial arts from a Virginia Beach Taekwondo School you can be safer when traveling around.

Martial arts come in many forms. There are ones that are of Chinese origin, Japanese origin, and many others. In fact, you will find a large number of unique martial arts disciplines. Sometimes, martial arts are developed and unique to a teacher or a school but in most cases they are identified by their origins.

Some of the more popular form of martial arts are:

Kung Fu
Karate
Taekwondo
Jujitsu
Muay Thai Kickboxing
Judo

However, what many do not realize is that martial arts do not only originate from the east. There are many western countries that are the origin of many different styles of martial arts. Some of them include.

Europe

Pygmachia (Ancient Greek boxing)
Kampfringen (Medieval wrestling)
Lausatök (Viking combat)
Destreza

America

American Karate
Jeet Kune Do
Small Circle Jujutsu
Gouging (fighting style)

Martial Arts 05Africa

Dambe (Nigeria)
Surma stickfighting (Ethiopia)
Nguni Stick Fighting (South Africa)
Tahtib (Ancient Egypt)

While all the above martial arts disciplines have their own distinct method, they are all in principle so that someone can defend themselves if attacked. In fact, the real purpose of martial arts is not to attack another but for self-defense.

In the modern world, there are many competitions that allow those who have trained in martial arts to show off their skills. These competitions are organized on a global scale and draw contestants from all over the world. They are done in a controlled environment and are judged based on the skill level of the competitors.

What any person must understand is that martial arts should never be Martial Arts 06learnt with the intention of hurting someone else. In fact, many of the ancient eastern martial arts were perfected by monks who needed to defend themselves and the temples against bandits who would often try to raid and plunder these temples.

If you want to learn martial arts, first think about why you want to take it up and your ultimate goal. If it is to protect yourself and also stay fit, it can be a very fulfilling experience.