Martial arts have been around for millennia, but nobody can pinpoint the exact time when they originated. Human aggression is not something new. In fact, humans have been fighting each other ever since prehistoric times. But turning fights into an art form? That’s a more difficult topic.

However, most historians seem to agree that the first forms of martial arts originated in Asia. A collection of works describing some of the first-ever recorded martial arts moves is called the Indian epics.

The most popular forms of martial arts

Ever since the early 19th century, western countries became interested in eastern martial arts. Even if you’re not a fan, you’ve definitely heard of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, or Jet Li. These people have brought martial arts to the big screen during the 20th century and managed to popularize them even more throughout Europe and North America.

From these, many popular sports that you probably watch today have arisen. You’ve most likely heard of UFC, which employs mixed martial arts, boxing, and kickboxing among others. If you practice any of these sports, we recommend purchasing one of the best kickboxing bags, as reviewed by biggerbetterbeards.org.

Other popular martial arts include karate, kung fu, judo, Muay Thai, and taekwondo. If you’ve been following these sports for a while, you might already know how intensive they can get. And if you want to stay updated on the most recent events, we recommend looking through BBC’s martial arts section.

Why are martial arts so compelling?

As we said earlier, human nature can get pretty violent at times. Our modern society has drastically reduced the brutality with which humans treat each other. Nevertheless, danger can still lurk from any corner, and people have no other option but to defend themselves. Others simply want to learn martial arts to show off.

Regardless of the reason, martial arts remain compelling through the simple fact that they require physical fitness and mental abilities. And because people love doing cool tricks. Martial arts have not only survived for millennia, but they have also evolved because of these reasons.

Seriously, what are the chances of finding someone who isn’t amazed by these sports? Close to none, as you might imagine. Sure, not many people will have the patience to practice martial arts, but most wouldn’t miss the chance of watching a fight, no matter how shy they might be towards violence. It’s simply human nature.

A Brief Examination of Martial Arts

Some of the benefits of practicing martial arts

Speaking of practicing, martial arts is yet another great way of meeting new people, just like practicing any sport. The social and psychological outcome of martial arts is a positive one. You get to learn cool defensive moves in case you ever need to get in a fight, while also impressing other people.

Bare in mind, we would never condone violence outside of the ring. However, as we mentioned earlier, it is best to learn how to fight, especially from a young age. Kids who learn martial arts have fewer chances of getting bullied at school. Women who learn how to defend themselves greatly reduce their chances of being harassed.

Not to mention the health benefits of practicing contact sports. If you have a problem with stress, there are many bad ways to let off steam. Martial arts isn’t one of them. At the dojo, you will learn respect and discipline. You will learn how to focus your anger and transform it into something greater.

And most importantly, you’ll be burning calories like crazy and you will stimulate your bones and muscles like never before. So if you have weight issues, getting into martial arts is a good way of dealing with the matter.

Final thoughts

Martial arts are here to stay and evolve. Unlike other sports that have completely changed or disappeared from our culture, martial arts have stayed with us for millennia. They have made a worldwide impact and contact sports events garner millions of fans all over the globe.

What’s your favorite sport that has derived from martial arts? Leave a comment below and share your opinion with the rest of our community. Sharing experiences is a great way of meeting like-minded people.

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