Types of Martial Arts
Martial arts can certainly be associated with big names like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan who have made this sport reach new heights while bringing the right exposure to it alongside. That was the time when not many people were aware of this sport and only came to know about it through Hollywood movies. Martial arts is a sport which can be brought into practice in real life for various reasons including self-defense, Improving physical fitness, and for entertainment or Competition purpose.
Moreover, there are many people around the world who look forward to Martial arts as a sport to Attain Spiritual growth and in the span of just a few years; it has attracted the attention of millions of people across the globe. While many people are still interested in getting more and more knowledge about this sport, let’s take a look at various types of Martial arts present in the world today.
Judo
Judo is a sport which got its roots in Japan and usually been practiced on a competitive level around the world. The sport involves two participants with each of them playing with the main motive of bringing down their opponent for getting some points. The main reason behind the evolution of this sport in Japan was said to be increasing the competitiveness factor amongst the people while bringing sport in their routines. This is one of the few sports around d the world where even a small person can take down a bigger opponent with the help of the right technique and perfect fighting spirit. Though this sport still lacks some of the more efficient striking techniques which are present in other types of Martial arts, it still holds its own place in the hearts of sports lovers around the globe.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing originated mainly from the United States of America and this sport is usually been practiced for self defense and Fitness. The Sport includes a set of strategies which is a deadly combination of some hardcore punches, knees kicks, head butt to kick down the opponent in the given set of time. Still, even an impactful kick right to the face is considered sufficient to let down any person in a matter of few seconds. This game is more about speed and alertness and the participant’s needs to be real quick and attentive in order to win the contest.
Karate
Karate is another type of Martial art which evolved from Japan and it generally involves the typical kicks, hardcore punches, elbow shots and various other open hand attacking techniques. The main focus during the match stays on averting the attacks from the opponent while taking control of the fight by combating everything coming from the other end. While other types of a martial arts focus more on attacking the face and upper body of the opponent, Karate usually aims towards hitting the plexus, a sensitive point in the human body right below the sternum which automatically makes the opponent numb and let him down in no time.
Also Check: Karate Belt Order
Aikido
Aikido is another type of martial art which saw its evolution from the land of Japan. The Sport was majorly created in order to let people use it in their self defense and even the person who created it wanted everyone to practice it without creating any trouble to the other person.
The Sport doesn’t include the attacking spirit by any means and the participants are required to identify the weakness of their respective opponents and react in such a manner that their own weaknesses aren’t exposed to the other participant. Though the movement of the attacker shouldn’t sound like attacking even if they are going for the same and use the momentum of the opponent again to beat them up. Though this game doesn’t require much speed, it includes the presence of mind along with utmost focus.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is another type of Martial art which came from the Korean Republic and involves the use of high kicks along with the quick motion of hands. The Sport is generally based on the belief that the Leg is the strongest part of the body and can be used to combat any attack from the opponent while kicking them down at the same time. Some of the athletes who train themselves for this sport can be seen breaking the bricks and logs of woods with their hands and this clearly confirms how much power, and agility this sport takes in the process.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
As the name suggests, this type of martial arts belongs to the land of Brazil and can be considered as one of the most ruthless versions of the sport around the world which involves some life-threatening moves like eye scratching, holding the chokes, biting, snatching, hardcore punches and Locking the body joints. The competition between two people sometimes goes over the line as an opponent can also manoeuvre the limb of their opponent until it breaks down and further strike them with a flurry of hardcore punches and elbow strikes at one go.
Boxing
Boxing, as we all know is all about striking down your opponent with hard punches in the stipulated time. One of the most famous sporting legends around the world Mohammed Ali is regarded as the best Boxing player of all time and during his time; he has punched down most of his competitors with the match lasting for only a few minutes. While this agility and power come after years of practice within the sport, the modern-day boxers use Body science to a great extent while improving their Body strength and agility at the same time.
Wrestling
This type of Martial arts has originated from Europe and generally been practised on a mat which involves two opponents. While most of the people aren’t aware of this sport being a type of Martial arts, this one’s actually the most popular version of the same since many decades around.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is another type of martial art which comes from Iran and is specifically been crafted to ensure a person’s survival during the street fights. Moreover, the whole Iranian army is been trained on the same to make them more agile and focused towards their defence.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai comes from Thailand and while it is also been termed as an Art of Eight Limbs, this type of a martial art generally involves lots of kicks, punches, Elbow and knee shots to bring down the opponent. Along with Brazilian Jiu- Jutsu, this sport is been regarded as one of the most brutal forms of martial arts.
Hapkido
Hapkido is a Korean martial art which uses joint locks, kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. Weapons such as sword, nunchaku, rope, cane, and staff are also used, although their emphasis varies. Hapkido focuses on using circular motions, non-resisting movements, and control of the opponent, using footwork and body positioning to gain leverage and avoid strength against strength. Although aikido and hapkido are thought to share a common history, they differ significantly in philosophy, range of responses, and execution of techniques.
KUNG-FU
A number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. There are common themes to the various styles (which are usually classified by families, schools, or sects). Some styles include physical exercises that mimic animal movements, while others are inspired by Chinese philosophies, religions, and legends. Internal styles focus mainly on harnessing of qi, while external styles concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness. Some of the more common styles include Eagle Claw, Hung Gar, Five Animals (Shaolin Kung Fu), Monkey, Praying Mantis, and Wing Chun.
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)
Mixed martial arts is a full-contact sport that allows a variety of fighting styles to be used (including martial and non-martial arts techniques). Striking and grappling techniques, either standing or on the ground, are allowed. The early years of the sport saw a wide variety of traditional styles, but as the sport evolved many styles were shown to be ineffective. It is now common for fighters to train in multiple styles, creating a more balanced skillset.
Tai-chi
Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art practised for both its defense training and its health benefits. A multitude of training forms exist, including the westernized, standardized version of tai chi (tai chi chih) which has visual similarities to the Chinese tai chi (tai chi chuan), but no martial arts aspect. Some forms are particularly well known because of their slow movement.
Sambo
Sambo is truly distinct from other martial art that originated from Asia, sambo has its origin from the old USSR. The name was gotten from an acronym which translates literally to “self-defense without weapons”
Sambo drives most of its fighting technique from the combination of judo and jujitsu which focuses on take-downs throws, ground grappling, joint-chokes and chokehold.
