Looking to become a martial arts expert, but unsure of which discipline to pursue?
Weve got you covered withtodays guide to the most popular types of martial arts around the world.
Or, do you want to learnself-defenseor a new sport and are considering martial arts?
Table of Contents
What Are Martial Arts?
Martial arts are a fighting skill set or sport.
Many martial arts originated in Asia.
However, as knowledge spread, new forms were also created in other parts of the world.
Practitioners of each art form often dedicate their entire lives to martial arts training.
How Many Types of Martial Arts Are there?
There are about 180 different types ofmartial artsglobally, comprising thousands of fighting styles, techniques, and forms.
Judo
Judo is a modern Japanese martial art developed by Kano Jigoro in 1882.
Kano was a student of jiu-jitsu, one of the oldest martial arts in Japan.
Jiu-jitsu is a close-combat fighting system, where practitioners learn many fatal moves.
Judo focuses on taking the opponent down with grappling techniques, immobilizing them without causing grievous injury.
Primary practices employed in judo are throwing, grappling, and striking.
Students practice extensively in break-falls to avoid injury during training.
Many modern martial arts have derived from judo, including krav maga, sambo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
In addition, many mixed martial arts styles also incorporate grappling techniques from judo.
Ueshiba developed aikido after many years of studying various martial arts.
One such martial art that heavily influenced the techniques he included in Aikido was Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu.
Ueshiba wanted to create a fighting system where practitioners could defend themselves while preventing injury to the attacker.
Okinawa was part of the Ryukyu kingdom, which the Japanese Empire later annexed in 1879.
The Japanese Martial Arts Committee recognized the art as a Japanese martial art in 1933.
Karate is a self defense oriented martial art form focusing on striking, kicking, and defensive blocking.
Jiu Jitsu
Jiu Jitsu is a Japanese martial arts style that has spread worldwide.
Brazilian jiu jitsu is a branch of this popular self-defense martial art form popularized by the Gracie brothers.
As a martial arts style, Japanese Jiu Jitsu is an armed and unarmed combat system.
The first known writings relating to Jiu Jitsu date back to 700AD.
The earliest known styles date back to around the year 1100.
Lets look at three major Kung Fu branches that form this martial arts style.
Wudang Kungfu is a class of Chinese martial arts that focuses on utilizing the mind to control the body.
These are known as internal practice martial arts.
Tai Chi characterizes slow, smooth movements, circle walking, and static postures.
Elements of tai chi as a form of self-defense include hand and weapon routines and striking techniques.
This form also incorporates meditation, breathing, and awareness exercises.
Bagua Zhang
Like Tai Chi, Bagua Zhang is an internal practice martial art.
The primary aspect of Bagua Zhang is circle walking.
Practitioners walk around a circle while maintaining a low stance as they perform various moves and change direction.
Fighters can use any part of their body to attack the opponent.
To do this, trainees need tobuild strong musclesand develop core strength.
Weapons are also part of many Bagua Zhang fighting.
For example, the.
The double-edged straight sword, spear, staff, and the Bagua broadsword are some of theweaponsused.
As a result, Chan philosophy heavily influenced the martial arts style.
Chan Buddhism is a sect connected to Bodhidharma.
The major techniques are kicking, hitting, grabbing, and wrestling.
However, while all kung fu styles utilize all of these techniques, some forms emphasize a preferred technique.
Basic skills learners acquire in training include balance, flexibility, and stamina.
Combat skills include weapon and barehanded fighting styles.
Kung fu covers multiple styles, including dragon claw, tiger claw and eagle claw kung fu.
Korean Martial Arts
Between 1910 to 1945, Korea was under Japanese rule.
During this period, most Korean martial artists studied Japanese martial arts and Chinese Kung Fu.
Besides these hybrid martial arts styles, Korean ancient martial arts like Taekkyon are also widely practiced.
This was something the Korean martial arts school sought to solve.
They developed Tae kwon do from Chinese, Japanese, and indigenous Korean fighting styles.
Its main defining techniques are kicking and punching.
There are no weapons included in Tae kwon do.
Instead, practitioners attack and defend with their feet and hand strikes, with an emphasis on agility.
Taekwondo is an Olympic sport, having first featured in the games in 2000.
Hapkido
Most martial arts either focus on close-range or long-range attack and defense techniques.
However, Hapkido is a Korean martial art style that includes both.
Hapkido derives many kicking and striking techniques from indigenous Korean arts like Tang Soo Do and Taekkyon.
Like Bagua Zhang, Hapkido focuses on gaining an advantage over the opponent through body positioning and footwork.
In this manner, practitioners use circular movements to avoid attacks.
Thai martial arts are some of the ancient fighting styles that have managed to maintain relevance and popularity today.
Like the arts from East Asian countries, theyve inspired many modern self-defense and fighting styles.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is undoubtedly one of the most popular martial art combat sports today.
The art goes back to the 16th century when soldiers of King Naresuan practiced it as a fighting system.
Muay Thai was first introduced as a sport in 18th century Thailand.
Punching and striking are the main focus of Muay Thai techniques.
Practitioners use knees, elbows, feet, and fists to deliver kicks, strikes, and punches.
Fighters use the elbow to deliver uppercut, diagonal, and flying strikes.
Half-knee, step-up, roundhouse, and jumping are kicking techniques in Muay Thai.
Krabi Krabong
Krabi Krabong is one of the most popular weapon-based martial arts.
Krabi Krabong, on the other hand, influenced Muay Thai.
Cambodian Martial Arts
Martial arts are an essential part of Cambodian history and culture.
Performances of traditional martial arts are a common sight during festivals in the country.
Bokator
Bokator is a close-quarter combat system initially used by Khmer armies in battles.
Khmer refers to the ethnic people of Cambodia.
The martial art focused on striking and ground fighting, with hand to hand andweapontechniques utilized.
People who went against the directive were detained or executed, including those the government deemed intellectuals.
The Khmer Rouge was ousted by the Vietnamese, who occupied the country and outlawed native martial arts.
Other Martial Arts
Weve mentioned that many Asian martial arts influenced the development of several modern styles.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is a martial art developed by Imi Lichtenfeld for the Israel Defense Forces.
Lichtenfeld was a Hungarian-Israeli Jew who grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Growing up, Lichtenfeld was a professional boxer and wrestler who won national championships in both disciplines.
After leaving the country, he started developing a practical martial art style for use in real-world situations.
Hence, Krav Maga was born.
His goal was to create a highly effective combat system that would come in handy in aggressive fights.
Trainees learn to defend against attacks while delivering strikes to their opponents simultaneously.
It joined the Olympics in 648BC, and fighters were allowed to use any fighting technique against their opponent.
The only rule in Pankration prohibited biting and eye-pokingall else was game.
In 1993, the first UFC fight happened, won by the son of one of the Gracie brothers.
Its also simply an incredible sight to watch the freewheeling acrobatics set to music on Brazils rhythmic streets.
Martial Arts FAQs
Which Martial Arts Is the Best?
Its about what it teaches you on the broader spectrum of life.
So, instead, it would help to focus on which martial arts is best for you.
Are you more interested in self-defense, or are you looking for ahobbyto help you relax?
Perhaps your main interest is in combat sports.
Do you prefer long-range or close-range fighting styles?
By determining what you want, youll identify the martial art that suits you best.
What Are the Health Benefits of Self Defense Training?
Any form of exercise is essential.
Can I Learn Martial Arts at Home?
Yes, you’re free to learn martial arts at home.
There are plenty of free instructional videos online with easy-to-learn techniques for beginners.
Theres also the issue of sparring partners.
Who Are the Most Famous Practitioners of Martial Arts?
However, some names are more mainstream than others.
Bruce Lee even created his own jot down of martial art, Jeet Kune Do.
The different techniques employed within Jeet Kune Do means it is ideally suited to that form of combat.
How Long Does it Take to Master a Martial Art?
Theres no fixed period for how long it takes to learn martial arts.
How fast you master skills and techniques depends on your commitment to training.
Most students learn fundamental skills within a year, with weekly or bi-weekly training sessions.
With thousands of techniques in some forms of martial arts, theres always something new to learn.
Am I Too Old/Young to Start Martial Arts?
Theres no limit as to what age you’re able to start learning martial arts.
Children as young as three, seniors, teenagers, and adults all attend martial arts schools.
Most schools take trainees of all ages, so youll easily find a suitable course.
Other than making you a proficient fighter, martial arts will also enhance your self-development significantly.
Martial art trainees usually have increased confidence, self-esteem, and self-discipline.
