Is swordfighting a martial art?

**Draggor** · Posted On: 8/31/2004 10:56am

I was wondering if there is an exact definition of a martial art. How far does it extend? Were European knights practicing a martial art because they were weilding swords?

If any of you know some kind of concrete definition for a martial art I'd like to hear it.

Personally I believed that martial arts were reserved mostly to weaponless techniques and occasionally expanded to the use of weapons, but that swordsmanship was something different from a martial art.

**Ronin** · Posted On: 8/31/2004 11:01am

Silly question.
Of course swordfighting is a MA.

Martial - refering to war
Art - stylistic expression

So ... do the math.

**KageReaper** · Posted On: 8/31/2004 11:46am

Originally posted by ronin69
Silly question.
Of course swordfighting is a MA.

Martial - refering to war
Art - stylistic expression

So ... do the math.

he's such a nice guy:D

**El Tejon** · Posted On: 8/31/2004 3:17pm

What on Vishnu's green Earth would cause you to believe that???

Weapons have been a part of fighting since Time Immemorial. At the "creation" of martial arts, the sword, the club, the spear and the bow were all emphasized.

Without weaponry it's just pajama dancing.

**Sancho** · Posted On: 9/01/2004 7:21pm

Damn I hope it's a martial art. Otherwise, what the hell am I training? Baton twirling?

If you don't think wordfighting is martial enough, try BJJ on some guy with a rapier. Or a knife. Or a decent sized stick.

**DCS** · Posted On: 9/01/2004 7:23pm

Funny typo Sancho

**Sancho** · Posted On: 9/01/2004 7:28pm

Crap.

"I'll take S-words for 200, Alex."
"That's swords, you idiot!"

**Spunky** · Posted On: 9/02/2004 7:24pm

I thought we had the discussion that the "art" in "martial art" refers in more cases to extremely refined skill and not creative expression. In any case *I* think it's much more comprehensive to define martial arts as refined ability in skills related to war.

That said, I think you could say that many empty-hand training from systems (that were around during times of pre-firearm-dominant warfare) are lessons for using and dealing with weaponry including swords or whatever other tools were used in each respective era/region. Not so say that those principles are still intact in all those systems :) But in short, empty-hand, sword, rifle, strategy, are all aspects of martial arts.

**LLL** · Posted On: 9/02/2004 8:45pm

Even tactics and strategy would probably count, seriously.

**Jolly_Roger** · Posted On: 9/02/2004 10:12pm

Originally posted by El Tejon
What on Vishnu's green Earth would cause you to believe that???

Weapons have been a part of fighting since Time Immemorial. At the "creation" of martial arts, the sword, the club, the spear and the bow were all emphasized.

Without weaponry it's just pajama dancing.

Not if you do it on the nude.