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Seeing what can't be seen.
  Hearing what can't be heard.
    Doing what can't be done.
      Knowing what can't be known.

  The origins of the martial arts, as we somewhat know them today, predates human-kinds ability to write about them. Of course, we should keep in mind, or at least consider, that the earliest form of writing was discovered to be at the very beginning of the Geminian Age, about 6,000 B.C.
Ah yes, but, where did they actually begin and what was the first style?"

  It has been said that the greatest form of flattery is imitation, therefore, we could say that the first style was developed by and through human-kinds natural ability to imitate, quite sufficiently, everything from insect to elephant...and even some plants.
A Tiger cannot change into a Crane; a Crane cannot change into a Snake and so on, but, a human can...sometimes several at once. We can stand on the leg of a Crane as we kick with the tail of the Dragon, strike with the claws of the Tiger from one hand and the talons of an Eagle with the other...and through this moment we remain the animal-human.
This is accomplished through proper attitude. Our minds have the innate ability to assimilate information quite rapidly from many different sources and directions in less than an instant. We are not always aware of this activity and thus it is one of the mysteries of our mind. One can rest assured that the human mind, or the speed of thought, is much faster than the speed of light. We have figured out how to measure the latter.

We do not know when we absolutely must respond to a survival situation...and to think about it is too slow. It is by practice that we develop a much higher sense of awareness to the elements of the atmosphere which surrounds us. This too changes. With every change in the cycles of the seasons we change with them.
When you go to another area, as simple as leaving your home, you are changing the atmosphere of the place you feel the most comfortable and secure. Immediately your awareness level rises...or at least, it should. With our reactions to the effects of these changes we observe the rational and irrational, the logical and illogical simultaneously...and we observe that they work equally together.

  One might ask whether or not these things are practical? Yes, they are, however, we must always maintain the fact that humans are not the strongest or most enduring of creatures on this planet but we have learned many ways to survive. The method of this has already been explained.

In view of the fact that human-kind has been on this planet, as recent estimations suggest, for at least 2.5 million years, they have traveled, or migrated, from one point to another mixing their tribes, their experiences and their knowledge. Their main goal always was to survive...it still is.
Each tribe developed its own methods to protect itself. These methods only became unique through the continuous process of observation into a highly refined application. It is this observation that became the foundation of the strategy which employed method to develop a system and thus creating what, inherently, became style.

Let's put it this way...
The natural born knowledge to survive was enhanced by the ability to observe, through which, the talent to imitate made way for the development of strategy, whereby, creating a very systematic approach and appearance to style. All of human-kinds tribes did this simultaneously, some more rapidly and some stronger than others. Each had its own axiom which later became that system and styles purpose and identity, or its very foundation.

These are the procedures that have become the traditional/classical systems.

Study the past if you divine the future. To forget ones ancestors is to be a brook without a source; a tree without a root.

  On the table of observation sits the many different styles and systems. Surrounding this table are first the many Masters, then the Teachers and, finally, the Students.
In view of all this, if one of these things are missing - then none exist.
As all of these many different styles and systems sit upon the table...alone...and with nothing but themselves...only...they are nothing until one of the Masters, Teachers or Students pick one of them up.
Now, suppose that all of these many different styles and systems were to be completely scrambled together. Who would be so 'knowledge-able' as to unscamble them? And thus, what style or system would they really have after doing so?

This is the Way of the Martial Arts.

There is much more to the Martial Arts than just styles and systems; than just block, punch and kick; than just ranks and schools...than just you and me...
There is much more to the Martial Arts...