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