A Brief History of Martial Arts

Asia is considered the hub of the world of martial arts by many people. However, this does not mean that martial arts was born in Asia. While martial arts may not have been necessarily born in Asia, many prominent forms of martial arts come from the region. Some examples of martial arts include hwa rang do, kung fu, and karate. 

Martial Arts Influences

Martial arts has been influenced by many different factors, such as historical revolutions, legends, and ancient myths. Due to a lack of historical records, it can be difficult to trace the history and growth of a martial art. This is especially true for older martial arts like the Indonesian art pentjak silat and the Hawaiian martial art lua. Revolutions and cultural factors have also threatened to eliminate certain martial arts.

However, from the historical records that we do have, it is evident that martial arts has prospered. This is especially when true when martial arts from two different cultures are combined together. 

Chinese Martial Arts History

In 2600 B.C., China became the hub of the universe of martial arts. Emperor Huang Di, who ruled China more than 4000 years ago, was a wrestling and pole-fighting master. He required that his troops learn martial arts. Around 770 B.C., Mongolian tribesmen introduced skull-bashing wrestling to China. This art is believed to have eventually evolved into sumo. During the Qin and Han dynasties, this wrestling was combined with kemari to form shakaku. In The Art of War, Sun Tsu emphasizes the importance of the arts when it comes to fighting and living. Chinese martial arts spread to Asia Minor, Europe, and India in 500 B.C. via the Silk Road.

Despite the rich history of martial arts in China, modern day martial arts originated in 527 A.D in Indian. Indian monk Ta Mo taught the monks of the Shaolin Temple the 18 Buddhist Fists, which turned into the Five Animal Styles of Shaolin. The influence of Tao Mo has impacted both Chinese and non-Chinese arts.

At NY Martial Arts Academy, we have a safe facility, experienced instructors, a welcoming environment and various styles of martial arts training. If you're interested in learning martial arts, contact our team today!