by Sam C.

Created on: February 11, 2010

There are many types of martial arts. Most rely more on one of the three types of technique (striking, grappling, weapons) more than the others, but some teach two or three.

The striking martial arts are probably the most common because of the relative simplicity of their techniques, the relative ease of learning the techniques, and the fact that they are much easier to practice alone. They mostly use techniques such as punches and kicks that can be used when the opponent is standing and at a distance, and are more rigid. They generally value discipline more than grappling martial arts do. They generally are somewhat less practical than grappling if you were to exactly apply their techniques in an actual self-defense scenario, but their techniques can easily be adapted by someone who pays attention in the classes. One of the defining aspects of these is the form. Whether it's called a "kata," a "hyung," or something else, almost every striking martial art will have sets of movements for people to practice. Common stances include the horseback riding stance, the cat stance, and the walking/natural stance. Examples include karate, kenpo, and tae kwon do (which is the martial art I have the most experience with).

Grappling martial arts are also fairly common. They played a key role in the development of mixed martial arts, which is plainly evident. They have techniques that rely on having partners. The sparring is generally more like a real scenario, and requires less protective equipment in order to be done properly. Some of the most common techniques include joint-locking variants (including the famous "armbar"). They are usually noticeably much more fast-paced and less structured than striking martial arts. Examples include jujutsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo (those three are all descended from the same martial art), and pancration.

Weapon martial arts are less common than striking or grappling ones and certainly less practical, but they still occupy an important part of the world's martial arts. In the broadest sense, anything that teaches you how to use any weapon is a weapon martial art, but I mean what most people think of when they think of martial arts. These are very similar to striking martial arts, with a large amount of structure and discipline usually found. Their techniques are very simple and practical techniques. It is often taught that the weapon is an extension of the wielder's body, meaning that one should not move differently while armed, one should just move normally. Examples include kendo (which I have some experience in), fencing, and kobudo.

There are many hybrid martial arts, which combine the three types of technique at varying levels in order to make the most practical martial arts possible. Martial arts taught in military training are almost always this type. Examples include escrima (Filipino martial art where every strike is intended to be practical with a hand, stick, or knife), MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program), and krav maga (it was developed in the early 1940's by an Eastern European Jew, he used it to accomplish something very hard to do for someone in those circumstances: survive, it is used by all of the Israeli Defense Force and the Israeli Police, among many other organizations).

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