Most martial arts can be traced back to the same root, a blending of mind, body and spirit. Likewise, most martial arts require character, discipline and determination to advance in rank. Some even involve learning various healing methods, although this aspect of the martial arts is rarely taught in Western schools. Given these similarities, the elements of each martial art's fighting style may be what distinguishes it from other martial arts.
Distance
Most martial arts styles focus on either long-, middle- or close-distance fighting. For example, tae kwon do tends to keep the opponent an arm's or leg's length away. Hapkido, a Korean martial art focused on middle-distance techniques, often allows the opponent to get just within arm's length before dealing with him, but doesn't take him to the ground. Jiujitsu and judo, both Japanese arts, involve close-contact throws and ground techniques.
Striking, Locking, Throwing and Grappling
You can also distinguish martial arts styles by how they deal with the opponent once he's in the respective range. The actual movement/fighting style correlates well with the fighting distance, too. Striking arts like tae kwon do and shotokan tend to keep the opponent far away. Medium-distance arts like hapkido incorporate joint locks and throws, and grappling arts like jiujitsu often end up with both opponents wrestling on the ground. Most martial arts involve more than one type of technique. Tae kwon do practitioners may learn rudimentary joint locks, and hapkido uses some basic strikes.
Hard, Soft, Weapons and Acrobatics
Most martial arts can be classified as either hard or soft. Hard styles tend to involve direct, straight-line strikes; softer styles use circular movements to deflect the opponent's energy instead of confronting it directly. Weapons are another distinguishing factor for many martial arts styles. You'll encounter weapons traditionally associated with a country of origin -- for example, the bo staff or Chinese broadsword -- or, occasionally, an art centered around a specific weapon. Kendo is a Japanese martial art that focuses solely on the sword as a weapon. A few fighting styles take to the air more than others, including tae kwon do with its sometimes-acrobatic kicks, capoeira with its flips, cartwheels and handstands, and various kung fu styles involving aerials and leaps.
Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts, or MMA, originally referred to a tournament where fighters of any martial arts style could enter. You might see a kickboxer fighting a capoeira maestre, or a tae kwon do fighter against a muay thai boxer. However, training in a single style tended to leave you open to some specialized fighting moves from other styles, particularly grappling. Thus, MMA has evolved to represent a rounded training regimen that blends the elements of many martial arts styles, including boxing, kickboxing, judo, jiujitsu and wrestling.
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