The Martial Arts in America
Why are UFC tickets such a hot item these days? From its humble beginnings decades ago as a straightforward contest between the various martial arts to determine which was the most effective, it has grown into multi-million dollar entertainment behemoth that is the UFC.
The Asian martial arts have become incredibly popular in the United States. Within a five mile radius you will probably find at least three or four Tae Kwon Do schools, a few karate schools, a Chinese kung fu school and a handful of Judo, Aikido, Jiu Jitsu schools, as well. A martial arts student can pick and choose which style appeals to them and is free to combine elements from multiple styles.
The martial arts have integrated into western consumer culture quite well. The ability to pick and choose has encouraged the blending of styles which had been separated for hundreds of years. This is resulting in the emergence of a uniquely American fighting style.
The first wave of the martial arts boom in the United States occurred in the years directly following World War II. American servicemen stationed in the east discovered the strange, effective fighting arts of Japan while based in the region as part of the post war occupational force.
The primary martial art that was introduced at this time was Judo, which was popular in mainland Japan, along with an Okinawan martial art collectively known by their Japanese name – the words "kara" meaning "empty" and "te" meaning "hand" which combined to form the common word "karate" or "empty hand." The second wave focused on Chinese forms of the martial arts (kung fu), largely popularized by the demonstrations and movie and TV roles of Bruce Lee in the 1960’s.
Today, mixed martial arts (MMA), which combines striking arts with wrestling and grappling has become an accepted martial arts in its own right. This has been particularly highlighted by the success of the Ultimate Fighting circuit, which is as close to no holds barred fighting as you’ll find in modern sports.
The early Ultimate Fighting Championships featured fighters skilled in one primary area. They might be a boxer, a grappler or a karate practitioner but rarely did you see a true mixed martial artist. However, these specialists soon found themselves outclassed by the more versatile MMA fighters. This was most stunningly highlighted recently when Royce Gracie, who was the winner of three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championships, was soundly defeated by Matt Hughes.
Does this mean that traditional martial arts have been supplanted by the new breed of MMA styles? Absolutely not. but as any true martial arts practitioner knows, the true value of studying the martial arts comes not in finding ways to beat your opponent but rather in the challenge of facing down your own fears and failings tobecome the best you can be.
Author: Gary Russell
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