The Different Types of Martial Arts

There are many styles of martial arts taught in New York City; among them, Karate, taekwondo, MMA (mixed martial arts), and others. Following is a list of some of the most popular types of martial arts.

Aikido:

Essentially a wrestling art, Aikido is Japanese in origin. Its emphasis is on flowing with the movement of the attacker instead of opposing it directly. It requires less body strength than Karate, as its technique involves redirecting the momentum of the opponent’s strikes with entering and turning movements, followed by various joint locks or throws.

Judo:

Judo is a comparatively recent Japanese martial art. The goal of Judo is to either toss or take the opponent down to the floor and subdue them with a wrestling move, a joint lock, a choke, or a strangle-hold. Strikes, and pushing with the feet and hands, as well as instruments, are allowed only in pre-arranged forms, although not in competition or free practice.

Karate:

Karate is one of the most popular Japanese martial arts. It focuses on striking methods, such as kicking, punching, elbow and knee strikes, and open-handed methods, such as a chop delivered with the edge of the hand. In comparison to Taekwondo, which stresses kicking methods, Karate tends to rely more on blows of the hand. The most prominent conventional styles of Karate are Wado-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, Shito-Ryu, and Shotokan.

Kung Fu:

A number of fighting styles have developed in China over the centuries. There are, however, common themes within the different styles. Some include physical exercises that imitate animal movements; others are influenced by religion, folk legends and philosophical teachings. Internal styles stress mostly the harnessing of qi, whereas external styles focus on enhancing muscle and cardiovascular strength. Some of the more typical styles are Hung Gar, Five Animals, Eagle Claw, Monkey, Wing Chun and Praying Mantis.

Taekwondo:

Taekwondo is the Korean art of self-defense, and also one of the most ancient martial arts forms. It is the most widely-practiced martial art in the world today. Taekwondo involves different blocking, kicking, and punching techniques, as well as open-handed striking. There are as well a variety of throws, joint locks and take-downs, intended to build strength, balance, speed, stamina, and flexibility. Taekwondo is known for its focus on kicking, as opposed to other martial arts such as Karate.

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