Types of Martial Arts: 12 Popular Styles and How They Differ

There are hundreds of types of martial arts, but most fall into a few groups: striking arts such as karate, taekwondo, kung fu and Muay Thai; grappling arts such as judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu; arts built on joint locks and throws such as aikido and hapkido; practical self-defense systems such as Krav Maga; and mixed martial arts (MMA), which combines them. Some, such as tai chi and capoeira, also stress health, movement or music. This guide covers 12 of the most popular styles, where each comes from and how it trains, plus other styles worth knowing and how to choose one.

Categories

The main categories of martial arts

Martial arts are also described as hard or soft (meeting force with force or redirecting it) and linear or circular (straight-line attacks or curved, flowing movement). See linear vs circular martial arts and a brief history of martial arts.

The styles

12 popular types of martial arts

1. Karate

Karate developed on Okinawa, then the Ryukyu Kingdom, from local fighting methods influenced by Chinese martial arts. It spread to mainland Japan in the early 20th century, with Gichin Funakoshi’s demonstrations in Tokyo in 1922 a turning point. The name means “empty hand,” fighting without weapons. Karate uses punches, kicks, open-hand strikes, knees, elbows and blocks, trained through basics (kihon), forms (kata) and sparring (kumite). Popular styles include Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu and Kyokushin. Karate made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games but was not included in Paris 2024. See taekwondo vs karate.

2. Jujutsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Jujutsu is the older Japanese art of throws, pins, joint locks and chokes, designed to control an attacker using leverage rather than strength. Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) grew from judo and jujutsu taught in Brazil by Mitsuyo Maeda, who arrived in 1914, and was developed by the Gracie family from the 1920s. BJJ focuses on ground fighting: taking the opponent down, gaining a dominant position and finishing with a joint lock or choke. It is one of the core skills in MMA. See taekwondo vs jiu-jitsu.

3. Judo

Judo was founded in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano, who adapted jujutsu into a safer art that could be practiced at full speed. It centers on throws and takedowns, followed by pins, joint locks and chokes on the ground, using the opponent’s balance and momentum. Strikes are not allowed in sparring (randori) or competition and appear only in prearranged forms (kata). Judo has been an Olympic sport since the 1964 Tokyo Games. See taekwondo and the Olympic Games.

4. Kung fu

Kung fu is an umbrella term for hundreds of Chinese martial arts styles. Many trace their lineage to the Shaolin Temple, and styles range from long-range kicking arts to close-range systems such as Wing Chun, with others based on animal movements, such as Praying Mantis, Tiger and Crane. Training mixes strikes, kicks, blocks, stances, forms and often weapons. Bruce Lee, who trained in Wing Chun, made kung fu famous in the West through his films. Modern competitive wushu grew out of these traditional styles. See taekwondo vs kung fu and taekwondo vs Wing Chun.

5. Krav Maga

Krav Maga means “contact combat” in Hebrew. Its founder, Imi Lichtenfeld, developed early skills in Bratislava in the 1930s, then taught fighters in Mandatory Palestine in the 1940s; when the Israel Defense Forces formed in 1948, he became its chief instructor for Krav Maga. It is a self-defense system, not a sport: it combines strikes, knees, elbows, defenses against grabs, chokes and weapons, and simple takedowns, with the aim of ending a threat quickly and getting away. Classes often train under stress and fatigue to mimic real situations.

6. Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art developed in the 1940s and 1950s, when the first schools (kwans) drew heavily on karate, which several founders had studied, and added Korean traditions and names. It is best known for fast, high, jumping and spinning kicks, along with punches, blocks, forms (poomsae or tul), sparring and board breaking. Taekwondo has been a full Olympic sport since the 2000 Sydney Games. Its two main branches are World Taekwondo (WT), which runs Olympic competition, and the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF). See the history of taekwondo.

7. Aikido

Aikido was developed in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba, mainly in the late 1920s and 1930s, and took its name in 1942. The name is often translated as “the way of harmonious spirit.” Instead of meeting force with force, aikido moves with an attack and redirects it into a throw or joint lock, with the aim of controlling an attacker without needless injury. Training is done with a partner who attacks and then falls safely, and also includes wooden weapons. Most styles have no competition.

8. Hapkido

Hapkido is a Korean self-defense art that took shape after World War II. Its technical roots come from Japanese Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu, brought to Korea by Choi Yong-sool, and his students added kicks, strikes and throws from other arts. The name means “the way of coordinating energy.” Hapkido is known for wristlocks and other joint locks, throws, circular movement and a wide range of kicks, and many schools teach weapons such as the cane, rope and short stick. Its name sounds like aikido, and both share roots in Daito-ryu, but hapkido adds much more kicking and striking. See taekwondo vs hapkido.

9. Mixed martial arts (MMA)

MMA is a full-contact combat sport that allows striking and grappling, standing and on the ground, under a set of rules and weight classes. Ancient Greek pankration was an early mixed fighting sport, but modern MMA grew from the 1990s, when events such as the UFC matched fighters from different styles. Today most fighters train a mix of boxing or Muay Thai for striking, wrestling for takedowns and Brazilian jiu-jitsu for the ground. See is taekwondo good for MMA.

10. Muay Thai

Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is the national sport of Thailand and is called “the art of eight limbs” because it uses the fists, elbows, knees and shins. Fighters also use the clinch, controlling the opponent’s head and body at close range to land knees and throws. Training is tough and conditioning-heavy: pad work, bag work, shadowboxing, running and sparring. Muay Thai is a core striking base for MMA. See taekwondo vs Muay Thai and taekwondo vs kickboxing.

11. Tai chi

Tai chi (taijiquan) is a Chinese internal martial art best known for its slow, flowing forms performed with relaxed breathing and steady attention. Main styles include Chen, Yang, Wu and Sun. Most people practice it for balance, flexibility, relaxation and gentle exercise, and it suits all ages, though traditional schools also teach its martial applications and partner drills called push hands.

12. Capoeira

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art developed by enslaved Africans and their descendants in Brazil. It mixes kicks, sweeps, dodges and acrobatics with music and song. Two players “play” inside a circle called the roda, while others sing, clap and play instruments led by the berimbau, a one-string bow, which sets the rhythm and style of the game. It is often said that capoeira hid fighting inside dance, though historians debate how far that story goes. UNESCO added the capoeira circle to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2014.

More styles

Other martial arts worth knowing

• Boxing: punches only, with footwork and head movement; an Olympic sport.
• Wrestling: takedowns and pins; freestyle and Greco-Roman are Olympic sports.
• Kickboxing: punches and kicks in a ring, with styles such as Dutch and American kickboxing.
• Tang Soo Do: a Korean striking art closely related to early taekwondo and karate. See Tang Soo Do vs taekwondo.
• Taekkyeon: a traditional Korean art of flowing kicks and footwork. See taekkyeon vs taekwondo.
• Kendo: Japanese sword fighting with bamboo swords and armor.
• Sambo: a Russian grappling and combat system with throws and leg locks.
• Eskrima (Kali, Arnis): Filipino stick and blade fighting.

Choosing

How to choose the right martial art

The school and instructor usually matter more than the style. Watch a class, try a free lesson, and look for safe sparring, clean facilities and a welcoming atmosphere. See how to choose a martial arts school.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions