Even if your role models don’t include Jackie Chan or Jean-Claude Van Damme, the stars of many martial-arts movies, you may have a hankering to try some of the moves yourself—ratcheted down, of course. Before you do, here’s a look at the different types of martial arts, their possible health benefits (see inset) and risks, and how to get started.
Martialarts originated as ancient combat techniques. Depending on the form, they involve performing technical and often explosive moves such as kicks, punches, and throws; some types use swords, bow and arrow, or other weapons. Practitioners boost their strength, agility, balance, power, reflexes, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. Equally important as the fighting and technical aspects of martial arts are the mental and spiritual components, which focus on improving mental endurance, resilience, and concentration; controlling emotions and negative thinking; and even, ultimately, transcending the ego and its mental traps.
Types of martial arts
- Karate. This covers many styles of self-defense involving kicks, punches, and open-handed chops. It’s believed that the word “karate” was first used in Okinawa, Japan, when a martial artist created a form of martial art that had Chinese influences. 'Kara” originally referred to China and “karate” to Chinese hand—but the Japanese translation of karate is “empty hand.” As with all martial arts, karate has different levels of ranking, reflecting expertise. In karate (as well as many other martial arts) they’re denoted by belts in different colors, with the well-known black belt representing the highest level of expertise.
- Jujitsu. Developed in China and Japan, this martial art is a forerunner of both aikido and judo. All three martial arts rely on grappling, a technique that involves fighting in close proximity to your opponent with lots of body contact; it can involve anything from throws to strangle-type holds to taking your opponent to the ground or floor and fighting there. Jujitsu uses the attacker’s momentum to do joint locks (in which you force your opponent’s joint, such as an elbow or knee, beyond its normal range of motion, resulting in pain or injury) to restrain the opponent. One variant, Brazilian jujitsu, relies on choking the opponent and continuing the fighting on the ground.
- Aikido. Like jujitsu, this Japanese martial art—meaning “the way for harmony' or 'unification of your spiritual energy' or ki—makes use of the momentum and strength of the opponent to achieve your objective (sometimes called “nonresistance”). Aikido doesn’t use kicking and makes less use of hand strikes than jujitsu. Instead, the practitioner uses a lot of turning motions and pushing movements accompanied by joint locks.
- Judo. This martial art also originated in Japan. Like jujitsu and aikido, it’s based largely on grappling, but in this case with an emphasis on throws and pinning the opponent to the ground.
- Hapkido. This Korean martial art incorporates a variety of weapons, including belts, ropes, and canes. They’re used in moves including kicks, joint locks, throws, and hand strikes to the body’s pressure points.
- Kung fu. This Chinese martial art uses numerous fighting styles, some of them involving acrobatic elements such as flips, jumps, and high kicks. Kung fu can be loosely divided into two schools: those that focus on arm work, such as rapid, close-range punching; and those that focus on acrobatics, with kicks and leg work. Some kung fu forms encourage the practitioner to be aggressively forceful, while others encourage the yielding model, in which you use the attacker’s force against him or her. Some schools emphasize a focus on relaxation and visualization techniques.
- Capoeira. This Brazilian martial art was originally developed by Angolan slaves who disguised their self-defense moves as dance. It’s very acrobatic, with flips, punches, and kicks. See a video of a capoeira class.
- Krav maga. Developed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), krav maga (meaning “battle combat” in Hebrew) focuses on hand-to-hand combat with grappling, wrestling, and hand strikes. It also teaches the practitioner to use virtually any ordinary object in the environment—a tree branch, a garbage can lid—to help fend off an attacker, even one who is much larger and heavier. Classes are often taught by Israelis who served in the IDF.
- Tae kwon do. This Korean martial art may be one of the world’s oldest. It emphasizes kicking in particular, though the practice also incorporates hand strikes, joint locks, throws, and punches.
- Tai chi. Also known as tai chi chuan, this Chinese martial art involves choreographed, slow-motion postures. Some forms use a sword or other weapons. It’s said that tai chi originated when a Chinese monk saw the fluid movements of a crane fending off a snake and combined the graceful movements with Taoist breathing techniques. In the West today, tai chi is usually practiced as a form of exercise, rather than as a martial art.
- The lead hand pull and back hand strike. I find this technique more effective against an opponent.
- Ever wonder what your fighting style is? Find out if you're a wrestler, a boxer, or an even fiercer fighter! The Fighting Style Quiz will tell you. Which of these best describes the way you enter a room? Please answer this question. Shuffle in with shoulders hunched over. Confidently, and command the room.
- Learn the basics of yoga and how to use it to increase your stamina, flexibility and strength. Fighting Styles For Self-Defense. Most people learn some form of martial arts for self-defense. It also has other qualities, such as the imparting of ancient philosophies, and it is certainly a form of exercise.
- Physical Condition. Some martial arts types, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA.
Type Of Fighting Style
Health Benefits of Martial Arts
Martial arts can provide numerous health benefits for people of all ages. Here’s a summary of some recent research findings.
Maybe you fight on video games or love action movies. Answer a few questions to learn what type of fighter you are. Some people prefer to fight more strategically than on impulse. Maybe you fight on video games or love action movies. Toggle navigation.
Finding a class
You can find martial arts classes at community centers, health clubs, colleges and universities, and stand-alone studios. The first thing you should decide is what style or styles best fit what you’re looking for. Are you interested in martial arts as a fun workout, for example, or as a way to defend yourself, indulge your competitive side, or learn about another culture? Do you like to punch or kick? Would you rather not wrestle or do throws? Do you want to avoid physical contact altogether?
Once you’ve settled on a style, use these tips to guide you:
- Observe several classes to see how crowded they are, the demeanor of the different instructors and participants, and the general environment. Talk to students in the class you’re considering and find out what they think of the program and the instructors. Is the class a combination of all levels, or is there one reserved for beginners?
- Note that some classes are very competitive and may feel like military boot camp, while others are more relaxed. Some encourage or require sparring, even at the beginner level. Some are geared toward tournaments. While some classes rigidly follow traditional martial arts styles, others may include more contemporary moves or combine techniques from different styles.
- Some studios require that you sign a contract for a certain time period (similar to a gym membership) or number of classes and that you pay in advance. Before committing, see if you can take a trial class. There are also pay-as-you-go classes, sometimes with discounts for purchasing a multi-class package.
- Keep in mind that, like most forms of exercise, martial arts classes can carry some risk of injury. These are more likely in styles that involve sparring or other close contact with your opponent, like punches, throws, and joint attacks. Anyone with an overuse injury or who is not already physically fit should check with their doctor or a physical therapist before attempting a vigorous martial art. And older adults or people with health problems should check with their doctors before starting any martial arts class. For many older people, tai chi—with its gentle movements and lack of physical contact—is a good, if not the best, option, because it’s easier on joints yet has many of the same physical benefits as other martial arts.
- If you want to try a more intense martial art, note that many classes start with a vigorous warm-up, which may involve multiple push-ups, burpees, and jumping jacks. If these exceed your level of fitness, you might want to start with a gentler martial art or lower-level class and work up. For classes that involve sparring or other physical contact, you might also consider wearing a mouth guard,especially if you have bridges or implants.
Also see Tai Chi and Bones.
Published November 16, 2017
There are hundreds upon hundreds of martial arts styles. Most of them can be used for self-defense, but some are more practical than others. These five martial arts styles are ideal for teaching you what you need to know if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation.
Best Fighting Types Pokemon
#1 BJJ for Self Defense
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ, is great for self-defense because size doesn’t matter. One of the founders of the system had medical issues, thus he was weak and small. Jealous of his brothers’ ability to fight, he developed fighting and defensive techniques that use leverage instead of pure strength.
Don’t be fooled by the traditional Gis worn by BJJ practitioners- this isn’t one of those martial arts that was meant to stay in the gym. It’s a combat sport, and very useful when it comes to fighting on the street. Although it focuses on ground techniques, you learn how to take an opponent to the ground using throws and trips.
More importantly, you learn what to do if you end up on the ground. This is important because it is where most fights end up. Knowing how to handle yourself on the ground can come in handy in a dangerous situation. You learn a variety of submissions. Arm bars, chokes, and ankle-locks are only a few of the submissions taught to students. In training, you stop when your opponent taps. In real life, you could end up cutting off their air supply or breaking bones.
You also learn how to get out of bad situations by using sweeps. Through physics, you can turn a bad position into an advantage. Trapping the legs and arms of an opponent can put them off balance and move you from being pinned on the floor to being on top and in charge.
To practice techniques, you roll. Rolling is like sparring, and more like a real-world situation. It lets you experience what it would be like to be in a fight, but it is much safer. Instead of being injured, you tap when you (or your opponent) is caught in a painful position. Rolling makes it easy to apply BJJ techniques for self-defense.
#2 Muay Thai
Another combat martial art, Muay Thai, is known as “The Art of Eight Limbs.” Using elbows, knees, fists, and legs, students learn how to strike an opponent. Unlike BJJ, it focuses more on standing techniques than ground techniques.
The striking techniques taught in Muay Thai are devastatingly powerful. All strikes start at the ground- even punches use power from the hips to generate more power. The round kick is regarded as one of the most powerful kicks in martial arts- you can use it to take out the legs of an attacker without letting him get too close.
Although Muay Thai is mostly about striking, you do learn how to use some trips and throws to knock an attacker to the ground. With the Thai clinch, you hold an opponent close and land loaded knees and elbows. You can control his movement, even if he’s bigger than you.
Sparring is one of the ways you can practice your skills, and it prepares you for what could happen on the street. You learn what it feels like to have someone coming at you, and even learn how to take a punch. Injuries don’t happen too frequently, because students are taught to spar controlled and not to go at full intensity.
Which Type Of Fighting Is Best
Muay Thai is less intimidating to train because there is no formal uniform and (usually) no belt system. You can just show up and start learning. In addition to useful techniques, you also get a sense of confidence – and that goes a long way.
#3 Filipino Martial Arts
Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) isn’t a single martial art. It’s a collection of military martial arts from the Philippines developed to help the country protect itself from soldiers.
Hand-to-hand combat skills are the main strength of FMA. You learn weapons first. In addition to learning how to use them, you also learn how to defend against them. The list of weapons taught to FMA students is very long, and most of the techniques can be applied to weapons used today.
Once weapons are mastered, you learn striking techniques and some grappling. What you learn depends on the type of FMA school you attend. Some teach a variety of grappling techniques, while other schools teach none.
#4 Krav Maga
When it comes to fighting, Israel means business. That’s why you shouldn’t take Krav Maga lightly – it was developed specifically for the Israeli military. The founder of this form of combat based it upon many other martial arts. He borrowed techniques from jiu-jitsu, boxing, and other effective combat martial arts.
Krav Maga is ideal for self-defense situations because it’s made for precisely that purpose. You’re taught to go for the vulnerable parts of an attacker. Eye gouging, foot stomps, and kicks to the groin are all practiced (and effective) techniques. Unlike some martial arts that spend time teaching students how to get points in competitions, the only goal of Krav Maga is to defend yourself.
Weapons training is part of Krav Maga. You learn how to use anything in your environment as a weapon and how to defend against knives, guns, and other weapons. If you’re ever stuck in a bad situation, Krav Maga can help.
#5 for Self Defense MMA
MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts – it’s a combination of many martial arts styles all combined to form one tough sport. It’s great if you want to learn a little about everything. You can learn how to defend yourself on the ground, standing up, and you get practical experience.
Most MMA gyms focus on BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, Judo, and Taekwondo. And though it borrows from other arts, it is its own sport as these borrowed techniques come together as one.
In MMA you’ll learn techniques for taking down an opponent, standing up and striking, and submitting them on the ground. You never know where a struggle will take place, and this prepares you for anything. Training involves sparring, so you learn how to use the techniques in a more realistic situation.
The only thing missing from MMA for self-defense is weapons training. Even without that, MMA is very useful for self-defense.
Conclusion
All Types Of Fighting
ADT
In the end, what type of gym you choose isn't what matters most, but the confidence and skills you'll get from self-defense lessons that can truly make a huge difference. However, it's not enough to learn self-defense. We highly recommend adding ways to protect yourself, especially when you're out and about. For instance, ADT offers a free family safety app to their customers, allowing family members to track each other's locations. For an additional $9.99/month, the safety app, called ADT Go, gains the ability to call for help with just a push of a button. If pressed, the button will send an alert to ADT's monitoring center indicating the user's current location so they can send help. In a situation where using self-defense is not ideal, fleeing and calling for help might be a better solution.