European Martial Arts

European martial arts do not have the long history of those that come from Asia; however, there are forms such as boxing and wrestling, archery and fencing which come from ancient times. Today, with adaptation and technological changes, martial arts are a part of European life.

In this modern time, you can find just about any form of the Asian martial arts being taught in Europe. There are European martial art schools for the Japanese martial areas of Aikijujutsu, Aikido, and Bando from Burma.  Capoeira, a dance-fight-game art from Brazil is taught in European martial arts schools. The Filipino martial arts of Eskrima or Pekiti Tirsia Kale are also taught in many European martial arts schools. Korean Hapkido is another martial art common to European schools. Instruction in Jeet Kune Do, made famous by Bruce Lee, is readily available as well. Judo, Jujutisu, Kendo, Kuk Sool Won and even Ninjitsu instruction is taught in many places.

Wrestling is a truly European martial art and involves control of one’s opponent by positioning the body and restraining the opponent’s movements. European style fencing, the form used in Olympic championships, is today almost entirely a sport, but once this martial art was very serious and fights to the death were common.

European martial arts also involve grappling and weapons arts with a wide range of weapons such as the long sword, staves, polearms, daggers, swords and bucklers. The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts, ARMA, is an organization through which those who love to practice the European martial arts can locate one another. Another organization is the well known Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). Both the ARMA and the SCA, however, tend to focus on re-enacting the European martial arts rather than modern practice of them.

If you have ever attended a Renaissance Festival, you have probably seen some of the European martial arts enacted. Two horsemen wearing armor and carrying long poles perform re-enactments of the jousting contests frequently at these events. The horses are attired just as in olden times and the event is quite entertaining. Fencing is sometimes displayed at these events as well.

If you want to learn European martial arts, search the Internet for a certified instructor or school that can teach you these arts. You can choose to practice the art for art’s sake or become part of one of the organizations that performs for people and provides a touch of history of which others might never be aware.

Incoming search terms:

• club of Oriental martial arts in Europe
• kamikaze karate europe