Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat. They are practiced for a number of reasons ranging from self-defense, street fighting, military, and law enforcement to non-violent exercisi
Strikes: punching and kicking techniques displayed at the Banteay Srei (967 A.D.) in Cambodia.
Grappling: bas-relief of grappling techniques at Prambanan (9th century) in Indonesia.
Detail of the wrestling fresco in tomb 15 at Beni Hasan
The martial art of boxing was practiced in ancient Thera (1600–1500 BC).
Karate, also karate-do, is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While modern karate is pri