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Martial arts

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
Martial artist Steven Ho performs a jump spin hook kick, striking a focus mitt during training.

What are martial arts?

Martial arts are special ways of moving and training. People practice them for many reasons. Some people practice to feel strong and healthy, and some do it just for entertainment. Some practice to keep alive the intangible cultural heritage of their country.

Where do they come from?

The name "martial arts" was first used for traditions from East Asia. Other martial arts began in other parts of the world too. Long ago, people in Ancient Greece practiced boxing and Wrestling, and these were part of the Ancient Olympic Games.

Many martial arts became sports over time. Judo, karate, and kendo were developed in Japan. Kano Jigoro started the Kodokan school of judo in 1882.

Martial arts today

Movies helped make martial arts popular around the world. Actors like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan became famous for their moves. The film The Karate Kid also helped many people learn about karate.

Bruce Lee saw martial arts as an art form. He said it can show feelings through smooth and graceful movement. Today, judo is one of the sports in the Summer Olympic Games.

Many people practice martial arts for physical fitness and self-defense. As students learn, they can earn colored belts to show how much they have grown.

Quiz time!

3 questions about Martial arts

Question 1 of 3

What are martial arts?

Pictures

Carved stone reliefs on the Vishnu Temple at Prambanan, near Yogyakarta in Java, Indonesia. This one shows people wrestling, a scene from the temple's ancient stone art.
A detail from an ancient Egyptian tomb painting at Beni Hassan showing wrestlers locked in friendly sporting holds, painted around 4,000 years ago.
A painted fresco from the ancient city of Akrotiri on the Greek island of Thera, showing two young children boxing. It was made around 1600 BC and gives us a glimpse of sports in Bronze Age life.
A watercolor painting by Gangaram Chintaman Tambat showing two wrestlers, called Jeyties, grappling with each other.
A hand-colored engraving from 1811 showing the famous boxing fight between Tom Cribb and Tom Molineaux, two early champions of the sport.
Two young volunteers, Henry Pribram and David Rice, take part in a friendly boxing match during evening activities at a wartime agricultural camp in Somerset, 1943.
Athletes compete in a kick during the EU MMA Championship 2021 in Kazan, Russia.
Two officers practice judo together at the Ginowan City Police Station in Okinawa, Japan, in 2005.
U.S. Army soldiers practice hand-to-hand fighting moves, called combatives, during training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Keep exploring

Entertainment
Judo
Ancient Greece
Boxing
Wrestling
Ancient Olympic Games

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Martial arts, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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