Martial Arts of Vietnam

Abstract

Since the beginning of recorded history, systems of combat training collectively known as martial arts have developed throughout all corners of the globe. Initially, these systems were forged by our ancestors for use in fighting, hunting and warfare; the term ‘martial’ itself derived from the name 'Mars' the Roman god of war. In modern times the practice of martial arts is no longer exclusive to combat - competition, entertainment, physical cultivation, physical cultivation and the worship of gods and deities all commonly manifest themselves within the practice of martial arts. In Western cultures martial arts are often represented as predominantly Asian practices, however this is not the case; some of the earliest formally recorded martial arts belonged to the ancient Egyptians, with wrestling, boxing and stick fighting systems described in hieroglyphics dating from as far back as 2000 B.C. Although it is far from being the oldest collection of combat systems, the Asian martial arts legacy has certainly developed for good reason - martial arts have played a key role in many cultural and societal changes throughout Asia that have not just affected their localized regions but have shaped the face of the human race on a truly global scale.