The phrase “martial arts” refers to various training methods and fighting styles practised for multiple purposes, including self-defence, competition, military and law enforcement activities, and personal, spiritual, and physical growth. Additionally, it’s a well-liked way to maintain your fitness, health, and wellbeing.
At Senshi Academy, we provide boxing, muay Thai, and judo classes for adults and children throughout Melbourne. Let’s examine the top seven most practised martial arts globally to give you an idea of the vast range of sports that fall under the martial arts category.
Japanese Karate
One of the most well-known martial arts, if not the most prominent, has some remarkable motions with solid punches, kicks, and blocks. Early in the 20th century, Karate emerged in Japan; the name “karate” in Japanese means “empty handed.” Karate is primarily a self-defence and fighting art. However, the karate way of life goes beyond the martial arts practice, where one will appreciate developing virtues like respect and discipline and recreating them in daily life.
China’s Kung Fu
Chinese martial arts come in various forms, some more traditional than others, and the title “Kung Fu” has come to encompass them all. It’s a well-known martial art form, and prominent practitioners include Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li. It has become famous through movies and television.
Japan’s Judo
Since judo is one of the more contemporary martial arts, it has been inspired by various styles that came before it. It is a well-liked competitive sport in Australia and around the world that requires exceptional physical prowess and mental fortitude to defeat an opponent. Judo techniques can lift and toss opponents onto their backs so that the participant can use the opponent’s strength against them. Once their opponent is on the ground, they can control them by pinning them down and using various tactics, such as joint locks and chokeholds, until their opponent submits.
Thailand’s Muay Thai
Muay Thai (also known as Thai Boxing), hailed as Thailand’s national sport and cultural martial art, originated as a kind of close combat in the 13th century. It is a full-contact sport where competitors must use grappling, kicking, cinching, and punching techniques to overcome their opponents. Striking an opponent demands both physical and mental stamina. It is a martial art that fights using the body as a weapon.
Brazil’s Jiu-Jitsu style
The Brazilian version of the Japanese martial art, which the Gracie family refined and adopted in 1925, involves competitors trying to out-position their opponent through the use of grips, chokes, joint manipulations, and locking of joints.
Israel’s Krav Maga
Israel’s national martial art is called Krav Maga, which translates to “contact battle” in Hebrew. It incorporates elements from other fighting styles, such as Jujutsu’s ground fighting and grappling, Karate’s kicks and knee techniques, and traditional boxing punches. Even though a Jewish wrestler and boxer created Krav Maga in the 1930s to teach his neighbours how to defend themselves, it has grown in popularity among the Israeli security forces and the special police. Since there are almost no rules and the practice’s primary goal is to attack your opponent while defending yourself, it is regarded as brutal martial art. It works well as self-defence on the field since it is more violent than competition or sport.
Japanese aikido
Participants are taught how to use the strength and energy of the attacker against them in battle, where one can disable their opponent but not seriously injure them. It was developed and invented in Japan in the early 1900s. Aikido is a fantastic alternative for self-defence because of this.
