From Diana Davila,
Your Guide to Martial Arts.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

There are many martial art styles out there, some very popular and some very obscure. It is important to understand the basic features of a style so that you can decide if it is something you will be interested in training in.

The following tips are intended to help you get a starting point for your search for a style that you will love. There are a few broad categories of styles - stand-up styles, ground fighting or grappling styles, throwing styles, weapons based styles and low impact or internal styles:

Stand-up Styles

Stand-up styles utilize punching, kicking and blocking as the main focus of their art. A student learns various stances, footwork and combinations in practice, which vary in appearance and application depending on the style. Stand-up styles include:

• Karate
• Kung Fu
• Tae Kwon Do
• Boxing/Kickboxing
• Krav Maga
• Wushu
• San Shou

This is by no means a complete list. Stand-up martial arts styles are by far the most prolific and popular of martial arts.

Ground Fighting or Grappling Styles

Ground fighting or grappling/locking styles do not limit their teaching to the ground. The term simply means that they have a large focus on the "wrestling" aspect of combat. These styles include:

• Brazilian Jujitsu
• Shooto or shoot fighting
• Sambo
• Greco-Roman Wrestling

Throwing Styles

Throwing styles are styles that primarily start from a standup position but utilize throws, trips, locks and other means to disrupt the balance of an opponent. Some of these styles are:

• Judo
• Aikido
• Shuai Jiao (Chiao)
• Hapkido

Weapons Based Styles

Weapons based styles are just that - styles that focus the majority of their practice on the use of one or more weapons. These tend to be more traditional or cultural arts, however some arts such as Kali still have a strong combat or self defense focus. Such styles include:

• Kali
• Iado
• Kendo

Low impact or Meditative Styles

These styles, while originally formed for combat purposes, have evolved into what are today more focused on breathing, internal energy, stress relief and a low impact form of martial arts training and exercise. These styles include:

• Tai Chi
• Ba Gua
• Chi Gong based styles

Consider which type of practice appeals to you. Also, think about the reasons why you want to train and what you hope to gain out of your training. It is important that you choose a system that you think you can realistically stick with and are comfortable with if you are going to make martial arts a part of your life. For more information on the various reasons to train and styles that may suit your reasons, read 5 Reasons for Considering Martial Arts Training.