Boxing is one.

• Boxing. "Kickboxing" more closely resembles our concept of martial arts, but Western-style boxing is a form of "striking" (kicking and/or punching) that can be counted as a martial art. With boxing, the emphasis is obviously placed on punching - so much so that each boxer's fist is heavily padded in order to make the impacts safer. Boxing limits your range of attacks - you can try to tackle or use your legs, for instance - but it also helps improve your striking skills by isolating your fists. In boxing, either you can throw a punch and defend yourself, or you can't.
• Wrestling. Wrestling is another form of martial art that isn't typically viewed as a martial art because it isn't rooted in Eastern culture. Wrestling has its roots in both ancient Greek and Roman athletics: two of the chief styles of wrestling are Greco-Roman and freestyle.
  • Today, wrestling is an olympic sport, and an extremely popular sport among high schools and colleges throughout America. It is also an incredibly exerting, physical sport that requires a lot of physical stamina, flexibility, and strength. Wrestling isn't an ideal hobby for older people, but can be a great workout for younger people who want a new hobby.
• Fencing. When we think of fencing, we often think of 18th Century nobility going at it with thin swords and thinner mustaches. Fencing is also an Olympic sport that has its roots in Western culture - it was around as early as the Renaissance.
  • In fencing, less emphasis is placed on the limbs and more on swords, which are essentially physical extensions of the body that can be used in a variety of ways. Fencing comes with its own set of rules and strategies.

Remember that martial arts don't only have to refer to karate chops. If you're interested in taking "martial arts" lessons, remember that it may include one of the studies mentioned above.

Photo Credits: Dave Hogg

Originally posted 2009-07-24 05:52:17.

Pankration: Greek Martial Arts.

When we hear the phrase "Martial arts," we typically think of punches and kicks being thrown by a style created in east Asia. Karate, Kung Fu, and Tae Kwon Do come to mind. But when you really understand the phrase "martial arts," you come to realize that these arts aren't limited to Asian influence. In Europe, some of today's most popular martial arts were born. Here's a look at four European martial arts.

1. Boxing. The ancient Greeks were responsible for this one, and we know that boxing goes back at least to the eighth century B.C. Boxing is a form of martial art that emphasizes striking - essentially, punching and blocking. We know about boxing because of its use in Homer's Iliad, in which warriors would box in competitions to pay homage to their comrades who had fallen in battle. In 688 B.C., the Greeks introduced boxing to the Olympic Games.

2. Pankration. Never heard of this one before? Me neither. Pankration is a form of combined boxing and wrestling that also found its way into the ancient Greek Olympic Games (starting in 648 B.C.). Although it's not around in today's Olympic Games, you could consider Pankration a type of "Mixed Martial Art," in that two different forms of martial arts were fused together to create a new hybrid style.

Pankration included a number of maneuvers, including striking, locking, choking, and even throws.

3. Wrestling. Of course, if you mention Pankration, you have to mention Pankration, the Olympic Sport for which the Greeks are famous. Today's "Greco-Roman" style wrestling pays homage to the ancient background of this European martial art, but that's not to say Europeans have a monopoly over the sport of wrestling. Even so, with the emergence of the Greek and then Roman civilization as world powers, wrestling gained popularity and has remained popular ever since.

4. Gladiatorial Combat. This is another dead martial art, but even though it is not practiced today, it has found its way into our culture - such as through the film Gladiator. Gladiatorial combat was not so much about athletic competition as it was the entertainment of Roman crowds, so this was a particularly brutal martial art.

Even today, we can see the strong influence these ancient sports had on the modern athletic landscape, whether you're watching Mixed Martial Arts on television or renting one of the Rocky films.

Photo Credits: peterjr1961

Originally posted 2009-08-21 03:33:56.