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European Martial Arts

When we think of martial arts, we are general lead to think about Eastern styles from Asia such as Karate, Tai Chi, Kung Fu or Tai Kwon Do. However if you take the term ‘martial art’ to refer to any regimented form of self defence then there are many European martial arts too that bear mentioning. At the same time for someone moving to Europe or going there on holiday there are many European martial arts classes that will teach all of the well known styles just as anywhere else. European martial arts classes have been very popular since Bruce Lee introduced martial arts on screen to the majority of the Western world. Particularly popular European martial arts classes include Karate (and in particular the style ‘Shotokan’), Judo, Tae Kwon Do and to an extent Kung Fu. As such these styles constitute the majority of European martial arts practiced regularly.

Interestingly Karate and Judo are practiced now more regularly than the traditional European martial arts that were developed in European countries. And many of the European martial arts styles are actually unheard of among many Europeans. Following are a few styles of European martial arts with brief descriptions:

Fencing: Fencing is perhaps the most well known of European martial arts. Fencing is a form of fighting that uses a sword called a ‘foil’ or ‘sabre’. These thrusting weapons are used for direct jabs and parries and reposts are used to block and counter attacks. Many well known expressions come from fencing such as ‘touché’ and ‘en guard’. As well as one of the best known European martial arts, it is also one of the most European martial arts – having been developed in France and being synonymous with the duels found in Victorian England.

Savate: Savate, as the name sounds, is a martial art developed in France. A slightly more modern of the European martial arts it has its routes in boxing and kick boxing.

Boxing: Boxing is perhaps eligible to be counted among European martial arts. While it first came into use (as we recognise it) in England, its history seems to date back as far as Greece. While it is hard to pinpoint its exact beginnings, it is most likely the most practiced of European martial arts.

Parkour: This is another dubious entry to a list of European martial arts in that it is only loosely a martial art at all. Instead Parkour (again developed in France) is a series of jumps and moves inspired by European martial arts and used to move quickly across urban landscapes.

Runa Glima: Runa Glima and Lausatök Glima are European martial arts from Iceland that incorporate throws, wrestling and weapons.

Spartan: From Sparta in ancient Greece the Spartan warriors were considered some of the most perfectly trained warriors in history. Similar forms of European martial arts are recently being learned by some enthusiasts in an attempt to recreate their training.

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Family Days Europe

Europe is full of great shopping, great cuisine, great history and great scenery. However none of this is really going to keep the attention of your younger children for very long, and you are likely to find that you need something a bit more colourful and accessible to entertain your children. Fortunately there are many family days Europe can provide and lots of fun things to do for people of all ages in most European countries. Here we will look at some of the top family days Europe.

Disneyland Paris: Of course topping the list of family days Europe must be Disneyland. Filled with exciting rides, colourful characters and loads of events, any Disney park promises a great day out and Disneyland Paris is no different. Certainly one of the best family days Europe.

The Science Museum: Both the science museum and the national history museum in London offer great fun family days Europe (and they’re completely free too ensuring these days are fun for all the family). The science museum however just about wins it for offering the most interactivity and instilling a childlike sense of awe that, like all the best family days Europe, will have the parents feeling like children again too.

Lego Land: If you are in London then you will be near Windsor which is where you will find another of the more exciting family days Europe. Here you will find countless rides and even a miniature ‘driving school’. Guaranteed fun family days Europe.

Wieliczka Salt Mine: If you are in Poland then the Wieliczka salt mine is one of the best nearby family days Europe. Not specifically for children, but significantly astonishing (thanks to the whole rooms and sculptures made of crystal-like-salt) that your children will be just as spellbound.

Loch Mule: The loch mule in Frankfurt is one of those great old-fashioned family days Europe. Essentially just a large playground, it is so large and has so many different things to do that it provides excellent family days Europe all on its own and will have your kids begging you to go back.

Water Parks: In Spain, Portugal or Majorca some of the best option for family days Europe are the water parks such as Aqualand in Portgual. These take advantage of the sunny climate and provide some high octane slides and huge (often interactive) swimming pools.

Mini Golf: Most holiday spots have mini golf for great family days Europe. For a particularly great selection try visiting Bulgaria.

Prague Zoo: For fun family days Europe a zoo is a sure fire hit, and as Prague Zoo is considered one of the best in the world this offers you a great way to entertain your kids for a day when in the area.

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Eurovision

Eurovision is a song competition that invites all the counties in Europe to put forward a song to be entered into a music competition voted for by the rest of Europe (the competition is designed so that a country cannot vote for its own entry in the interest of objectivity). This way the Eurovision song contest provides an opportunity for some friendly competition between European countries, a fun event that brings families together and is suitable for all ages, and generates some great songs. At the same time it is also a celebration of music with some great sets, costumes and props thrown in too making Eurovision a great spectacle. Finally it is a great celebration of culture, with each Eurovision entry serving as a great example of the kind of music that is enjoyed in that country and allowing others to enjoy something a bit different to their own music. It is as such one of the most loved television programmes around Europe and is also broadcast outside of Europe and on the internet for other countries who want to listen in on the music and get involved with the celebration.

Eurovision began in 1956 (making Eurovision one of the longest running television programmes in the world) and there have been 54 separate Eurovision contests and 58 winners. The reason that Eurovision has more winners than contests is that the 1969 Eurovision contest had four tied winners (Spain, The UK, Netherlands and France). Each year Eurovision is hosted by the country that won it the previous year, which adds to the multicultural flavour. This can sometimes be a problem for countries such as Finland who hosted it in 2010 due to the cost associated with putting on such a show – particularly during the economic crisis.

The most recent winners of the Eurovision song contest have been Germany in 2010, Norway in 2009, Russia in 2008, Serbia in 2007 and Finland in 2006. This most recent success for Germany was a big surprise to many who saw Germany as being unable to win another Eurovision thanks to the ‘political voting’ that often takes place (whereby people vote on the countries that they like the most rather than songs themselves). This reflects the unpredictability of Eurovision, and this also makes it popular at the bookies where many viewers will add to the excitement by betting on the outcome.

The Eurovision song voted the most successful and popular of all time however remains the UK song ‘Waterloo’ by ABBA who would go on to become a popular band in their own right and release many more hit singles. This is a good example of how Eurovision has created much loved music and has its own rich history.

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The six famous Europeans depicted in this photo are examples of both great and evil men, all of whom have someone how made a mark not just on Europe but on the history of the entire planet. Each is a famous European then whose reach extended much further than their time or their geography, and helped to shape the world we live in today. Here we will look at what each of these famous Europeans are famous for, what they achieved, and why they are five of the most famous Europeans ever to have lived.

(Clockwise from top left)

Famous Europeans

Einstein: Einstein is one of the most famous Europeans for his theory of ‘relativity’ which was the first attempt at a ‘universal theory’ that could explain everything and combine multiple disciplines. It didn’t quite achieve this, but it did add him to the ranks of the most famous Europeans, result in many useable technologies, provide us with our most reliable model of gravity and lead to countless other breakthroughs. Einstein claims to have come up with the theory under the influence of narcotics where during a ‘trip’ he could ‘see’ the particles interacting. Many subsequent studies have been carried out on the brain of one of the most famous Europeans to find out if his brain is any different from that of a ‘normal human’. These studies have claimed many things – stating that his brain was larger, and that he had a severed ‘corpus callosum’ which is normally responsible for connecting the two hemispheres.

Da Vinci: Da Vinci was a painter who painted the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man (which would later be sent into space as an example of what humans look like – making him one of the most famous Europeans in the solar system). He is also one of our famous Europeans for his study of anatomy that resulted in his drawings of people having accurate musculature and proportions, as well as for his inventions. Da Vinci created many working inventions and sketched many others that were well ahead of his time, and these are perhaps most responsible for his being one of the most famous Europeans. However the widely held belief that Da Vinci designed a working plain are incorrect – and in fact during his time he would have had access to all the materials necessary to make a working glider, but like so many other aviators of his time was obsessed with flapping wings.

Napoleon: Napoleon Buonaparte was a military and political leader of France and shaped much of the European landscape as we know it today and again one of the most famous Europeans as a result. During his rain he and his Grande Army engaged in the Napoleonic wars with almost all the large powers in Europe – and for the most part was successful ensuring his place among other famous Europeans.

Caesar: Julius Caesar was a Roman politician and emperor, forming the triumvirate and eventually becoming the sole Emperor of Rome during much of its most successful periods and acquisitions helping to establish the Roman Empire which resulted in the widespread use of Latin across Europe, the construction of the first roads, more modern architecture and even the concept of central heating. While he is among our famous Europeans for his politics however, he was also an accomplished orator and author.

Michelangelo: Michelangelo is a famous painter who painted the Sistine chapel in Rome (which is largely responsible for his becoming one of the most famous Europeans) as well as carving many of the famous statues that we now associate with ancient Rome and Greece. He died while painting the Sistine Chapel, where he was said to have stepped back to admire his work before falling to his death from his scaffolding – a story which contributes to his status as one of the most famous Europeans.

Hitler: Hitler is a face that we all recognise instantly, partly due to his signature moustache (interestingly a look he borrowed from Charlie Chaplin!) and as a result arguably the most famous of all famous Europeans. Like many famous Europeans, and despite later evils, Hitler was a great speaker and leader. He lead Germany out of their recession rising then to become one of the most famous Europeans, before a series of acquisitions – which suggested eventually an aim of world domination – lead to World War 2. He was also responsible for the terrible events of the Holocaust. His eventual suicide ended World War 2 but he remains one of the world’s most famous Europeans.

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