History

[excludedmiddle]

I've heard that all martial arts started with ancient Greek Pankration (then spread to India via Alexander and then to China through Buddhism, turned into Kung Fu, then the rest of asian martial arts, etc.), and the theory certainly makes a lot of sense, but a lot of people (usually asian martial artists) dispute this. Does anyone have any sources of information about any actual historical references, evidence, or anything besides just the idea that the theory makes a lot of sense for it to have spread the way it spread?

[Mas]

ruh-roh

[DdlR]

There are records of what were obviously sophisticated, codified fighting skills - martial arts, IOW - pre-dating the Greek/Roman pankration, and in cultures that had no historical connection with the classical Mediterranean.

It's unprovable either way, but in my opinion the most likely scenario is simply that people all over the world, in all eras, have developed refined personal combat skills bearing more or less resemblance to each other. The differences of expression can be fascinating, as MAs tend to be microcosms of their parent cultures. The underlying commonalities are evident, being ultimately based on universal realities of anatomy and physics.

[jeff5]

The differences of expression can be fascinating, as MAs tend to be microcosms of their parent cultures. The underlying commonalities are evident, being ultimately based on universal realities of anatomy and physics.

That's as good of an explanation of the diffrences between MA's in different cultures as I've seen =)).

[johnevans]

I think almost every culture has some form of wrestling that is native to said culture. Even chimpanzees wrestle. Certain aspects of MA development arise, in my opinion, out of 1) the limits of our physiology and 2) our evolutionary background.