This is a name given to a whole family of systems of self-defence. Some systems specialise in unarmed combat, while others are concerned exclusively with training in the use of traditional weapons, but many, perhaps most, incorporate both weaponless and armed combat training.

The exact origins of these systems of combat are uncertain and area favourite subject for debate amongst practitioners and historians of the martial arts. It seems likely that at least one tributary of the traditional Oriental arts derived from the Indian subcontinent. Opinion is divided, however, over the precise roles played by Indian and indigenous Oriental fighting systems in producing the martial arts as we know them.

What is not in dispute is that, until this century, the martial arts were regarded as a way of life ("Do"), not merely as an, "art" in the aesthetic sense or a method of self-defence; still less as a sport indeed, it was an expression of spirituality, a kind of religious discipline, and was most often practised in conjunction with such things as taoism, Buddhism (usually Zen), or Yoga. "Art" in the sense of "martial art" refers not to the skill in combat but to the philosophy of life. It is this emphasis which distinguishes the Oriental martial arts from comparable western combat skills such as wrestling, boxing, archery or fencing.

It is true that many teachers in the West, especially in the United Kingdom, play down the significance of "Do" in the martial arts, at least at first. They prefer to stress the applications of the martial arts in self-defence, for fitness, or as sport. However, few teachers disregard the spiritual side of the arts altogether, and increasingly, they are emphasising this "way of the warrior" as the eastern religions and philosophies are becoming popular in the West. This spiritual side of the martial arts has certain practical aspects which resemble some practices found in occultism, although this facet of the arts has been the subject of some debate. These aspects are latent throughout the martial arts. The degree to which this potential is realised is influenced by three factors:

Following is a list of some of the martial arts, classified according to their countries of origin. No attempt has been made at producing an exhaustive list. Likewise, no attempt has been made to represent all the different systems of weapon arts which are typical of the martial arts of each country, nor to list the many styles which are represented by words like "karate", "tae kwon do", "kung fu", etc. Finally, it is not possible in a text like this one to distinguish fairly and reliably between arts which stress the spiritual side of martial arts, and which therefore may be cause for concern, and arts which are free, relatively speaking, from such stress. This is because the three factors already listed are at work in all martial arts and, as the first two factors indicate, individual choices play a large part in deciding the exact nature of what the student learns and practises.

CHINA - Kung-fu (or Chuan Fa or Wu Shu) - Tai Chi Chuan
INDIA - Vadha (or Vajra Vashta)
JAPAN - Aikido - Judo - Ju Jutsu (or Jiu Jitsu) - Karate - Kendo and laido - Kyudo - Ninjutsu
OKINAWA - Karate (sometimes classed with Kempo) - Okinawa-te - Tode
KOREA - Hapkido - Hwarang Do - Kong Soo - Do-Kuksul - Tae Kwon Do -Tang Soo Do
THAILAND - Thai Kick Boxing
VIETNAM - Viet Do Dao

In addition to the above, there are a variety of miscellaneous arts from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaya and other parts of the regions of the Far East which qualify as martial arts, but which are less significant, since they have become known widely in the West only fairly recently.

You may already be involved in the martial arts, perhaps for sometime; yet this may be the first time that you have realised that your "sport" or "art" or "self-defence system " is also a spiritual philosophy, even a religion, for most of its adherents in the land of its origin. Perhaps, if you think about it, you can recognise that you have been influenced very subtly into accepting the "Do" of martial arts without even evaluating it.

No matter what you have known about the spiritual side of martial arts before now, it is possible that you have allowed yourself to be influenced spiritually by it. The result of such influence can be to give you a false sense of security about your relationship with God, leading you to neglect His unique provision in Jesus Christ for all your needs.