Martial arts refer to traditions of training for combat. While there are many different martial arts, all of them share a single objective: to defend oneself or others from physical threat. Besides, some martial arts can be traced to religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism or Shinto, while others have their own code of honour. Many arts are also practiced competitively as combat sports.
The term martial arts literally means the arts of war. It comes from a 15th-century European term for fighting arts. A practitioner of martial arts is referred to as a martial artist.
Today, the term martial arts is used to refer to the combat systems that originated in Asian cultures, particularly those of East Asia. Europe is home to many systems of martial arts such as Savate, a French kicking style. In the Americas, native americans have traditions of open-handed martial arts including wrestling. A mix of origins is found in the athletic movements of Capoeira, which Brazilian slaves brought from Africa.
While each style has its unique facets, a common characteristic is the systemization of fighting techniques. Methods of training vary and may include sparring, formal sets or routines of techniques known as kata. Kata is especially common in the Asian martial arts.
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