In a world where combat sports and self-defense take center stage, the art of striking has captivated and inspired countless individuals. From the lightning-fast strikes of Muay Thai to the precise punches of Boxing, the realm of striking martial arts is a captivating arena of power, technique, and discipline. Join us on a thrilling journey as we delve into the heart-pounding world of the best striking martial arts in existence.
Fighting is one of the best skills you can learn in real life. It’ll boost your confidence and self-esteem while allowing you the opportunity to defend yourself and your loved ones. This is what learning a striking martial art will help you become.
However, you might be confused as to the vast range of fighting styles, which is totally understandable, as there are plenty. Because of that, I’ve decided to write this article, which lists the most effective striking-based martial arts that you can learn and benefit the most from.
So I hope you’re excited to deep dive into this journey with me. I’m a big fan of martial arts because I’m aware of all the benefits they are capable of bringing to our lives.
Without further introduction, let’s dive into the first striking-based martial art!
#5 – Kyokushin Karate
The first martial art we’ll review is Kyokushin Karate. This is one of the most effective Karate styles, as it utilizes a full-contact system, which is specifically tailored to people who want to learn how to fight.
Many people think that traditional martial arts are not suitable for self-defense and for modern fighting purposes. Therefore, they don’t even consider learning them, which is too bad since they’re missing out on so many benefits and perhaps what could have been a life-changing experience.
Kyokushin Karate is a full-contact Karate style that emphasizes strong punches, kicks, and knee strikes. It is known for its rigorous training and tough sparring sessions, making it effective for self-defense.
If you find a qualified instructor and a gym, you’ll see just vigorous and difficult the training will be. It’s going to be quite hard, to say the least, to keep up with your training coach’s demands.
Throughout training, you’ll learn to punch, kick, use elbows and knees, and even learn to grapple. These are critical skills to have in the modern world to start learning and using self-defense to your advantage.
#4 – MMA
The next martial art we’ll review might come off as controversial for today’s topic. This isn’t what you expect to think of a striking-based martial art. When you imagine a striking-based martial art, something like Boxing might come to your mind. However, MMA includes many techniques from many different fighting styles, which are all practical and effective for self-defense and fighting.
The most common example of MMA is the UFC, which is one of the most popular fighting and martial arts platforms on the globe.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is not considered a specific striking martial art but rather a hybrid combat sport that incorporates various martial arts styles, including striking, grappling, and ground fighting techniques. MMA fighters typically train in multiple disciplines to become well-rounded and proficient fighters.
What MMA does is alchemize many martial arts together to create the ultimate fighter. It’s so effective because of its ability to combine different yet complementary martial arts together. Learning these will make you a dominant and superior fighter.
If there’s one thing you take from this section is that MMA, when learned or combined properly, can be one of the best tools you have in your pocket that you can pull and use whenever. It’s suitable for any fighting scenario, let it be in self-defense or a street fight. It basically makes all of its fighters competent and dynamic.
#3 – Boxing
The next striking-based fighting style we’ll review is Boxing. Many people love the sport of boxing, and that’s for one primary reason. The reason many people watch Boxing so vigorously is because of its simplicity. Indeed, anyone can understand the basic offensive moves that Boxing teaches, which are the Jab, Cross, Hook, and the Uppercut.
With a focus on punches, Boxing is known for its powerful and precise strikes. Skilled boxers possess excellent hand-eye coordination, footwork, and defensive techniques, making it a formidable martial art.
So you’ll learn to both attack and defend yourself effectively if you decide to learn Boxing. It’s one of these martial arts that’ll allow you to become a mentally resilient and aggressive fighter. It’ll boost your confidence and self-esteem by forcing you to overcome various obstacles.
It won’t only make you a good, capable fighter, but it’ll also do that quickly. Since it’s so simple to learn, with enough work and dedication, you’ll be able to go through its basics in under a month! If that doesn’t excite you to start training as soon as possible, I don’t know what will.
The last point we’ll review is the pain tolerance you’ll develop as a result of your Boxing journey. You’ll be sparring almost in every training session you attend, which eventually will increase your pain tolerance and allow you to get hit right in the face without even blinking.
Let’s move on to martial art #2.
#2 – Kickboxing
The next martial art we’ll review is Kickboxing, which combines both kicking and punching to create one of the more dominant sports globally. When I first began my Muay Thai journey (but more on that later), I was sure that Kickboxing is simply not as good as Muay Thai. However, I soon found that I was completely and utterly wrong.
Many of the best fighters in history have come from Kickboxing. For instance, one of my favorite fighters of all time is Andrew Tate, who is a 4-time Kickboxing World Champion.
Combining elements of Boxing and various kicking techniques, Kickboxing is a popular combat sport. It allows punches, kicks, knee strikes, and occasionally elbows, depending on the ruleset.
The reason I began falling in love with Kickboxing is that it alchemizes everything that Boxing brings to the table, which teaches you to punch fiercely while combining kicking, which is, as you’ll see, an extremely efficient way of causing damage to your opponent.
Kickboxing will teach you to land a straight kick to the face and knock your opponent out with only a single one. Imagine being in a street fight and throwing a Roundhouse Kick–Low Kick combination and winning the fight. That isn’t a dream; it’s completely possible with the right knowledge, which you’ll gain by becoming a Kickboxer.
#1 – Muay Thai
For the last martial art of this article, we’ll review Muay Thai, aka Thai Boxing, aka The Art of Eight Limbs. When I began training Muay Thai, I was skeptical as to how much it can really teach me, as I had previous martial arts experience. However, I was surprised to find out that I know nothing about fighting and martial arts. I made the mistake of letting my ego take control over me. But I soon found that to be a fatal mistake.
Also known as the “Art of Eight Limbs,” Muay Thai from Thailand incorporates punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. Its emphasis on powerful strikes and clinching techniques can be highly effective in both self-defense and combat sports.
Muay Thai will make you an extremely capable fighter, who knows how to attack and defend himself properly. It’ll also teach you a lot about yourself and about being a truly remarkable person. If one of your desires is to become an exceptional human being, training in martial arts, and specifically Muay Thai, will help you achieve that.
You’ll learn all about personal development and about learning to look at your opponent right in his eyes and still manage to knock him out. It’ll teach you to be an aggressive, fearsome, and fierce fighter, who knows how to strike effectively.
Muay Thai is my choice for the best striking-based martial art.
Is Kung Fu a Striking Martial Art?
Kung Fu teaches many striking techniques, both kicking and punching. Its effectiveness exceeds that of many traditional martial arts, which makes it suitable for self-defense and street fighting. Some examples of kicks (striking) it teaches are the Dragon Tail Kick and the Butterfly Kick.
Best Striking Martial Art for Self-Defense
The best striking martial art for self-defense is Muay Thai, which focuses on punching and kicking while teaching how to become a fearsome and aggressive fighter. It’s suitable for self-defense because it teaches relevant skills you’ll be able to use to cause tons of damage to your opponent and knock him out.
Here are more reasons for why it’s the best striking martial art for self-defense.
- Versatility and Full-Body Strikes: Muay Thai utilizes punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, allowing practitioners to utilize almost every part of their body as a weapon. This versatility provides a wide range of options when defending against various types of attacks in real-world self-defense situations.
- Effective Striking Techniques: Muay Thai focuses on powerful strikes that are designed to cause significant damage to an opponent. Its techniques are based on biomechanics, leverage, and precise targeting, enabling practitioners to deliver devastating blows efficiently and effectively.
- Clinching and Close-Quarters Combat: Muay Thai places a strong emphasis on clinching, which involves grappling and controlling an opponent at close range. This aspect of training is invaluable in self-defense scenarios, as it prepares individuals to handle grabs, holds, and close-quarters attacks, giving them an advantage in controlling and neutralizing an assailant.
- Conditioning and Mental Toughness: Muay Thai training is renowned for its rigorous physical demands, which enhance endurance, strength, and overall fitness. The discipline and mental fortitude developed through Muay Thai training can be crucial in self-defense situations, allowing individuals to stay calm, focused, and resilient under pressure.
- Realistic Training Environment: Muay Thai training often involves live sparring and pad work, which provides a realistic and practical environment for testing techniques and developing effective self-defense skills. By regularly engaging in controlled and supervised combat situations, practitioners gain the confidence and experience needed to react quickly and effectively in real-world confrontations.
- Widely Available and Proven Effectiveness: Muay Thai has gained international recognition as a highly effective striking martial art. It is widely practiced and taught in various countries, ensuring accessibility for individuals seeking self-defense training. Its effectiveness has been proven in both professional fighting arenas and real-life self-defense situations, further reinforcing its reputation as a practical and reliable system.
Final Words
The beauty of striking martial arts lies not only in the raw power they unleash but also in the values they instill in practitioners. The pursuit of excellence, the relentless quest for self-improvement, and the embodiment of honor and sportsmanship are fundamental tenets that resonate throughout these disciplines.
Your journey is far from over, however. You want to start your training as soon as possible. That’ll require you to select a martial art and get into the gym. Although it might be hard to step out of your comfort zone and do that, it’s the most important and the only step that’ll make you a solid fighter.
Striking isn’t the only effective fighting technique you want to know. If you want to learn about the best grappling-based martial arts, follow this link.
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