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Musashi, Kano, and Gracie: The History of Martial Arts Challenge Matches

Martial artists in black belts perform synchronized moves, split image showing past and present. Text reads: DEMO LEGENDS THE HISTORY OF THE MODERN MARTIAL ARTS DEMO.

When asked about the aesthetics of a certain martial arts bout, Helio Gracie once replied gruffly, “A fight is a fight.”


It wasn’t that he didn’t see beauty in the art of jiu-jitsu. He merely thought it was imperative to emphasize that fighting is a serious affair with potentially dire consequences for the loser — and sometimes for his or her family.


Judging whether a martial art is good is very different from judging whether a dance or a painting is good. Dancing and painting possess various artistic qualities, while fighting is all about effectiveness.

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