| It is no secret that Asian martial arts are | | | | their martial arts influences to the Karate Kid |
| incredibly popular in the United States. Any given | | | | movies.Yet, through all of the decades of martial |
| town may have two or three Korean Tae Kwon | | | | arts practice in America, martial arts remained |
| Do schools, a few Okinawan karate schools, a | | | | firmly rooted in its oriental culture and tradition. |
| Chinese kung fu school or two, and a handful of | | | | Classes began with salutations in Japanese or |
| Judo, Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, and other schools scattered | | | | Chinese, and the same languages were used to |
| about. The prospective martial arts student can | | | | count out punches and kicks during drills. The |
| pick and choose which style appeals to him or her | | | | more closely the American martial arts schools |
| most and is even free to combine elements from | | | | held to the traditions of their forbearers, the |
| multiple styles. Such was not the case in the | | | | more the art was respected. Schools that |
| founding days of the martial arts, when arts were | | | | integrated oriental martial arts with American |
| passed on from student to teacher in a direct | | | | boxing and wrestling were often viewed as having |
| lineage. It was not always easy to find a teacher, | | | | somehow "watered down" the traditional nature |
| and the student had to spend a lifetime mastering | | | | of their art.Those views have been slowly |
| the art. There was no "picking and choosing", no | | | | changing over time, and mixed martial arts (MMA), |
| shopping for styles and masters. So how have | | | | which combines striking arts with wrestling and |
| the martial arts integrated into western consumer | | | | grappling arts, has become an accepted class of |
| culture? Quite well, actually. The freedom to pick | | | | martial arts in its own right. This has been |
| and choose has allowed the blending of styles that | | | | particularly highlighted by the success of the |
| have been separated for centuries. In the end, | | | | Ultimate Fighting circuit, which is as close to no |
| we are seeing the emergence of a truly | | | | holds barred fighting as you'll find in modern |
| American class of fighting styles. This | | | | sports. The early Ultimate Fighting Championships |
| conglomeration of fighting arts is a melting pot, | | | | featured competitors who were essentially one |
| much as America itself is.It should be pointed out | | | | dimensional. Someone might be a boxer, a |
| early on that this article makes many sweeping | | | | grappler, a karate practitioner, or something else, |
| generalizations that are not true of many | | | | but rarely did you see true mixed martial artists. |
| particular martial arts schools and styles. Some | | | | However, the one dimensional fighters soon found |
| schools proved to be adaptable to local influences | | | | themselves outmatched by the more versatile |
| almost immediately, while others have retained | | | | MMA competitors. This was most stunningly |
| their traditional characteristics for decades. This | | | | highlighted recently when Royce Gracie, Jiu Jitsu |
| article is not intended to say that one way is | | | | master and the winner of three of the first four |
| better than another. It is just an observation of | | | | Ultimate Fighting Championships, was defeated |
| how the martial arts scene, overall, in America is | | | | soundly in his return match by Matt Hughes, a |
| changing.The first wave of the martial arts boom | | | | modern MMA fighter.Does this mean that |
| in the United States occurred in the years directly | | | | traditional martial arts have been supplanted by |
| following World War II. American servicemen | | | | the new breed of MMA styles? Absolutely not. |
| stationed in the east discovered the strange, | | | | Rather, it just goes to show that, even in the |
| effective fighting arts of Japan while based in the | | | | martial arts, there is not one size that fits all. |
| region as part of the post war occupational force. | | | | Clearly, if you are fighting three five minute |
| The primary martial art that was introduced at | | | | rounds in a chain link octagon, then MMA might be |
| this time was Judo, which was popular in mainland | | | | the way to go. However, who can say what |
| Japan, along with some forms of empty hand | | | | would work best in a real world confrontation? |
| martial arts from the island of Okinawa. These | | | | Besides, as any true martial arts practitioner |
| Okinawan arts are collectively known by their | | | | knows, the true value of studying the martial arts |
| Japanese name--the words "kara" meaning | | | | comes not in finding ways to beat your |
| "empty" and "te" meaning "hand" combine to form | | | | opponent--rather, the real challenge is to face |
| the now common word "karate" or "empty hand." | | | | down your own failings and become the best |
| The second wave was an interest in Chinese | | | | person you can be.Gary Russell is a freelance |
| forms of martial arts (kung fu), largely popularized | | | | writer, martial arts practitioner, and software |
| by the demonstrations and movie and TV roles | | | | engineer. He is the founder of TopSearch |
| of Bruce Lee in the nineteen-sixties. The martial | | | | Consulting, a full service web content and |
| arts enthusiasts of generation X can largely trace | | | | keyword article provider. |