One of the greatest martial artists of all times, Bruce Lee, once said: “To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.” Martial arts have a long and colourful history in the USA with it first being introduced as a mainstream sport after World War II, predominantly by Japanese Masters. Today, more than 20 million Americans participate in some form of martial arts at least once a year, making it almost as popular as golf and tennis.
It all started with a man called Robert Trias
Robert Trias was introduced to martial arts while he was serving as a USA Naval Reserve during the Second World War. While he was stationed on the Solomon Islands he became acquainted with a Chinese missionary named Tung Gee Hsiang who taught him karate. After returning home, Trias opened the first Caucasian-run public karate school in Arizona in 1946 followed by the United States Karate Association (USKA) shortly afterward in 1948. The rest, as they say, is history and today martial arts is a popular sport all over the country.
Martial arts is big in Miami
Although martial arts, in general, has increased in popularity in most parts of the USA in recent years, there are a few cities that boast a surprisingly large number of martial arts schools, dojos, studios & clubs. Miami, Florida is not only a sought-after tourist destination known for its beaches and luxury accommodations. It also boasts a large number of martial arts training and social facilities, currently offering martial art devotees more than 111 options to choose from. While most of these schools revolve around various self-defense classes for men, women, and children, many also offer karate, kickboxing, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, and Shotokan karate lessons. Another bustling martial arts hub in New York City, and the borough of Brooklyn in particular, that is currently home to 84 martial arts training facilities.
Texas has a huge martial arts following
The Lone Star State, which is known to produce top-notch football players such as Ricky Williams and Colt McCoy, also has a number of martial arts stars, such as Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal who call the state home. The State also hosts a number of noteworthy tournaments including the Texas Renegade Karate Tournament and the Fort Worth International Taekwondo Championship on an annual basis. The world-renowned World Star Chinese Martial Arts Competition also came to Texas this year and was held at the Marriott Westchase Hotel in Houston from April 26 to 28. Although Houston is the biggest city in Texas, it’s Austin that is the most focused on martial arts, boasting more than 76 related facilities where individuals can undergo training, In total, there are an estimated 1,372 martial arts schools and clubs in the state.
Martial arts has a long history in the USA and continues to grow in popularity every day. Even if you don’t live in one of the bigger cities in the USA you are bound to find a training facility nearby that can help you develop your skills.
