Martial Arts are systems of techniques practiced with the objective of developing Fighting Skills to be able to defeat an enemy, or opponent in a fight.
Some Martial Arts are practiced competitively, (combat sports) such as Boxing, Wrestling, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing and Muay Thai.
And some are purely for Self Defense, such as Combative Systems that were developed with techniques from various Martial Arts. These systems were to be used by the military for battlefield Hand to Hand Combat.
These include Israeli Krav Maga, Russian Sambo, and the U.S Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).
The term Martial Arts refers to the art of warfare (derived from Mars the Roman god of war). Martial Arts are considered both art and science.