Top 10 Martial Arts

Martial art is associated with the arts of fighting in East Asia, and it is originally referred to as the combat system of Europe in the 1500s. The term martial arts is derived from Latin, which means Arts of Mars (the Roman God of War). It is a traditional and codified system of combat practiced for many reasons like military, law enforcement, self-defense, competition, mental, physical, entertainment, spiritual development, and preservation of the intangible cultural heritage of the nation. This form of fighting art is the most renowned and popular art as well as sports in the world. It has slowly become a worldwide phenomenon with mixed martial arts and demonstrations. Some people who seek to learn the best martial art and want to master the techniques travel throughout the world. So here is the list of the Top 10 Martial Arts in the World:

1. Karate: Japan

Karate is one of the most popular martial art forms that originated in Japan during the Ryukyu Kingdom, Okinawa, in the 17^th century. It uses every part of the body for self-defense. It is now predominantly a striking art using kicking, elbow strikes, punching, knee strikes, and open hand techniques like spear hands, knife-hands, and palm-heel strikes. Some modern and historical styles also teach throws, grappling, joint locks, vital point strikes, and restraints. It is a lot different from the other deadliest form of martial arts because it focuses on the mind as much as the body.

2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

This form of martial art focuses especially on ground fighting, submission, and grappling with the aim of gaining a dominant position by using the joint locks and choking to force the opponent to surrender. This system of martial art developed before World War II as a modified version of judo practice and also includes some classical jujutsu techniques with a focus on non-wala (floor techniques). It promotes the belief that even a weaker and smaller person using techniques and balance can successfully defend against stronger and bigger opponents. Sparring, popularly known as rolling with an opponent, plays an important role in training.

3. Taekwondo

It is a Korean martial art that originated in the 1940s by combining all the different skills that were practiced during that period. The word Taekwondo is made from three words Tae which means kick; Kwon, which means strike; and Do, which means to hit. This martial art is a striking skill that is characterized by speed and attractive foot techniques. It is one of the most popular sports and martial arts, and there are more than 100 million practitioners in the world. Taekwondo emphasizes kicking as the strongest and longest limb fighters realize that using legs in combat gives them the edge over other fighting styles that focus on punching.

4. Kung Fu

It is a Chinese martial art this is also known as Wushu and Quanfa. In China, it refers to any practice, learning, or study that requires energy, time, and patience to complete. The original meaning of Kung Fu refers to any skill or discipline achieved through practice and hard work that is not necessarily martial arts. This hand-to-hand martial art has been practiced for centuries, and it is among one of the oldest martial art forms that Chinese warriors are using as a form of self-defense and attack. Though there are many styles of kung-fu, all of them share the same goal of striking the enemy with lightning speed and preventable power.

5. Sambo

It was developed in USSR as the unarmed self-defense martial arts, and elite units practiced it. In the 1990s, Sambo becomes popular all over the world as a combination of kickboxing, judo, boxing, and Thai boxing. Initially, it was trained by government agents and Red Army soldiers. But with the rise in crime during that period, it was being taught by private bodyguards and security guards with some innovations like batons, knives, etc. Sambo has multiple disciplines like sports, such as being reminiscent of judo, self-defense based on aikido, and jiu-jitsu. However, combat sambo is the discipline that is more in demand that is primarily intended for the police and the army.

6. MCMAP- Marine Corps Martial Arts Program

The United States Marine Corps developed MCMAP or Marine Corps Martial Arts Program as a combat system to combine existing, new hand to hand and close-quarters combat techniques with team-building functions, morale, and instruction in the warrior ethos. This program began in 2001 to train US Navy personnel who are attached to Marine Units in edged weapons, unarmed combat, rifle, weapons of opportunity, and bayonet techniques. It also stresses character and mental development, including leadership, responsible use of force, and teamwork. This martial art has advanced by getting the best out of every martial art across the countries.

7. Muay Thai (Thai Boxing)

Thai boxing or Muay Thai is a martial art developed by the Thai people as an outgrowth of the constant conflicts of these people from their homeland (southeast China) to present-day Thailand. Muay Thai means the Art of The Eight Limbs; in this martial art, knees and elbow are counted as the limbs and are used in combat to strike the opponent as hard as possible.

There was a need for a natural art that could be learned quickly and could be applicable in constant conflicts on the borders with the peoples of India and China. Initially, Thai boxing was taught as part of warrior skills which include solar handling, fencing, horseback riding, and archery. The oldest document mentions Thai boxing as a legend from 1548 as the boxing fight between the Burmese King and Thai King Naresuan.

8. Silat

The term Silat is used as a collective term for all the indigenous forms of martial arts from the geoculture area that surrounds SouthEast Asia and Nusantara. Traditionally it is practiced in countries that are indigenous homes to the Malayo- Sumbawan and Javanese speaking peoples like Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Singapore, Southern Vietnam, and Southern Philippines. There are numerous different Aliran (styles) and Perguruan (schools) that focus on either weaponry, joint manipulation strikes, or some combination of them.

Silat can be differentiated from most martial arts, like others, focuses on self-perfection and spirituality, but Silat is all about violence and concentrates on causing pain; this is what makes it one of the deadliest martial arts. Its fighting style is about quickly incapacitating its enemy, exploiting their weaknesses, and knocking them unconscious with a strong blow to the throat, face, kidney, or testicles. In Silat, a dagger is also used known as "Keris" or "Kris," which is a kind of corrugated knife on which they put the most powerful neurotoxins in the world. It is used for stabbing quickly into the soft body parts of the opponents so that opponents will die within a few seconds after being injured.

9. Eskrima

Eskrima/Escrima is the national martial art of the Philippines which is also known as Kali or Arnis. These three terms are roughly interchangeable and are used as an umbrella term for the Philippines' traditional forms of martial arts. It emphasises fighting that is weapon-based, like with knives, sticks, bladed weapons, and different improvised weapons. It also uses "open hand" techniques without weapons.

The people of the Philippines have nurtured this tradition for hundreds of years. It is the skill of quick punches, disarming, grabbing hands or feet, and killing people. The main philosophy of this martial art is even if you don't have any weapon, you can still manage to kill your opponents with your bare hands. There are two versions of modern Eskrima. In the first version, the person wears full body armor with a mask, while the other version is brutal as it takes place in illegal fights with a little sponge and metal sticks.

10. Bacom

The last martial art on our list is the Peruvian martial art Bacom which is considered to be among the deadliest martial arts in the world. There is also another name for Bacom, which is Vacon. This form of martial arts was developed on the streets of Lima for the development of Peru Military Forces. In Bacom, opponents can be injured within a short span of time as it involves the usage of extreme punches and hidden weapons. Basically, it is a combination of street fighting techniques and Jiu-Jitsu.

The main emphasis is on power, and the attacks of these martial arts are designed to ruin the balance of an opponent. It also includes the element of deception and surprise as fighters can use hidden weapons in battle. The vicious nature of this martial art makes it different from other combat practices. The style of fighting that is used in Bacom is made as such to inflict a high amount of pain that becomes unbearable for the opponent.