Martial arts

Two opponents fighting using the Ancient Greece's Pankration.

The term martial arts refers to any body of fighting techniques where the fighter is unarmed, or armed with muscle powered weapons, like swords, knives, spears or arrows. The techniques for using firearms are not considered martial arts.

Some nations, like China and Japan, are known for originating dozens of distinct fighting techniques.

See also: Japanese close quarters fighting techniques

See also: Chinese close quarters fighting techniques

See also: Indian close quarters fighting techniques

Ancient Greece originated fighting techniques, of which the most famous was Pankration. The ancient Olympics added Pankration as a competition.

In recent decades there have been competitions in "Mixed martial arts", a synthesis of various other martial arts, but it does not have a body of practice techniques, just rules as to what is and is not allowed.

Some re-enactors created Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) -- to try to recreate techniques once practiced in Europe.