The Art of Martial Arts:
Martial Arts has been defined in many ways since its discovery. When most think of martial arts, the description that usually comes to mind is one of fighting, self-defense, combat, action scenes in movies, etc. Martial arts has been developed over thousands of years for combat purposes, but is martial arts actually a form of art?
From cave paintings to ancient pottery, art is one of the oldest forms of expression first developed by humans. It varies from a wide range of human activities such as painting, sculpting, dance, music, photography and countless others. Should something developed for violence be in the same category as something as beautiful as a Picasso painting or Mozart performance?
Not only is martial arts a type of art, but it is actually many forms of art. The term ‘martial arts’ comes from the Latin phrase which means “Arts of Mars.” Mars being the Roman god of war, the phrase could actually be translated as saying “Art of War”. Besides development for combat, martial arts has taken on multiple roles in human culture throughout history. Martial arts has become a source for self-defense, entertainment, physical / mental fitness and spirituality.
In 1639, an English manual was written describing the combat sport of fencing as the “Science and Art” of swordplay. This description reveals that even during times when martial arts was used more for violence and combat, it was still seen as an art form and a precise science to be mastered.
Martial arts has lead to many other great forms of art we now know today as well. Without martial arts, we would not have the excitement of the Bruce Lee movies everyone watched as kids, the action packed thrill of playing a martial arts character in a video game, or seeing any of the amazing works of art such as statues and other creations that have been developed.
Whether it’s an painting of a samurai warrior or a novel written about the history of the ninja, martial arts has and will continue to influence the art world in unlimited ways.
Author: Jason Gandy
Published: May 07, 2013
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