Martial Arts are a form of traditional combat style for a specific geographic group. Some practices of martial arts are thousands of years old, while some were formed as recent as the 20th century.
There are certain groups of people who see martial arts as a way of life. A code or system to live by. Each form of martial art requires a lot of practice, hard work, and devotion. Martial art experts devote their life to acquire these ancient techniques. Martial arts, not only represent a physical stature or maneuvering skills but also require a certain state of mind.
There are different forms of martial arts and artists out there. They each practice the art differently, maybe for defense purposes or for participating in a competition. There are some weird practices or facts about these martial arts around the world. We found out some of them and presented them to you in this article.
The kids from U.A.E.
We have some ideas about gym classes at the high school level. Mostly sports practices, such as- dodgeball and also few schools offer self-defense classes too. In most cases, these are voluntary and see unsatisfactory participation from the students. Kids of different stature are left out of such practices, maybe for their physical attributes or other reasons. Sometimes these classes work towards make or break your level of confidence.
But that is not the case in the middle eastern country of U.A.E. In the U.A.E you have to participate in mandatory Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu class in school. Every kid will have to take part so that they can acquire some infallible hand to hand combat techniques for the rest of their lives.
Bone-breaking practice of Muay-Thai practitioners
Muay-Thai was a form of street martial art, found in the streets of Thailand. The practice became worldwide with the introduction of popular fighting championships like the U.F.C. It combines boxing with kicking. Popularly known as the ‘8 limb’ boxing technique, this technique requires the use of various parts of the body for defense and strike purposes.
Muay-Thai practitioners respect physical strength over anything. Devout practitioners are known to carry out bone-strengthening techniques, where the practitioners hurt their limbs intentionally, creating small fractures. When these fractures are healed, the bones become stronger than before. For normal people like us, such extreme practice could sound extraordinary, but Muay-Thai fighters do this regularly to keep up their bone strength.
The karate belt secret
Karate might be the most celebrated form of martial arts. Kids are taught this form of M.A. from a very early age. It’s an excellent self-defense technique. Originated in Japan, now it’s common everywhere.
We all know about the Karate belt. Most of us grew up watching ‘Karate Kid’ which glorified karate levels and belts. These belts represent the learning of a karate master. There are different levels such as the kid’s level and adult level of belts that represent mastery. But in most cases, a black belt represents the highest level.
Here’s a fun fact about those belts. In the past, the belts used to be dyed in different colors, in the lifetime of a practitioner, until they reached the highest mastery level, and at that level belts were dyed black. The fun fact indeed!
Joe Rogan
Many of us associated with M.A. sports know about Joe Rogan. He mainly
hosts U.F.C. matches. His commentary is hilarious most of the time. We know him more from his recent podcasting shows ‘Joe Rogan Experience’, which can be found as video format on YouTube. He invites famous personalities like Elon Musk and Ben Shapiro to his show to discuss various current topics. A little known fact about him is that he is also an established comedian.
Even lesser-known fact, Joe Rogan is an absolute badass. He is trained in the tricks of world Jiu-Jitsu. He is a certified black belt in this form of M.A. Which makes him a person not to tumble with.
The grandpa from Modern Family
You have heard of Ed O’Neill. He has an illustrious career on the tv. Since the 80’s he has been starring in various super hit shows. The most famous role was probably Al Bundy. The hopeless family man, trying to get by ‘With Children’. The show ran for 10 years and it was a hit.
More recently, Ed took the role of badass grandpa Jack Prichett in the tv show Modern Family. As the head of the Prichett family and a person with alpha male or old school personality, he navigates everyday life with his extended family.
A little known fact about him, he’s a badass in real life too. Like our man Joe Rogan, he also has a black belt in world Jiu-Jitsu. This is reflected in his character Jay Prichett when he advocates for his son to learn M.A.
The King of Rock and Roll
Yes, you already know who I am talking about. No one influenced a certain genre as Elvis Presley did. His cordial voice made him a household sweetheart in the 60’s. The mad dance moves made him so famous, that they are still followed today. The ‘king’ lives on through his melody, as his songs have earned immortality and still frequently requested on the radio. He is still famous as any modern pop artist especially in the southern part of America.
You have probably guessed it right again if you thought he has a background in M.A. The king of rock n’ roll had also mastered the art of Karate. He had a black belt in the art.
When U.F.C. fighting has application in real life
If you are a follower of the U.F.C. you have heard of Jon Jones without a miss. The M.M.A.artist is sometimes regarded as one of the best in his line of work. He has earned the light heavyweight championship twice to prove that point.
He’s a real-life hero too. The night he became a heavyweight champion he also beat a mugger after who tried to steal a purse from an old lady. A real-life hero indeed.
Such, weird facts about martial arts are not new. These ancient arts have a lot of tales that we aren’t even aware of.