Today, martial arts are more popular than ever before; you may get confused when deciding which one to learn since you can choose from a wide range. Because of that, knowing which martial art to learn is critical. If you choose one that doesn’t suit you, you’ll quit after a short period.
Learning a fighting style is one of the wisest choices you can make. Not only will it provide drastic physical benefits, but it’ll also boost your mental health and well-being.
The following list is the best fighting styles:
- Karate
- Boxing
- Kickboxing
- Judo
- Muay Thai
- BJJ
- MMA
This article will help you choose one that’ll suit you best. For example, you may fancy learning punching techniques. As such, boxing is the most suitable martial art for your desires.
On the other hand, you may wish to study the art of ground grappling. As a result, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) will be most suitable.
However, you may think this article doesn’t apply to you if you solely want to learn self-defense. In that case, it does apply, and it’ll help you learn the one that you’ll stick with and, therefore, learn self-defense quickly while, of course, having a lot of fun.
Before diving in, I want to emphasize how beneficial learning martial arts is. You’ll drastically improve your life by constantly involving yourself in these types of training, as you’ll gain both mental and physical benefits, such as confidence, self-esteem, and better physical shape.
#7 – Karate
The first fighting style and the one I ranked #7 is Karate.
I’ll bet that you’ve heard the name Karate once somewhere. However, you may not understand what exactly you learn in Karate.
Karate is a fast-paced martial art that teaches kicking, punching, and grappling. As a result, advanced Karate trainees will become dynamic and capable fighters. Moreover, it’s an Olympic sport, and thus, it has a large following. Therefore, it’s likely that you’ll find a local Karate gym.
If you decide to study the art of Karate, you’ll find that there are many choices to choose from. For instance, one of its versions is named Kenpo.
Therefore, don’t be hesitant when you see all these weird names. Instead, begin researching what you want to learn. If, for instance, you stumble upon Kenpo, a version of Karate, search on YouTube for some videos demonstrating this style.
To save you some time, I did just that.
Finally, if you practice Karate, you’ll notice immediate physical benefits. For example, after your first session, you’ll wake up with sore muscles, a sign that you worked hard the day before.
Because of that, I have no doubts that you’ll enjoy both the training and the results of Karate training.
So now, let’s move to the number 6.
#6 – Boxing
In #6—we have the art of punching: boxing. Although I ranked it at #6, it’s the most popular martial art globally. Therefore, you may prefer to learn it over any other style, as it has the most extensive following and the number of trainees.
Boxing is a fighting style that teaches punching for offense and defense. Additionally, you’ll learn many movements and combos that’ll assist you in winning fights and knowing self-defense. Boxing is suitable for many purposes, such as fitness, self-defense, and bettering your mental state.
From my perspective, more people will enjoy practicing boxing, as it’s the simplest fighting style. For example, many martial arts will require plenty of time only to learn the basics.
On the other hand, boxing is different. It won’t require weeks or even months to study the basics. Instead, you’ll learn the fundamental moves in about 3-5 sessions, a low amount compared to its peers.
Finally, boxing will benefit you mentally and physically. For instance, you can expect to increase your confidence and self-esteem, lower your aggression and stress levels, and better your well-being. As such, learning boxing is a wise move.
And again, I hope I save you some time with the following video.
#5 – Kickboxing
In the fifth place, we have Kickboxing. First, I want to clear up some potential tension with my rankings. Yes, I ranked Kickboxing lower than boxing, which may cause controversy as more people prefer boxing. However, I encourage you to read this section to understand my reasoning.
Kickboxing is a fighting style that teaches punching and kicking. As a result, its trainees will have a relatively broad skill set. Because of that, they’ll be more dynamic and capable than trainees of other fighting styles, such as boxing.
Kickboxing is a bit more complicated than boxing since it also includes kicking. That said, once you learn the basics, you’ll be on your way to learning self-defense.
Kickboxing is one of the most suitable fighting styles for fitness because it involves more muscles, primarily the legs. As a result, you’ll burn more calories and thus shed more body fat.
Fitness experts note that you can burn upwards of 900 calories for every hour of kickboxing. According to Harvard Health, a 125 pound person will burn 300 calories in 30 minutes of straight kickboxing, whereas a person who weighs 185 pounds will burn 444 calories in the same session.
Source
If you’re familiar with calories and what they represent, 900 calories are more than enough to change your body composition entirely. Because of that, those who begin doing Kickboxing will reap many physical results.
#4 – Judo
For my 4th pick, I chose Judo, an Olympic, widespread martial art. You’re likely familiar with Judo, but I’ll explain it anyway.
Judo is a fighting style that teaches throwing grappling, a highly effective way of throwing and pinning your opponent to the ground. Essentially, all fights start from a standing-up position. As a result, if you can knock your opponent to the ground first, you’re more likely to win.
I believe all grappling techniques are superior to punching and kicking since you can finish a fight in seconds if you land a grappling technique on your opponent.
For instance, picture the following scenario; a fight is about to break out between you and someone who wants to attack you. As such, you must use self-defense. So, in that case, picture yourself and the opponent brawling while standing up, and you land a fantastic Judo move to pin the opponent to the ground.
Who has the advantage? Who is more likely to win?
You’re standing up, and the opponent is on the ground after you landed a fatal throwing grappling move.
Let me tell you a secret – if you successfully land a Judo technique in a real fight or any other self-defense scenario, you’ll win since these are fatal. In fact, you can expect to finish a fight in under 10 seconds if you land a throwing grappling move.
#3 – Muay Thai
I decided to list Muay Thai, a fantastic martial art at #3, as a well-respected spot. Honestly, it deserves this spot for many reasons. Nonetheless, the primary reason is the change its trainees undergo.
Muay Thai is a fighting style that teaches punching, kicking, and clinching. It teaches these movements so that you cannot help but become an incredibly skilled fighter. Moreover, it ranges from Thailand. Today, it’s their national sport.
If you decide to study Muay Thai, you’ll gain countless physical and mental benefits. Because of that, I don’t doubt that you can reap many benefits from this fighting style.
Previously, I mentioned that Muay Thai trainees undergo drastic changes from long-term training. So, what is this change, and why should it bother you?
Those who train in Muay Thai and become advanced trainees will notice themselves learning to control their emotions. Let me explain.
You’ll become peaceful after the training session when you have a platform to release all your built tension and aggression. Nonetheless, Muay Thai emphasizes being aggressive when you need to be in such a state.
Consequently, you’ll train your abilities to build aggression levels and be peaceful at other times. This ability is highly valuable in today’s world, as controlling your temper is crucial.
#2 – BJJ
At #2, I decided to list Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) in this spot because it’s an incredibly suitable martial art for self-defense. As a result, its trainees are competent in this sense.
BJJ is a fighting style that teaches ground grappling techniques, which are highly effective for self-defense and can finish a fight in a few seconds. As a result, advanced Jiu-Jitsu trainees can swiftly execute ground grappling to win fights.
BJJ trainees are scary. Honestly, if I were to go back in time and learn a martial art, I would choose Jiu-Jitsu. That’s because now I know how effective ground grappling can be in many situations, primarily self-defense and fighting scenarios.
Some people think that punching and kicking are more effective than grappling. To that, all I have to say is that can’t be further from the truth. In fact, grappling in all of its forms can finish a fight in under a few seconds.
Moreover, once you land a BJJ technique, your opponent has no chance of escaping.
In a roll (practice fight), you win once your opponent taps out. However, you’ll drop your opponent unconscious in a real fight, as you won’t stop your technique when your opponent can return to the fight.
Because of that, BJJ is highly effective for such scenarios. Eventually, if you land a grappling technique, you win the fight, which is different than other martial arts, such as Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
#1 – MMA
And finally, my pick for the best martial art in the entire world is MMA (mixed martial arts). But, again, this may cause some controversy. So, I encourage you to read this section to understand my reasoning.
MMA combines many fighting styles that create a better way of fighting. As a result, elite MMA fighters are the pinnacle of fighters. For instance, some of them combine BJJ with Boxing, a deadly duo; thus, they manage to dominate their competition effortlessly.
MMA is the most dynamic fighting style you can learn because it combines many martial arts. Additionally, different MMA schools will teach different fighting techniques. So, while some may focus on punching and kicking, others may emphasize throwing and ground grappling.
At first, you may think that because it involves many martial arts, it’s more complicated. While that may be slightly accurate, it’s not as bad as you think.
Rather, MMA isn’t as complicated as other fighting styles, such as Muay Thai or even BJJ. As a result, if you want to learn the ultimate fighting style, I encourage you to research more about MMA.
Finally, the more dynamic you are, the more capable of a fighter you’ll be. For instance, if you only know how to punch, you’ll be capable of returning a fight. On the other hand, if you master numerous pillars such as grappling, kicking, and punching, you’ll be a part of the elite.
In this video, you notice how the most experienced fighters manage to beat each other using odd combinations. I highly encourage you to watch this video to understand MMA and why it’s the most effective martial art.
Finally, I’ll include a study proving that MMA training boosts mental health and overall well-being.
All participants reported the program had a positive impact on their mental health. They reported an improvement in their overall sense of well-being and coping skills, and increased confidence.
Source
Deadliest fighting style
The deadliest fighting style is MMA because it teaches many styles and ways of fighting. As a result, advanced MMA trainees become fantastic fighters because they can punch, kick, grapple, and even force their opponents to submit. Additionally, MMA is highly suitable for self-defense and other fighting purposes.
In my eyes, the deadliest martial arts are those that teach you various fighting techniques. As a result, boxing won’t be as effective as Muay Thai since the latter teaches more techniques.
Moreover, all martial arts provide some value. For instance, Tai chi won’t make you the most aggressive in dangerous situations. As a result, it won’t be as suitable for fighting purposes.
On the other hand, you’ll learn to fight if you study the art of Thai Boxing (Muay Thai), which includes many drills where you need to unleash your inner beast.
What is the most effective fighting style?
The most effective fighting style is MMA because it teaches many fighting techniques, such as kicking, grappling, and punching. As a result, advanced MMA trainees will be more capable of adapting to dangerous situations. As such, they’ll be able to come out on top in many risky scenarios.
Thus MMA is solid for all fighting purposes, which is the metric I decided to follow.
Eventually, other martial arts may be more effective for other purposes. For instance, BJJ may be more suitable for cops, as they use ground grappling more often than punching and kicking.
On the other hand, you want to be an active fighter if you desire to learn self-defense.
Hence in most people’s cases, learning MMA will be most suitable, as it’s the most dynamic martial art and its trainees become incredible fighters.
Should I learn a martial art (fighting style)?
You should learn a martial art because it provides its trainees with numerous physical and mental benefits, such as confidence, self-esteem, and lower stress levels. As a result, your overall well-being will increase, and most importantly, you’ll learn to fight fiercely.
Yet, there are numerous fighting styles that you can learn. Hence some may be more suitable than others. Thus to know which one’s most suitable for your needs, I encourage you to reread this article.
The following list is the reasons and benefits one should learn martial arts. Source
- better physical shape
- increase self-confidence
- improve pain tolerance
- teach you to use self-defense
- decrease overall stress
- assist you in controlling aggressiveness
- shorten reaction time
- improve your performance under stress
- enhance self-esteem
- better social life
- martial arts are a form of self-help
As you can see, the list is long and goes way further. Therefore, I don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t learn a fighting style, even if it’s not the one that’ll be most suitable for you.
Final words
Today, you can choose between various martial arts, as plenty exist. Consequently, you may get confused regarding which one will be most suitable for you.
As a result, I presented the best martial arts worldwide to give you a platform to choose one to learn.
Eventually, I believe that starting to train is the hardest yet most beneficial step in every trainee’s life. As a result, I hope I have granted you the platform to better understand the different fighting styles.
If I did, I encourage you to read about the martial arts with the best kicking techniques.
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Here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:
7 Most Powerful Grappling Martial Arts (For Self-Defense)
5 Best Fighting Styles for MMA – Full Guide
5 Martial Arts With The Best Kicking Techniques – Guide
7 Best Martial Arts for MMA | Which Is the Best?
The 5 Best Martial Arts to Learn at Home – List
Here’s the Best Martial Art for Close Combat