Western Martial Arts
Western Martial Arts
Most martial arts of the Western countries have not endured in contrast to Asian countries. Only a few western martial arts have survived the ravages of time. Main survivors are boxing and various forms of wrestling. Some have evolved unrecognizably such as modern fencing or archery. Western military arts have changed with the times and technology while discarding the old forms completely. These new military skills like marksmanship or aircraft maneuvering while highly effective can hardly be called ?marital arts?.
What are referred to as Western Martial Arts (WMA) are in fact reconstructed European martial arts and modern developments of the historical martial art methods.
One of the main differences between Western martial arts and Asian arts is the absence of any spiritual aspect in Western arts.
Revival in Interest Since early 1990s there has been a significant rise in the interest about Western Martial Arts. This interest has expressed itself in scholarship, reconstruction, and preservation, of those traditional arts especially fencing or swordsmanship belonging to medieval and renaissance periods.
Most western fencing traditions died out in eighteenth century with discovery of more effective weapons systems, like efficient hand firearms. However some traditions were still alive in early twentieth century in military circles.
Since the revival of interest in Western martial arts scholars and enthusiastic amateurs have started to recreate the fencing techniques and tactics, using the extant books in the absence of living traditions and masters. They have also gathered additional information through period art and other sources, experience with few remaining and evolved traditions, and experimentation. Fortunately number of detailed books written about fencing throughout the centuries has survived.
These include Italian Fior di Battaglia, or Flos Duellatorum(The Flower of Battle) written by Fiore dei Liberi in 1490. It contains details of dagger, sword, longsword, poleax, staff, wrestling and grappling techniques for both in ground and horseback fighting. Fechtbuch Manuscript I 33 is a great source about German thirteenth centaury swordsmanship. These and other books have allowed the recreation of traditions in all their glory.
Several schools and ?guild ?have sprung up as a result to teach Western martial arts. It must be admitted that they are yet to establish standard ranking systems or syllabuses. Several scholarly associations dedicated to studying Western martial arts have also come into existence
Weapons used in Western Martial arts have been recreated with great deal of research and attention to detail. Swords used include rapiers, longswords, arming swords, smallswords, and backswords among others. These weapons are very different from those used in modern fencing like foil, epee, and saber. In addition to weapons such as clubs, maces, staves, spears, polearms, and fails, have also been recreated. They gave the wielder extra reach and power. Defensive devices include bucklers and kite shields as well as various types of body amour. History In ancient Greece where wars between city states were continuous, martial arts were part of life. Ancient Olympic Games featured a form of boxing called pygme or pyx, form of wrestling called pale, and pankration. Pankration was a combat sport with minimal set of rules. Pan means ?all? and kratos means ?power? or ?strength?. During the Roman Republic and Empire gladiatorial games featuring variety of combats and styles were a common form of entertainment.
Some modern sports like shot put, javelin throw, and some gymnastic events, are also traceable to ancient military tactics.
In Scandinavian countries during Viking age there developed an unarmed martial art called Glima. It is still the national sport of Iceland.
Later boxing, wrestling, archery, and fencing traditions developed in most of the countries of Western Europe. Variations like quarterstaff fencing, jousting, two handed sword fighting, bare-knuckle boxing, Bartitsu, also developed and some of them lasted until recent times.