POPULAR MARTIAL ARTS STYLES

This list is organized primarily by region of origin. Styles which have local schools are marked with a icon. Click the icon to jump to the school location page.

Chinese Styles
Shaolin - Styles with roots traced back to the Shaolin Temple.
Wing Chun	Combat style known for its speed and close range fighting, simultaneous blocking and striking techniques, chain punches, kicks, pressure points strikes, locks and breaks.
Choy Li Fut	Noted for defense against multiple attackers, long and short range punches, kicks, sweeps, takedowns, pressure point attacks, joint locks, and grappling.
Hung Gar	Known for its deep low stances and strong hand techniques such as the bridge hand and the tiger claw.
San Soo	Focuses on removing a threat as quickly as possible through a free-flowing variety of throws, joint breaks, strikes, and pressure points to exploit an adversary's natural reactions.
Wudang - Styles which apply skills and theories of internal focus.
Tai Chi	Practiced for stress relief, focus, and calmness with a combat aspect that focuses on "sticking" to an incoming attack rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.
Bagua	Known for its hip checks, and strikes with the shoulder, it also features elbow strikes, and arm/fist punches.
Xing Yi	Known for its aggressive and linear movements which are based on the movements and fighting behavior of many animals.
Jian (Sword)	A Chinese straight sword (jian) form and is typically learned while studying Tai Chi or other Wudang internal martial arts.
Other Kung Fu - Styles practiced today primarily for display purposes.
Shaolin	A collection of forms practiced by the warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple, involving extraordinary skills of athleticism and focus.
Wushu	A very acrobatic style, with a dynamic display of jumps, kicks, strikes, stances, dancelike forms and weapons demonstrations.

Japanese Styles
Karate - Styles adapted in Okinawa from Chinese martial arts.
Shotokan	Known for deep stances and linear, lunging movements as well as some soft techniques and circular movements.
Goju-ryu	Known for close-ranged fighting that includes grasping motions, using a combination of hard and soft techniques.
Wado-ryu	Known for combining some jujitsu locks and throws with the stances and strikes of karate.
Shito-ryu	Known for its wide syllabus of kata, or empty-handed, dancelike forms.
Kyokushin	Known for its full contact sparring, which allows full-powered punches to the body and full-powered kicks to the legs, body and head.
Historic - Styles derived from traditional Samurai training techniques.
Jujitsu	Utilizes all forms of grappling techniques, i.e. throwing, trapping, pins, joint locks, holds, gouging, biting, striking and kicking.
Judo	Focuses on immobilizing one's opponent with grappling maneuvers, forced submissions by joint lock or choke, strikes and thrusts by hands and feed as well as weapon defense.
Aikido	A grappling art where a practitioner will blend with the motion of their attacker and redirect the force rather than oppose it head-on, completed with various throws or joint locks.
Ninjutsu	A martial art that teaches strategy and tactics of unconventional and guerrilla warfare as well as the art of espionage purportedly practiced by the ninja.
Weapons - Styles based on training with classical weapons of Japan.
Kendo	Sword fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu that uses a special bamboo sword and sword fighting gear for protection.
Iaido	Associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword, striking or cutting an opponent, and then replacing the sword in its scabbard.
Kobudo	Generally refers to the classical weapon traditions of Okinawan martial arts, including weapons such as bo staff, sai, tonfa, kama, and nunchaku.

Korean Styles
Tae Kwon Do	Includes a system of blocks, kicks, and strikes which emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, employing the leg's greater range and power.
Tang Soo Do	Primarily a striking art, focusing heavily on striking with the hands and feet and including some basic joint locks and throws.
Hapkido	Emphasizes circular motion, non-resisting movements, and control of the opponent, employing joint locks as well as common primitive attacks.
Hwa Rang Do	Based on traditional Korean fighting skills and philosophy, including hard and soft style striking and blocking, grappling, and weapons.
Kuk Sool	Attempts to be a comprehensive study of all Korean martial arts and may include modern techniques such as gun defense and weapon improvisation.

Southeast Asian Styles
Muay Thai	A hard martial art from Thailand which makes use of punches, kicks, elbows, and knee strikes and is derived from Chinese and Indian martial arts.
Escrima	A class of Filipino martial arts that emphasize weapon-based fighting with a stick, staff, or knife and focus on simplicity in their techniques.
Silat	A collection of martial arts originating in Indonesia which tends to focus on strikes, joint manipulation, bladed weapons, throws, and animal-based techniques.

Styles From Other Regions
Jeet Kune Do	USA: A hybrid martial arts system with direct, non-classical and straightforward movements, primarily focusing on empty hand techniques.
Kenpo	USA: A general name for martial arts developed in Hawaii characterized by the use of quick moves in rapid-fire succession intended to overwhelm an opponent.
Krav Maga	Israel: An eclectic hand-to-hand combat system that uses wrestling, grappling, and striking techniques and is known for extremely efficient and brutal counter-attacks.
Capoeira	Brazil: Combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance and is known for its fluid acrobatic play, feints, takedowns, leg sweeps, kicks, and head-butts.
Kickboxing	Japan/USA: Refers to the standing sport of kicking and punching, often practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a full-contact sport.
Savate	France: Uses both the hands and feet as weapons, combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques which use only the foot to contact the target.
Boxing	Europe/UK: A combat sport and martial art in which two people fight using only their fists until one is knocked down or is unable to continue due to injury.
Sambo	Russia: A hand-to-hand combat system which has roots in judo and karate as well as traditional folk styles of wrestling from central Europe and Eurasia.
Wrestling	Worldwide: An ancient martial art that uses grappling, throws, takedowns, joint locks, pins and other holds and is found in almost every culture throughout history.
Fencing	Europe: historically refers to the martial arts of European swordmanship, and today has become an olympic sport using three types of unsharpened and flexible blades.