Japanese Martial Arts

The martial arts of Japan like those of many nations, originated in tribal and feudal societies. The fighting skills of today derive from those arts but no longer serve the ancient principles of arbitrary rule. In the American Republic, martial art has absorbed from Japan and from many other nations, those methods which are adaptable for both official and private use in service of individual rights, i.e.: of ordered liberty under law.

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An ancient curriculum of the Japanese ruling class was called "bugei juhappan;" 'The Eighteen Categories of Martial Art." These included such arcane subjects as:

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• The wearing, storing and maintenance of body armor.

• Climbing, horse riding and swimming in armor.

• Fighting in armor.

• A complex system of military punctilio.

Modern soldiers and civilians however, have no use for most of these methods. The Tactical Studies Group is concerned with six categories of martial art, whose principles are not affected by developments in technology and human relations. These are philosophy, policy, logistics, strategy, tactics, and skills, which are firearms skills, edged weapons skills such as those of the knife and sword, blunt weapons skills, grappling and tumbling skills, and boxing and trapping skills.