How were martial arts intruduced where you live

[Starchaser107]

A little history lesson for us all, we can share info, providing we already know or are willing to look for it.
How were the martial arts introduced to your country? what was the first martial art there?
If traditional martial arts are native to your own country then thats fine, but how were other arts introduced, when and how?

I believe the first martial art to arrive here would have been officially karate. Although Chinese immigrants make up a part of our population so..I wonder. I'm gonna check that out.

[chen zhen]

The usual cliché:

KAWADDEE!!

:D

[Starchaser107]

ok , but how did it make its way there?
and for the americans ... lets make it more challenging ...
your state instead of your country.

[Kristoffer]

Not really sure.. I know boxing and wrestling have been around forever. There's even an old swedish grappling style called Glima. But 'martial arts' like in asian MA, i'm not sure. I know that Japanese JiuJitsu was introduced here in about 1901. A guy nicknamed 'Viking' Cronblom (although I might remember his name wrong) trained in Japan by a relativly famous master and opend up a school here. This was before O Sensei had made up Aikido so as you see it's been around for a long time! Cronblom was also a boxer in his earlier days so he taught his juijitsu along side boxing. An early mixed martial artist :)

Although there might have been people with knowledge of CMA in Sweden there were no schools before my Sifu moved here. So he was the first to introduce CMA. (this was sometime in the early 70's)

[Starchaser107]

tell us more about Glima.

please.

[Kristoffer]

To be honest I don't know much about it. I know that there is a teacher here in sthlm who has his own school and he's been intervjued by a big MA magaizine. I have it somewhere, I'll try find it.

What I do know is that it's really old. Was probebly around in the Viking age. It was used as a way to compete amongst different villages, and each village had it's own top fighters. The fight took place on the ground and had strict rules. Glima was constructed around different 'philosophies' (not sure how to explain these and I don't know much about them. But the easiest one is that it should be a fair fight on equal terms).

Glima fighters had a thick rope/belt that resemble Sumo wrestlers. All fights starts by both contenders grab these 'ropes' , the first to hit the ground lose. I think there was knockout fights too but I'm not sure. Glima is a standing grappling style with focus on sweeps and throws.

[Vash]

Well, the Native Americans had there own wrestling/fighting style, also included weapons, such as Tomahawks . . .

WTF?

I got no f#cking clue how MA got brought to the land of Pleanty . . . oh, wait, that's Serpents place. I mean . . . The United States. Original 13 Colonies: NY, NJ, DW, RI, NC, SC, VA, MA, ME, VT, NH, PA, and MD.

Crap, had to look in the book for Maryland.

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[Kristoffer]

...k

[ZIM]

http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2000/jwmaart_kautz_0100.htm

http://www.diku.dk/hjemmesider/studerende/novice/glima2.html

above links are for Glima

The USA was intro'd to MAs thru Judo and Jiu jutsu in the 40's/50's, then karate in the 60's, pretty much. If you ever watched the 3 Stooges, there was one episode where they were impersonating japanese and gave a JJJ 'demo'. That was in the late 40's, I think

on edit: Should've noted that the 40's/50's were when it was POPULARLY introduced. If you check in the ejmas site, they've reprinted articles about JJJ going back way further than that. Also, a few 'home-grown' MAs, as well thru the main site, such as cane fighting systems...

[chen zhen]

There is an old thread where we used to discuss Glima and other odd ORArts. oddly enough, Glima is also danish, norwegian and icelandic, after what they say themselves, at least.;)

[Kristoffer]

I guess they have a common link through the Vikings of old

[chen zhen]

it is a recent invension, mixed up of Judo and wrestling.
nothing about ancient Vikings there.

[Kristoffer]

Glima translates literally as “The Game of Joy”, and is an art roughly 1100 years old. It was brought to Iceland by Viking settlers, and has been practiced as a folk art ever since.


Dun know about Denmark but it's been around here for a long time. No Judo influences

[Former castleva]

I´m not really sure which foreign one´s were introduced the first,probably among judo/karate lines because JMA is better established around here than CMA for example.
There is a native art that seems very fascinating though.

[Starchaser107]

I'm guess you don't know the name of the native art thats interesting ...

[Former castleva]

It´s called kas-pin.It´s supposedly "ancient".
:)

[Starchaser107]

another grappling art like glima or is it fisticuffs?

[Former castleva]

It was created for war,so it addresses that and is probably more or less "bloody".However,as far as it´s modern application goes,it has been ?modified? for civilian self-defense.
It includes grappling,striking&weapons.

[Starchaser107]

K, if you find any pics please post. and i think thats it for me here for today , gonna go to class early and watch the kiddies spar :p
tnx
drive safe.

[Former castleva]

Great.I am afraid that pictures are a few and far between,and most of the writings are in finnish.
Drive safely.

[Daredevil]

I don't know if Kas-Pin is for real or not, but I've heard things this way and that. I haven't seen it myself, nor experienced it, so can't speak with any kind of authority.

They say some pretty unbelievable stuff 'bout it (like that it has Shaolin influences all the while being 'ancient' ....)

Odd names for techniques like "Angel's Touch" (dim mak?) and some ones that are entirely untranslatable.

I'd really like to see more about the art, just out of curiosity, but who knows? Very little info on the 'Net or in writing, apparently it's a sort of family secret ...

[Starchaser107]

wow, thanks dd. now I'm even more curious.

fc. If the writings are finnish and on the net send the link anyway , i can get it translated on the web with one of the language thingies, but it might come out a little off..better than nothing.

[Kristoffer]

K, if you find any pics please post.


aight

[Former castleva]

"I don't know if Kas-Pin is for real or not, but I've heard things this way and that. I haven't seen it myself, nor experienced it, so can't speak with any kind of authority."

At least it´s not like they´re hiding it.You can attend a course if you feel like it.

"They say some pretty unbelievable stuff 'bout it (like that it has Shaolin influences all the while being 'ancient' ....)"

I cannot bring myself to remember whether they claimed that ONLINE,but sites talk about Chinese talking about THEM (or something to that direction,perhaps there was no link at all?).
If I remember correctly,I get the idea that it might have been slightly influenced by arts of the East.

"Odd names for techniques like "Angel's Touch" (dim mak?) and some ones that are entirely untranslatable."

This could be verified,but for now,I do not think "Angel´s Touch" necessarily referred to dim mak,but rather to a certain skill,sensitivity that you ought to reach over time (it all sounds very IMA to me).

"fc. If the writings are finnish and on the net send the link anyway , i can get it translated on the web with one of the language thingies, but it might come out a little off..better than nothing."

Oh,well if it´s really possible and you´re willing to take the time.I can translate some for you though.Just give me time!

[Former castleva]

Gathering information for SC.
Sites;
http://gamma.nic.fi/~ouluaiki/lehti2.jpg
http://gamma.nic.fi/~ouluaiki/lehti1.jpg
Some of my selected,if random translations of importance (at least imho);
"The origin of the art´s name,or detailed history of it´s origin is unknown...".
"According to anecdotes/stories,the style´s history dates back to 1100...".
"As centuries have passed,different weapons and influence from other martial arts of the world have been gained,long before budo-arts arrived in Finland...".
"...Russians brought prisons to Finland from (i.e.) China...Local people were much more friendly towards them,compared to Russian authorities...".
"Apparently,it was during these times when kung-fu´s influence was first received...".
"Kas-pin practice does usually/always include knife technique...".
"Besides knife,kas-pin includes various other weapons,and of course unarmed technique...".
"Usually though,the training starts with knife,because if you can deal with an attacker armed with a knife,it will be easier to learn unarmed form...".
"The basics of technique include (among else) control of distance,grounding (of feet) (translation questionable),use of the unarmed hand&balance breaking,by using the vulnerable areas of the body...".
"Since many techniques resemble those of well-known arts specialized in sticks&knives,like Indonesian&Filipino styles...".
"Among other weapons used in kas-pin,the sword&spear are probably the best known...".
"Many farming tools may have been used as weapons,as in Okinawa...".
That would include be some of it,for now.

[Kristoffer]

wow good info
never heard of it b4

[Starchaser107]

thanks much for taking the time out to supply this info . good job.

[chen zhen]

interesting:)

[Former castleva]

You´re welcome.

[Daredevil]

Originally posted by Former castleva

At least it´s not like they´re hiding it.You can attend a course if you feel like it.


Hmm, true. However, compared to a lot of styles out there, they're being somewhat secretive (though this has been changing, but consider that the art had supposedly existed for a long time).


Originally posted by Former castleva

This could be verified,but for now,I do not think "Angel´s Touch" necessarily referred to dim mak,but rather to a certain skill,sensitivity that you ought to reach over time (it all sounds very IMA to me).



Possible.

Sure would like to check it out just to know what stuff comes out of my own country.

[Former castleva]

"Hmm, true. However, compared to a lot of styles out there, they're being somewhat secretive (though this has been changing, but consider that the art had supposedly existed for a long time)."

Yeah.I think you were right about the family secret.