Today, Chinese martial arts are amongst the most popular ones in the entire world. You might be someone who’s looking for seeing results in the fighting world, which is why you want to start learning a martial art that’s effective, dynamic, fierce, aggressive, and valuable.
So if that’s you, you came to the right place. Or, if you’re interested in martial arts as a whole, you’re also in the perfect article for your preferences.
Anyways, what we’ll cover in this article are the seven most effective Chinese martial arts. You might ask, why Chinese? Well, the answer is quite simple; some of the ones we’ll cover in this article are the most deadly and effective globally!
Therefore, you’ll be able to start practicing either one and see unmatched results that you would have never seen if you were to randomly choose a martial art, let it be modern or traditional. When you choose a suitable martial art for your personality, goals, and deep desires, you’ll end up getting more results, doing so sooner, staying consistent, and enjoying the process much more.
And now, let’s dive in!
#7 – Qigong
The first Chinese martial art we’ll review is named Qigong. I’m a big fan of more spiritual fighting styles, as some of my readers know already. This one is most suitable for those looking to incorporate more peace in their lives.
But most importantly, Qigong is a martial art that will teach you the most critical thing you want to achieve in life. In fact, it’s so rare these days that there are times when I don’t meet a person with this trait for a few months straight.
So what trait will Qigong give you?
Qigong will help you be at peace with your mind. It’ll assist you in forcing your mind to corporate with what you really want, which is mostly purpose and goals. Imagine a person who can do whatever he really wants to do. Wouldn’t he be in complete control over his actions and inevitably achievements in life?
If that were the case for me, I would be running every single day at 5 am, working on my business for 10 hours per day, and rarely would I watch TV or Netflix (procrastinate.)
A person who has control of his mind is in control of his past, present, and future. So when you see someone saying spiritual martial art, like Qigong, are useless, you’ll know the truth and you’ll be able to understand that this is nonsense.
The beauty of the matter here is that you can start learning Qigong now. Here’s a video I started with at the start of my Qigong journey.
#6 – Wushu
The next martial art we’ll review is Wushu. You’re probably not familiar with it if you’re not a diehard fan of martial arts. In Chinese, Wushu translates to “martial technique.” Its history dates back thousands of years and is super interesting.
If you’re interested in Wushu’s history, you can follow the link to read more about it.
However, we’ll focus on the fighting aspect. So what does it teach?
Today, Wushu is a full-contact sport. Some of the legal techniques you can use include striking, such as punching and kicking and grappling, primarily takedowns and throws.
When discussing self-defense, Wushu is exceptionally fitting. You’ll be able to cause massive damage to your opponent, whether you’re facing a single attacker or multiple people, using the techniques you’ll learn.
Combining grappling and striking in the ways Wushu does—is one of the most effective combinations you can learn in the world of martial arts. So the next time you’re up against a Wushu trainee, it’ll be best to flee before he sets his eyes on you.
#5 – Tai Chi
The next Chinese-originated martial art we’ll review is Tai Chi. Like it or not, Tai Chi is one of the most popular martial arts in the entire world. It’s as widely practiced as it is today because of numerous reasons, the primary one being the peace it brings to your life.
Martial arts are not always just about fighting. In today’s modern world, the only thing we’re looking for is the action. We always want more action, more attention, and more eyeballs – so naturally – we forget to focus on the things that actually matter.
Tai Chi focuses on the things that matter, which are gratitude, peace, calmness, being one with yourself, controlling your mind, appreciating the people around you, or, to summarize, self-development and self-improvement.
This is what it’s all about. Everything you’ll learn in Tai Chi will be about becoming the best version of yourself, which is why many of its practices involve meditation and various self-reflection exercises.
If, however, you desire to become the best fighter, the next martial arts will be more suitable.
#4 – Shaolin Kung Fu
Up next, #4 is Shaolin Kung Fu. If you’re unfamiliar with either Kung Fu or the Shaolin Monks, you’re in for a treat! Have you ever wondered which group of people on this planet are the most purposeful and dedicated to what they do? If you have no answer, I’ll gladly present you to the Shaolin Monks.
The Shaolin Temple, located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the Songshan mountain range in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, China, is where the Shaolin Monks live.
Their everyday lives are practicing Shaolin Kung Fu and meditating for longer than you can imagine possible. So these are the most dedicated individuals who live on this planet, especially in today’s world where dedication is rarer than Dodo Birds.
Shaolin Kung Fu originates from the Shaolin Monks and is widely practiced in today’s world because of numerous attributes, including self-reflection, calmness, and most importantly, learning to fight fiercely and aggressively.
So if any of these attributes interest you, you want to check out Shaolin Kung Fu. Because it’s a Chinese martial art, I’m already a fan of it, as it teaches endless values that will help you in your everyday life, let it be your personal or work life.
That’s why I encourage everyone to start learning a martial art, especially one like Shaolin Kung Fu!
#3 – Choy Gar
#3 on our list is Choy Gar. It’s called that way in honor of its founder, born in Cantonese—Choy Gau Lee. Choy Gar is one of the five main family styles of Kung Fu, which already tells us plenty about it, primarily about the fact that it’s effective for self-defense purposes.
There’s a reason Chinese martial arts exist; that reason is to teach others how to fight while developing their character and competence. Therefore, it’s obvious that one of the more traditional martial arts—will be effective, especially when related to one of the most dominant fighting styles in history, Kung Fu.
Choy Gar utilizes low stances, which makes this fighting style unique and easy to detect. You essentially will be learning effective self-defense techniques, which are primarily striking and grappling.
Here’s a video that showcases what you’ll learn in Choy Gar if you ever decide to study it.
#2 – Wing Chun
The next martial art we’ll review is Wing Chun. This is one of the more famous ones on this list, so there’s a big chance you’re familiar with it. And if you’ve never heard of it, don’t worry, I’ll explain everything you need to know about it, even without any previous knowledge.
Wing Chun is a martial art that originates in China that’s all about speed and power combined. It’s known for its effectiveness in close quarters because of its emphasis on combining speed and power and is considered to be one of the more deadly martial arts in history.
It’s as effective and powerful as it is for self-defense because it teaches both offensive and defensive moves. Together, they provide a unique platform for the disciple to follow and use to cause massive damage while remaining unharmed.
You might be unfamiliar with the fact that Wing Chun is often used in martial arts scenes. You probably have seen a scene where the main character was training and was actually doing Wing Chun. Here’s an example!
There’s one last thing you want to know about Wing Chun. Most of what it teaches is illegal to use in more modern martial arts, especially in MMA. That’s because it teaches self-defense at its core, which is very raw. Therefore, it can cause a lot of damage to your opponent and harm them permanently.
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#1 – Kung Fu
Alright! You’ve reached the last Chinese martial art we’ll cover in this article. First, I want to thank you for taking your time and investing in my website. If you don’t know, I motivate people to start training in martial arts, which is what I do best. If you think you can benefit from that, you can sign up for our Email Newsletter above to keep up with our latest blog posts.
Anyways, the last martial art we’ll review is Kung Fu. This is the mother and father of all Chinese martial arts. Mostly everything you’ll learn derives from this fighting style, which is crazy if you think about it.
You’ll learn discipline, speed, power, grappling, and striking techniques if you decide to dedicate yourself to the martial art of Kung Fu. Its origin dates back thousands of years ago and is considered one of the most deadly, effective, and prestigious martial arts globally.
It’s actually not that difficult to learn, which is surprising for many people who want to commence their Kung Fu training. So if you desire to start learning Kung fu and see rapid results in your fighting career—start training today! Here’s how.
Final Words
So, that’s it for this article. Hopefully, you’ve been able to learn about the different Chinese martial arts that are the most popular, dominant, and effective. And if you haven’t, you might have read another article. 🙂
Your next step, if you haven’t already, is to start learning a martial art that you want to learn. If Chinese martial arts interest you, it’ll be best to re-read the list in this article to come up with the most suitable decision for your personality and goals.
You can also sign up for our Email Newsletter to keep up with our blog posts and gain access to free martial arts/self-improvement courses!
Here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:
The 7 Most Effective Japanese Martial Arts You Should Learn
5 Surprising Reasons Tai-Chi is Effective for Self-Defense
What Martial Art Do Shaolin Monks Practice?
Shaolin Monk vs. UFC Fighter | Who Would Win?
12 Essential Kung Fu Kicks You Must Know (Guide)
Karate VS Kung Fu | Which Is the Better Martial Art?