Martial arts

Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. They may be studied for various reasons including combat skills, fitness,...See more » Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. They may be studied for various reasons including combat skills, fitness, self-defense, sport, self-cultivation/meditation, mental discipline, character development and building self-confidence, or any combination of the above. There is a great diversity and abundance of martial arts but, broadly speaking, martial arts share a common goal: to defeat a person physically or to defend oneself from physical threat. In some martial arts there is also a sense of spirituality. While each style has unique facets that makes it different from other martial arts common characteristic of martial arts is the systemization of fighting techniques. One common method of training, particularly in the Asian martial arts, is the form or kata; these are sets or routines of techniques that are performed alone, or sometimes with a partner. [1] The word 'martial' derives from the name of Mars, the Roman god of war. A practitioner of martial arts is referred to as a martial artist.See less »