Martial arts are styles of armed and unarmed combat that are based on ancient techniques and arts. Some people/cultures use martial arts for sport, some use it for relaxation, and others learn it for self protection.

Many styles have orgins all the way back to the times before Christ and even beyond that. For most styles, martial arts was first used as an exercise or way of collecting yourself. As time grew on, people started to use martial arts for defense and attack. It was especially used in armies who were training.

Nowadays, it's mostly used as a sport. People also enjoy watching it in the form of films. The Martial Art Era for movies started in the 70's and was made very popular by Bruce Lee. No matter what the time period, martial arts never fails to be a big part of Asian society.