Contribution and value of traditional martial arts to further mutual understanding on the international level

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    Traditional Martial Arts which can form the basis of a community are part of intangible cultural heritages, a symbol of cultural diversity across the world, and also is an effective means to convey values imperative in furthering peace and development in human society such as solidarity, diversity, inclusiveness and cultural identity. Systemized over generations for the purpose of self-defence for keeping peace,  Traditional Martial Arts put an emphasis on social norm incorporating a people" cultural gene which keep the society alive. Inter alia, spiritual values such as perseverance required in training them, respect to a teacher and consideration to a colleague.

     Accordingly, UNESCO is driven to protect and promote these traditional sports activities to further community spirit, bring peoples together and install a sense of pride in a society’s cultural roots. They are deeply concerned to note that, in spite of the expansion of elite sport and sport for all programs in recent years, opportunities for children to participate in physical education have been significantly curtailed. The reduction of physical education programs, they note, has contributed to the phenomenal rise in juvenile delinquency and violence, and rising medical and social costs. Studies undertaken at international levels indicate that $1 invested in physical activity leads to a saving of $3.2 in medical costs. In this context, they endorse the Berlin Agenda for Action adopted by the World Summit on Physical Education in 1999 and encourage Member States to ensure that sport and physical education are incorporated in school programs or, as a minimum, that their legal requirements with respect to physical education programs in school curricula are being met.

 Thus, the significance of Traditional Martial Arts must be strengthened and the opportunities for practicing them must be held open for all human beings especially for young people, the physically challenged and disadvantaged groups in the society. Especially Traditional sports and games as Traditional Martial Arts, not to speak of these social direct effects, are considered more valuable in terms of the social and cultural aspects. Traditional Martial Arts contribute to a life of mutual understanding and peaceful behavior among different cultural and social groups, communities and nations. Above all Traditional Martial Arts are means of their identity.

 Traditional Martial Arts have their own regulations and standards with no need for globalization or standardization. For their further development, due attention should be given on their values, originality, and the needs of those practicing them. They should be protected from any kind of commercialization that affects the cultural heritage and values of traditional games and sport. In addition, Traditional Martial Arts do not need expensive facilities and equipment. That is why Traditional Martial Arts should be promoted in all parts of the world, inter alia where the resources are low. Traditional Martial Arts, which did not yet suffer extensive commercialization and any other effects, could be used for promoting the morale and the spirit of fair play. In this regard, Traditional Martial Arts could be an effective tool for the promotion of tolerance, mutual understanding, respect and peace in a culturally diverse society.

  Most of the Traditional Martial Arts are expressions of indigenous cultures and ways of life contributing to the common identity of humanity. Traditional Martial Arts then become an added value in terms of cultural comprehension and mutual tolerance both within the community of nations and between them, and therefore contribute to the edification of a culture of Peace. Through martial arts, people around the world facilitate understanding the relevant nation"s culture and become more positive in accepting it and even other cultures.

     For this end, UNESCO works to preserve, promote and develop Traditional Martial Arts, and to ensure that they form an integral part of national and development strategies and is currently implementing a pilot project to set up training camps in traditional wrestling sports for the youth of 22 African countries.

The Asia Pacific region is home of the whole world traditional martial arts. Traditional martial arts of many Asian countries such as Boxkator in Cambodia, Muaythai in Thailand Arnis in Philippines, Pencak Silat in Indonesia, Kalari Ppayat in India, Kurash in Uzbekistan etc. including those in Korea, China and Japan which take the lead in the world of martial arts prove it. Boxcator is said to be the earliest systemized Khmer martial art, second in age only to the Mon-Khmer style called yuthakun khom. Muaythai has been a part of Thai history and heritage for hundreds of years as with most traditions from ancient times. There exist many different versions of the history of Muaythai but all sources agree that Muaythai was used by Thai warriors in the battlefields of conflicts and wars that occurred countless times throughout the history of the nation now known as <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Thailand. On Kurash of Uzbekistan, it has several historical records starting from Herodotus, the ancient Greek philosopher and historian who almost 2500 years ago to the legendary epos Alpomish created more than one millennium ago and in the XIV century Timur, one of the most prominent statesmen used Kurash in his army for physical training and self defense.

The pivotal role of WoMAU which is composed of 42 member organizations from 37 countries across the world including these countries, a nonprofit international NGO and in operational relations with UNESCO and an advisory NGO of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage(ICH), is based on its competence built up over the years carrying out the work to promote mutual understanding and enhancement through exchanges of personnel and information between the member organizations.