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Martial Arts

Combat Sports

Martial arts is not one sport but a broad family of codified fighting and self defense systems with many independent origins across different cultures and eras. China long tradition of wushu includes legendary accounts linking certain styles to training at the Shaolin Monastery, accounts that are heavily legendary rather than firmly documented. Japan produced judo, founded in 1882 by Jigoro Kano as a codified modern sport derived from older jujutsu systems, and karate, developed in Okinawa and influenced by Chinese martial arts before being systematized and introduced to mainland Japan in the 1920s. Korea produced taekwondo, unified into its modern form in the 1950s from older Korean fighting traditions. Brazil produced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, developed in the early twentieth century by the Gracie family from judo instruction given by Mitsuyo Maeda. No single founding date, place or governing body applies to the family as a whole, only to its individual member disciplines.

Facts
Disputed
Origin Year
3000 BCE 2
Martial arts is a category comprising many independently codified traditions rather than a single founded practice. Wrestling, generally considered the oldest combat sport, is depicted in Mesopotamian and Egyptian art dating to around 3000 BC; the earliest known depiction of boxing is a Sumerian relief from the 3rd millennium BC. Named traditions carried as their own entities in this atlas codify far later and separately, for example Judo (1882) and Taekwondo (1955).
Originating Region
Multiple independent origins, primarily East and Southeast Asia, with an independent early twentieth century Brazilian development 1
International Governing Body
No single global governing body; each discipline within the broad martial arts family has its own separate international federation, for example the International Judo Federation, World Taekwondo, the International Boxing Association and the International Wushu Federation. 1
Connections

Associated With

Boxing, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Judo, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Karate, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Kickboxing, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Muay Thai, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Sumo, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Taekwondo, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Wrestling, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Martial Arts

Featured In

Specific disciplines within the martial arts family are Olympic sports, most notably judo, an Olympic sport since 1964, and taekwondo, an Olympic sport since 2000, rather than the family as a whole.

Source International Olympic Committee, Official Olympic History Reference

Played By

Source Choi Yong-sool (Wikipedia)
Source Dong Haichuan (Wikipedia)
Edith Garrud, Athletes
Source Edith Garrud (Wikipedia)
Gozo Shioda, Athletes
Source Gozo Shioda (Wikipedia)
Huo Yuanjia, Athletes
Source Huo Yuanjia (Wikipedia)
Jet Li, Athletes
Source Jet Li (Wikipedia)
Source Masaaki Hatsumi (Wikipedia)
Source Richard Sandrak (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia, Rickson Gracie
Sun Lutang, Athletes
Source Sun Lutang (Wikipedia)
Source Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (Wikipedia)
Wang Shujin, Athletes
Source Wang Shujin (Wikipedia)
Wu Yuxiang, Athletes
Source Wu Yuxiang (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Martial arts article, Organization sectionView the Source
2. Wikipedia, Martial Arts
Wikimedia Foundation
  • History section, wrestling and boxing
    Wrestling is the oldest combat sport, with origins in hand-to-hand combat...The earliest known depiction of boxing is a Sumerian relief found in Mesopotamia dating to the 3rd millennium BC.
  • Associated With: Karate, Unarmed, Strikes
    Punching: Boxing, Wing Chun, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate
  • Associated With: Kickboxing, Unarmed, Strikes
    Punching: Boxing, Wing Chun, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate
  • Associated With: Muay Thai, Unarmed, Strikes
    Punching: Boxing, Wing Chun, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate
  • Associated With: Boxing, Unarmed, Strikes
    Punching: Boxing, Wing Chun, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Karate
  • Associated With: Taekwondo, Unarmed, Strikes
    Kicking: Kickboxing, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Capoeira, Savate, Karate, Kung Fu, Taekyyon
  • Associated With: Judo, Unarmed, Grappling
    Throwing: Hapkido, Judo, Sumo, Wrestling, Aikido, Shuai Jiao, Taijiquan
  • Associated With: Wrestling, Unarmed, Grappling
    Throwing: Hapkido, Judo, Sumo, Wrestling, Aikido, Shuai Jiao, Taijiquan
  • Associated With: Sumo, Unarmed, Grappling
    Throwing: Hapkido, Judo, Sumo, Wrestling, Aikido, Shuai Jiao, Taijiquan
  • In Group: Mixed and General Martial Arts, Lead
    Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat.
View the Source
International Olympic Committee, Official Olympic History Reference
International Olympic CommitteeFeatured In: Olympic Games
Wikipedia, Rickson Gracie
Wikimedia FoundationPlayed By: Rickson GracieView the Source
Wu Yuxiang (Wikipedia)
Played By: Wu Yuxiang, Lead
Quote, Played By: Wu Yuxiang, Lead
Wu Yuxiang (Wu Yu-hsiang, 1812?, 1880?) was a Chinese martial artist, teacher and the founder of Wu (Hao)-style tai chi.
View the Source
Huo Yuanjia (Wikipedia)
Played By: Huo Yuanjia, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Huo Yuanjia, Lead, martial art
A practitioner of the martial art Mizongyi
View the Source
Gozo Shioda (Wikipedia)
Played By: Gozo Shioda, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Gozo Shioda, Lead, martial art
was a Japanese master of aikido who founded the Yoshinkan style of aikido
View the Source
Choi Yong-sool (Wikipedia)
Played By: Choi Yong-sool, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Choi Yong-sool, Lead, martial art
was the founder of the martial art Hapkido
View the Source
Edith Garrud (Wikipedia)
Played By: Edith Garrud, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Edith Garrud, Lead, martial art
She was the first British female teacher of jujutsu
View the Source
Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (Wikipedia)
Played By: Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, Lead, martial art
was a mestre of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira
View the Source
Masaaki Hatsumi (Wikipedia)
Played By: Masaaki Hatsumi, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Masaaki Hatsumi, Lead, martial art
is a Japanese martial artist best known as the founder of the Bujinkan organization
View the Source
Dong Haichuan (Wikipedia)
Played By: Dong Haichuan, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Dong Haichuan, Lead, martial art
widely credited to be the founder of Baguazhang
View the Source
Sun Lutang (Wikipedia)
Played By: Sun Lutang, Lead, martial art
Quote, Played By: Sun Lutang, Lead, martial art
was a master of Chinese neijia (internal) martial arts
View the Source
Richard Sandrak (Wikipedia)
Played By: Richard Sandrak, Lead
Quote, Played By: Richard Sandrak, Lead
is a Ukrainian-born American actor, martial artist, and former bodybuilder
View the Source
Jet Li (Wikipedia)
Played By: Jet Li, Lead
Quote, Played By: Jet Li, Lead
Jet Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963) is a martial artist, actor, and philanthropist.
View the Source
Wang Shujin (Wikipedia)
Played By: Wang Shujin, Lead
Quote, Played By: Wang Shujin, Lead
Wang Shujin (็Ž‹ๆจน้‡‘, 1904-1981), also known as Wang Heng Sun, was a Chinese martial artist, practitioner of the disciplines of baguazhang, taijiquan, and xingyiquan.
View the Source

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