From the rebirth of a lost tradition to one of the oldest forms of fighting in the world,
here are 10 martial arts styles you’ve never heard of
Number 10 Okichitaw Okichitaw is a martial art that uses elements
from the fighting techniques of the Plains Cree First Nations.
It was founded by Canadian martial artist George J. Lepine, who is Plains-Cree from
Manitoba.
From a young age Lepine was taught traditional wrestling and hand-to-hand combat techniques
called “miche che kiske”.
He learned tomahawk throwing, tracking and other hunting techniques but also trained
in martial arts such as judo or taekwondo.
Towards the end of the 1990s, Lepine combined his knowledge into the Okichitaw fighting
system.
Basic training involves the use of the gunstock war club, a club originally inspired by rifle
stocks.
There are also weapons such as the dagger, the long knife and the lance.
Number 9 Chun Kuk Do In recent years Chuck Norris has become better
known as a meme than for his extensive film and television career.
Most Chuck Norris memes give him superhuman attributes with a funny twist.
Although these are obvious exaggerations, there is some truth to the man’s mythical
reputation.
That’s because Chuck Norris is a black belt in six different martial arts, including his
own.
Norris’ martial arts training started while he was in the US Air Force and stationed in
South Korea, in the late 1950s.
He subsequently founded Chun Kuk Do.
Norris has perfected his fighting system by studying a number of other martial arts, particularly
the Korean Tang Soo Do, but also Judo, Kyokushin, Tae Kwon Do or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Chun Kuk Do comes with a code of honor and 10 rules for life, personally developed by
Chuck Norris.
Quiz Question Before we move on, answer this question.
Which of these martial arts styles is known as the “art of eight limbs”?
Is it a.
Jeet Kune Do b.
Muay Thai c.
Capoeira d.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Let us know what you think in the comments
section below and stay tuned to find out the right answer.
Number 8 Colombian Grima Some historians claim that the grima, also
known as Colombian machete fencing, was brought to the country by African slaves while others
say it was inspired by European sword-fighting.
Practitioners fight using sticks, lances or knives and, above all, the machete.
Their skilled movements are performed with extreme cunning and corporal dexterity.
The many styles of grima are known as “juegos” and they all come with slightly different
tactics, footwork, ranges and choreographed sequences.
Traditionally, grima has been linked with the struggles for honor of the country’s
Afro-Colombian population.
Number 7 Gouging Some fighting styles focus on fluid motions
and well-timed strikes, others on submissions, trips and throws.
And then there are those which focus exclusively on sheer violence.
Rough and tumble, also known as gouging, was popular in the rural US in the 18th and 19th
centuries.
There wasn’t much artistry to speak of and it essentially represented a way for people
to settle disputes and defend their honor.
It emphasized the maximum disfigurement of a combatant by their opponent, something rather
unique among fighting styles.
Biting, scratching or fish-hooking were all allowed.
As was the disfigurement of noses, lips, ears or genitals.
Eye gouging was a preferred technique and the best gougers were known by reputation.
A report from the day claims that “a particularly dextrous fellow could pluck his opponent's
eyeballs from their sockets with one good thrust of the thumbs”.
However, as revolvers and Bowie knives became more widespread, the manner of settling disputes
moved away from gouging.
Number 6 Glima Glima is a sort of umbrella term that covers
traditional Nordic fighting styles, most of which are centered on wrestling.
Its practice most likely pre-dates the 9th century AD, when Norse settlers migrated to
Iceland.
Since most Viking warriors were physically strong, the main objective of martial arts
training was grappling and taking an opponent down.
One version of glima involves grappling with specialized belts that extend from the waist
to the lower thighs.
Trouser-grip glima is most popular in Iceland, where it’s a national sport.
The objective is to take the opponent down, with an emphasis on technique rather than
strength.
More aggressive forms of glima involve loose-grip wrestling, or lausatok, where opponents may
use holds as they wish.
Number 5 SPEAR The SPEAR fighting system has received attention
from the British Police and from several branches of US law enforcement.
That being said, you’ve probably never heard of it.
SPEAR was developed by Tony Blauer during the 1980s and is an acronym for Spontaneous
Protection Enabling Accelerated Response.
Its main objective is to use a person’s reflex action as a means of defense.
The system is essentially fueled by our natural startle-flinch response.
The goal of this science-based martial art is to train the brain’s reticular cortex
to recognize the most common attack patterns.
One major component of SPEAR is training its practitioners in understanding and dealing
with the physical and psychological aspects of fear.
An impact reduction suit designed by Blauer enables role-playing techniques at high speed,
close to what one might see in real combat.
Number 4 Bokator Used by Khmer armies more than 1,700 years
ago, Bokator is a martial art that blends animal movements with weapons and hand-to-hand
combat.
The Cambodian fighting style was inspired by nature and implements strikes and dodges
observed in horses, eagles, cranes and other fauna.
The term bokator actually translates as “pounding a lion”.
It’s said that, in ancient times, a warrior killed a lion that was attacking a village
with a single knee strike.
Aside from the animal forms there are also straight practical fighting and various weapons
techniques.
There are up to 10,000 different moves and only true masters may attain the coveted golden
krama.
The Cambodian people had to struggle in order to keep Bokator alive.
It was banned both during Pol Pot’s bloody regime and during the Vietnamese occupation
of Cambodia.
Number 3 Tire Machèt Here’s another martial art in which the
machete plays a center role.
Tire machèt comes from Haiti and traces its roots back to the Haitian Revolution, between
1791 and 1804.
Rebel slaves didn’t have access to many weapons aside from the machetes they used
to cut sugar cane.
They blended European fencing with traditional African fighting styles to create tire machèt.
They practiced it in secret and unleashed it on Napoleon’s colonial army with spectacular
results.
The Haitian Revolution is sometimes remembered as the most successful slave rebellion in
recorded history.
Quiz Answer So, which martial arts style is known as the
“art of eight limbs”?
The right answer was b, Muay Thai.
Born in Thailand in the mid-18th century, Muay Thai draws its common name from fighters
using their fists, elbows, knees and shins, so a total of eight limbs.
It’s a highly effective striking style practiced within international competitions and widely
implemented in the training of mixed martial artists.
If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out our video on “When Muay Thai Goes Wrong”,
the link will be in the description below.
Number 2 Lethwei Lethwei, also known as Burmese bare knuckle
boxing, originated in Myanmar more than 2,000 years ago.
In many ways, it’s similar to the aforementioned martial art of Muay Thai.
There’s much of the same clinch work and it too allows for punishing elbow and knee
strikes, in addition to fists and legs.
Spectacular techniques such as flying knees or spinning elbows are also common and may
deliver brutal knockouts.
There is, however, a point where the similarities between Lethwei and Muay Thai end.
While most combat sports, including the latter, actively discourage headbutting, Lethwei embraces
it.
The head is the ninth limb used in this ancient martial art and seasoned practitioners can
headbutt their opponents with incredible power and accuracy.
Lethwei has also stayed true to its bloody roots as fighters only use tape and gauze
on their hands.
It’s one of the reasons why it’s counted among the most brutal and aggressive martial
arts on the planet.
Number 1 Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu is often referred to as the
oldest martial arts in the world, as it dates back to the 3rd century BC.
It was initially practiced by all castes of warriors from the Indian region of Kerala.
Elements of yoga and knowledge of pressure points are embedded into Kalaripayattu, the
practice of which places an emphasis on physical flexibility.
Kalaripayattu practitioners progress from learning hand-to-hand combat to short and
long stick fighting.
While some modern schools have moved away from specialized iron weapons, they are a
staple of traditional Kalaripayattu.
They include daggers, swords, spears as well as bows and arrows.
Students who are deemed worthy may be taught how to kill or disable an opponent by striking
the correct vital point, or “marmam”.
They must also show great mental composure so as not to abuse the technique.
In the 6th century BC, an Indian physician named Sushruta wrote about the 107 vital points
of the human body.
Out of these, he deemed that 64 were lethal when properly hit with a stick or a fist.
Thanks for watching!
If you had to choose, would you rather fight Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee?
Let us know in the comments section below!