ABSOLUTE ASCENDANCY

Commencing operation . . .

Overview

Are you keen on taking up a martial art? Great! You’ve come to the right place then! If you haven’t already, take some time to read this article, which describes the benefits of taking up martial arts training. I will be speaking mostly from my personal experience, but I will aim to remain objective and not be too biased.

But which art should I take up?

It depends on what you are after, but I will summarise some information on the more popular arts. I’m not going to cover every single martial art out there (which is a lot mind you), but let’s go through the following list and see whether that helps make your mind up.

1. Karate
2. Kickboxing
3. Muay Thai
4. Tae-Kwon-Do
5. Brazilian Jujitsu
6. Boxing
7. Mixed Martial Arts

1. Karate

There are many different forms of Karate out there to choose from. I have reached black belt level in Shotokan and Shorinjiryu Kenkokan styles of Karate. While both are forms of Karate, these two styles are very different. From punching and kicking forms to stances, the contrasting nature is striking. No two styles are the same, so if Karate does pique your interest, do some investigation into different styles as this lies beyond the scope of this article.

I think where Karate defines its niche as a martial art is in the various aspects that make up the art. Yes, there is fight training for tournaments, just like most martial arts, but Karate also has competitions and training in kata (fight performances), and weapon demonstrations – especially in the latter case is where Karate can genuinely stand out.

Karate is also a very well rounded martial art in that it teaches many techniques. You learn to strike with all of your limbs, which are what some fighting styles lack, such as Boxing and Kung Fu, which I believe is a flaw in these fighting systems. Also, karate training does encompass the softer side of fighting through the use of locks and take-downs – again, this is something other fighting arts lack like Kickboxing and Tae-Kwon-Do. There are claims which state that Karate was the original mixed martial arts system. Karate is renowned for its numerous different stances a practitioner can utilise for attacking and defending, whereas other fighting forms do not have a focus on such transitional states.

Karate is excellent for those who want to experience pretty much all that martial arts has to offer. You learn the techniques, the katas (fight performances), and have the chance to spar and compete too. Karate competitions don’t tend to be too brutal (barring a few styles like Kyokushin and Koshiki), so Karate, therefore, is more accessible to people, regardless of age or ability. Almost anyone can take up Karate and develop at their own pace.

Karate is far from perfect though, it certainly has its flaws, as do all martial arts. I have found throughout the years that Karate is excellent for me, but to develop my fighting capabilities further, I took up Kickboxing. Karate can give a practitioner a jack-of-all-trades toolbox. Still, if you want to get good at stand up fighting, grappling, or some other aspect, then it might be best to supplement karate training with another fighting form, which more specifically targets what you are after.

2. Kickboxing

An excellent choice for those who are purely interested in the stand-up fight game. You learn the strikes, you spar opponents, and if you want to take it to that next level, you compete. Some people don’t like doing katas or learning other technical syllabus work. They want to put on gloves and go at it. Kickboxing is a solid choice for these people as it focuses solely on stand up fighting without potentially getting bogged down by traditions and procedures.

3. Muay Thai

Similar to Kickboxing but more dangerous, in my opinion. While Kickboxing is mostly limited to striking with punches or kicks, Muay Thai allows the use of elbows and knee strikes against an opponent. This is why Muay Thai is known as the science of eight limbs. Like Kickboxing, training in Muay Thai is pretty intense and not for the faint of heart. Traditional Muay Thai fights are quite ceremonial in nature, so it can be extra appealing for fighters who want to blend their spiritual side with their training and competing. If you think that sounds like fluff though, then perhaps you are better off looking into Kickboxing.

4. Tae-Kwon-Do

Similar to Karate in many ways but with a greater emphasis on kicking techniques. Skilled Tae-Kwon-Do practitioners tend to be super flexible, especially in the lower body. In fact, I regularly use a book called Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts for my flexibility training. It is written by Sang H. Kim, a Tae-Kwon-Do practitioner. Even though I don’t take any Tae-Kwon-Do classes, I am open enough to learn things from different disciplines, just like Bruce Lee and many others in this day and age. In my opinion, it doesn’t get much better than Tae-Kwon-Do for learning the flexibility exercises best suited for martial artists. Have you ever seen a demonstration in Tae-Kwon-Do? Serious practitioners can do some amazing feats, requiring the highest degree of flexibility throughout the body, particularly the legs.

5. Brazilian Jujitsu

This has really shot off in the last 5-10 years. I take a class in it once a week myself to supplement my overall self-defence capability. Most fights end up on the ground, so knowing how to defend yourself while you’re down there is pretty important, in my opinion. It is a non-striking art, and competitions are won by points via holding dominant positions or submitting your opponent using joint locks or strangleholds.

The fact that striking is disallowed is probably one reason why this martial art is a popular choice among females. Also, for women, it is often that a male attacker will try to restrain her or physically overpower her from close range. Jujitsu is likely the best counter martial art in the scenario when a male attacks a female because Jujitsu only works at close range, and the guy has gone out of his way to close the distance on her. Not to mention jujitsu works on principles of technique via leverage and body mechanics rather than power through sheer physicality. This allows smaller, lighter people to defeat larger, heavier opponents.

Brazilian jujitsu tends to be slower-paced than stand up fighting, which makes it better suited for people who are excellent problem solvers. You have a bit more thinking time, so if you become proficient at this martial art and have a high tendency to find solutions to a given situation, your jujitsu game is going to be very solid. Training your problem-solving abilities on the mat will also transfer to all other aspects of your life. If you like the idea of learning submissions and take-downs without any striking, in a fighting system that allows for a bit more thinking time, then Brazilian Jujitsu makes a great pick.

6. Boxing

The most famous fight sport of all time. Boxing is huge. It is highly technical and very demanding to become a solid boxer. Similar to Kickboxing but of course, only striking with your fists. Feet are still of utmost importance, however, for movement. Boxing remains to this day, the combat sport with the highest potential to earn a full time living from. It pays boatloads more than MMA (mixed martial arts), Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and the rest. So if you love to fight and want to prioritise making a living through fighting, Boxing bar none is the best choice. If making money is still of importance, but you have a preference to fight with your full body, consider MMA.

7. Mixed Martial Arts

Like boxing, MMA is pretty big in this day and age, mainly in part to the rise of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships), a professional MMA body which organises fight events around the globe. If you become a good MMA fighter, you can support yourself full time, but this is easier to accomplish with boxing. MMA mostly takes elements from various martial arts (mainly Kickboxing and jujitsu) and combines them into a format that allows fighters to pit themselves against each other in an octagon-shaped arena. In a sense, MMA is similar to Karate in that each can offer a diverse range of techniques for practitioners to utilise. MMA can suffer from the jack-of-all-trades conundrum like Karate, but in most cases, MMA athletes will dedicate most of their time to a certain discipline and then learn the fundamentals of other disciplines to support their main fighting style. If you want to fight with the least restrictions available with the added element of earning an income, then MMA is your go-to sport.

Conclusion

Hopefully, at least one of the mentioned martial arts resonates with you on a deep level. Regardless of whether you decide to take up martial arts or not, stay healthy and keep safe.

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.