Martial arts

Martial arts is the collective name given to a variety of hand-to-hand fighting styles, or fighting styles that involve weapons that are used as an extension of the body. Most fighting styles are unique to a particular culture, such as Karate to Japan, and TaeKwonDo to Korea. While many have roots in the period BC, there are variations of the styles that evolved in the last 200 years.

Interestingly enough, Karate is more of an anti-martial art, designed to help common folk prepare to fight against martial rule, during a time of weapons bans. Kara te do means "empty hand way" referencing this style without weapons. TaeKwonDo means "the way of the hands and feet".

Most martial arts were originally intended to be used for serious fighting, but in the modern age they are mainly practised as sports, with strictly codified rules; indeed some, such as Judo, were developed from other martial arts purely for sporting purposes. Many people, especially women, also learn martial arts for self-defense.

Stylized forms of martial arts, especially kung fu, are widely found in cinema. Martial arts movies are so widespread that they are often considered a genre in their own right.

Some American gun enthusiasts would say that self-defense skill in firearms, such as displayed by Jerry Miculek, is a martial art.

See Also

• Home security/defense and the Castle Doctrine
• Self-defense: Firearms (Rifle, Handgun, Shotgun), Knife, Pepper spray, Taser, Weapons
• EDC - Everyday carry
• Second Amendment Defenders: Gun Owners of America, National Rifle Association and Second Amendment Foundation
• Gun control
• List of celebrities against Second Amendment
• National Firearms Act of 1934
• Gun Control Act of 1968
• Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1994
• Survivalist Retreat