The Martial Arts its about codified practices and traditions, whose mission will be to submit or defend themselves through the technique in question.
Practices linked to the oriental tradition, codified, and aimed at defense or relaxation
There are different styles and also many schools specialized in them. The exclusion of firearms or any other modern weaponry from the techniques they use and the organization of the latter in a coherent and organized system are their differential features and what will somehow differentiate them from street fights.
Depending on whether or not they use weapons, we can talk about martial arts with weapons (bow, spear, sword, staff, mace, ax, chain, knife and chain) and martial arts without weapons, which generally consist of punches, grabs, kicks, dislocations, strangulations, among others.
Also, we find that not all workouts are the same, because a type of training will be one in which a group of techniques united in a series will be put into practice. And the other common training modality is simulated fighting with a partner or through exercises in pairs, in which different techniques will be trained.
Currently, the practice of this type of arts may be due to a plurality of situations, among them: for sport, for health, for personal protection, to promote personal development, to achieve mental discipline, to contribute to the improvement of character and self-confidence.
Although since the most primitive and remote times of the earth there were different systems of struggles, it was only in the XIX century when the concept of martial arts will become popular.
Formerly, in the East, a geographical place with which they are especially linked, martial arts were practiced in super secret circles or were part of the practice of an elite linked to the nobility and the military, such is the case of the samurai.
Martial arts classes
Then, as a consequence of the combination of different variables such as the need to improve physical and mental state, to seek personal protection and to demonstrate that it is possible to win by force gently, the different variants of martial arts arose. .
Karate (or path of the empty hand, it is a form of self-defense developed in the fourteenth century; it uses the body as a weapon, concentration and special movements; it derives from Buddhist philosophy), Kung Fu (personal defense system that requires little energy since it attacks the enemy at its weakest points), Taekwondo (Korean martial art, stands out for the rapid movement of the legs; it is oriented to the development of the muscles) Qui gong (popular practice in 200 BC proposes very slow meditated exercises) Tai Chi (or moving meditation; involves very slow movements that relax the mind and body), Judo (It is a super popular sport and one of the most widespread personal defense techniques, it proposes maximum efficiency and mutual benefit; originated in the late nineteenth century, it was proposed as the form of physical education in Japan) and Kalari (Originally from South India, it begins and ends with a greeting; it begins with slow movements and then moves on to more intense movements).
Whether it is to balance health, mind, to lose weight, or just to have a pleasant moment, martial arts are a practice that floods the streets and gyms of almost all parts of the world.
Stress Therapies and Self Defense Tools Against Attacks
The stress posed by daily life in big cities makes many people decide to stop in time before falling into "madness", and then they choose to practice some of the variants of martial arts mentioned above.
T’ai Chi is undoubtedly the most effective and popular modality in this regard.
It is frequent that it is practiced outdoors, in public squares, and in groups. The association of these slow and relaxing movements, plus fresh air, exert a very favorable and positive combination for those who seek to relax from stress.
Meanwhile, we cannot ignore the other side of the coin, the martial art as an effective tool and resource when it comes to repelling unexpected street attacks by crime that unfortunately floods the big cities.
Many people practice karate and judo precisely to have a constant and always ready "weapon" to defend against the attack that may be suffered by a stranger on the street.
Of course, in the face of an assault with weapons there will be unequal conditions, we must say that having this knowledge can help when it comes to repelling the attacker and his weapons. Obviously, it is necessary to have a seasoned technique that will only be affordable with good practice.
Cinema and TV helped in its worldwide diffusion
And when addressing this issue, we cannot ignore that the spread and popularity that martial arts have throughout the world is largely due to the various film and television productions that have had these practices as exclusive and leading content.
Notable examples include the Karate Kid and movies starring actor Jackie Chan, an emblem of this kind of practice.
In 1984, Karate Kid, set box office records around the world with a theme that dealt precisely with a young man who learned karate techniques from an oriental master.
And what about the actor and martial artist Jackie Chan who has amazed and delighted viewers of his action films with his tremendous martial arts choreography.
