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Martial Arts Facts & Worksheets

Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons.

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Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons, such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competitions; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; or the preservation of a nation’s intangible cultural heritage.

See the fact file below for more information on the Martial Arts or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Martial Arts worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGINS OF MARTIAL ARTS

  • Martial arts are codified practices and traditions of training for combat, and the objective is to defeat a person physically or to defend from any physical threat.
  • Historically, martial arts began as humans learned about combat and warfare. This is shown from various archeological evidences, such as Ancient Egyptian paintings dating back to 3400 B.C.
  • Ancient Mesopotamia (Babylon) also shows struggle in poems and reliefs.
  • Also, throughout Europe, there was an extensive system of combat martial arts, referred to as Historical European martial arts.
  • The Native Americans also have a tradition of open-handed martial arts, such as wrestling.
  • The foundation of modern Asian martial arts is said to be a combination of early Chinese – during the Warring States Period – and Indian martial arts.
  • The development in martial philosophy and strategy was described by Sun Tzu in The Art of War (c. 350 B.C.)

ARMED vs. UNARMED MARTIAL ARTS

  • Armed martial arts involve melee weapons from traditional weaponry, including Fencing, Gatka, Kendo, Silambam, and Kali.
  • Modern weaponry includes Eskrima, Jogo do Pau, and Jukendo.
  • Unarmed martial arts include:
    • Striking
    • Punching – boxing (Western), Wing Chun
    • Kicking – capoeira, savate, Taekwondo
    • Other strikes (e.g. elbows, knees, open-hand) – Muay Thai, karate, Shaolin Kung Fu
    • Grappling
    • Throwing – glima, judo, jujutsu, sambo, Shuai Jiao
    • Joint lock – aikido, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Hapkido
    • Pinning Techniques – judo, wrestling

TRADITIONAL vs. CONTEMPORARY MARTIAL ARTS

  • Traditional martial arts is much more in depth at every level of training:  physical, spiritual, and ethical. It focuses on lifelong practical study and practice that is about life and how you behave in it.
  • It is much more about fighting and using all your senses and physical prowess in a very powerful and controlled manner.
  • Contemporary martial arts still embrace the concept of traditional, however, some are about how to get the job done the fastest way possible.
  • Sports fighting is generally for entertainment, while military-style martial training is generally used for combat.

PURPOSES OF MARTIAL ARTS

  • Martial arts is a combat-oriented sport commonly enjoyed for fun, exercise, and competition. The motions taught are designed to defend strikes and attack with strikes, not necessarily in that order.
  • However, devoted martial artists recognize other purposes of martial arts:
    • Japanese and Chinese styles of martial arts focus on the non-physical aspects of combat, such as strategizing and  outwitting an opponent.
    • True martial artists avoid unnecessary conflicts by all means and do not take combat lightly.
    • Buddhist monks in China integrate martial arts into the understanding of plants for therapeutic and healing purposes.
    • Korean martial arts place emphasis on the practitioner’s spiritual and philosophical development.
  • Some people also learn martial arts for self defense. It is a defensive method that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm.
  • It also promotes sportsmanship, as many of the traditional and contemporary martial arts became part of formal and entertainment sports.
  • Olympic events include karate, Taekwondo, boxing, fencing, wushu, judo, etc.
  • Entertainment martial arts include wrestling and boxing.

MARTIAL ARTS IN POPULAR CULTURE

  • Asian Martial Arts became famous in the West in the 1970’s.
  • The resurgence of martial arts schools was fueled by movies, like the ones starring Bruce Lee, that reached Hollywood.
  • Hollywood has also participated in the genre, with actors such as Chuck Norris, Sho Kosugi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and many others.
  • Later in the 90s, cartoon and animated films also adopted martial arts.
  • Mortal Kombat and Fist of the Northstar are popular game, anime, and movie franchises that encompassed martial arts audiences.
  • Female martial arts heroes also emerged in the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Kill Bill; Reign of Assassins; Come Drink with Me; etc.
  • DreamWorks Animation has found success in the martial arts animation movie franchise with Kung Fu Panda, starring Jack Black and Angelina Jolie.

Martial Arts Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Martial Arts across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Martial Arts worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Martial arts which are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons, such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competitions; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; or the preservation of a nation’s intangible cultural heritage.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Different Arts
  • Dress Like a Warrior
  • The Oldest Martial Art
  • Discipline of a Martial Artist
  • Power Packed!
  • Mixed Martial Arts
  • One Hit Art!
  • Graceful Warriors
  • Choosing Self-Defense
  • Martial Arts on Film

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Link will appear as Martial Arts Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 1, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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