Portal:Martial arts

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The Martial Arts Portal

P:MA

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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Selected articles

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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, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm 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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Iaidō (居合道), abbreviated iai (居合), is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.

Iaido consists of four main components: the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard (or saya), striking or cutting an opponent, shaking blood from the blade, and replacing the sword in the scabbard. While beginning practitioners of iaido may start learning with a wooden sword (bokken) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, most of the practitioners use a blunt-edged sword called an iaitō or mogitō. Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use a sharp-edged sword (shinken). (Full article...)
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Taekwondo (/ˌtaɪkwɒnˈdoʊ, ˌtaɪˈkwɒndoʊ, ˌtɛkwənˈdoʊ/; Korean: 태권도; [t̪ʰɛ.k͈wʌ̹n.d̪o] ), also spelled tae kwon do or taekwon-do, is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. The literal translation for taekwondo is "kicking", "punching", and "the art or way of". It sometimes involves the use of weapons.

Taekwondo practitioners wear a uniform, known as a dobok. It is a combat sport which was developed during the 1940s and 1950s by Korean martial artists with experience in martial arts such as karate and Chinese martial arts. (Full article...)
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Rhee Taekwon-Do (Korean: 리태권도; Hanja: 李跆拳道), also known as Rhee Tae Kwon-Do, Rhee Tae Kwon Do, or Rhee Taekwondo, is a martial art school in Australia teaching the Korean martial art of taekwondo. Its full name is "Rhee International Taekwon-Do (Australia)". Chong Chul Rhee, one of the original masters of taekwondo, founded the school in the mid-1960s. Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, later came to assist him in the 1970s.

C. C. Rhee claims the title 'Father of Australian Taekwondo' and Rhee Taekwon-Do is widely publicised as being Australia's first and biggest taekwondo school. It has at least 294 publicly listed dojang (training halls) in Australia, with perhaps around 1,400 dojang in total at its peak. Several Australian martial art school founders received their foundational taekwondo training in Rhee's school. (Full article...)
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Vale Tudo match between Flávio Molina and Marcelo Behring, at "Noite das Artes Marciais" event, 1984

Vale Tudo or vale-tudo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvali ˈtudu]; English: Everything Goes/Everything Allowed), also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventually evolve into modern mixed martial arts (MMA). For years, "Vale Tudo" was used as a synonym for MMA in Brazil, but the term fell into disuse due to the emergence of stricter rules and the influence of the media to have a more "civilized" name. It is now used to refer to an early, more rules-free stage of the modern sport.

Vale Tudo initially started as an informal ruleset for fighters from different martial arts to fight each other. The Gracie family was known to organize their famous "Gracie Challenge", where they would fight other martial artists in Vale Tudo bouts to prove the efficiency and superiority of their own Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Many fighters eventually started to train specifically for Vale Tudo events, mixing striking and grappling, eventually advertising "Vale Tudo" as its own standalone style. For example, Marco Ruas referred to his hybrid style of Luta Livre and Muay Thai striking simply as "Vale Tudo". (Full article...)
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A sumo match (tori-kumi) between yokozuna Asashōryū (left) and komusubi Kotoshōgiku in January 2008
Sumo (Japanese: 相撲, Hepburn: sumō, Japanese pronunciation: [ˈsɯmoː], lit. 'striking one another') is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (dohyō) or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down).

Sumo originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally and where it is considered the national sport. It is considered a gendai budō, which refers to modern Japanese martial arts, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto. (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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Five types of shuriken

A shuriken (Japanese: 手裏剣, lit. 'hand-hidden blade') is a Japanese concealed weapon used by samurai or ninja or in martial arts as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect.

Shuriken are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they were originally constructed in many different shapes. The major varieties of shuriken are the bō shuriken (棒手裏剣, stick shuriken) and the hira shuriken (平手裏剣, flat shuriken) or shaken (車剣, wheel shuriken, also read as kurumaken). (Full article...)
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5th-century terracotta sculpture of wrestlers from Uttar Pradesh, India.

Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, IAST: mallayuddha) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian wrestling is described in the 13th century Malla Purana.

Malla-yuddha incorporates wrestling, joint-breaking, punching, biting, choking and pressure point striking. Matches were traditionally codified into four types which progressed from purely sportive contests of strength to actual full-contact fights known as yuddha. Due to the extreme violence, this final form is generally no longer practised. The second form, wherein the wrestlers attempt to lift each other off the ground for three seconds, still exists in south India. Additionally, malla-yuddha is divided into four categories (see below). Each yuddhan is named after Hindu gods and legendary fighters:
- Hanumanti - concentrates on technical superiority.
- Jambuvanti - uses locks and holds to force the opponent into submission.
- Jarasandhi - concentrates on breaking the limbs and joints while fighting.
- Bhimaseni - focuses on sheer strength.
(Full article...)
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A fighter leans back to evade a round kick

Muay Thai (Thai: มวยไทย, RTGS: muai thai, pronounced [mūa̯j tʰāj] ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "Art of eight limbs", as it is characterised by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by The Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (P.A.T.), sanctioned by The Sports Authority of Thailand (S.A.T.).

Muay Thai is related to other martial art styles such as Muay Chaiya, Muay Boran, Muay Lao, Kun Khmer, Lethwei, Benjang and Tomoi. A practitioner of Muay Thai is known as a Nak Muay. Western practitioners in Thailand are sometimes called Nak Muay Farang, meaning "foreign boxer". (Full article...)

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Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former mixed martial artist. , he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Brooks' 434-day reign as WWE Champion stands recognized as the seventh longest overall.

Brooks began his professional wrestling career in 1997 on the independent circuit, mainly with Ring of Honor (ROH), where he won the ROH World Championship once. He signed with WWE in 2005 and won the WWE Championship twice, the World Heavyweight Championship three times, and the WWE Intercontinental Championship, the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, and the World Tag Team Championship once each. He is the only back-to-back Money in the Bank ladder match winner, won Superstar of the Year at the 2011 Slammy Awards, and was voted PWI Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and 2012. After becoming disillusioned with WWE, Brooks acrimoniously departed the promotion in 2014, largely retiring from wrestling. From 2019 to 2020, he appeared as a pundit on WWE Backstage. He returned to the ring in 2021 by signing with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he won the AEW World Championship twice, but was terminated in September 2023 after backstage controversies. He returned to WWE two months later at Survivor Series.

Brooks has used the CM Punk moniker for his entire career. His character has been consistently portrayed as outspoken, confrontational, sharp-tongued, anti-establishment, straight edge, and iconoclastic, most of which are inspired by his real-life self. Depending on his alignment as a hero or villain, he has emphasized different aspects to garner heat and discourse.

After leaving WWE in 2014, Brooks pursued a career in mixed martial arts and signed with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A welterweight, he lost via submission to Mickey Gall in his professional debut at UFC 203 in 2016. He lost his second fight to Mike Jackson via unanimous decision at UFC 225 in 2018 (later overturned to a no-contest) and was released. Brooks currently appears as a part-time color commentator for Cage Fury Fighting Championships. (Full article...)

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"The Fight" is the sixth episode of the second season of the television series The Office and the show's twelfth episode overall. It was written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg and directed by Ken Kwapis. It originally aired on November 1, 2005, on NBC. "The Fight" guest starred Lance Krall, who played the part of Dwight's sensei, Ira.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, Michael Scott (Steve Carell), after being embarrassed by Dwight Schrute's (Rainn Wilson) superior fighting skills, engages in a karate match with Dwight during lunch. Meanwhile, Jim Halpert's (John Krasinski) flirting with Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) goes too far.

"The Fight" was known as "Karate" and "The Dojo" by members of the cast and crew due to many of the scenes featuring the titular fight. Several of the cast members of the show—recurring and starring—had martial arts experience. The episode contained several cultural references, with many referring to popular fighting-related movies and television shows. "The Fight" received largely positive reviews from critics. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 3.9 in the 18–49 demographic and was viewed by 7.9 million viewers.

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Kendo (剣道, Kendō, lit. 'sword way', 'sword path' or 'way of the sword') is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship exercises, and today it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread to many other nations across the world. (Full article...)

General images - load new batch

The following are images from various martial arts-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Martial arts fan (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 2Karate training in front of Shuri Castle in Naha (1938) (from Karate)
Image 3Karate in Naha before the war; (before 1946) (from Karate)
Image 4Fol. 4v of the I.33 (from History of martial arts)
Image 5Olympic Judo pictogram (from Judo)
Image 6A ring used by PRIDE. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 7A scene of ancient Greek pankratiasts fighting. Originally found on a Panathenaic amphora, Lamberg Collection. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 8Modern forms are used in the sport of wushu, as seen in this staff routine (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 9Kung fu in Iran (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 10Masters 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 11Bronze medal match at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (from Karate)
Image 12Bōgutsuki, a form of full-contact karate fought with armour, one of the competition formats for kumite (from Karate)
Image 13Dragon Ball's main protagonist Goku uses a variety and hybrid of east Asian martial arts styles, including Karate. (from Karate)
Image 14Two judoka wearing judogi (from Judo)
Image 15A "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 16Kung fu sword (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 17Ancient Chinese weapons (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 18Gichin Funakoshi (from Karate)
Image 19The Yang style of tai chi being practiced on the Bund in Shanghai (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 20MMA fighter attempts a Triangle-Armbar submission on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 21Yuki Nakai fights UFC 1 finalist Gerard Gordeau at Vale Tudo Japan 1995 (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 22MMA gloves. They are fingerless gloves which allow both striking and grappling to occur. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 23Japanese judoka Takamasa Anai Vs French judoka Thierry Fabre during the 2010 World Judo Championships held in Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 24Yoshihiko Yoshimatsu attempting to throw Toshiro Daigo with an uchi mata in the final of the 1951 All-Japan Judo Championships (from Judo)
Image 25Eisho-ji temple, Tokyo (from Judo)
Image 26Mural at Shaolin temple from 1830's depicting forearm strikes and reverse kicks (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 27The 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 28Jigoro Kano, founder of judo (from Judo)
Image 29UFC 74 ; Clay Guida vs. Marcus Aurelio (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 30Two children training in judo techniques (from Judo)
Image 31Karatekas at a dojo with different colored belts (from Karate)
Image 32Two 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 33Juji gatame (十字固, cross lock)(armbar), a kansetsu-waza (from Judo)
Image 34International judo camp in Artjärvi, Orimattila, Finland (from Judo)
Image 35Throw during competition, leads to an ippon (from Judo)
Image 36Karate movements in Lappeenranta (from Karate)
Image 37Fighter performs a takedown on his opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 38Depiction of fighting monks demonstrating their skills to visiting dignitaries (early 19th-century mural in the Shaolin Monastery). (from Chinese martial arts)
Image 39jūdō (柔道, "Judo"), written in kanji (from Judo)
Image 40Harai goshi (払腰, sweeping hip), a koshi-waza (from Judo)
Image 41Bruce Lee is known for practicing many martial arts styles, including Karate. (from Karate)
Image 42Groundfighting 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 43An octagon cage used by the UFC. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 44Gina Carano applying a ground-and-pound on her opponent. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 45A ring-side doctor attends to a fighter following a loss. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 46The judogi is made from a heavy weave to withstand the stress of throwing and grappling. (from Judo)
Image 47A Chinese martial artist preparing to throw his opponent during a lei tai contest in Ancient China. (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 48Bruce 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)
Image 49All-Japan Judo Championships, 2007 men's final (from Judo)
Image 50Jigoro Kano and Yamashita Yoshitsugu performing Koshiki-no-kata (from Judo)
Image 51Karatekas wearing different colored belts (from Karate)
Image 52Pankratiast in fighting stance, Ancient Greek red-figure amphora, 440 BC. (from History of martial arts)
Image 53Vale tudo match between thai boxer Flávio Molina and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Marcelo Behring, 1984 (from Mixed martial arts)
Image 54Judo (1935) (from Judo)
Image 55King Shō Shin (from Karate)
Image 56Chōki Motobu in Naihanchi-dachi, one of the basic karate stances (from Karate)

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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

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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