MORE PERILOUS MARTIAL ARTS
Added on: 8th Jun 2016
TAEKWONDO
One of the younger martial arts styles on our list, Taekwondo
originated in Korea in the 1940’s and 1950’s. An Olympic sport
since the 2000 games in Sydney, Taekwondo is known for its
high-kicks and rapid-fire jumping and spinning kicks. This
powerful and dangerous martial art began once Korean
martial artists living in Japan during its occupation of the
Korean peninsula returned home after World War II. They
established their own schools (“kwans”) with individuals
styles which – at the request of South Korean President
Syngman Rhee – were merged into a unified Korean martial art.
SYSTEMA
A lesser-known martial art, Systema originated in Russia. With a
strong focus on breathing and fluidity, Systema takes advantage
of pressure points and an opponent’s momentum to debilitate
attacks. Besides hand-to-hand combat, Systema often involves
the use of knives or firearms, making it a deadly martial
art for any situation.
MUAY THAI
One of the fastest growing versions of martial arts, Muay Thai
traces its roots to Thailand. Known as “the art of eight limbs”
due to its use of fists, elbows, knees, and feet, Muay Thai has a
stronger focus than other dangerous styles on clinch fighting
in which opponents grapple in a clinch position, sometimes
resulting in a takedown or throw. During battles between
Burma (Myanmar) and Siam (Thailand) in 1767, legendary
Siamese fighter Nai Khanomtom was captured. His captors’
mistake was allowing him to fight for his freedom. He easily
won the match and, upon returning to Siam, his fighting
style was soon declared a national sport.
PENCAK SILAT
Related to various other martial arts from around Southeast
Asia, Pencak Silat makes full use of the body for both attacking
and defending. Practiced throughout Indonesia, Pencak Silat
varies widely by discipline; some focus on attacking through
punches and kicks, some prefer locks and grabs, and some
prioritize spiritual development over fighting. Similar to the
ancient martial arts, this dangerous fighting technique used
weapons before hand-to-hand combat. Though Pencak Silat
is an extracurricular activity in Indonesian schools, it also is
the basic unarmed martial art taught to the Indonesian National
Armed Forces and is included in the Southeast Asian Games.
KRAV MAGA
It’s a popularly purported myth that Krav Maga was designed by the
Israeli military – but it’s not true. It was developed for the Israeli
military. Hungarian-Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld used his
training to defend Bratislava’s Jewish quarter in the 1930’s.
After moving to Israel in the late-1940’s, Kichtenfeld is the one
who helped the Israeli Defence Forces develop a martial arts program.
Key tenants of this lethal martial art include high aggression
and a focus on threat neutralization.
ARNIS/ESKRIMA/KALI
The national sport of the Philippines, Arnis (also known as
Eskrima or Kali) emphasizes weapon-based fighting using
implements such as sticks, knives, and blades. During the
Spanish colonization of the Philippines, swords were
outlawed and for good reason: Filipino tribesmen were
seriously skilled at close-quarters combat, hacking their
opponents with a broad blade or even the smaller blades
they carried around after the Spanish arrived.
(Ferdinand Magellan, the first circumnavigator of the globe,
is said to have been killed via Arnis.)
SAMBO
Sambo (the combat variety rather than the sports or freestyle
varieties) is without-a-doubt one of the most dangerous martial
arts in the world. Developed in the former U.S.S.R., SAMBO is
the acronym for “SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya”, translated
as “self-defence without weapons”. Developed to improve
hand-to-hand fighting in the military, Sambo heavily utilizes
striking and grappling. Like all varieties, Sambo focuses on speed
and throwing one’s opponent.
VALE TUDO
The Brazilian predecessor to today’s mixed martial arts, Brazil’s
Vale Tudo martial arts style is one of the most lethal and dangerous
martial arts in the world. Translated as “No Holds Barred” or
“Anything Goes”, most Vale Tudo matches today happen on the
underground circuit due to their bloody nature. A full-contact
sport, Vale Tudo (just like Brazil) has been influenced by many
different sources. Most Brazilian media channels won’t televise
this dangerous martial art due to its high levels of violence.
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