Who thought of it ???

[hx35543]

Lately I kind of started pondering this question.

When we look back on history, boxing was the sport from our ancestors.

For years, that's all anyone knew before MAs was introduced.

It is mind boggling to me how MAs came about. The different art forms. The different movements, strikes, defenses. The styles and how they all came to pass. How it was even thought up. Why? I know it was a means to an end in harsh times, but it truly amazes me. I'd love to have lived back in that time and watched the development and how it came to be. Just to maybe understand the thought process behind just one style such as Kung Fu or any other style. Boxing was just, lets stand face to face and beat the snot out of each other. Where as, MAs was all different angles and circles and redirecting attacks and so many other aspects, not to mention pressure points and weaponry and so on and so on. WOW?

The history is in books. I want to know the thoughts behind the development and how it came to be.

[bushido_man96]

I don't think your view of Boxing is accurate. It isn't, and never was, just standing there beating on each other, trading shots until the guy who couldn't take anymore fell down.

I think that the Martial Arts have been a part of society since societies began to exist. There has always been a need to defend oneself from enemy combatants, whether at home or in other lands. Wrestling is probably older than Boxing is as far as the MA timeline goes, but who can say for sure.

[KarateGeorge]

Yeah, I think MA's of some sort has always been a part of society. Its evolved over time as different people over the centuries took up the art of fighting. Different people figured out different things and developed different ways of doing things, and eventually different arts started diverging from each other based on the various people training in them and often based on the societal circumstances surrounding those various individuals.

[tallgeese]

It's always been with us. Since either a) Cain killed Able or, b) Thag first whacked Og with a club or rock or such depending on your worldview.

Going all the way back to the actual origins would be impossible as they are most likely lost to pre-writing history. Nor did they originate in one place. The human body only breaks apart in so many ways. Mankind, looking for the best ways to hurt someone, would have come up with similar ways despite geography. It's why you see some form of wrestling in several different flavors all over the place. It's why small joint arts all bear similarities.

Now, how it's been codified and taught we have a lot of records on from the more modern evolutions (1900 to present). But even the roots of those arts start to get foggy.

[sensei8]

For modern times, I guess...for example...

*Gichin Funakoshi "thought of it" as far as Shotokan is concerned.

*Jigoro Kano "thought of it" as far as Judo is concerned

*General Choi Hong Hi "thought of it" as far as Tae Kwon Do is concerned

*Bruce Lee "thought of it" as far as Jeet Kune Do is concerned

*Morihei Ueshiba "thought of it" as far as Aikido is concerned

But as far as the whole martial art thing is concerned!?!? "Who thought of it?" Well, tallgeese has a point...

Going all the way back to the actual origins would be impossible as they are most likely lost to pre-writing history.

Tangible...meet the...untangible!

[hx35543]

The boxing thing might have a little bland. But the idea was merely to express a point. We will never know how or why the idea's came to be. As you say, perhaps it was different bits of movements and actions from many different people and one man was smart enough to put it all together. I don't know.

Maybe I'm trying to look at it from a different standpoint. I understand the necessity to defend and attack, that much is a given. But the idea of looking at say, the Crane or Dragon forms and think, " You know, maybe if I stand like this and move this way to strike at this point to hurt my opponent or stand here and move this way etc." To I'd like to know.

Maybe I'm trying to look to far in to something I'll never know. But any way thanks for your input.

[sensei8]

Hey, it's great to think about alot of things in the martial arts. Questions that are not asked are Ideas not Imagined and Creations not Fulfilled!!

If Ford hadn't asked the questions along the lines that you're speaking about here, then we'd all be walking to our martial arts schools instead of driving to them!

[The BB of C]

I'm not sure I believe in an origin of martial arts except for the origins of specific styles.

Most people I talk to believe that the oldest martial art is Shaolin. But when you look at it, Bhodi Dharma (I know I misspelled that name) brought those fighting techniques from India. Where did India get it? Some people believe they came from Alexander the Great's army when they campaigned through India.

But that only covers some parts of Europe and Asia. What about the lower parts of Africa, Australia, and the American continents? There's still controversy on where Capoeira came from Africa or Brazil and that style is only a couple hundred years old.

I always put it as simple as thus - any civilization in history that ever needed to defend themselves and practice medicine; had a martial art style.