Different Types of Martial Arts — A Complete Guide to 15+ Styles

Origin: Brazil (1920s, from Japanese judo)

BJJ focuses on ground fighting and submissions. It was designed for smaller people to defeat larger opponents using leverage, technique, and positional control. BJJ became globally famous through the UFC, where Royce Gracie submitted fighters 50+ pounds heavier. Today, BJJ is one of the fastest-growing martial arts in the world.

Fastest-growing martial art globally. Over 5 million practitioners worldwide.

Origin: Thailand (13th century)

Known as "the art of eight limbs," Muay Thai uses punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. It's the most complete stand-up striking art and the striking base of choice for most MMA fighters. Muay Thai also includes clinch fighting — close-range control that's unique among striking arts.

The dominant striking art in MMA. Huge growth in the West since 2010.

Origin: Okinawa, Japan (17th century)

Karate is a striking art emphasizing punches, kicks, and kata (forms). It encompasses dozens of sub-styles including Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Kyokushin, and Wado-Ryu. Kyokushin (full-contact karate) is the most combat-effective variant. Karate became an Olympic sport in 2020.

One of the most practiced martial arts globally. Olympic sport since 2020.

Origin: Japan (1882)

Judo focuses on throws — using an opponent's momentum to slam them to the ground. Founded by Jigoro Kano, judo evolved from Japanese jujutsu and later gave birth to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Judo also includes pins and submissions on the ground, though less extensively than BJJ.

Olympic sport since 1964. Practiced in 200+ countries.

Origin: Ancient Mesopotamia (~3000 BCE)

The oldest martial art. Wrestling teaches you to take opponents down and control them on the ground through pins. Freestyle and Greco-Roman are the competitive styles. Collegiate wrestling is dominant in the US. Wrestlers are consistently some of the most successful MMA fighters because they control where the fight happens.

Olympic sport. Wrestlers dominate in MMA (Khabib, DC, Cejudo).

Origin: Ancient Greece (~688 BCE, modern form from England 18th century)

Boxing is the "sweet science" — just hands, but mastered to an extreme degree. It teaches footwork, head movement, timing, distance management, and punching power. A trained boxer's footwork and timing are among the most transferable skills to any fighting situation.

Most accessible martial art. Gyms available in virtually every city.

Origin: South Korea (1940s–1950s)

Taekwondo is famous for its spectacular high kicks and spinning techniques. It emphasizes speed, flexibility, and kicking power. WT (World Taekwondo) style is an Olympic sport focused on point sparring with electronic scoring. ITF style is more traditional with hand techniques.

Olympic sport since 2000. One of the most practiced martial arts for children.

Origin: China (~1500 BCE)

Kung fu is a broad term covering hundreds of Chinese martial arts styles. Major families include Wing Chun, Shaolin, Tai Chi, and Sanda (Chinese kickboxing). Sanda is the competitive, combat-effective version. Traditional kung fu emphasizes forms, philosophy, and cultural heritage.

Massive global cultural influence. Sanda is gaining competitive popularity.

Origin: Israel (1930s–1940s)

Krav Maga is a self-defense system developed for the Israeli Defense Forces. It combines techniques from boxing, wrestling, aikido, and judo. The focus is on real-world survival scenarios: weapon disarms, choke defenses, and multiple attackers. It's not a sport — there are no competitions or rules.

Huge popularity in self-defense community. Quality varies significantly by gym.

Origin: Modern form: Brazil/USA (1990s, UFC founded 1993)

MMA combines the best techniques from BJJ, wrestling, Muay Thai, boxing, and other arts into one combat system. Fighters must be competent standing up, in the clinch, and on the ground. MMA has become the fastest way to develop well-rounded fighting ability.

Fastest-growing combat sport. UFC draws millions of viewers globally.

Origin: Japan (1920s)

Aikido focuses on redirecting an attacker's energy and using joint locks and throws. Founded by Morihei Ueshiba, it emphasizes harmony and non-aggression. Aikido is philosophical and beautiful but has faced criticism for lacking live sparring and pressure testing.

Declining in popularity relative to BJJ and MMA due to lack of competitive testing.

Origin: Global (evolved from catch wrestling and BJJ)

Submission wrestling is grappling without the gi (uniform). It combines techniques from BJJ, wrestling, and catch wrestling. Athletes compete in shorts and rash guards instead of a gi. The ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) is the premier no-gi grappling competition.

Explosive growth driven by ADCC and the "new wave" of submission-only competitions.

Origin: Brazil (16th century, African roots)

Capoeira is a unique blend of martial arts, dance, acrobatics, and music. Developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil, it was disguised as a dance to avoid detection. Modern capoeira features spectacular acrobatic kicks, cartwheels, and sweeps performed to live music in a "roda" (circle).

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Global community centered on cultural preservation.

Origin: Soviet Union (1920s)

Sambo was developed for the Soviet military by combining techniques from judo, wrestling, and traditional folk wrestling styles. Combat Sambo includes strikes and is extremely effective. Many top MMA fighters (Khabib, Fedor) came from Sambo backgrounds.

Growing in popularity outside Russia due to MMA success of Sambo athletes.

Origin: South Korea (1940s)

Hapkido combines joint locks, throws, and kicks. It's similar to aikido in philosophy but includes more strikes and practical defensive techniques. Hapkido is often taught alongside taekwondo in Korean martial arts schools.

Practiced in 30+ countries, often alongside taekwondo.