CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1AN OVERVIEW OF MARTIAL ARTS 11 CHAPTER 2 THE RISE OF MARTIAL ARTS GLOBALLY 30 CHAPTER 3 LEGENDARY MARTIAL ARTS FIGHTERS 44 CHAPTER 4 CONTEMPORARY STARS OF MARTIAL ARTS 56 CONCLUSION GoSSARY 69 70 12 For MORE INFORMATION BIBLIOGRAPHY 76 78 INDEX
RODUCTION M artial arts are any of a variety of fighting sports or skills They are most often associated with com bat between individuals but they are also practiced to promote self defense and fitness Many people around the world use martial arts to improve their physical emotional spiritual and mental health Martial arts can be traced to ancient cul tures Paintings on Egyptian pyramids dating as far back as 3400 BCE depict battles that can be linked to martial arts Poems and other forms of writing around that time also describe early forms of combat that can be associated with martial arts Drawings in Vietnam about 500 years later show that primitive armed martial arts had been practiced in Asia These drawings display the use of spears bows and swords More modern martial arts extend back to means of combat in sixteenth century Europe The term was first used to describe fencing as
INTRODUCTION Buddhist monks practice kung fu at Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song in China The Shaolin monks are renowned for their prowess in the martial arts Nancy Brown Photolibrary Getty Images
