what is the oldest fighting style?

Question

The oldest organized martial art. An art that has been developed and refined through trial and error.

Answer 1

If you speak of martial arts(which i guess is "fighting style")...

Asian Martial artist actually traced roots back to Greece, a martial arts style called Pankration.
Indians claimed to have been the first martial artists for creatin Chi Hsuan Men, or "Unusual Style".
The Chinese historians countered with their own claim, showing documents that proved ancient Chinese Martial Arts from 206BC to 220AD.

Answer 2

OOG strike MOOG with rock.MOOG later decide ducking good thing.Strategy was born.
It is impossible to say because many strategys were probably developed before any formal records were kept more a word of mouth teacher to student .A text describing a method from 3 or 4 thousand years ago only means that was when it was 1st described or standardized The diverse elements that may have made it up are omitted.
Also each generation would add/delete as neccesary to suit prevaling attitudes and conditions.
There are an estimated 3000 styles tribal clan family shao lin etc in CHINA .Most are just slight variations or duplications of other methods.

Monasterys in those days was where a lot of men sought by the authoritys for one reason or another sought sanctuary .The only requirement was a willingness to adopt the monks life of contemplation.Many of these men were warriors adept at various aspects of WUSU or war arts.The monks codified and standardized these diverse elements into what would become known as SHAO LIN QUAN FA.
No VIRGINIA DAMO did not create shaolin kung fu just the flexibility strength and health excercises applied to them.As more and more of these men found safety in the monasterys the authoritys began to view them as hot beds of revolt( and some actually were) and led to their destruction .

Answer 3

I would have to say brawling. Though it's a close call between that, rock throwing, knife fighting and spear throwing. Though now that I think about it: animalistic clawing and biting and whipping of tails is probably the oldest.

You mean what is the oldest developed unarmed martial art system? Well the fact of the matter is, we just don't know. Though some historians suggest it is boxing. It was a part of the Olympic games in ancient Greece.

A lot of people also point to shaolin monastary as the birth place of eastern martial arts (at least, unarmed styles)but this is placed in legend as around the sixth century. Historians often dispute this and claim that at least one fighting style had been around before the building of the shaolin temple. So very simply, we're just not sure on that issue.

Then there is also jujutsu which we know was part of samurai training. Is this art as old or older than the samurai? Did it come around after karate which came from okinawa which came in turn from china? Again, it's hard to say.

I'd probably put my money on boxing with the evidence we have now but the simple fact is, we just don't know what the oldest style is.

Answer 4

In recorded history it would have to be the martial styles talked about in Gilgamesh, though I don't think the Babylonian Martial Arts are handed down. Traditional Greek Wrestling however has survived to present day, so I'd have to go with that. There are also ancien Chinese spear fighting systems that must be 3000 years old.

Answer 5

I'd say 'grappling' wins by about 40,000 years.

In tribal societies in the earliest humans or even sub-humans before their populations tended to organise in large groups and kill and fight other tribes deliberately, the main skills would have been hunting related and not fighting.

Generally the only fighting art would be wrestling, done for fun, since it is non violent, risks less injury to guys who have to hunt every day to survive, and is a naturally enjoyable form of exercise for primates.

It is 100% sure they would have done it, since most tribes up until modern times had their own wrestling play(take africa for example).

They had some rules relating to the practice of it, a range of skills organised and passed down from one generation to the next to develope it, and that is all you need to call it a 'martial art'.

And we know wrestling is truly a 'martial'(war capable) art any way you look at it, since all arts have wrestling moves and even samurais and european knights used wrestling on the battlefield.

Answer 6

Kalaripayattu - The Orient's treasure trove, a gift to the modern world and the mother of all martial arts. Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India. Kung- fu, popularized by the monks of the Shoaling Temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master.


Crafted in ancient South India drawing inspiration from the raw power and sinuous strength of the majestic animal forms - Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Boar, Snake, and Crocodile ........ Kalaripayattu laid down the combat code of the Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas. Shrouded in deep mystery and mists of secrecy Kalaripayattu was taught by the masters in total isolation, away from prying eyes.


Following the collapse of the princely states and the advent of free India - Kalaripayattu has lost its significance as a mortal combat code. In a Phoenix-like resurrection, Kalaripayattu is today emerging in a new avatar - an ancient art form - a source of inspiration for self-expression in dance forms - both traditional and contemporary, in theatre, in fitness and in movies too.

Answer 7

Pankration. A greek fighting style similar to wrestling but with other techniques inorperated. It is the bases for wrestling and other styles... It is dated as far back as 400 bc and was entered as an olympic sport in the 33rd olympics bce.

Answer 8

It's always been my understanding that Kung Fu is, in it's broadest sense, the oldest of the martial arts.

Answer 9

Most of them. The oldest I know of came from Egypt, west Africa, South Africa, Greece, and India. These are the oldest DOCUMENTED fighting styles. There are many that can trace there lineage back two thousand years or more.

Answer 10

Kalarippayatt: is a Dravidian martial art practised in Kerala and contiguous parts of neighboring Tamil Nadu of Southern India. It incorporates strikes, kicks, grappling, martial dance, and weaponry, as well as healing techniques.

The word "kalari" can be traced to ancient Sangam literature. The martial tradition of Kalarippayatt is also dated to ancient Dravidian traditions. The earliest mention of the concept marmam also dates back to the Rig Veda where Indra is said to have defeated Vritra by attacking his marman with his vajra. References to marman also found in the Atharva Veda.

Phillip Zarrilli, a professor at the University of Exeter and one of the few Western authorities on kalarippayatt, estimates that Kalarippayatt dates back to at least the 12th century CE. The historian Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai attributes the birth of Kalarippayatt to an extended period of warfare between the Cheras and the Cholas in the 11th century CE. .Kalarippayatt may be one of the oldest martial arts in existence. The oldest western reference to Kalarippayatt is a 16th century travelogue of Duarte Barbosa, a Portuguese explorer.

They are the oldest martial arts and Kung Fu came from them...