Five rare martial arts you might not have heard of
The popularization of martial arts through late 20th century Hollywood has distorted people’s image of what true martial arts are. Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Steven Segal are what the majority think of when you mention martial arts. The rise of Mixed Martial Arts has helped restore the true meaning of martial arts globally. But even mixed martial arts practitioners can’t know every martial art, no-one does.
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Here’s just five examples of martial arts you won't of heard of 👇🏻
Suikendo
Tadashi Yamashita pioneered this Japanese martial art which teaches simultaneous offense and defense. Suikendo’s philosophy is “The fist that flows like water” and combines elements of combat, dance and flexibility. By teaching multiple striking and breaking formulas the practitioner gains a water-like flow in their fighting style. This allows them to defend and attack with incredible efficiency. He’s trained many champions, and even people like Floyd Mayweather, Imi Lichtenfeld and countless others use to follow him around in his seminars. When you watch Floyd fight, it's clear he picked up a thing or two.
Bando
Bando is a defensive martial art developed in Burma. The practice emphasizes defenses the best form of offenses. Both striking and grappling are taught in this system and are best utilized in close combat situations. The offensive moves of Bando have been formulated through the studying of animals and take their names from animals also. An example of this is the offensive Bull attack, which involves charging strikes and tackling, much like the animal’s own attack. Bando also teaches attacks in the name of the Viper, Panther, Scorpion and many other successful fighting animals.
Eskrima
Eskrima, also known as Arnis or Kali is the national sport of the Philippines. The Pilipino people have utilized this fighting style in times of war. The martial art was first encountered by Spain during their attempts to colonize the Philippines in 1610. This art form was immediately outlawed by the Spanish It is a form of weapon-based fighting using knives, sticks and other improvised fighting tools. Eskrima also incorporates open-handed techniques including grappling, joint manipulation and disarming opponents.
Hojojutsu
Hojojutsu is the martial art which teaches its student how to restrain a person using a cord or rope. Born in Japan this martial art is very rarely seen outside of the country. Primarily practiced by law enforcement to capture, restraint and sometimes display criminals. Its usage persists until this day in Japan. Hojojutsu continues to be taught in Japan’s modern-day police academies and also in advanced Jujitsu classes.
Abir
Abir is believed to be the oldest martial art in Israel. The word itself literally translates to “gentleman” and this explains the foundations of the art. The primary use of this fighting form is as a last resort for its practitioners. It is entirely taught to the Jewish people and each move is named after a letter of the Jewish alphabet. Abir teaches physical, spiritual and various Hebrew practices. Its validity is questioned by some, who aren’t entirely convinced by the man who popularized the martial art in the 21st century. Yehoshua Avner Sofer Ma’atuf-Doh was a former Hebrew rapper whose birthplace is the subject of some debate. The Israel Sports Authority clearly buy into this art form and legitimized it back in 2008.
