Some Lesser-Known Martial Arts

When we talk about martial arts, most people have heard of judo, karate, aikido, boxing, muay thai, and so on. These martial arts have, in many parts of the world, become combat sports and it is not unusual for people to bet on them, using promotions and sites they find online, like the Bet9ja Registration.

However, this post is not about them. This post is dedicated to martial arts that not many people have heard of that have still arisen from the desire of people to defend themselves effectively. Here are 4 lesser-known martial arts and the places you might have seen them.

Canne de Combat

Most martial arts people come across have been developed by the common classes and castes that did not have the money to spend on armor and weaponry. Canne de combat is not such a martial art. It is closely linked to savate, both being French. Canne de combat was developed in the 19th century in France and was practiced by the bourgeoisie, in order to defend themselves on the unsafe streets of Paris.

Essentially, canne de combat is similar to fencing, but, instead of a sword or rapier, the person uses a cane or stick. The techniques were later used by police with batons. The martial art itself was revived as a combat sport in the 1970s and somewhat popularized in TV shows like Les Brigades du Tigre and, more recently, Elementary.

Silat

Silat is actually an umbrella term for hundreds of styles and schools in Indonesia, some focused on striking, others on grappling, and some even on weapons. The techniques are used by many military and paramilitary groups in the area and the culture surrounding it has influenced many Asian countries.

A subsection of silat that is worth special attention is called pencak silat. It focuses on striking while using dance as a distraction and is not above fighting dirty to eliminate the opponent. It also covers a wide range of styles and techniques. Apart from the media in Southeast Asia, silat is mentioned in a Japanese manga Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple.

Nora Valo / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) – cropped

Systema

Systema is a Russian martial art that focuses on disabling the opponent as quickly as possible by using grapples, throws, joint locks, and pressure points. Systema is designed to face armed opponents as well as multiple opponents at once. If you like video games, you may have seen Leon S. Kenedy from the Resident Evil series use systema.

Arnis

The martial art of the Philipines, arnis is also known as escrima and kali. Besides unarmed combat, its focus lies in using sticks, as well as bladed weapons like knives and swords. While the art itself may seem obscure, you should know that many movies have their actors fight using these techniques in films, like Liam Neeson in Taken, who combined it with silat for the movie. Other examples you may have seen using a style of arnis include DC’s hero Nightwing, as the former Robin loves using dual batons, and the character from the Soul Calibur game series, Talim.