Martial Arts - What does that stand for?

Many aspects of our modern world are infused with differing applications of martial arts, sometimes without any conscious acknowledgement. Ask the everyday person walking down the street an example of a martial art and they'll likely reply with something along the lines of "Chinese Kung Fu" or "Karate". It doesn't occur to most people that as the very core of any martial arts is universal, the methodical and logical application of a series of planned movements to protect oneself or visit violence upon another. It sometimes isn't apparent to people that things like boxing, your neighborhood self defense class, or your fencing practice can be characterized as martial arts.

 Interestingly enough the term "martial arts" was coined in the 1500's when applied to European combat systems (the aforementioned fencing, for example), though the term itself is Latin at its root, meaning the "Art of Mars" in reference to Mars, the Roman god of war. Of course most people associate the term martial art with kung fu, wushu, or budo. Wushu is probably the most descriptive, since it roughly translates to martial skill or art, where as kung fu merely refers to a skill or trade that is developed over time and through hard work. Budo is a Japanese word that is rarely associated with anything but various martial aspects, and is more in line with the philosophy behind martial arts that resonates with the cultivation of spirit. The glamor of Hollywood and various famous martial artists like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan have distinctly tinted the phrase with a more eastern feel.

But people practicing Eastern martial arts aren't the only ones. Police learn it when they go through their various self defense classes. Soldiers learn it when they go through basic training, from hand to hand combat to the various technical aspects of handling and shooting a firearm. More and more the term is becoming universally defined with sports venues like the UFC and MMA making these arts more popular and much more widespread. Perhaps it won't be long before the people of the world don't picture Bruce Lee when they hear martial arts, but instead your average soldier, or a famous boxer, or your neighborhood watch.