Science of Martial Arts

Catalog description

Martial arts are ubiquitous in the world and are practiced for many reasons beyond warfare, including sport, spiritual development, cultural heritage, and entertainment. In fulfilling their purpose in attack or defense, martial arts techniques must be honed for effectiveness and efficiency, since an optimal movement can make the difference between safety and harm. What enables and limits motions of the human body? In this course, we will learn and analyze the physical and biomechanical laws that govern the basic striking and throwing techniques as well as defenses against these attacks, both theoretically and practically in a PHYED portion and laboratory experiments. We will investigate the science of arms and armor, including modern protective equipment, and discuss the similarities and differences in techniques in different martial arts. The secondary aspect of the course will focus on the link between martial arts and the societies in which they developed, as well as how they have spread to other cultures. How have the society shaped the martial arts practiced and vice versa? We will examine the development of martial techniques into spiritual paths and into modern day sports, as well as depictions of martial arts in popular culture.