Martial arts have become a common and the go-to sport for self defense, daily exercise and other character development disciplines. They can also sometimes be a competitive sport where individuals compete with each other for an exchange of skills and friendly challenge, which is also a good simulation for the mind and soul. Here are 5 popular martial arts sports that people take an interest in before actually signing for martial arts classes.

  • Karate

Karate is also known as “empty hand” in Japanese. It is a very popular martial arts sport and is still being practiced to this day. It is very philosophical and consists of many self defense elements that makes use of blocks, punches and kicks.

  • Judo

This is another popular martial arts sport that originated from Japan. Judo, also known as “gentle way” was founded by a man who was often bullied and picked on as a youth. Judo consists of sweeps and throws that can bring an opponent down in seconds regardless of a size difference. The main goal of Judo is to make the opponent surrender after being brought onto the ground by using locks and choke-holds.

  • Tae Kwon Do

Tae Kwon Do has a meaning that revolves around the “way of the hand and foot” in Korean. Tae Kwon Do focuses mainly on strong kicks, as practitioners believe that the leg is much more powerful than the arm. It has become a very common sport among both genders all around the world.

  • Jeet Kune Do

Developed by Bruce Lee, who practiced Wing Chun before deciding to further his skills. Jeet Kune Do means “way of intercepting fist”. It is a martial arts style that incorporates Wing Chun as a foundation, but with additional philosophy and styles to make it much more useful to cater to modern world needs.

  • Muay Thai

Originating from Thailand, Muay Thai means “the art of eight limbs”. The sport is a different style of kickboxing that uses fists, feet and elbows to bring down their opponents. Muay Thai encourages full body contact with the opponent, in order to deliver maximum damage and be efficient in taking down opponents in little time. It has become a very popular martial arts with thousands of practitioners all over the world.