The average nine-to-fiver probably isn’t much help in a scrap. Mountains of desk work tend to doom even the most daring adventurers to a depressingly sedentary life, and most white collar heroes don’t know the first thing about self-defence. Lacking the time for an after-work gym class or even a cheesy instructional DVD, aspirations of becoming a revered warrior seem ludicrous.
Don’t let the dream die yet. By using a long holiday or extended business trip as an excuse, it’s easier than ever to immerse oneself in the mythology and methodology behind the deadliest martial arts. Age-old masters of every fighting style imaginable run academies across the globe, and are willing to take on the rawest recruits for a matter of hours or months.
With a little help from eager mentors, the most inactive desk jockey can soon be practicing deep meditation on the misty mountaintops of Wudang, or learning to brawl at a boxing gym in the winding alleyways of Old Havana. They just need to know where to look.
Display patience and a willingness to learn and you’ll be welcomed with open arms. To become a martial artist is to commit oneself to a mantra of forward-thinking. The art of kung fu cultivates patience and critical thinking. Muay thai develops respect for opponents, while kushti drills self-discipline. Yet to become fully versed in each fighting style, it’s worth going back to where it all began. Fortunately for culture-hungry explorers, the world’s deadliest martial arts just so happen to trace their origins back to the globe’s most sought-after travel destinations.
Eastern tradition
Every journey in martial arts should begin by heading east – and no eastern combat style is more revered than the ancient art of kung fu. Several schools have cropped up in China’s Henan region, but the only authentic way to learn kung fu is by the instruction of a man who’s devoted his soul to the region’s religious teachings. Drawing from the words of Buddha and Tao, kung fu is about more than breaking cinderblocks with fists and foreheads; it’s about awareness, concentration and unworldly patience.
Fighters abstain from drugs, alcohol, meat and often women
One of the best genuine schools is the Qufu Shaolin Martial Arts School in Henan, which was opened in 2008 by disciples from the Songshan Shaolin Temple. There, westerners are not only taught the deadly martial art, but are also instructed by monks on the finer points of Buddhism, calligraphy, basic Mandarin and acupuncture.
Further south, different forms are taught by the Taoist acolytes at Wudang Mountain – rural China’s top hidden treasure. For millennia, the mountain has been revered as the most holy spot in China. The UNESCO heritage site features a number of charming distractions – such as Ming-era palaces and ancient shrines. Best yet, Wudang is hidden from the standard tourist route, allowing visitors to revel at its rambling palaces in isolation.
Thai parry
A totally different strain of martial arts can be learned in the tiny archipelagos that dot south-east Asia. In Thailand, a favourite for many Europeans, beachside camps provide eager travellers with the perfect martial arts holiday. Just a short ferry ride from tourist-mobbed Koh Samui, Koh Phangan offers aspiring fighters quaint but comfortable bamboo huts in which to relax after training. Unlike some of its rowdier neighbours, parts of the island retain a rural feel.
Luxury accommodation is available on the island, but it’s worth exploring traditional options – it adds substantially to the authenticity of education in muay thai. At the Muay Thai Chinnarach camp, one of the art’s world champions teaches private lessons at a manageable pace. Unlike kung fu, the breakneck speed of muay thai is driven by aggression and tenacity; professional fights tend to end in bloodshed. Above all, it teaches practitioners to be persistent and to never knowingly underestimate an aggressor.
Sticky business
Across the archipelago, a quieter (but no less breathtaking) tourist spot is home to the equally enthralling eskrima. This blade or stick-based form of combat is unique to the Philippines, and goes by many names. All forms encourage resourcefulness and the ability to predict an opponent’s movements. There are dozens of professional schools in Manila, but the most relaxed learning environment is outside the country’s bustling cities.
On the island of Cebu, guests spend days training in the jungle, frittering evenings away relaxing on the beach. More aggressive forms of eskrima, such as arnis or kali, help aspiring fighters to gain an edge using eastern weaponry. Intensive but encompassing education can be developed at the likes of the Bonifacio Global City School in Taguig. Such establishments don’t have much of a holiday feel, and aren’t for the faint of heart. Yet between training sessions there are dozens of abandoned islands scattered across the bay that can make for a relaxing day trip.
Ultimate detox
Further north, India has spent centuries cultivating lesser-known forms of martial arts. In Delhi, kushti has evolved into perhaps the most macho form of wrestling imaginable. What makes it special is that it’s never about winning. Sure, there’s fleeting glory in victory, however, kushti primarily serves as a way to become one with the earth. It’s an existential exercise in controlled violence, and the only way to reach this degree of clarity is by maintaining a Spartan-like training regimen.
Kushti can teach a new fighter plenty about themselves – and even more about self-discipline and personal control. Fighters abstain from drugs, alcohol, meat and often women. That may seem a bit heavy, but many akharas (kushti training grounds) are happy to take on beginners for short courses in the finer, spiritual side of the sport. For a slower-paced introduction, try Guru Samandar Akhara in Haryana. It maintains an open-door policy to outsiders, and is within proximity of some of India’s best-kept secrets, including the monolithic Jal Mahal and the ancient temple of Modawala Mandir.
Western innovation
Film and television often depict the east as the world’s sole source of martial arts. That’s simply not the case. In Europe, the French art of savate (or boxe française) has evolved into the continent’s most arduous form of kickboxing. Distinctly more graceful than muay thai, savate is a national treasure. Its secrets are closely guarded, but plenty of clubs in Paris are willing to take on beginners. Led by the country’s top fighters, the Kajyn Club is the best place to learn the basics. Better yet, the club’s central location makes for a perfect base of operations from which to explore the city.
One could spend ten lifetimes in Paris and still be unable to fully ingest all of its splendours; visitors can’t afford to waste any time. Just up the road from the Krajyn Club, aspiring fighters can attempt to channel the energy of the sporting greats who rest in Père Lachaise, before wandering up the Seine towards Notre Dame. Paris is riddled with mesmerising sights, sounds and distractions. Savate is perhaps the most captivating of them all.
Latin American lessons
Across the Atlantic, one can learn conventional boxing in the winding alleyways of Old Havana. Castro’s Cuba has evolved into one of the Caribbean’s premier holiday spots, but for those travelling to the Latin paradise in the hope of finding a more authentic cultural experience, take heed of this old Cuban proverb: “the best way to really get to know a place is to fight its locals”. Boxing is Cuba’s national sport, and parents raise their children on the exploits of all-time greats like Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier. Consequently, Havana is home to some of the best training grounds in Latin America.
In dusty gyms like Gimnasio de Boxeo Rafael Trejo, more Olympic champions have been trained than anywhere else on earth. For as little as £13 for half a day’s training, Cuba’s answer to Mickey Goldmill will demonstrate the basic laws of the ring. After sweating it out in the gym, fighters can wander up the Malecón (the old town’s main thoroughfare) to one of Havana’s popular beaches. The city bursts with vibrant colours, food, music and dance. It’s easy to get drowned out by the madcap assemblage of characters who congregate in the city’s opulent squares, but remember: boxers carry a lot of social clout in Havana, and tend not to pay for drinks in many tavernas.
Brazilian resilience
Finally, it would be a travesty for any aspiring fighter to visit Copacabana without making time for a session in the gym of Ricardo De la Riva. De la Riva is one of the most prolific Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters in history, and also one of Brazil’s leading teachers. His club is highly regarded in Rio, and he runs an open-door policy – anyone is welcome to drop by unannounced.
Unlike some of its Asian cousins, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a grappling art that’s fought primarily on the ground. Consequently, beginners leave De la Riva’s gym having learned the basics of a vital life skill: how to keep on fighting even after you’ve been knocked down. What’s more, trainees can utilise De la Riva’s central location to fully immerse themselves in Brazilian culture. For a protein boost after a demanding day of jiu-jitsu, try the meat markets at Cadeg. If you just want to relax, grab a caipirinha and mingle with the locals on the beaches of Copacabana.
None of these martial arts are for the faint of heart. Even if being taught by a pacifist Buddhist monk, taking up an extreme martial art will push the body to its limits. Yet nothing is more rewarding. There are few more authentic ways to acquaint oneself with a foreign culture than to embrace its martial arts. Meanwhile, practitioners learn to be stronger individuals. Even after returning to that constricting desk, the toils of daily life seem slightly less monotonous. After all, nobody messes with a CEO who knows kung fu.
