Training in any martial art will result in increased levels of physical fitness and self-confidence. It will improve your ability to defend yourself if confronted with violence. However, the best martial art to train in varies from individual to individual and must be considered carefully before a commitment of time and money is made. When deciding which martial art is best for you, consider your personal goals and the enjoyment you would derive from each type of training.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Developed by members of the Gracie family during the early part of the 20th century, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a self-defense-oriented martial art derived from Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. The focus of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is ground combat, or grappling, as opposed to striking arts like boxing or karate. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has many similarities to freestyle and collegiate wrestling, such as its use of take-down techniques; however, it also places a strong emphasis on submission holds such as chokes and joint locks and full-contact training between students. The fundamental philosophy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that through proper technique, a smaller, weaker person can overcome a stronger opponent.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai, or the "science of the eight limbs," originated in Thailand more than 2,000 years ago. A striking martial art, Muay Thai contains techniques for using the fists, elbows, head, knees and feet as weapons. As a competitive sport that is still practiced in Thailand today, Muay Thai shares many similarities with western kickboxing. Fighters use boxing gloves to protect both their opponents and their own hands from powerful blows, fight in a squared ring and compete in weight classes for championship titles. In addition to fighting techniques, Muay Thai contains a number of rituals intended to demonstrate respect for the tradition of the art and their teacher, or kru.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is the official martial arts style of the Israel Defense Forces, and was developed in Israel as a modern and combat-oriented self-defense system. In contrast to many other martial arts, Krav Maga focuses on techniques that could be applied in combat situations involving firearms and bladed weapons. Students of Krav Maga are taught simple, but effective techniques that are drilled until they become instinct and can be executed instantly in a violent confrontation. In addition to offensive and defensive martial techniques, students learn how to adapt to the quickly changing environment of combat by being forced to spar full-contact with multiple attackers, when disoriented or physically exhausted, and when attacked from strange angles or with reduced visibility. Krav Maga is not considered a sport, as its only goal is to prepare each student to deal with highly dangerous situations and thus competition among students is not emphasized.
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