By Jean-Marie Ayer
You want to practice a martial art, and you do not know which one to choose. You are wondering whether to select Karate or Taekwondo.
These are two terms that you often hear. But you should know that there are many martial arts, each one more exciting than the other.
The term "martial art" is derived from Latin and means arts of Mars, the Roman god of war. A martial art is a style or school that mainly teaches fighting techniques with bare hands or weapons.
Historically, this learning process integrates a spiritual and moral dimension aiming at self-control-- essential to renounce combat if it is avoidable and to face it if it is not-- and is enriched by multiple knowledge notably, cultural, philosophical, and medical.
Thus, martial arts aim at the global development of the individual: external (strength, flexibility), internal (energy, health), intellectual, and moral. The history of martial arts goes back to the first ages of humanity and is characterized by a complex system of diffusion among cultures and regions. There is thus a multitude of martial arts in the world.
But let us return to Taekwondo and Karate. These two sports have acquired a worldwide reputation. The first one, thanks to its participation in the Olympic Games since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Karate was made famous by the series Karate Kid by John G. Avidsen, whose first film was released in 1984.
