Taxonomy: Properly Categorizing the Types of Martial Arts

**Phrost** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 8:13am

I guess Taxonomy would be the right word for this.

It's high time we hashed out the various types/classifications of Martial Arts, once and for all. Based on previous discussions, here is what I believe we've come to consensus on over the years:

Sportfighting Styles
Self Defense Styles
Historical Recreation Styles
Demonstration Styles
Health and Fitness Styles (?)

Are we in agreement that these categories pretty much cover the scope of the Martial Arts effectively, or do we need to make adjustments/additions to the list?

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 8:18am

An alternate list of MA focuses:

- Self-defense/professional use of force
- Tradition/physical art/self-discipline
- Spiritual/health
- Sport/tournament
- Demonstration

**sochin101** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 8:19am

Dear Phrost
For clarification purposes, would it be possible for you to include examples for each category, so we're all starting off on the same page, so to speak?

**Phrost** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 8:21am

Sportfighting Styles: Kickboxing, Boxing, Wrestling
Self Defense Styles: Krav Maga, etc
Historical Recreation Styles: Iaido
Demonstration Styles: Wushu, XMA
Health and Fitness Styles (?): Tae Bo?

**sochin101** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 9:05am

Originally Posted by Phrost

Sportfighting Styles: Kickboxing, Boxing, Wrestling
Self Defense Styles: Krav Maga, etc
Historical Recreation Styles: Iaido
Demonstration Styles: Wushu, XMA
Health and Fitness Styles (?): Tae Bo?

So, where would you put Shotokan, TKD, and the like?

They'd fit in Tom's "Tradition/physical art/self-discipline" maybe. I'd drop the self-discipline, though. And the physical.

Maybe your list needs a Traditional Martial Art bit?

**weechey** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 9:13am

Perhaps Ontology would better describe what you are trying to do than Taxonomy?

I like the categories that Phrost posted - with regard to Sochin's question, I think that some arts may be put in more than one category, so for example, TKD might be put under sportfighting, or demonstration styles.

Also, I wonder if it would be helpful to have a scoring or ranking system, so that within each style, you could get an idea as to the "aliveness" of the training (i.e. a 5 point scale, BJJ would be sportfighting and self-defense, with 5 points on each...TKD would under sportfighting might be say a 2 while under demonstration it would be like a 4)

Edit: with regard to the scaling system, people on Bullshido could vote to determine the scale...

**Backdraft** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 9:44am

I think that cardio kickboxing and boxercise count as health and fitness styles.

**sochin101** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 10:02am

Originally Posted by weechey

Perhaps Ontology would better describe what you are trying to do than Taxonomy?

I like the categories that Phrost posted - with regard to Sochin's question, I think that some arts may be put in more than one category, so for example, TKD might be put under sportfighting, or demonstration styles.

Also, I wonder if it would be helpful to have a scoring or ranking system, so that within each style, you could get an idea as to the "aliveness" of the training (i.e. a 5 point scale, BJJ would be sportfighting and self-defense, with 5 points on each...TKD would under sportfighting might be say a 2 while under demonstration it would be like a 4)

Edit: with regard to the scaling system, people on Bullshido could vote to determine the scale...

I suppose it depends on the purpose of the classification... if it's just for shits and gigles amongst the cognosenti, then we'd understand about the aliveness scale and how it related to another art, but if this was a project for the Bullshido.com consumer information doohickey, perhaps numbers and arts appearing in two places might add to the confusion of choosing a valid martial art.

Something like Krav might get a 5 on self defence but a 1 on aliveness... something like full contact stick fighting is obviously going to get a 5 on aliveness, but might score low on SD because of the need to carry a stick around with you.
An uninformed person might immediately assume (based on the scores) that Krav is better than whacking the **** out of someone with a stick full contact, and go and train with a Krav larper with plastic guns faking an Israeli accent.

**weechey** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 10:11am

Perhaps it isn't the arts that need to be classified, and scored, but the schools themselves...the point has been made here several times that any style can be trained with aliveness...its just that some do it much more than others.

To allow for that variability, maybe individual schools should be evaluated on skill sets that we all agree define the different reasons people do martial arts. For example...
1. Striking
2. Grappling
3. Self Defense
4. Physical fitness
5. Acrobatic art
6.Historical re-creation

**Phrost** · Posted On: 3/28/2007 10:12am

Originally Posted by sochin101

So, where would you put Shotokan, TKD, and the like?

They'd fit in Tom's "Tradition/physical art/self-discipline" maybe. I'd drop the self-discipline, though. And the physical.

Maybe your list needs a Traditional Martial Art bit?

I don't want to use "self discipline" because that's highly incidental and generally only used as a cop-out for people who have no intention of actually subjecting themselves to risk in their training.