The typical combat sports of the Japanese archipelago

What sports do the Japanese play?

The combat sports are highly developed international activities. Although in Spain there is already a certain tradition of karate and martial arts in general, we are not even close to the Japanese, since they practice many martial arts, a result of their history and traditions. Discover some of the most popular martial arts of the Japanese archipelago!

Close combat sports

Who says martial arts, says self defense with the body, either in one way or another. Without a doubt, the most famous are judo and karate , which we can practice in Spain in any club by simply putting on a kimono and tightening your belt (literally).

However, there are many other melee sports, such as jiu-jitsu , the ancestor of judo, or aikido , a sport based on the use of the opponent’s force against him. It is about violent sports, but with a peaceful vocation:

“In ancient times, martial arts were used on the battlefield to fight war and train samurai. Today, martial arts are still part of samurai training, but they represent peace. Martial arts are used to cultivate peace. – Hiroo Mochizuki

We can also cite less known sports in Spain such as s horinji kempo or n ippon kempo . These two melee sports have some inspiration from other martial arts, but they have both their physical and spiritual specificities!

The rule of arms in Japan

Japanese martial arts are also a weapon-wielding sport. Here’s a list of some of these popular sports in the Land of the Rising Sun:

• Kendo : the handling of the saber.
• Jukendo : the operation of the bayonet.
• Naginata : handling of the naginata (polearm, like a long saber).
• Iaido : the handling of the saber (concentrated in the fact of drawing and striking at the same time).
• Kyudo : the handling of the Japanese bow.

All of these are the result of true military activities in Japanese history, be it through the discipline of samurai , ninjas, warriors on horseback, or even armed monks.