is archery a martial art?

[Bulltahr]

If archery is a martial art, then that makes Robin Hood a martial artist.

The Knights and soldiers also............ Western kobudo............

[bushido_man96]

If archery is a martial art, then that makes Robin Hood a martial artist.

The Knights and soldiers also............ Western kobudo............

I don't have an issue with this. I don't think the term "Martial Art" has to refer to "hand-to-hand."

[Bulltahr]

Maybe an all-encompassing "combative training".......

[bushido_man96]

Maybe an all-encompassing "combative training".......

I think that Martial Arts grows and evolves as do our methods of combat. If we merely restrict the idea of Martial Arts training to methods that were relevant 100 years ago or 1000 years ago, then we can only be Martial Artists if we are doing historical studies of ancient systems? I don't think this is the case.

I also think that a big part of the issue with what people perceive as what is or isn't a Martial Art is related to the hold that the Eastern Martial Arts has on the subject. They became popularized in the 1950s and 60s, and has kind of had a monopoly since that time as THE perception of what a Martial Art is or isn't. This is a very narrow point of view in my opinion, and it takes away from other Martial heritages, past and present.

[Alan Armstrong]

If archery is a martial art does this also include crossbows?

Is the (martial art) line drawn once gunpowder is used with a weapon?

Martial artists train to defend against knives and guns are these both martial art weapons?

A rifle with a bayont (type of knife) attached to it, is it a martial art weapon?

Is an under water spear gun (that doesn't use gunpowder) a martial art weapon?

If a martial artists uses any type of weapon at his/her disposal, does it make the weapon a martial art weapon?

Are all hand held farming tools martial art weapons or does this only count if the tools are found in oriental countries?

[sensei8]

If archery is a martial art does this also include crossbows?

Is the (martial art) line drawn once gunpowder is used with a weapon?

Martial artists train to defend against knives and guns are these both martial art weapons?

A rifle with a bayont (type of knife) attached to it, is it a martial art weapon?

Is an under water spear gun (that doesn't use gunpowder) a martial art weapon?

If a martial artists uses any type of weapon at his/her disposal, does it make the weapon a martial art weapon?

Are all hand held farming tools martial art weapons or does this only count if the tools are found in oriental countries?

To each question above...I respectfully will answer with "No!" When I think about archery being a MA, I think about Kyudo; the Japanese MA, which is widely recognized as such.

[Alan Armstrong]

If archery is a martial art does this also include crossbows?

Is the (martial art) line drawn once gunpowder is used with a weapon?

Martial artists train to defend against knives and guns are these both martial art weapons?

A rifle with a bayont (type of knife) attached to it, is it a martial art weapon?

Is an under water spear gun (that doesn't use gunpowder) a martial art weapon?

If a martial artists uses any type of weapon at his/her disposal, does it make the weapon a martial art weapon?

Are all hand held farming tools martial art weapons or does this only count if the tools are found in oriental countries?

To each question above...I respectfully will answer with "No!" When I think about archery being a MA, I think about Kyudo; the Japanese MA, which is widely recognized as such.

In the hands of a martial artist most objects can be used as a weapon.

An icicle can be just as deadly as a dagger, in the hands of a martial artist.

Just depends on where a person wants to draw the line on what constitutes a martial art weapon.

A dart can be weapon, just as the Shoalin monks practice throwing a needle through plate glass.

Whips are another Shaolin weapon also chains.

Bamboo sticks are martial art weapons that can also be used in an endless array of other uses.

Yes Zen and archery have a long recognized Japanese martial art history together.

Is poison a martial art weapon, it can cause paralysis or death; that has been used by many Japanese assassins?

Point being that poison doesn't need a Budo to be an effective martial art weapon. In the hands of a skilful and imaginative martial artist, most things can potentially be converted in to an effective dangerous weapon.

[sensei8]

I understand your points, and they're all good points.

Alan Armstrong wrote:

If archery is a martial art does this also include crossbows?

I interpreted that to be you were saying that archery ISN'T a MA, whereas, archery IS a MA per Kyudo.

[Alan Armstrong]

Sure, I understand archery is a martial art, while firing an arrow at a target while riding a horse at full speed is going to take alot of skill and dedication to achieve a bulls eye!

Using an English longbow is equally difficult in it's own right.

Skilful martial artists can make things look easy, until trying it, only to find out it's more difficult than it seems.

[bushido_man96]

If "martial" pertains to "war," and the method of making war on another changes with time, as do the weapons involved, then so changes the ideas of what a Martial Art, and hence a Martial Artist, is.