Early Modern Period (1500 To 1800)
- 1549 – Hayashizaki Minamoto is born and later founds the art of Iajutsu or Iaido, the art of drawing and cutting with the sword in a single motion. Successive masters of his school can be traced to the present day.
- 1600 – A newer style samurai sword, called a katana or daito, is widely used.
- 1600 - Afro-Brazilian slaves begin to develop the art of Capoeira.
- 1643 – Legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi is believed to have written The Book of Five Rings, a seminal work regarding the art and philosophy of the samurai and swordsmanship.
- 1674 – Chinese Emperor K'ang Hsi's army burns the Shaolin Temple at Song Shan, perhaps due to concerns around the capabilities of its fighting force. The temple is rebuilt, but this event disrupts 1,100 years of concentrated training in that facility. Many of the surviving monks are believed to have moved to other temples, spreading Shaolin boxing further.
- 1700 – Development of Wing Chun Kung Fu
- 1700 – Chinese temple frescoes depict Shaolin Temple monks practicing unarmed combat. Okinawan Te and Chinese Shaolin boxing styles mix as part of trade between the countries.
- 1743 – Jack Broughton, an English bare-knuckle fighter, writes the first rules of boxing, later to become the London Prize Ring rules in 1838.
- 1750 – Techniques of the Chinese martial art T'ai chi are written down.
- 1790 – Muyedobotongji is commissioned by King Jeongjo of Korea and written by Yi Deok-mu, Pak Je-ga, and Baek Dong-su. 24 techniques are illustrated and described, of which one deals with unarmed combat, 21 deal with armed combat, and six include equestrian skills. Drawing from Korean, Chinese, and Japanese sources, it is one of the most comprehensive pre-modern military manuals of East Asia.
Read more about this topic: Martial Arts Timeline
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