Information about various martial arts and the Shaolin temple to be found somewhere?

I have a little knowledge of martial arts, but not that much. What I'm looking for is an Internet-site about:

- the history of the martial art - country of origin - what things are typical for the art, what you learn - what style there are

Some martial arts that I know of are: karate, teakwondo, judo, jiu-jitsu, aikide, kung-fu. These terms are used to indicate a whole lot of different styles, right? Has someone made an overview of what main styles there are in each 'branch' of martial arts or is this virtually impossible beacause there are so many?

Another thing I like to know something about is the Shaolin temple. This temple is known by name by virtually everyone, but again: I don't really know much about it. Things I like to know about it are:

- its history - how it is right now (what had changed and what did not) - what the names of the martial art(s?) are that are taught there

That would be a long story to post in here, so if you know of a good site with (preferably not made up) information about the Shaolin temple, please tell so.

Thanks in advance!

PS. And please don't be pissed off because I'm asking such stupid questions

Ok, now I read that it's destroyed, so forget about that second question

www.yoseikan.ch all martial arts in one, Hiroo saw that all martial arts have common principles, and all sports have this principles too, the wave movements give us powerfoul movements to all sports.

There seem to be errors in your asp, im getting..

Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

[Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] Cannot open a database created with a previous version of your application.

/asp/yoseikan/index.asp, line 221

Thanks for the link, but I get the same error as DC:

Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

[Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] Cannot open a database created with a previous version of your application.

/asp/yoseikan/index.asp, line 221

Were people dumber? Did they have less need for combat skills? Why wouldn't there have been formalized martial arts? There has never been a point in recorded history when they did not exist, why would they have not existed in prehistory?

And were in turn influenced by systems from around the world.

There isn't any evidence to support your claim. It's quite a stretch.

Before you buy.

That Homo Sapiens Sapiens evolved in North Africa and migrated? That is theory, but well establish theory supported by archilogical evidence. It is also beyond the scope of this NG.

That martial arts have existed since before Homo Sapiens? It's simple sense.

Graaa?

What? That there were martial arts before homo sapiens or that there weren't? Simple and common sense are either.

What proof are people providing that martial arts existed prior to homo sapiens? A few cave paintings showing little dudes with spears and clubs do not a martial art make.

I don't want to know what 'graaa' means

Fact: Martial arts are endevours suited for war or a warrior Fact: Our closest relatives (chimps) make war Assertion: Early Homo Sapiens (and most likely pre Homo Sapiens) made war

Fact: Early Homo Sapiens (and most likely pre Homo Sapiens) were tool users Assertion: tool use is not indipendantly thought of by each generation of Homo Sapiens, knowledge of tool use is passed from generation to generation.

Hypothesis: Early Homo Sapiens (and most likely pre Homo Sapiens) taught the methods of making war from generation to generation (martial arts)

I don't have archelogical evidence to prove or disprove the use of martial arts in early Homo Sapiens. I find it illogical to presume they did not. Lacking evidence to the contrary, I assert that humans have always done what humans do and therefore were practicing martial arts from their genesis.

Nope, but that is irrelevent. Did you understand what I ment? Then my communication method worked.

While your assertion is true, I don't see the relation to this discussion. But if you want to look at the second fact in relation to the assertion, we walk on the ground today. All our relatives in the evolutionary chart walk on the ground (when not in trees) so the logical leap that our forebears walked on the ground seems reasonable without any other evidence.

Hence why I first supported that the act of war predates Homo Sapiens. Calculus was invented *after* man spread. Martial arts were invented before.

Look at the cirteria, there needs to be a system of fighting that is passed down. I put up fact supporting assertions that at the dawn of man there were systems of fighting (we faught) and that it is likely they would have been passed down (since other skills were passed down, why would fighting skills be any different).

Hitting someone is a martial act, teaching someone else the best way I have found to hit someone is a martial art.

If nothing else, let's look at those guys with spears. Do you think they showed their kids how to use the spears? Do you think they were only used in hunting?

In the absense of hard evidence, one must rely on logic. And if you prefer, 'I find it unreasnable and unlikely to presume they did not'

Are you *trying* to be obtuse? What makes you think martial arts *didn't* exist? Where is your supporting evidence or logic? If I am understandable, what difference does it make what structure I used to present my argument? Technology changes (as have the martial arts) but people don't.