How Is Martial Arts Different Today Than When It First Started?

Martial arts have changed over the years, adding new techniques and philosophies. The biggest change is that martial arts are now practiced all over the world, and no longer limited to Oriental cultures. They have also permeated media globally. Let’s look at the evolution of martial arts and its global spread.

Many martial arts had their beginnings centuries ago. Because of this, they have all changed over time. Sometimes, the country’s government abolished their practice, and sometimes becoming aware of other cultures brought about changes. Other times religion and philosophy got mixed in. All the martial arts that are practiced today have their origins in ancient practices.

New disciplines have been created, like judo and karate from Japan, tae kwon do from Korea, and the use of kung fu from China in many movies, television shows, and other media. To determine how martial arts have changed it is most helpful to look at the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean martial arts and see how they each have changed.    

Chinese Martial Arts

Chinese martial arts have developed over the centuries. They are not just about conditioning and muscle strength, but incorporate philosophy and religion. Styles that focus on breathing and energy are called internal and styles that focus on improving fitness are external. Martial arts developed from a need to hunt, for self defense, and for the military. 

Training in Chinese martial arts includes basics, forms, applications, and weapons.  Many Chinese martial arts include meditation, which helps your focus and mental clarity. Another part of training can be qigong training. Qi is the “life force” or energy inside living things. Qigong training helps make your Qi stronger through certain mental and physical exercises. The principles of focusing your Qi and aiming at specific areas of the body when fighting are similar to the principles of acupressure. 

Today, kung fu is prevalent in many places. Artists like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li have increased its exposure and popularity, especially in movies. The television show Kung Fu ran for three seasons in the 1970s.

Japanese Martial Arts

The origins of Japanese martial arts can be found in the samurai traditions and the caste system which forbade the use of weapons by classes other than the warrior classes. Samurai were expected to be masters of many weapons and to be highly skilled at unarmed combat as well.   

In Japan, some consider swordsmanship to be the ultimate martial art. At first, riding and shooting a bow were the most important skills of the warrior class; these gave way to the sword. The sword is certainly the subject of many stories and legends throughout time.

There are now several well known and more recent Japanese martial arts that have developed and changed the face of Japanese martial arts. These include:

• Karate means “empty hand” or “China hand.” It is often referred to as “the way of the empty hand.” Modern karate fuses older martial arts from Okinawa and Chinese martial arts.  
• Judo was created at the end of the 19th century. It means “gentle way” or “way of softness.” It is grappling-based and has no punches or weapons. It is usually practiced as a sport and emphasizes improvement in your personal, spiritual, and physical self.

Korean Martial Arts

Korean martial arts either originated in Korea or were adapted there. Korean sword arts are practiced, as well as archery and knife fighting. Some of the Korean martial arts that have evolved over the years include:

• Tang soo do
• Hapkido
• Kuk sool won
• Tae kwon do

Tae kwon do has elements of Korean techniques of kicking and punching, and techniques from karate. It is now an Olympic sport.