Who started martial art?

Answer 1

To be funny, yet also factual...the guys that picked the first physical conflict with another group and lived to tell about it and share said methods of combat/survival to their groups. This was not at all a "Nation Specific" phenomenon. It happened everywhere there were warring or feuding groups. As the techniques and training methods were developed "on the fly" they were shared by the experienced with the inexperienced so that they could be better soldiers/fighters. Hence, Martial Arts in general has no particular founder.

Martial means "War" or "Pertaining to war". The "Art" aspect deals with the process, training, honing, and expression of fighting on a large or individual scale. So, that term can generally refer to any "organized and/or standardized method of fighting". In such case, the earliest forms of organized training comes from Babylonia and Egypt. However by the time these methods were enhanced by the Greeks, particularly the Spartans; and Alexander the great and his Generals- Martial Arts spread throughout most of the Ancient World. There even is historical proof that organized or systemically arranged fighting systems were not developed in India and China until after contact with Alexander the Great's massive Imperialist march that created the largest Empire known even into Modern History.

Specifically, there are many legends attributing an Indian Buddhist Monk known as Bodhidharma or Damo for teaching self defense methods to the weak and often victimized Buddhist Monks in the Shaolin (Small Forest) temples..so named as they were reclusive and away from urban centers.

In fact, there are so many founders of specific styles or systems of Martial Arts that to give a comprehensive list is well beyond the scope of this Answer field.

Answer 2

To be funny, yet also factual...the guys that picked the first physical conflict with another group and lived to tell about it and share said methods of combat/survival to their groups. This was not at all a "Nation Specific" phenomenon. It happened everywhere there were warring or feuding groups. As the techniques and training methods were developed "on the fly" they were shared by the experienced with the inexperienced so that they could be better soldiers/fighters. Hence, Martial Arts in general has no particular founder.

Martial means "War" or "Pertaining to war". The "Art" aspect deals with the process, training, honing, and expression of fighting on a large or individual scale. So, that term can generally refer to any "organized and/or standardized method of fighting". In such case, the earliest forms of organized training comes from Babylonia and Egypt. However by the time these methods were enhanced by the Greeks, particularly the Spartans; and Alexander the great and his Generals- Martial Arts spread throughout most of the Ancient World. There even is historical proof that organized or systemically arranged fighting systems were not developed in India and China until after contact with Alexander the Great's massive Imperialist march that created the largest Empire known even into Modern History.

Specifically, there are many legends attributing an Indian Buddhist Monk known as Bodhidharma or Damo for teaching self defense methods to the weak and often victimized Buddhist Monks in the Shaolin (Small Forest) temples..so named as they were reclusive and away from urban centers.

In fact, there are so many founders of specific styles or systems of Martial Arts that to give a comprehensive list is well beyond the scope of this Answer field.