The seven most popular types of martial arts, such as Karate, Taekwondo, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and Jiu Jitsu, have been around for centuries. Each of these martial arts has its own unique style and purpose. Karate is a self-defense-oriented martial art form that focuses on hitting, kicking and blocking defensively. It was mainly used for discipline and self-defense, but is now used as part of combat sports.
Kung-Fu is generally divided into two schools depending on the fighter's area of focus. It places great emphasis on philosophy and on the understanding of opponents, although different schools may choose to achieve this goal in different ways. Jiu-Jitsu, also known as jujitsu, is another martial art that originated in Japan. It is used in combat sports and MMA organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator.
Aikido means “the path of harmony”, a form of martial art with a specific focus on the philosophy of channeling and unifying spiritual energy. Judo is a form of martial art that originated in Japan and is an official Olympic sport. Taekwondo originates in Korea, where it is described as “one of the oldest martial arts disciplines”. It uses a variety of striking techniques, which are combined with a blocking and knocking system.
MMA has become a very popular practice among children, adolescents and young adults. It was mainly established as part of combat sports and is widely used by UFC and Bellator fighters in cage fighting competitions. Many modern martial arts have been derived from judo, such as krav maga, sambo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In addition, many mixed martial arts styles also incorporate judo grappling techniques.
