Martial arts come in a wide variety of styles, methods and philosophies. They evolved over centuries in cultures all over the world. Many branch off to become new martial arts or combine elements of several martial arts to become a unique new blend. Some of the most popular martial arts studied in the United States are ancient while others are relatively new.
Kung Fu
Kung Fu or "Wushu" is among the most ancient martial arts. It emerged in China and branched off into hundreds of different styles. Some are lower-body styles emphasizing strong kicks while other are upper-body styles focusing on punching. Some are hard styles,such as the explosive Wing Chung, while others are soft and internal, as in Tai Chi. Bruce Lee developed his own style of Kung Fu called Jeet Kun Do.
Karate
Karate is a distinctly Japanese martial art developed by the samurai warrior class. It involves ritualized routines of punching and kicking. Strikes are direct and powerful. There is very little wasted motion in karate.
Judo
Judo is a Japanese martial art that focuses on throwing and grappling. There are few strikes in judo. The goal is subdue your opponent with balance, strategy and technique, not to harm him. Many modern practitioners of judo view it as a sport as well as a martial art. The Olympic games began featuring judo competitions in 1964.
Tae Kwon Do
Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art that is also an Olympic sport. It emphasizes strong kicks and ritualized forms. There are several similar styles of tae kwon do with their own systems and curriculum. Hapkido is another Korean martial art derived from tae kwon do. It features throws and joint locks in addition to strong kicks.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art designed to disable an opponent in the most expedient way possible. Techniques are direct and aimed at vulnerable points on the opponent's body. Unarmed defense against an armed opponent is one of the specialties of Krav Maga.
Jujutsu
Jujutsu is a martial art developed by the samurai of ancient Japan. It focuses on disabling an opponent with throws, joint locks and choke holds. Japanese immigrants introduced the martial art to Brazil where it evolved into Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It is now popular worldwide because of the fighting success of the Gracie family that helped develop the martial art.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is the kickboxing martial art of Thailand. It is characterized by extremely fast round kicks to the legs and ample use of elbows and knees. It is designed for quick, close-quarter combat.
Mixed Martial Arts
The popularity of professional mixed martial arts fights is stimulating an interest in studying several martial arts styles. Modern mixed martial artists learn karate punches, Muay Thai kicks, judo throws and Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappling. They take the most effective elements from each martial art to create an entirely new fighting style.
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