Culture of Asia Xia Dynasty of ancient China from over 4000 years ago. Some of the best known styles of martial arts in the world were developed in East Asia, such as karate and judo from Japan, taekwondo from Korea and the various styles of Chinese martial arts known collectively as kung fu. Many other styles of martial arts originated in Southeast Asia, including muay Thai from Thailand, Vovinam from Vietnam, Arnis from the Philippines, and Pencak Silat from Indonesia. In addition, popular styles of wrestling have originated in Turkey and Mongolia. Development of Asian martial arts continues today as newer styles are
Japanese martial arts rule of thumb, the primary purpose of a "koryū" martial art was for use in war. The most extreme example of a "koryū" school is one that preserves its traditional, and often ancient, martial practices even in the absence of continuing wars in which to test them. Other "koryū" schools may have made modifications to their practices that reflect the passage of time (which may or may not have resulted in the loss of ""koryū"" status in the eyes of its peers). This is as opposed to "modern" martial arts, whose primary focus is generally upon the self-improvement (mental, physical,