When people think of martial arts, they most likely picture the most popular forms such as Kung-fu, Karate, Judo, and Jiu-jitsu. While the popularity of these martial arts is widespread throughout the world.
There are several lesser known martial arts, that are still practiced today, with histories stretching all the way back to the earliest human civilizations. In many cases, it is hard to provide an accurate date of origin for a particular martial art as human records don’t exist from the early human history.
Taekkyon
Taekkyon is believed to be one of the earliest forms of Korean martial arts. The earliest records of Taekkyon dates back around 50 BCE to paintings found in the ancient tombs of Myuyonchong and Samsilchong of the Goguryeo dynasty. There is additional evidence that shows that Taekkyon was used by a large number of military men during the Goguryeo era.
However, by the end of the 13th century Taekkyon was no longer an actively practiced martial art. Taekkyon’s survival is attributed to Song Duk-ki (1893-1987), who preserved the art and passed it down to modern Koreans, who re-popularized Taekkyon by the mid 1980s.
Kalaripayattu
Considered among the oldest and most scientific martial arts in the world, Kalaripayattu was developed in Kerala. Lauded as the pride of Kerala, it is acknowledged and respected across the world. it is often cited as being the oldest martial art discipline. Its history can be traced back over 3000 years to the Vedas, which are a large body of knowledge texts from the ancient Indian subcontinent.
According to legend, Kalaripayattu was created by Parasurama, who was the sixth avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. Many people believe that Kalaripyattu influenced the well known Shaolin Kung Fu because Bodhi Dharma, a Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master, is often credited with teaching the first Shaolin monks techniques derived from Kalaripayattu.
Pankration
Pankration is an ancient martial art which mixes wrestling and boxing. The sport can be traced as far back as the second millennium BCE in the territory of ancient Greece. Its name derives from the ancient Greek words pan (all) and kratos (strength, might, power) and literally means “all of the might.” In 648 BCE, the Pankration was introduced as a sporting event in the 33rd Olympic Games where it joined boxing and wrestling in a category called “heavy events.” That special group of sports was reserved for the best athletes with the greatest strength and stamina.
According to Greek mythology, Pankration was first used by Heracles (Hercules) to fight the Nemean Lion and Theseus, who used it to fight the Minotaur. Although Pankration was not reinstated as an event during when the Olympic Games were revived in 1896, there are modern Pankration tournaments and it is considered a form of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
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