Martial Arts Around the World

Guilherme Ribeiro | January 9, 2019

Human beings knew how to defend themselves long before guns, tanks, or military helicopters were created and used in wars. Every civilization developed some sort of martial art in the past and they’re now part of their culture.

Although the majority of martial arts are used for combat, in the military, or by law enforcement, some of them were created for health and spiritual development or just for entertainment. The term martial arts come from the Latin “the art of Mars,” where Mars was the Roman god of war.

Istunka – Somalia

During the Middle Ages in the Ajuran period, the Istunka martial arts festival was developed to symbolize the defense of the community and its honor. It’s now celebrated annually in the Afgooye region during the Somali New Year.

In the past, each team would be accompanied by poets, female singers, and dancers, and all members wore full combat gear, including battle axes and swords. Nowadays, they just use batons and large sticks for safety reasons.

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