martial art

American  

noun

1. Often martial arts any of the traditional forms of Asian self-defense or combat that utilize physical skill and coordination without weapons, as karate, aikido, judo, or kung fu, often practiced as sport.

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martial art British  

noun

1. any of various philosophies of self-defence and techniques of single combat, such as judo or karate, originating in the Far East

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Other Word Forms

• martial artist noun

Etymology

Origin of martial art

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

After experimenting with mixed martial arts twice - winning two and losing one - Shields has made clear her intention to stick to pugilism for the rest of her career.

From BBC

"This is as much for Ronda and me as it is for the fans and mixed martial arts community. What a time to be alive."

From BBC

The first time Weston broke his back it ended a promising career in the martial art for the 28-year-old, but bizarrely it turned out to be a blessing.

From Barron's

Singh has a long association with taekwondo and has taught the martial art for years.

From BBC

Classes included economics and English, as well as meditation, calligraphy and kendo, a martial art.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling