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Carving depicting pankration (Link: Europe) A man practising savate (Link: Europe)
War torn Europe has a long-standing martial tradition
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Martial Arts Home
World of Martial Arts
What are Martial Arts?
Section 1.2
Section 1.3
Section 1.4
Section 1.5
Section 1.6
Section 1.7
Section 1.8
Section 1.9
Section 1.10
Section 1.11
Section 1.12
Section 1.13
Section 1.14
Section 1.15
Japan & Korea
Judo
Jujitsu
Kendo
Karate
Taekwondo
Hapkido
Section 2.7
Section 2.8
Section 2.9
Section 2.10
Section 2.11
Section 2.12
Section 2.13
Section 2.14
Section 2.15
China
Tai Chi Chuan
Shaolin Chuan
Wing Chun Chuan
Section 3.4
Section 3.5
Section 3.6
Section 3.7
Section 3.8
Section 3.9
Section 3.10
Section 3.11
Section 3.12
Section 3.13
Section 3.14
Section 3.15
South Asia
Kalaripayattu
Escrima
Muay Thai
Pencak Silat
Section 4.5
Section 4.6
Section 4.7
Section 4.8
Section 4.9
Section 4.10
Section 4.11
Section 4.12
Section 4.13
Section 4.14
Section 4.15
Americas
Capoeira
Brazilian Jujitsu
Jeet Kune Do
Section 5.4
Section 5.5
Section 5.6
Section 5.7
Section 5.8
Section 5.9
Section 5.10
Section 5.11
Section 5.12
Section 5.13
Section 5.14
Section 5.15
Europe
Pankration
Greco-Roman Wrestling
Savate
Batairecht
Section 6.5
Section 6.6
Section 6.7
Section 6.8
Section 6.9
Section 6.10
Section 6.11
Section 6.12
Section 6.13
Section 6.14
Section 6.15
Famous Martial Artists
Bruce Lee
Jet Li
Jackie Chan
Yip Man
Chuck Norris
Section 7.6
Section 7.7
Section 7.8
Section 7.9
Section 7.10
Section 7.11
Section 7.12
Section 7.13
Section 7.14
Section 7.15
Martial Arts Movies
Karate Kid
Drunken Master
Fists of Fury
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Section 8.5
Section 8.6
Section 8.7
Section 8.8
Section 8.9
Section 8.10
Section 8.11
Section 8.12
Section 8.13
Section 8.14
Section 8.15
Fight Quest
Section 9.1
Section 9.2
Section 9.3
Section 9.4
Section 9.5
Section 9.6
Section 9.7
Section 9.8
Section 9.9
Section 9.10
Section 9.11
Section 9.12
Section 9.13
Section 9.14
Section 9.15
Section 10
Section 10.1
Section 10.2
Section 10.3
Section 10.4
Section 10.5
Section 10.6
Section 10.7
Section 10.8
Section 10.9
Section 10.10
Section 10.11
Section 10.12
Section 10.13
Section 10.14
Section 10.15
Section 11
Section 11.1
Section 11.2
Section 11.3
Section 11.4
Section 11.5
Section 11.6
Section 11.7
Section 11.8
Section 11.9
Section 11.10
Section 11.11
Section 11.12
Section 11.13
Section 11.14
Section 11.15
Section 12
Section 12.1
Section 12.2
Section 12.3
Section 12.4
Section 12.5
Section 12.6
Section 12.7
Section 12.8
Section 12.9
Section 12.10
Section 12.11
Section 12.12
Section 12.13
Section 12.14
Section 12.15
Section 13
Section 13.1
Section 13.2
Section 13.3
Section 13.4
Section 13.5
Section 13.6
Section 13.7
Section 13.8
Section 13.9
Section 13.10
Section 13.11
Section 13.12
Section 13.13
Section 13.14
Section 13.15
Section 14
Section 14.1
Section 14.2
Section 14.3
Section 14.4
Section 14.5
Section 14.6
Section 14.7
Section 14.8
Section 14.9
Section 14.10
Section 14.11
Section 14.12
Section 14.13
Section 14.14
Section 14.15
Section 15
Section 15.1
Section 15.2
Section 15.3
Section 15.4
Section 15.5
Section 15.6
Section 15.7
Section 15.8
Section 15.9
Section 15.10
Section 15.11
Section 15.12
Section 15.13
Section 15.14
Section 15.15
Americas
Americas

Although native tribes and peoples in the Americas had martial art forms of their own, much like most of their culture, these have sadly been lost in time. The Europeans who later colonised these lands, however, brought along their own martial arts such as fencing, wrestling and boxing.

Martial arts still remained relatively rare in this part of the world until after the Second World War when the interest in eastern martial arts from Japan and Korea exploded. Today there are more karate practitioners in the US than even Japan!

 

 

Photos: Associated Press, AP