Martial arts is a collection of several hundred techniques and belief systems from around the world that teach self-defense, discipline and self-respect, among other things. While some types of martial arts are relatively new, others have been around for centuries and are an intimate part of the culture in countries such as China and Japan. The martial arts techniques that were created centuries ago have evolved into the contemporary styles widely practiced today throughout the world.
Kung Fu
According to the American Center for Chinese Studies, kung fu---also known as wushu---helps combat stress, improves health and develops character. Kung fu was originally developed about 1,500 years ago in China's Hunan province. To protect themselves from the constant threat of violence, Shao-lin monks, seeking isolation to study the peaceful teachings of Buddha, adopted and refined a system of self-defense that originated in India. Kung fu was a method of self-preservation for the monks, and a system of living based on the avoidance of conflict and the cultivation of the body, mind and spirit. Kung fu remains one of the world's most popular martial arts, and many different styles of the technique system are available and practiced by martial arts enthusiasts around the globe.
Karate
George Washington University states that karate is a martial art, or hand-to-hand self-defense combat system, that incorporates numerous techniques including strikes, blocks, throws and joint manipulations. According to Shotokan Karate of America, a nonprofit organization teaching traditional karate in the United States, the practice of karate can be traced back approximately 1,400 years to Daruma, the founder of Zen Buddhism in Western India. Over the centuries, the martial art now known as karate made its way its way to China, then to Okinawa. In Okinawa---whose inhabitants had developed their own system of hand-to-hand combat---a fusion of the two fighting techniques occurred, resulting in the creation of contemporary karate.
Tai Chi
Despite the perception of tai chi as a relaxation-only exercise, its practice is grounded in a strong martial arts tradition. Although the most popular methods of tai chi incorporate slow, choreographed movements, faster-paced forms of the martial art exist and are still practiced, and some of these involve the use of weapons. According to the Do Tai Chi website, the foundational concepts of the martial art are derived from Taoism and Confucianism and date back to the beginning of Chinese written history. However, tai chi can only be traced back 300 to 700 years. The founder of tai chi is thought to be Chang San-feng, who may have lived from 1279 to 1368, although historians are not entirely certain if he even existed.
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