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Five Styles of Martial Arts

Mar 2, 2010 | By Contributing Writer

Almost every culture in history has developed an indigenous method of personal combat. From the ancient Greek use of the phalanx to the well-known karate and kung-fu of Asia, individual cultures developed methods of combat that reflected the underlying philosophy of the culture. Many of the modern martial arts, as we know them, are abbreviated expressions of the culture from which they came. From the aforementioned karate, to modern mixed martial arts, to modern practical pistol shooting in the United States, a glimpse of a culture's beliefs can be garnered from its fighting methods.

Jiu-Jitsu

Jiu-jitsu, roughly translated as the "harmonizing method," is originally a Japanese martial art. Various villages in feudal Japan developed their own systems of jiu-jitsu. The art may include the use of restraint holds and grappling, punches and kicks and even the use of weapons, such as staves, knives and various farming instruments. There are various forms of Japanese jiu-jitsu, from Danzan-Ryu to the sport of Kano Jiu-jitsu, more commonly referred to as Judo today.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Judo founder Jigoro Kano sent emissaries of his system of jiu-jitsu worldwide to spread the message of Judo. One of those emissaries was Mitsuyo Maeda, who was sent to Brazil. Brazil had a large Japanese émigré population that Kano hoped to exploit in spreading his art. Among Maeda's first students in Brazil were the now-legendary Gracie clan. The Gracies modified traditional Judo, which included much more grappling at that time, into a system more appropriate for the Brazilian mindset and the popular "vale tudo" or "anything goes" fights of the time. Introduced to the U.S. in the 1980s by family legend Rorion Gracie, the art skyrocketed in popularity with the advent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, won by Rorion's younger brother Royce.

Hwa Rang Do

Developed by Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee in 1960, Hwa Rang Do is translated into English as "The Way of Flowering Manhood," according to the website of the Grandmaster's association. Joo Bang Lee developed the system based on the teachings of the ancient Korean "Silla" dynasty. The organization claims that the methods and teachings have been passed down over 58 generations, uninterrupted, to the current Grandmaster. Hwa Rang Do ecompasses all the warrior skills and fighting methods that one would expect an ancient warrior to possess. Fighting methods include the use of fists, feet, throws and grappling, as well as knives, staves, swords and archery.

San Shou

Developed as a sportive application of the Chinese martial arts of Wu Shu (or kung-fu, as they are more commonly known in the West), San Shou bears great resemblance to modern mixed-martial arts. The fighting style encompasses punches, kicks, throws and takedowns. Groundfighting finishing holds, such as the chokes and armbars of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, are barred from competition, in order to keep competition fast-paced and exciting. In China, there is an expression that "San Shou is the essence of Wu Shu." Mixed martial arts champion Cung Le is originally a San Shou fighter, lending authority to the art in modern fighting circles.

Mixed Martial Arts

Originally developed as a counter to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championships, MMA has developed into its own recognizable fighting form. MMA ecompasses takedowns and throws from wrestling and judo, punches and strikes from western boxing and Muay Thai kickboxing and grappling skills from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. Despite the mongrel background of modern MMA, it has become a holistic fighting system, used not just in the arena and for self-defense, but as an integral part of modern military hand-to-hand combat training as well.

References

Article reviewed by WCB Last updated on: Mar 2, 2010

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