-
Apr 4, 600
Bodhidharma brings Buddhist forms of martial arts to Asia.
Buddhist monk Bodhidharma believed that the key to martial arts was not only fighting, but also to health and peace of mind. In 600 AD, he traveled from India to China promoting this idea. His combination of breathing, meditation, and fighting techniques formed the foundation for all martial arts. -
Period: Aug 5, 776 to
The Greeks created the Olympic Games.
The first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC. Wrestling was added in 708 BC. 20 years later, the Greeks added boxing to the Olympic Games. Pankration, an ancient Greek martial art, was included in the Olympic Games in 648 BC. In 1964, Judo became the first asian martial art to become an Olympic sport. In the year 2000, taekwando became an official Olympic sport at the Games held in Austalia. Through the popularity of the Olympic Games, martial arts flourished. -
May 26, 1200
Martial arts is introduced in Japan
In 1200, Chinese Buddhism and Shaolin martial arts were introduced into Japan. -
Mar 22, 1477
Ban on Carrying of Arms
In 1477, the Okinawan King banned the carrying of armss. This led to many underground development of the striking arts. It also encouraged people to learn unarmed combat techniques that were designed to fight against armored soldiers (for example, Jujitsu). -
The Father of English Boxing writes the first rules of boxing.
After beating a man so bad in a match (who eventually died because of his injuries), Jack Broughton retired from fighting and wrote the first rules of boxing. He is also known as the Father of the Science of the Art of Self-Defense. Broughton was the first fighter to apply science to boxing. Also, Broughton is credited with inventing mufflers which is the precursor to boxing gloves. -
Jigoro Kano founded Judo
In 1822, Jigoro Kano founded Judo and opened the Kodokan dojo. Jigoro took traditional Jujutsu and developed the art of Judo. Judo (derived from jujutsu) focuses on grappling and being able to throw your opponent down and pin them to the ground. -
Edward William Barton-Wright creates Bartitsu.
After years of studying Jujitsu in Japan, Barton-Wright returns to England and creates Bartitsu. Bartitsu is a type of self-defense that was promoted to the upper classes at that time. It is one of the earliests introductions to asian martial arts in the West. This Victorian martial arts gained a lot of fame thanks to hit series Sherlock Holmes. -
Period: to
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was created.
In 1920, Mitsuyo Maeda travels to Brazil in order to spread Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. Combining Jiu-Jitsu with Brazil's fighting style, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was created. In 1925, Carlos Gracie (a student of Maeda)opened the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school. The art is further refined by the Gracie family (**see November 12, 1993) -
Aikido was invented.
In 1925, aikido was invernted by a man named Morihei Ueshiba. Aikido focuses on using the attacker's force to your advantage. The art trains you to be calm and concentrated during a fight. Even in his deathbed, Ueshiba was able to throw four of his disciples to the floor. -
Judo, Karate, and Kung-fu were introduced to Korea.
To control Korea's patriotism, the Japanese (who invaded them in 1909) banned the practice of military arts. Many Koeans formed underground groups to practice martial arts while others left Korea to study the martial arts in coutries like China and Japan. In 1943, Judo, Karate, and Kung-fu were introduced in Korea. -
Krav Maga was invented
In 1948, a man named Imi Lichtenfeld became the chief instructor of physical training for the Israel Defense Forces. He taught a combat that was a mix of the street fighting, boxing, and wrestling skills he had used in the military against fascist groups in the 1930's. They named it Krav Maga. Krav Maga is a form of self-defense that is based on your reflexive responses. The term Krav Maga is Hebrew for "contact combat". It teaches you to defend and attack at the same time. -
Taekwondo's Birthday
After Korea's liberation in 1945, there were many different variations of Tae Kyon. On April 11, 1955, several kwan (aka Tae Kyon) masters got together and decided to merge their various styles into one. This date is known as the "first" birthday of Taekwondo, but it wasn't officially named Taekwondo (suggested by General Hong Hi Choi, Father of Taekwondo) until two years later. -
The first American kyokushin karate school opened.
In 1957, Bobby Lowe opened the first American kyokushin karate school. Kyokushin karate teaches students how to smash bricks and boards with their hand (or feet). It is one of the most practiced karate. Over 10 million people around the world are students of kyokushin karate. -
The film Enter The Dragon was released.
Bruce Lee had revolutionized the way martial arts would be seen fro many years. His film Enter The Dragon brought martial arts to to American audiences. Lee first gained fame in the 1960s television series, The Green Hornet. Thanks to Green Hornet and Enter Tthe Dragon, kung fu became the first widely practiced Asian martial arts in America. -
The first UFC is held.
UFC stands for Ultimate Fighting Championship. On November 12, 1993, the first UFC fight was held. The winner was a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner named Royce Gracie. The UFC started out as a competition to fing out which martial art was most effective. It wasn't long until UFC fighters figured to combine the different arts. They called it mixed martial arts (MMA). -
Period: to
Work Cited
Gaines, Ann. The Composite Guide to Martial Arts. Philadelphia, PA: Chelsea House, 2000. Print. "Krav Maga Federation - Origin & History of Krav Maga; Israeli Self-defense and Hand-to-hand Combat." Krav Maga Federation - Origin & History of Krav Maga; Israeli Self-defense and Hand-to-hand Combat. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. http://www.kravmagafederation.com/krav-maga-origins.html. "The Rules of Boxing." BoxingScribe. Web. 25 Jan. 2016. http://www.boxingscribe.com/the-rules-of-boxing/. -
Period: to
Work Cited continued
"Martial Arts Timeline : Karate in South Africa - Focusing on Karate Styles in South Africa like Ashihara Karate." Martial Arts Timeline : Karate in South Africa - Focusing on Karate Styles in South Africa like Ashihara Karate. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. http://www.karatesa.org/html/martial_arts_timeline.html. "Ancient Olympics - First Olympic Games History from Olympia." Ancient Olympics - First Olympic Games History from Olympia. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. http://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games.
