Martial Artist Sketch Tribute To Martial Artist Lee Jun-fan aka Bruce Lee

Martial art is a technique to protect oneself from enemy attacks. The decisive factor here is not the actual practicality of the respective techniques, but their subjective conceptual utility in a specific application scenario. This can be, for example, a sports fight, a martial duel or a self-defense situation. Accordingly, overcoming the opponent can translate into, among other things, a points victory, eliminating the opponent's ability to attack, ensuring one's own physical integrity, or, in extreme cases, killing the opponent. Some fighting systems are based on or tolerate the use of weapons, particularly striking and thrusting weapons and certain projectile weapons. Commonly, systems that use weapons augmented beyond one's own physical strength (e.g., by chemicals, motors, compressed air, computer technology) do not count as martial arts/martial arts.

Martial systems are a worldwide, very old, and extremely diversified phenomenon that can be divided into myriad cultural practices, which in turn include their own sister and daughter systems. Unlike classical sports, combat systems are often influenced by cultic religious practices, ritual or modern dances, and movement theater; in some cases, conversely, they are also elements of these practices. From ancient to modern times, fighting elements were an integral part of many team and ball sports, as in hurling and knappan: fighting and playing tended to be viewed as a unit until, in the long run, the modern understanding of sport developed as a result of civilization processes, and fighting elements were outsourced to separate disciplines.

In some traditional as well as modern sports the mixing of games and fighting is still clearly visible. In most cases, the training of martial arts/combat sports takes the form of a combination of learning and practicing techniques and applying them in dynamic duels or codified fight choreographies. Elements of flexibility, strength and speed training are also common. Combat theory or philosophy discussions may also be part of the training.The degree of professionalization of combat systems varies greatly. Formal training takes place in commercial clubs, public clubs, private households, military and police institutions, schools of general education, therapeutic institutions, and even prisons. A few have a highly professional league system; many more have umbrella organizations or similar national and international organizational structures.