How Do You Define "Martial Arts?"

[Steve]

Martial arts to me is simply a coherent fighting system. In other words, it's a collection of techniques and strategies that can be taught as a part of a system of training.

Martial art isn't, IMO, self defense. None of them, really. If anything, martial arts are for surviving when your self defense skills have failed you. Self Defense is everything you do up to physical altercation.

 

[MJS]

What about weapons? Knives, swords, bows, or guns, etc?

Different topic... but if weapons are to be included on this thread - I'll take the fighter jet plane with nuclear and atomic bombs and destroy my opponent from a far away distance where I don't have to view the inevitable disaster.

I come to you with only Karate, empty hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles, or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, right or wrong, then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands.

GM Ed Parker.

So going on this, yeah, it would appear that we're just talking about empty hands, when we say martial arts, yet many arts, include weapons training, with some being more weapon based than others. So that being said, we may as well include weapons in the discussion.

 

[Blindside]

I come to you with only Karate, empty hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles, or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, right or wrong, then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands.

GM Ed Parker.

So going on this, yeah, it would appear that we're just talking about empty hands, when we say martial arts, yet many arts, include weapons training, with some being more weapon based than others. So that being said, we may as well include weapons in the discussion.

Oh, I certainly agree that unarmed systems are martial arts, I was just pointing that out because JudoChampions definition included just about everything but weapons. Unarmed arts are ancillary to weapon arts in systems/organizations designed for combat, that may change when looked at for civilian application.

 

[Blade96]

Martial: relating to army, war, fighting, or military life.

Arts: the creation or application, made with human skill and imagination. Arts are basically learning about people. Such as history, languages, politics, philosophy etc.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

So when does someone become a "martial artist"? Someone who has just had their first martial arts lesson, are they now a martial artist? At what point do you consider someone to be a martial artist?

 

[Blindside]

So when does someone become a "martial artist"? Someone who has just had their first martial arts lesson, are they now a martial artist? At what point do you consider someone to be a martial artist?

Well, I know my definition often raises controversy, but as far as I am concerned the minute you start training in the arts, you become a martial artist. You might suck, but you are now a member of the fraternity, and there are diferent adjectives that I might associate with that label, "hobbyist, serious, professional, etc," but they are all martial artists.

 

[RRepster]

martial= having to do with combat, particular for war.
art = a discipline which usually takes years or lifetimes to study and perfect.

Put them together and you have the study or discipline of combat. In the context most often presented it means ancient pre-gunpowder fighting methods so the art part of it is keeping that method alive or restoring it. The art application also often has an effect on how the artist perceives and manages their lives; many call this the "do" part of the art.

As for the weapons part of the topic, I agree with classical karate and jujutsu practioners who say proper exercise of empty hand techniques is the same as weapon handed anyway, they become extensions of your arm.

 

[RRepster]

as far as I am concerned the minute you start training in the arts, you become a martial artist. You might suck, but you are now a member of the fraternity, and there are diferent adjectives that I might associate with that label, "hobbyist, serious, professional, etc," but they are all martial artists.

i agree, anyone who says otherwise is being elitist imo.

 

[Langenschwert]

Well, the first well-known instance of the term "Martial Art" in the English language is the rapier manual entitled "Pallas Armata", written in 1639.

From the manuscript:

"Thou herein to the Reader dost impart
In a plaine way that famous Martiall art
Of fencing"

So at its most reductionist interpretation gleaned from its initial usage, Martial Arts means rapier fencing.

However, I don't think that's what the author intended. He's referring to codified systems of combat, and (IMO) particularly armed ones, since "martial" carries (and carried) military connotations. You don't go to war unarmed. That's just silly. And he doesn't say that rapier fencing is the ONLY martial art.

Now, fencing meant more than what we tend to think it means today. Fencing comes from the word "defence" which was also called the science of defence, etc. Also note the german cognate "Fechten" which meant both fencing with various weapons, as well as fighting generally. So if you have a pool cue and I have a beer stein and a broken chair leg and we set about to do each other harm with said implements, we are "fencing". We are also "fencing" if we are in an unarmed wrestling match with no lethal intentions.

So my definition is as follows:

"A codified system of combat employing the human body either alone or augmented by tools"

Thus we can include everything from Boxing to Kyudo to jujutsu to flying a fighter jet all in one definition.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[whitetiger2001]

For me it's system that eneables someone to handle a confrontation with confidence. Any thug can use a gun or a knife but that's not a martial art. A man launching a missile from a distance isn't a martial artist. I don't think using the strict definition of both words is enough because then we have to include fighter pilots and people who use buttons to launch wapons from a distance. A martial art teaches an individual self defense of a personal level.

 

[whitetiger2001]

Well, I know my definition often raises controversy, but as far as I am concerned the minute you start training in the arts, you become a martial artist. You might suck, but you are now a member of the fraternity, and there are diferent adjectives that I might associate with that label, "hobbyist, serious, professional, etc," but they are all martial artists.

I think that a martial artist must have more than the physical skills but the mental discilpline as well. Some without the mental discipline isn't what I would call a martial artist but a well trained thug. I think there is a difference between taking karate for example and someone who is a martial artist. That might be a purist example maybe but there's so much more to the arts than learning to punch or kick

 

[Langenschwert]

I don't think using the strict definition of both words is enough because then we have to include fighter pilots

I don't have a problem with a fighter pilot being a martial artist under my definition. If a knight practicing mounted combat was a martial artist, then so is the fighter pilot in a dogfight. Both are physically demanding combat disciplines, with the difference being whether the "mount" is alive or not.

Look at Hojutsu. Some ryuha of are considered classical martial arts in Japan. Or look at Todd Jarret today... a first rate martial artist if there ever was one. Just so happens his weapon is not empty hands or a sword, but a modern pistol.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[Langenschwert]

A martial art teaches an individual self defense of a personal level.

What about close-order group combat such as phalanx warfare? Certainly not INDIVIDUAL self-defence, but certainly a martial art. You need a lot of mental discipline to do that... you're defending yourself, AND your comrades in arms.

Remember that warfare is a GROUP endeavour, and any definition of martial arts should include military application, either archaic or modern, or its derivatives.

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[Blindside]

For me it's system that eneables someone to handle a confrontation with confidence. Any thug can use a gun or a knife but that's not a martial art. A man launching a missile from a distance isn't a martial artist. I don't think using the strict definition of both words is enough because then we have to include fighter pilots and people who use buttons to launch wapons from a distance. A martial art teaches an individual self defense of a personal level.

I respect your definition, this is all personal definitions in any case, but I would ask, what is "a personal level?" Do missile weapons count? Bow, sling, atlatl, javelin, throwing axe, or dart? How about operation of a trebuchet, catapult, or other missile devices? Firearms? Is operation of a M4 for use in battlefield conditions not a martial art?

The Japanese considered military logistics and battlefield strategy and tactics all part of the greater scope of bujutsu, just as important as being able to swing a mean blade. If youwant to look at Chinese martial references I would urge you to go back and take a look at Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and see what that book considers to be a martial art (hence the title). It ain't about individual self defense.

 

[chinto]

I would define a Martial Art as: any system of combat both armed and/or unarmed, that is predicated on survival of an encounter with persons who may wish to take your life by effectively neutralizing that attacker/set of attackers.

Most of said systems should be systematized and able to be passed on to some one in an organized manner. Karate and choi lee fut are martial arts. so is Krav maga. But, I would call Krav and Defendo 'troop styles' as a subset of martial arts, but martial arts. but so is combat pistol styles out there, and bayonet fighting styles, and as some else said dog fighting with a fighter plane.

 

[k3sun]

I treat martial arts as an exercise. It is a form of multi-purpose disciplinary exercise skills training which involves all your body movement. It like a swiss knife
because if you master It, it can be use for self-defense otherwise its an exercise.I I usually train it with a punching bag. Sometimes i called it a stationary exercise as an alternative to go out to jog or have to spend $$$ to go to gym just to sweat. I can just practice it all by myself at home in my garage.
It is just like an aerobic exercise as in martial arts we get to do push ups, sit-up, jumping, kicking, punching and in the end we end up tired and sweating.

Usually I avoid training it in the public because they always misunderstood. They thought that I was showing off and there are people who comes up with a mind to challenge.

Improvise.

 

[Ironbear24]

A method of unarmed combat.

 

[Blindside]

Again, why the "unarmed" qualification?

 

[Paul_D]

Martial means war-like or used in war (or something along those lines) so for me it's anything that was used in battle.

So strictly speaking that doesn't include karate as it was originally designed to deal with criminal (civilian) violence, not for fighting people on the battlefield.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I do not 'define' martial arts. I practice a form of it. I don't really care if other people take issue with whether or not 'A' is a martial art but 'B' is not while 'C' is something entirely different. It's all a lot of blah, blah, blah to me.

When I talk about the form of karate I train in with my family, as I recently did when they came to visit over the holidays, I say "Isshin Ryu is a form of martial arts that originated in Okinawa in the 1950s." None of them said "Gee, what's a martial art? I never heard that term before." They all knew exactly what I meant, because the term is in common parlance among the untrained public. So I say "martial arts" and no one is lost, confused, or arguing with me over whether or not karate is a 'martial art'.

Only martial artists get their panties in a twist over this kind of nonsense. Typically, 'martial arts' is what they do, and whatever you do, well that's not martial arts at all.

Whatever. Go do kata, is my advice.