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 There are thousands of different forms descending from hundreds of acient forms. Many will argue that martial arts is nothing more than a form of fighting. Some will argue that it's a means to reach spiritual enlightenment. Many individuals confuse martial arts with fighting. Martial arts can be used in fighting, but there is far more cultural history and depth to any martial arts styles. Modern day media has taken the "fighting" concepts of martial arts and has gloryfied it to the point where there are individuals who want to learn it merely as self defense. I have personally used martial arts for both spiritual and sports purposes. I have trained with MMA fighters and been in a fair number of fights of my own. My 14 year experience with martial arts leads me to believe that it's true purpose can only be discovered in learning it as a way of life. One must follow a martial artists' lifestye to understand it's meaning. I'm curious... What does everyone else think? Upon doing some research, I've found that the phrase "martial arts" was actually nothing more than a rough western translation for words that cannot be litterally translated to the English language. I've found that the actually culmination of what we know as modern "martial arts" was descendant from a disciplined exercise developed by shaolin monks some time ago. Those arts began because monks had difficulty during long periods of meditation. The animal styles were developed by monks in a way to harness, in the human body, the power of animals, in nature. That is as far back as I can trace it. ...

 Lately there has been A LOT of people with martial arts backgrounds in wrestling, am I seeing this more because I am martial arts or is it because it really is happening, more martial artist in wrestling.. Does this make or break martial arts? Some martial arts styles have allready gave martial arts a bad name as it is a bunch of fighting, will people then say martial arts is fake because its on wrestling or will martial arts continue to be viewed as a joke! THANKS! ...

 To me, a martial art is a system of combat for use in battle/war only put into an art form (hence the word martial). This means that martial arts can use any weapon, including the body. Martial arts are much more than self-defense, but can be used as such. Sports are games with rules and regulations for safety. Real martial arts dont have rules. Are you seriously going to say in a real fight "sorry, you cant do that becuase its cheating". What defenatly makes martial arts not sports is the fact of spiritual development. Real martial artists are beyond a mere athlete. Martial artists strengthen their spirit to increase their fighting potential. This MMA isnt a real martial art. All they do is grab their opponent and pound their face in. Thats an art? Many will say that martial arts wont work in a real fight because they dont know what real martial arts are. I am very frustrated on this topic because such a complex and beautiful thing is dying out. Please help me out here. Also, there is this notion that a black belt is a master. That is true to a point. In modern martial arts, a black belt far from a master. The requirements of becoming a black belt are dropping more and more each year. Ive seen so called "masters" that seem like they have only practiced the art for a few months. Form is excelent, but fighting skill and spirit is crap. ...

 I know about so many asian martial arts, because that primaraly where martial arts typicaly originated from, and in old time, n most asian countries, there were martial arts like Kung Fu and Kenjutsu that taught how to use a sword, just like hand-to-hand cobat martial ways. But in europe, during mediviel and napoleon times, you know, up until guns were used officially in battle, how did people like knights and even revolutionary war soilders learn to use swords? For example, Samurai learn Kenjutsu, a long martial art that teaches how to use a katana, and Kung Fu the same with swords and sabres, but what about europeans in old times, i know that there really weren't any hand-to-hand martial arts in europe, but how did they learn swordsmanship? Sme kind of martial art? Are there even any European martial art, i know there are African martial arts, but what about such an advanced culture such as europes? ...

 I know its a bizare question, but evryday i think about this and its giving me trouble. I love basketball, and i also love martial arts, espacially kung fu, but I dont know what to do beetwen concentrating on basketball or martial arts. if its basketball, i could maybe have a chance to go far even the nba and all the good stuff and wtv, but the bad side of it is at the end of an basketball career, there is nothing else to do, theres emptyness. With martial arts, even tho its hard, u could, to get popular and have the money and fame, if your lucky enought to do movies and sttuff, but at least martial arts, espacialy kung fu, is something that never ends even when u get old. I really wanna be the best at eihter one of them but i really dont know wich one, i get alot of pressure sumtimes from my family to play basketball because their really not into martial arts, and my cousin syays martial arts is the best way of life. So many stuff, sumbody has an idea?, please i need serious answers ...

 I am looking for an easy to learn, highly street effective, self-defense skills/techniques/ training/discipline with emphasis on the ?martial? and not the ?art? part. In other words, I am NOT interested in competitions, tournaments, matches, the spiritual and/or cultural aspects of a martial art, trophies, shows, etc. I am really in search of a school of martial arts that teaches ?martial efficiency? and the ability to defend oneself on the street (in a reasonably quick period of time). ? And yes, I realize that it is NOT the martial art, but the martial artist that makes all the difference and that if you are really good at what you do and practice it all the time you can most likely defend yourself on the street no matter what style of martial art you happen to practice. However, such a strategy would require a tremendous amount of time investment and dedication, whereas what I am really after here is the self-defense proficiency part obtained in a reasonably short period of time (say a year or two of dedicated training max). Kindly justify your answer, If possible. Thank you in advance. I have finally settled on a Jeet Koon Do type whatever-works combination style with very strong elements/influences from American Kenpo, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, and Bunjinkan Taijutsu + some serious cross training to build stamina (desperately needed in any multi-attacker situation or when choosing to simply running away from the danger, if that happens to be the best option at the time). I am not saying this is the most effective means of self-defense for everyone, and I certainly happen to respect all martial arts disciplines, but it seems this one fits my needs and personal abilities/taste best. In any event, thanks everyone for some wonderful suggestions - many of them seem to reaffirm my gut feelings about the issue. As always the key word is Practice, Practice, Practice in as close to a realistic type situation as possible (without hurting yourself and/or others, of course) and enough for the moves to truly become second nature and permanently imprinted in muscle memory. ...

 i mean martial arts now are in a complete shambles, u have styles that are brining it down so much now when i think of martial arts i think of 7 yr old tkd blackbelts doing the crane technique. i mean where the martial arts are inteded for war thats like watering down the military. the art of war by sun tzu or the japanese schools that follow bushido. that is real martial spirit. not point sparring. what im trying to say is why are martial arts allowing these crap arts to be even called a martial art, jut because i have a gun dosent mean im in the army. in training have u been pushed, mentaly and physicaly, im not talking about forms but cardio, have u been pushed till u have to stop. oh and gary ahahah nice comment, why do u get so defensive for, i know tkd sucks, so does the rest of the world, face it u spent ur whole life on a bunch of bollocks sytstem, and i dont think tkd does ground techniques or joint locks, get r facts right mate ...

 I keep seeing things like "any real martial art incorporates meditation" or "fighting is a last resort in the martial arts"... Does anyone really buy this!? Every martial art was developed as a way to hurt an opponent. Most martial artisits back in the day went around challenging each other to establish their reputations. The samurai ran around picking on the peasants. The samurai and masters of yore were not concerned with finding peace so much as they were concerned with being able to kick the ass of anyone who they came in contact with. Martial arts when boiled down to there essense are about the combat. Finding inner peace and everything is all good and well but don't lose focus of what the martial arts were and are really about... So... What do you think the martial arts are really about and why? Why do you train? ...

 i want to do martial arts.im not exactly sure how though.i've thought of being a ninja,capoeria,and parkour(if parkour is martial arts).well,before my birth day i would like to learn martial arts,but i dont know where to start. I want to be able to use self-defense,but in no way do i want to learn karate!And having a weapon to use (later when i master whatever i decide on)wouldn't hurt.my birthday is in august on the 27th. so to sum it all up im looking for a martial art that will teach me self defense,flips would be nice,and a weapon of some sort. my birthday is just a deadline ...