A Brief Overview of The Martial Arts
 The martial arts are traditional systems of
fighting and training for combat that do not require the use of
guns or other modern weapons
The many different schools and styles of martial
arts share the goal of defeating a person or defending oneself against
an opponent. Each school has its own traditions, practices, and
rules, however, and some systems go beyond fighting to include other
disciplines and purposes. This is one of the reasons the martial
arts have survived in spite of the advancement of technology in
warfare.
Today, many people study the martial arts not only
to learn self-defense, but also to promote their physical and mental
fitness and well-being. Practicing a martial art requires mental
discipline, emotional control, and physical stamina. The student
learns concentration and mindfulness. Learning these skills builds
character, self-mastery, and self-confidence. Certain martial arts,
such as T'ai Chi Ch'uan, are practiced by many hundreds of people
all over the world to maintain or improve their overall health.
Other people are attracted to the martial arts as a sport and enjoy
competitions and tournaments.
In 1920, the term "martial arts" was
translated in Takenobu's Japanese-English Dictionary as bu-gei or
bu-jutsu, "the craft/accomplishment of military affairs."
This definition was translated from the Chinese term wushu; Pinyin,
wu shù; Cantonese, mou seut; and Vietnamese, Võ-Thu?t.
The Chinese term literally means "martial art" and includes
all types of the martial arts. In English, the strict meaning should
be "arts for military use," but it has come to mean “systems
of training to fight without modern technology.” It can be
useful to distinguish between those systems of fighting intended
for combat in war with those systems intended for sports or civilian
self-defense.
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