Fighting Styles Around The World

The number of martial arts that have developed around the world is seemingly countless. In many cases, a martial art developed through contributions from people around the world. Some, however, are especially associated with the national history of specific countries.

Muay Thai

By far the most popular sport in Thailand, Muay Thai is a devastatingly effective striking martial art. It is known for its unique style of kicks -- landed with the shin, not the foot -- and for its brutal knee and elbow strikes.

Kung Fu

The term "kung fu" can actually be used to refer to many different specific styles of Chinese martial art. There are hundreds of different martial arts that are classified as forms of kung fu, with significant variation in the specifics philosophies and movements of the styles themselves The history of these kung fu styles is intricately linked to the history of China itself.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a modern adaptation of Japanese Jiu Jitsu that was developed in the 20th century. Unlike the relative obscurity of its Asian ancestor, however, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu burst onto the martial arts scene at the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, when Royce Gracie used it to defeat opponents from other backgrounds who were significantly larger and stronger than him by using Brazilian Jiu Jitsu's arsenal of chokes and joint locks.

Krav Maga

Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art that, like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has been developed relatively recently -- at least in comparison to ancient styles like Kung Fu and Muay Thai. When the nation of Israel was reformed in 1948, Imi Sde-Or was recruited to develop a hand-to-hand combat system for the new Israeli Defence Forces. Krav Maga was the resulting style, and as it quickly acquired a reputation for a devastating effectiveness that carried over well to civilian self-defense situations, it quickly became popular outside of Israel.

Karate

Like Kung Fu, karate is also a term that refers to multiple styles, including Shotokan, Kyokushin and Goju Ryu karate. Although each type of karate includes significant variations, they are all known for their primarily Japanese development -- although their history can also be traced back to older styles of Chinese Kung Fu -- and for their fast, powerful punches and kicks.