百者

Japan ·1920s–1942 (official name)

Aikido — The Way of Harmonious Energy

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that seeks harmony over force — founded by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of Daito-ryu, Zen philosophy and Omoto-kyo spirituality.

Japan ·Legendary: Heian period (11th century); historically systematized: late 19th / early 20th century

Daito-ryu Aiki-Jujutsu — The Source of Aikido

Daito-ryu Aiki-Jujutsu is the mother school of Aikido — the secret combat art of the Takeda clan, which Morihei Ueshiba transformed into Aikido and Choi Yong-sul carried to Korea as Hapkido.

Japan (Okinawa as origin) ·Okinawa: late 19th century; name given 1930; recognized as Budō in Japan 1933

Goju-ryu — Hard and Soft as Unity

Goju-ryu is the oldest and only officially Budō-recognized Karate style in Japan — founded by Chojun Miyagi, based on the principle that hardness and softness are inseparable.

Japan ·1882

Judo — The Gentle Way

Judo is the martial art of the gentle way — founded in 1882 by Jigoro Kano, an Olympic discipline since 1964, built on maximum efficiency through throwing and groundwork.

Japan ·Nara period (710–794) first forms; Sengoku era (1467–1603) systematization

Jujutsu — The Original Martial Art of the Samurai

Jujutsu is the original unarmed combat system of the Japanese samurai — ancestor of Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, built on the principle of yielding.

Japan ·Kamakura period (1185–1333); flourished in the Sengoku era (1467–1603)

Kenjutsu — The Classical Swordsmanship of the Samurai

Kenjutsu is the classical Japanese swordsmanship of the samurai — born in the Kamakura period, perfected in the Sengoku era, preserved today in over 500 schools.

Korea ·1948 (Choi Yong-sul returns to Korea)

Hapkido — The Korean Way of Harmonious Power

Hapkido is Korea's art of harmonious power — a complete combat system of joint locks, throws, and kicking techniques rooted in the Japanese Daito-ryu tradition.

Korea ·1958 (founding); Korean roots: centuries old

Kuk Sool Won — Korea's Most Complete Martial Arts System

Kuk Sool Won is Korea's most complete martial arts system — synthesized in 1958 by In Hyuk Suh from centuries-old Royal Court traditions, Buddhist arts, and folk martial arts.

Korea ·Goguryeo period (37 BCE–668 CE); documented from the 4th century

Ssireum — Korea's Traditional Wrestling

Ssireum is Korea's traditional wrestling — practiced since the 4th century, fought with belts around hip and thigh in a sand ring, deeply embedded in Korean folk culture.

Korea ·Joseon period (1392–1897) and earlier; documented from the 18th century

Taekkyeon — Korea's Oldest Living Martial Art

Taekkyeon is Korea's oldest living martial art — rhythmic, dance-like, nearly wiped out by Japanese occupation, and in 2011 the first martial art awarded UNESCO Cultural Heritage status.

Korea ·1955 (official name)

Taekwondo — The Way of the Foot and Fist

Taekwondo is Korea's premier martial art — defined by explosive kicking techniques and dynamic athleticism, an Olympic discipline since the Sydney 2000 Games.

Korea ·1945 (Moo Duk Kwan founded); 1950s naming as Tang Soo Do

Tang Soo Do — Korea's Classical Striking Art

Tang Soo Do is Korea's classical striking martial art — synthesized by Hwang Kee from Korean, Chinese, and Okinawan sources, precursor to modern Taekwondo.

China ·Early 19th century

Baguazhang — The Eight Trigram Palms

Baguazhang is the circular internal Chinese martial art — founded by Dong Haichuan, built on eight trigrams and the continuous practice of walking the circle.

China ·16th–18th century

Bajiquan — The Eight Extremities of Explosive Combat

Bajiquan is a Chinese martial art from Hebei, renowned for explosive elbow and shoulder strikes in close range — for centuries the preferred style of imperial bodyguards.

China ·Pre-2000 BCE (historical); 5th century CE (Shaolin)

Kung Fu and Wushu — The Martial Arts of China

Kung Fu is the umbrella term for over 400 Chinese martial arts — from Shaolin to Wing Chun to Tai Chi, unified by Qi cultivation, Daoist philosophy and relentless practice.

China ·17th century (Chen Village, Henan); flourished in the 19th century

Taijiquan — The Supreme Ultimate Fist

Taijiquan is the soft, flowing internal Chinese martial art — world-famous as Tai Chi, founded in Chen Village, deeply rooted in Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine.

China ·Late Ming / early Qing dynasty (17th century), Shandong Province

Tanglangquan — The Praying Mantis Style

Tanglangquan is the northern Chinese Praying Mantis style — born from observing an insect, built on lightning-fast hooking techniques and monkey footwork.

China ·Qing dynasty (18th century), Guangdong Province; modern spread from 1949

Wing Chun — The Martial Art of the Straight Line

Wing Chun is the southern Chinese martial art of the direct line — developed by a nun for a woman, brought to world prominence by Ip Man, immortalized by Bruce Lee.

Brazil ·1925 (first Gracie academy); development through 1950s

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — The Art of Ground Fighting

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the martial art of ground fighting — brought to Brazil by Mitsuyo Maeda, perfected by the Gracie family, immortalized by Royce Gracie at the first UFC.

England (Lancashire) ·Early 19th century; codified ~1870s

Catch Wrestling — British Wrestling with Submissions

Catch Wrestling is brutal British wrestling of the 19th century — with submissions, leg locks, neck cranks, and the legendary Snake Pit in Wigan as its world center.

Philippines (Visayas, Mindanao) ·Pre-colonial; practiced since ancient Philippine times

Dumog — Filipino Ground Grappling

Dumog is traditional Filipino grappling — born as a carabao-wrestling technique, close sibling of Escrima, focused on control points and balance disruption.

Iceland / Scandinavia ·Viking Age (~9th century); first written mention: 1325 (Jónsbók)

Glima — Viking Wrestling from Iceland

Glima is the traditional Scandinavian wrestling of the Vikings — Iceland's national sport since the 9th century, with three variants from elegantly technical to raw free-fight.

France (19th century); ancient inspiration: Greece and Rome ·Early 19th century (France); Olympics since 1896

Greco-Roman Wrestling — Olympics' Oldest Combat Sport

Greco-Roman Wrestling is the oldest modern Olympic combat sport — at every Olympics since 1896, with exclusively upper-body grips and spectacular throws.

Brazil ·1927 (Hatem begins teaching); flourished 1950s–1990s

Luta Livre — Brazil's Forgotten Grappling Art

Luta Livre is Brazil's no-gi grappling art — the working-class alternative to the elite's BJJ, heir to Catch Wrestling, locked in a legendary rivalry with the Gracie family.

Myanmar (historically: Burma) ·Pyu Empire (2nd century BCE–11th century CE); modern form from 1950s

Lethwei — Burmese Boxing with Nine Weapons

Lethwei is Myanmar's ancient combat art — bareknuckle, with headbutt as the ninth weapon, no points scoring, and victories only by KO or submission.

Thailand (historically: Siam) ·Sukhothai period (13th–15th century) and earlier; modernized 1930s under King Rama VII

Muay Boran — The Ancient Thai Combat System

Muay Boran is the ancient Thai combat system predating modern Muay Thai — with headbutts, hemp rope bandages and lethal techniques now forbidden in sport.

Thailand ·13th–16th century (origins); early 20th century (modern rules)

Muay Thai — The Art of Eight Limbs

Muay Thai is Thailand's national martial art — the art of eight limbs deploys fists, feet, elbows and knees as weapons, battle-tested across centuries of warfare and ritual combat.

China ·1950s (PLA experiments); 1979 first official competitions; 2000s renamed to Sanda

Sanda — China's Modern Full-Contact Combat System

Sanda is China's official full-contact combat sport — developed from traditional Kung Fu and modern combat sport methodology by the People's Liberation Army, now an Olympic candidate.

France ·18th century (Marseille); formalized 1825; synthesis 1838

Savate — French Boxing with the Feet

Savate is Europe's only indigenous martial art using kicks as a primary tool — born in the harbors of Marseille, refined into an elegant dueling system with colored glove grades.

Philippines (Baras, Rizal Province) ·Pre-colonial; formalized 1958 (World Sikaran Brotherhood)

Sikaran — Philippine Foot Fighting from Baras

Sikaran is the Philippine art of foot fighting — practiced for centuries in the community of Baras, Rizal, with 90% leg techniques and the legendary Biakid kick as its signature.

Japan ·Feudal Japan; systematized: early Edo period (~1605)

Bōjutsu — The Japanese Art of Staff Fighting

Bōjutsu is the Japanese art of staff fighting — from humanity's most ancient weapon to a refined system that once brought Miyamoto Musashi to a standstill.

France ·Early 19th century (Paris); competition form: 1970s (Maurice Sarry)

Canne de Combat — French Stick Fighting

Canne de Combat is French stick fighting — developed in 19th-century Paris as self-defense for the elite, closely related to Savate, today an official competition sport.

Philippines ·Pre-14th century; first documented: 1521 (Magellan expedition)

Escrima / Arnis / Kali — The Filipino Weapon Art

Escrima is the Filipino martial art of stick, blade, and empty hand — the first martial art to prove fatal to a European conqueror (Magellan) in documented history.

India (Punjab) ·15th century (founding of Sikhism); flourished: 17th–18th century (Sikh wars)

Gatka — The Weapon Tradition of the Sikhs

Gatka is the traditional martial art of the Sikhs — with wooden staves, swords, and shields, deeply rooted in the Sikh philosophy of Miri-Piri and alive at every Sikh festival.

Japan ·Middle Muromachi period (16th century)

Iaijutsu — The Art of Drawing the Sword

Iaijutsu is the Japanese art of sword drawing — the decisive first cut from the scabbard, systematized by Hayashizaki Jinsuke in the 16th century.

Thailand (historically: Siam) ·Ayutthaya period (1351–1767); first school 1935

Krabi-Krabong — Thailand's Weapons Martial Art

Krabi-Krabong is Thailand's traditional weapons martial art — sword and staff as core weapons, developed against Burmese invasions in the Ayutthaya era, today a living cultural heritage.

Japan ·Meiji era (1868–1912)

Budo — The Way as Destination

Budo is the philosophy of the Japanese martial way — the transformation of Bujutsu, the art of war, into a path of character and personal development.

Japan ·Edo period (17th–19th century) · codified 1900

Bushido — The Way of the Warrior

Bushido is the samurai code of honour — a canon of courage, loyalty and honour that continues to shape Japanese culture, martial arts and aesthetics to this day.

Fudoshin — The Immovable Mind

Fudoshin is the immovable mind — the inner stability that is shaken neither by danger nor by praise, neither by pain nor by success, remaining centered through all circumstances.

Japan / China / India ·Ancient (documented over 2,000 years ago)

Ki, Chi and Prana — The Life Energy of the Martial Arts

Ki, Chi and Prana name the same phenomenon across three cultures — the life energy that all East Asian martial arts regard as their invisible foundation.

Japan (via China / Chan Buddhism) ·13th–17th century

Mushin — The Empty Mind

Mushin, Zanshin, Fudoshin — the four mental states of the Japanese warrior describe the inner disposition that constitutes true mastery: emptiness as strength.

Shugyo — The Path of Austere Training

Shugyo is the Japanese concept of austere training — practice that extends far beyond sport and forges the spirit through physical hardship, as ore is refined into steel.

India / China ·c. 5th–6th century

Bodhidharma — The Legend at the Origin of All Martial Arts

Bodhidharma (5th/6th c.) brought Chan Buddhism to China — whether he also taught the Shaolin martial arts is legend. But his cultural legacy is real and immense.

USA / Hong Kong ·1940–1973

Bruce Lee — The Man Who Reinvented Martial Arts

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) broke all boundaries between martial arts — his Jeet Kune Do and philosophy inspired MMA and a generation of fighters.

Brazil ·1902–1994

Carlos Gracie — The Patriarch of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Carlos Gracie (1902–1994) learned Judo from Mitsuyo Maeda, founded the first Gracie Academy, and with his family created the world's most practiced ground fighting system.

Korea ·1918–2002

Choi Hong Hi — The Founder of Taekwondo

General Choi Hong Hi (1918–2002) created Taekwondo as Korea's national martial art — a life lived between military service, politics, and the dream of a global fighting system.

Japan / Okinawa ·1888–1953

Chojun Miyagi — Founder of Goju-ryu Karate

Chojun Miyagi (1888–1953) fused Okinawan hardness with Chinese softness into Goju-ryu — the karate school that inspired Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid.

Japan / Okinawa ·1868–1957

Gichin Funakoshi — Father of Modern Karate

Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) brought Karate from Okinawa to Japan and shaped it into a philosophical discipline — his legacy is Shotokan.

Myanmar (historically: Burma) ·Pagan Empire (1044–1287); flourished: Burmese-Siamese Wars (16th–18th century)

Bando — Myanmar's Animal Style Martial Art

Bando is Myanmar's traditional unarmed combat system — with nine animal styles, strong defensive philosophy, and a history reaching back to the Pagan Empire of the 11th century.

Cambodia ·Khmer Empire (9th–15th century); bas-reliefs in Angkor document practice since at least 900 CE

Bokator — Cambodia's Millennial Warrior Art

Bokator is Cambodia's oldest warrior martial art — documented for 1000 years in Angkor temple bas-reliefs, nearly extinguished by the Khmer Rouge, UNESCO World Heritage since 2022.

Brazil ·16th–18th century (slavery era); formalized 1930s

Capoeira — The Dancing Fight of the Enslaved

Capoeira is Brazil's Afro-Brazilian martial art — developed by enslaved Africans disguised as dance, persecuted by police, now UNESCO Cultural Heritage and a symbol of cultural resistance.

USA (Hong Kong as origin) ·1967 (naming); developed 1964–1973

Jeet Kune Do — Bruce Lee's Martial Art Without Limits

Jeet Kune Do is Bruce Lee's martial art — not as rigid system but as philosophy: 'no way as way, no limitation as limitation,' the most uncompromising call for authenticity in combat.

India (Tamil Nadu as origin center) ·Vedic (~5000 BCE); first rules 1921; national recognition 1938

Kabaddi — India's Ancient Contact Team Sport

Kabaddi is India's ancient contact team sport — a raider must tag multiple defenders on one breath while chanting 'kabaddi' continuously, and escape before their breath fails.

India (Kerala, South India) ·Over 3000 years old (mythological); historically documented from 11th–12th century CE

Kalaripayattu — The Mother of All Martial Arts

Kalaripayattu is considered the world's oldest martial art — from Kerala, over 3000 years old, with the flexible Urumi sword as its pinnacle and deep connection to Ayurveda and Hindu philosophy.

Shaolin Conditioning — Iron Palm, Iron Shirt, Golden Bell

The Shaolin body conditioning system is one of the hardest training regimens in martial arts history — grounded in classical texts and 1,500 years of practice.

Taekwondo Kicking Techniques — Biomechanics, Classification and Training

Taekwondo possesses the most complex leg-fighting system of any martial art — grounded in Choi Hong Hi's encyclopedia and modern biomechanical research.