Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development.

The term “martial arts” today has become heavily associated with the fighting arts of eastern Asia, but the term’s origin is distinctly western. It is from the Latin that we actually derive the English term, “martial arts” – from “arts of Mars,” the Roman god of war. The term “martial art” was used in regard to the sophisticated combat systems of Europe as early as the 1550s, and an English fencing manual of 1639 used it in reference specifically to the science and art of swordplay.

Some martial arts are considered “traditional” and tied to an ethnic, cultural or religious background, while others are modern systems developed either by a founder, or by an association.