Martial arts have always been a vital part of absolutely any civilization on Earth… Starting with the Roman and Greek wrestling tradition, Western Boxing or baritsu and all the way to the Chinese & Japanese Karate, Judo and Filipino martial arts…
So regardless of what times and environment do you live in, knowing a good set of moves and punches to apply for a self-defense or practicing any kind of martial arts for the general fitness and health stays relevant.
In this article we want to list those martial arts styles that are the most dominant in the US nowadays, starting with Karate and finishing with MMA…
Judo
Originating as a competitive professional sport from the islands of Japan, by now Judo has achieved a worldwide acclaim….
Within its rules of fighting the primary victory condition is to throw or takedown your opponent for points. Despite being originally created for sport and physical fitness, it has since grown to become an effective martial art in close combat through the use of leverage. “Maximum efficiency, minimum effort” is the main idea of this specific martial art. If employing proper technique and balance, a person can beat a much larger opponent easily.
Regardless of all the advantages and a long history of being practiced it has one big flaw – a lack of strikes…
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is generally practiced for a wide range of purposes: be it for maintaining general physical fitness, improving one’s self-defense or simply delving into a pro or semi-pro sports activities…
There are different origins of the sport, but the American version of kickboxing is the most used around the world, rivaled only by the Japanese kickboxing. All in all, it combines a versatile set of techniques, such as punches, knees, and kicks to disarm an opponent or attacker. A swift front kick to the face is usually more than enough to disarm any person. Speed and agility are two factors which are by far the most crucial ones, since the person must strike before the attacker can react and respond.
Karate
Karate has originally appeared in Japan and nowadays it is being practiced primarily for sports and recreational purposes… This martial art consists of such fighting elements as the typical kicking, punching, elbows and also incorporates open hand techniques. The main focus is on deflecting an attack, which makes it primarily a self-defense art, as opposed to MMA.
Aikido
This yet another Japanese fighting technique literally translates as “the harmonious spirit” and it is by far the most peaceful self-defense style of them all. That’s no wonder, as the creator of this technique meant to let people repeal any attack without causing any kind of damage towards their opponent… The majority of aikido is not striking, it is based on the principle that an attacker exposes themselves each time they go on the attack. The person is supposed to recognize the vulnerability and respond with an attack to ensure that he is not exposed himself. The defender is instructed to go with the movement of the attacker and use his momentum against him, instead of fighting against it.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a distinctively Korean martial art, which effectively balances both self-defense and attack, as a way of sport and physical fitness exercising. Its set of fighting moves focuses on high kicks and quick hand movements. Taekwondo is based upon the belief that the leg is the strongest and furthest reaching limb that a person has, thus having the greatest potential to be used as a powerful weapon. So it makes an emphasis on the fact that using the legs as a main weapon of choice can keep an attacker at a distance.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an all around exhaustive and complex sport based out of Brazil around 100 years ago. It is distinctive for it vicious and aggressive moves such as eye gouging, choke holds, biting, grappling, hard striking, and joint locks. Once an attacker is brought to the ground, the first step is to get a hold on a limb and manipulate it at the joint until it breaks. After the attacker is immobilized, the martial artist can kick the face with either fists or elbows… This martial art is not recommended for complete novices due to its cruelty, which sometimes borders common sense.. .
Traditional Western Boxing
This martial art is by far the most limited one, restricting you to the use of your fists only, with no leg or head kicking allowed. It enhances person’s reaction time, while making trainees sharper with their hands and quick on their feet to keep your balance. Boxers are usually very lean, tough, and solid. They are not as thick or heavy as body builders because they rely heavily on their agility in the ring.
Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the most ancient forms of combat, probably originating from either Roman or Greek republics or the Egyptian kingdom…. As opposed to the “burlesque” WWE modified version of wrestling, traditional kinds are practiced on a small mat with no ropes. Wrestling is one of the few martial arts that is also practiced in schools everywhere, from middle school all the way up to college.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga has been invented in an independent Israel after WW2 and is a universally practiced bu both the army and police forces there… It has been designed for the purpose of street survival and it is taught to the entire defense force of the country. This martial art incorporates some aspects of Jiu Jitsu grappling and ground fighting, Karate kicks and knees, and traditional boxing punches.
Muay Thai
This martial art has originated in Thailand and is also known as the Art of Eight Limbs. This martial art heavily employs such fighting elements as punches, kicks, knees and elbows in forming an attack. The sport can be very violent and brutal, but due to many safeguards today, it has become more universally popular, sometimes (though pretty rarely) even attracting female practitioners…