by Joshua Peacock

Created on: October 17, 2009

Equally with China and Korea, Japan is one of the most popular countries that comes to mind when the martial arts is mentioned. In fact, some of the most popular and powerful martial arts styles are Japanese. These martial arts share many principles, and distinguish themselves from other martial arts from different countries. They are now practiced all around the world. Below is a brief survey of the most popular modern (as well as older) Japanese martial arts:

1.) Jujutsu is the ancient unarmed fighting method of the samurai. It is an extremely well balanced system of primarily throws, which also has many joint locks, chokes, ground fighting, striking and many other skills, including weapons. It was designed for use with the samurai armour on. This system is still popular today.

2.) Judo. Developed from several styles of Jujutsu by the martial genius, Dr. Jigoro Kano, this is a rough and tumble martial art that focuses on throws. Since it is, in essence, refined jujutsu, it also have ground fighting, joint locks, and chokes. The really old teachings even had strikes for off-balancing. Judo has since become an olympic sport, and has gained respect in all circles of the martial world.

3.) Aikido was also developed by a Japanese martial genius, Morihei Ueshiba. Hating violence, he decided to create a peaceful art the required little to know strength, and was the least damaging, but effective, against an opponent. This elegant martial art style is all about circular movements, blending and yielding with the opponent's force, then redirecting it into a through or hold - or both. This is style is extremely fluent and effecient in it's movement.

4.) Kendo. A modern sport martial art developed from the sword martial art of kenjutsu, Kendo is characterized by players who wear distinctive armor, called bogu, and fighting with large straight bamboo sticks, called shinai. This is a swift martial art, requiring the efficient knowledge of swordsmanship.

5.) Karate. Karate originated from Okinawa and is in essence an Okinawan martial art. However, Gichin Funakoshi brought his style fo Shotokan Karate to the mainland. The Japanese have since made it their own, changing different principles forms, and blending it with their own jujutsu. Some more of the well-known Japanese Karate styles are Shotokan, Shito-ryu, Chito-ryu, Wado-ryu and Kyukushin. Shotokan has become one of the most popular karate styles in the world.

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