What martial arts styles are the most popular? Which martial arts style is the one for you? While there are over 170 martial arts styles in the world today, this blog post focuses on the ten most popular styles, including Taekwondo, with video links to demonstrate the differences in each.
Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu translates from the Japanese to mean “the gentle art.” It is a martial arts form based on grappling techniques that focus on taking the opponent to the ground and gaining a dominant position through chokes and joint locks.
Kung Fu
Kung Fu is an umbrella term for various Chinese martial art styles, including Shaolin and Tai Chi. These substyles have their own philosophies, principles and techniques but are mainly focused on strikes and kicks.
6 Kicking Techniques - Shaolin Kung Fu
Judo
Derived from Jiu-Jitsu, Judo is a Japanese martial art that translates to the “gentle way.” It also uses throwing and grappling techniques using control holds, arm locks, choking and pinning techniques. Judo has been an Olympic sport since 1964.
Karate
Karate, literally translating to “empty-handed,” is an unarmed self-defence martial art. It is based on striking, kicking and defensive blocking using the arms and legs. Strength, spirit, timing and tactics are all equally important in Karate.
Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport where participants wear protective equipment such as padded gloves and fight, predominantly using their fists, in a ring. There is debate about whether boxing qualifies as martial arts or not, although it ticks off all the requirements for a sport to be considered a martial art.
Wrestling
As one of the oldest sports in history, wrestling is also considered by some as the base of all Mixed Martial Arts. It uses grappling techniques to gain a superior position and subdue one’s opponent. There are many different styles and categories of wrestling, including freestyle and professional wrestling.
The Rules of Wrestling Explained
Tang Soo Do
Similar to Karate and Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do schools use hyung (forms) to teach kicking techniques, endurance, balance and coordination. Tang Soo Do is a traditional and defensive martial art, best known for its kicking combinations.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a combat sport developed from a combination of karate and boxing. It uses kicking and punching techniques for self-defence or as a combat sport.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is more commonly known as an internal martial art as its power comes from the mind, more than the muscle. It is practiced in slow motion to allow students to develop the proper techniques. The ultimate aim of Tai Chi is to cultivate harmony between the inner and outer self.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo originated in Korea and is a self-defence martial art that translates to “the way of hand and foot.” It is one of the oldest martial arts and has been an Olympic sport since the ’90s.