ARTS AND TEIR GREATEST FIGHTERS to their growing influence around the world at the present time It will also introduce readers to historic figures whose martial arts have long been celebrated Today s martial arts stars who stand out for their excep tional fighting techniques are also profiled exemplifying the rich culture of the martial arts that continues to capture the interest of athletes who want to master the variety of attack and defense skills the sports offer These noteworthy figures have contributed greatly to the evolution of martial arts as a legitimate and highly regulated form of ath letics and competition IO
AN OVERVIEW OF MARTIAL ARTS Nhe term martial arts refers to a large variety of fighting sports originat ing in Europe and East CEO PETERSON Asia but practiced in modern times around the world The word martial is derived from Mars the Roman god of war It is used to describe activities with a combative bent Many of the martial arts however are not combative Some are medita tive forms of self discipline with strong religious or philosophi cal overtones They are heavily influenced by Eastern religion and emphasize mental and spiri tual training Folktales and mythologies cloud the origins of martial arts Buddhist monks fight bare banded before Chinese dignitaries Herve BRUHATI Gamma Rapho Getty Images II
RITUART AND THEIR GREATEST FICERS One popular legend holds that Buddhist monks in China developed kung fu around 500 CE after learning the skill from Indian monk and Zen Buddhism founder Bodhidharma Fighting systems were devel oped in Asia thousands of years ago by military organizations and secret societies Most of the East Asian systems were heavily influenced by ancient practices that origi nated in India and China MARTIAL ARTS IN CHINA Although many in the West think of Chinese martial arts as kung fu that phrase simply means skill It can be used to describe a talent for painting cooking or any other activity In modern China wushu is the term used to cover all the martial arts Wushu originated in China at least 2 500 years ago There are hundreds of styles Eastern religions have had strong influ ences on wushu Wushu can be a combination of combat techniques It may be practiced as exercise or as a performing art The varieties of wushu are typically con sidered either external or internal The external arts are known for their powerful 12
AN OVERVIEW OF MARTAL ARTS kicks and punches and speedy movements Internal arts tend to be less combative and oriented toward self defense Some forms of wushu take their inspira tion from animals such as the monkey or eagle and attempt to imitate their fighting styles Many forms allow for the use of weap ons such as swords or staffs UNG FU Kung fu is a spiritual form of exercise requir ing concentration and self discipline It is a mostly unarmed mode of personal combat often tied to karate or tae kwon do The term kung fu can also suggest careful preparation for the performance of any skill performed instinctively without thought process or emotion Kung fu can be traced as a martial art to the Zhou dynasty II 255 BCE and even earlier The various movements in kung fu mostly imi tate the fighting styles of animals They feature one of five basic foot positions normal upright posture and the four stances called dragon frog horse riding and snake There are hun dreds of styles of kung fu Armed and unarmed techniques have been developed 13
