The Development of an Inclusive Taxonomy for Classifying Global Fighting Traditions

A number of approaches have been made at classifying fighting traditions; such approaches tend to focus on specific elements such as a select culture (e.g. Armstrong, 1994; Donohue and Taylor, 1994) or are somewhat simplistic (e.g. Maliszewski, 1992; Reid and Croucher, 1983). None of the classifications offer a globally-inclusive approach to explain how, or why, fighting traditions developed. Holistically, however, each of the approaches can inform a new classification system and the development of an inclusive taxonomy to encompass fighting traditions globally. This paper consequently proposes that the adoption the taxonomy can provide a foundation from which to analyse the histo-philosophical basis for the development of individual fighting traditions.