Martial Arts Blog

Christian Monks Influence on Martial Arts

Presented by: The MMA Zone

Christian monks have a close connection with European martial-art traditions, much as Buddhist or Daoist monks influenced Asian martial arts. In the 13th century, Germanic monks were well known for practicing martial arts as a sport, a pastime, as a means of improving their fitness, and so that they could defend both their churches and their religious beliefs. Some Western monks were so proficient in unarmed wrestling matches that even knights were often unwilling to challenge them through fear of losing face. If challenged by monks, many knights would only engage them in weapons fighting, as traditionally a knight’s sword skills were second to none.

Many quality publications, dating back centuries, can be found describing the techniques, philosophy, and tactics of ancient European martial arts. Fabian von Auerswald produced a fascinating illustrated manual in the 1500s, which describes, in good detail, joint-locking techniques, throwing methods, and pin holds, alongside ground grappling and other wrestling tactics.

One of the most famous literary sources, the Collecteanea, first published in 1509 by master of arms Pietro Monte, is a body of literature on weapons, mounted fighting, and wrestling. The work outlines the importance of physical fitness in relation to being an effective warrior. The book also describes fighting tactics and the underlying philosophy of exploiting vulnerable areas and openings in the opponent’s guard and attack—similar to the philosophies found in Asian martial arts.

european martial arts

An illustrated guide written by Johann Georg Paschen in 1659, VoUstandiges Ring-Buch, describes martial-art techniques such as parrying, boxinglike punches, arm locks, and finger jabs, along with submission holds, chokes, and techniques for countering and disarming assailants with edged weapons.

Russia has also had a long history of martial-arts practice, both in unarmed wrestling and in weapons-based arts. Some of these arts were so effective that, when Peter the Great assumed power in 1682, one of his first acts of office was to ban stick fighting among the peasants. Banning the practice of martial arts has been a common occurrence throughout the history of many of the world’s cultures and was used as a tactic to thwart any possibility of warrior clans challenging the government or power-base in authority at the time.

The biggest change to the face of European martial arts, however, came during the late 1600s with the advent of firearms. This naturally led to a decline in the practice of unarmed martial arts and those employing edged weapons. This technological advancement quickly swept the world and led to an unprecedented transmutation of combat arts. As a result, the emphasis of martial arts shifted more toward self-defense and self-development, as opposed to the previous, more brutal emphasis on battlefield killing.

The MMA Zone