When one thinks of martial arts, the layman could conjure images of capable karateka and judoka praticing their art forms in sizeable dojos. If educated, one could also conjure images of the folk styles and modern works of Europe. This first in a series of five articles highlighting the martial arts of the world, starting with North America!

1. Chun Kuk Do

Founded by actor and martial artist Chuck Norris, Chun Kuk Do translates to "The Universal Way." When he was stationed in Korea during his stint in the Air Force, Chuck Norris was taught Tang Soo Do (which I will be covering once I do the Asia part of this series) by Shin Jae Chul. Later he would learn Judo, Karate, Kempo, Brazilian Jujitsu, and Jeet Kun Do from various masters (with Bruce Lee and Gene Lebell being the more notable ones). Combining what he learned into one martial art, he created his own style!

You can find the official site for Chun Kuk Do right here.

2. Okichitaw

A fighting style based on fighting techniques on of the Plains Cree First Nations people, it was developed by George J. Lépine in 1997. In his youth, he trained in traditional folk wrestling, tomahwak throwing, and indigenous hand to hand techniques. Later, Lépine took up Judo, Taekwando, and Hapkido. In the early 1990s, he began to codify what is now Okichitaw, which currently being taught at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto.

3. Juego de Mani

A cousin of Brazilian Capoiera, Juego de Mani (often abbreviated as Mani), is a folklore fighting style from Cuba. While it does use movement similar to Capoiera's ginga, it uses more of a stomping motion. The art uses low kicks, foot sweeps, punches, headbutts, and strikes from the forearms, knees, and palms. It also includes weapon usage, namely the cane staff and the machete. Skilled practitioners are referred to as maniseros and two such example is Juan de Dios Ramos Morejón, a "living encyclopedia" of Mani living in Cuba, and his student Miguel Quijano, who resides in New York.

4. Jeet Kun Do

The legendary fighting style of Bruce Lee himself, Jeet Kun Do is described as "fighting without fighting", emphasizing on minimal action with maximum speed, power, and precision. With using Wing Chun as his base, Bruce Lee took a little bit of everything and made it into his own style. He also emphasized the idea of "Be Like Water", meaning that you must adapt to any situation in order to succeed.

And that concludes the first part in this series. Next up, South America!