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The term "martial arts" is in origin a loan translation of the Japanese term bujutsu, first coined in the 1930s. In the course of the 20th century, the term's meaning expanded to include all forms of "fighting arts", not necessarily limited to those of Japanese or Asian origin.

Some martial arts are considered "traditional" and tied to an ethnic, cultural or religious background, while others are modern systems developed either by a founder, or by an association. Martial arts can be categorized along a variety of criteria.

Martial arts vary widely, and may focus on a specific area or combination of areas, but they can be broadly grouped into focusing on strikes, grappling, or weapons.

Through systematic practice in the martial arts a person's physical fitness may be boosted (strength, stamina, flexibility, movement coordination, etc.,) as the whole body is exercised and the entire muscular system is activated. Beyond contributing to physical fitness, martial arts training also has benefits for mental health, contributing to self-esteem, self-control, emotional and spiritual well-being. For this reason, a number of martial arts schools have focussed purely on therapeutic aspects, de-emphasizing the historical aspect of self-defense or combat completely.

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