[Discussion] In your understanding, what is martial art?

[CheertheSecond]

I want to get answers from the general population to see if my own interpretation makes sense.

 

[AnEmberOfSundown]

I guess...any codified practice relating to combat between individuals, as distinct from "the art of war" as in strategic practice for waging large-scale conflict.

I suppose that could be pretty vague though. Is it only the traditional hand-to-hand and melee weapon combat? Do guns count? They made it a martial art in that movie Equilibrium, I guess. Dogfighting aircraft following established practices could be considered a martial art if we extend it that far, theoretically.

For practical purposes I'd usually limit it to the HTH/melee variety, beyond that feels pedantic.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Arts dedicated to the God Mars~.

 

[NotaNuffian]

To be honest, anything that can be used to maim and kill the other person/ people is considered martial arts.

Yes, I am also including poison making and usage, and acting and trickeries.

If the end result is to maim and kill, then yes, it is a martial art.

I will explain why I think this way. In the past in olden hongkong kungfu movies, the main characters and their teachers would always state that martial arts is for exercise and for defense of self and others (if necessary). While the latter still remains true to me, I had my eyes truly open when one hongkong movie came up with this statement.

"Kung Fu is used for killing! Kung Fu is all about winning! If you want to exercise, go swimming and jogging! Kung Fu is to learn how to use your body to inflict the maximum harm on others, you fool!"

Of course, there are also lines to supplement the defense portion, such as the best defense is a good offense etc, but those aren't as relevant to the simple term of "martial arts is to maximize efficiency in killing others".

Martial arts is all about learning how to control one's body to achieve the simple goal; to end a fight. There are three steps; nuturing, tempering and practising.

Nuturing is all about keeping the tool well and sharp. This is to ensure the body and mind functions optimally.

Tempering is all about making the tool more lethal and capable; a weak body and mind equates to weak output.

Practising is all about imprinting the arts into muscle memory. The faster one wins.

 

[eagle_360]

Folding clothes while people are still in em

 

[Alski]

The art of me punching you in such a way that I get to admire the blood splatter on my canvas.

 

[Nevafrost]

Beating people's ass in an artistic way-nya

Folding clothes while people are still in em

I read while as white

 

[letmego]

the body as a weapon to the the damage

 

[eagle_360]

Beating people's ass in an artistic way-nya

I read while as white

No difference. All are fold able in the eyes of my laundry abilities of Kung-Fold, Fold-Jitsu and Sock Wondo.

 

[Dawnathon]

Martial Arts are to Liberal Arts degrees in the same way that the Sweet Science is to STEM degrees.

 

[Elmir_Arch-Ham_of_Omega]

Strictly speaking, it's just a body of knowledge of on how to attack and defend in a manner that is effective and efficient. It gets its name from Mars, the Roman god of war. In the end, it's still all about who uses the style and how they apply it.

 

[Sylver]

Arts dedicated to the God Mars~.

No no, that's Marsial Arts easily confused with Martial Arts. Pronounced the same but different spelling and meaning.

 

[Anonjohn20]

I want to get answers from the general population to see if my own interpretation makes sense.

Martial art = the art of Mars.
Mars = the Roman god of war.
Art = a diverse range of cultural activity centered around works utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience. It functions as a discipline when it involves structured practice, sustained effort, and systematic development of skill, so it is a form of interdisciplinary and applied arts as opposed to visual arts, performing arts, and literary and media arts.

By its classical definition, it is any discipline that involves settling or winning conflicts. The people in the ancient period would definitely consider strategy, marksmanship, etc. as martial arts too. In the East, charioteering was considered a martial art, so they'd even consider driving, sailing, and/or flying a martial art. In the West, imposing your will through dialogue was a form of combat, so any psychology class teaching you how to persuade or dissuade someone would be a martial art to them.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

No no, that's Marsial Arts easily confused with Martial Arts. Pronounced the same but different spelling and meaning.

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Spoiler: Meow~!

martial(adj.)​

late 14c., "warlike, of or pertaining to war," from Medieval Latin martialis "of Mars or war," from Latin Mars (genitive Martis), Roman god of war (see Mars). The sense of "connected with military organizations" (opposed to civil) is from late 15c. and survives in court-martial. Also, occasionally (with a capital M-), "pertaining to or resembling the planet Mars" (1620s). Related: Martially. Martial law, "military rule over civilians," first recorded 1530s. Martial arts (1909) as a collective name for the fighting sports of Japan and the surrounding region translates Japanese bujutsu.

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[MFontana]

I want to get answers from the general population to see if my own interpretation makes sense.

As a technical definition, @AnEmberOfSundown presented the answer clearly and accurately.
To elaborate on what was already said, I'd like to add the following.

A "Martial Art" is any codified, style of engaging in direct combat with an individual or group.
This can be armed, or unarmed, though the most popularized in modern culture has been called "karate" or specifically unarmed martial combat, but this is technically a misnomer as there are countless different styles, all of which are technically "martial arts".

HEMA, in particular, deals with (as the name indicates) historical European style martial arts, that primarily evolved during the middle ages and renaissance era for dueling or warfare.

Martial Arts as a practiced combat form closest to what we know of today, however, trace back as far as ancient Greece by my own understanding, with the unarmed combat style known as Pankration; and could (reasonably) trace back to the very beginning of human civilization in the form of practiced warfare.

 

[ThaddeusDeVilliers]

In movies and in stories? Fighting, but look cool while doing it.