Best Striking Martial Arts: Top 8 Killer Self-Defense Styles
Contents
- An Overview Of The Best Striking Martial Arts
- 1. Muay Thai
- 2. Boxing
- 3. Taekwondo
- 4. Wing Chun
- 5. Kung Fu
- 6. Kickboxing
- 7. Karate
- 8. Krav Maga
- Watch This!
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What combat style features the best striking techniques?
- How do you choose the best striking martial art for you?
- Which combat style has the strongest kicking technique?
- What Is the most dangerous martial art?
- Conclusion
- Sources
Photo by U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Renee Nicole Finona, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Martial arts training teaches you to protect yourself, and people all over the world practice some form of it.
Styles range from traditional arts to modern combat sports.
Nevertheless…
Please read on if you wish to discover the best striking martial arts for you.
Striking arts focus on hitting with the fists, elbows, knees, and feet while standing, rather than on wrestling or submissions.
An Overview Of The Best Striking Martial Arts
Martial arts have been around for centuries, but mixed martial arts only went mainstream in recent decades.
Choosing the best striking art depends on your goal. The right fit for one person may be wrong for someone else.
Everyone has varying goals and needs; some engage in the martial arts to learn self-defense, and others wish to succeed in a martial art competition.
Therefore, to help you decide which is the most effective striking martial arts that meet your preferences, here's an overview of some of the best ones:
1. Muay Thai
Photo by Gerrit Phil Baumann, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is a centuries-old striking art from Thailand. It uses the fists, elbows, knees, and shins, which is why it is called the art of eight limbs.
Muay Thai is widely regarded as Thailand's national sport.
Fighters can punch, kick, knee, and elbow, and they can clinch to control the opponent and land knees. Amateur rules, such as the IFMA competition rules, require headguards, shin guards, and elbow guards and ban judo or wrestling-style throws.
Training builds conditioning, strength, and confidence. Some techniques, like elbows and long clinch work, aren't allowed in many other kickboxing rule sets.
2. Boxing
Photo by BugWarp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Practitioners who'd like to train for a boxing match often want to start learning punches from the first day. Boxing is the traditional fist fight, with boxers in hand wraps and lace-up gloves.
A boxer employs a boxing system, which includes throwing combinations of straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts.
When a boxer masters relevant boxing skills, it will help to score a knockout. Training instructors typically start teaching beginners proper stance and footwork, as these are crucial boxing fundamentals they can't miss.
Learning appropriate punching techniques allows the boxers to use their hands to neutralize or destroy the opponent. Many fighting systems worldwide appear similar to the punching techniques you use in boxing.
Many martial arts teach a lead-hand punch, rear punch, hooks, and uppercuts. What sets boxing apart is its depth of footwork, head movement, and defense.
Traditional karate punches often start from the hip, while boxing punches start from a guard near the chin and draw power from the hips and shoulders.
3. Taekwondo
Photo by Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art with roots in older Korean fighting traditions such as taekkyon. Its modern form took shape in the mid-20th century, influenced by karate, and it is best known for its kicks.
MMA fighters such as Anderson Silva, Anthony Pettis, and Benson Henderson have taekwondo backgrounds.
Taekwondo fighters use spinning kicks, multiple kicking combinations, jumping, and high kicks as part of their fighting style. There are a lot of loose movements in taekwondo training, as the fighters constantly bounce on their feet and are ready to strike anytime.
Taekwondo was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Seoul Games and became an official Olympic sport in 2000. Training builds flexibility, balance, and fast footwork.
Taekwondo practitioners' footwork and kicks are fast, which makes them exciting to watch in MMA.
4. Wing Chun
Wing Chun is a southern Chinese kung fu style built around close-range fighting.
It favors punches over kicks and teaches stable stances and close fighting distances.
Rather than flashy, complex maneuvers, Wing Chun emphasizes self-defense. In addition to wooden dummies, sticky hands or the Chi Sao technique is part of the Wing Chun training method.
Like any martial art, it takes years of regular training to use well under pressure.
Wing Chun is known for fast chain punches thrown along the centerline.
5. Kung Fu
Kung fu is a Chinese term that roughly means skill gained through hard work. In the West it refers to the many Chinese martial arts, which developed over centuries.
Many kung fu styles mix strikes with joint locks, throws, and sweeps, though most put more emphasis on striking. Deep stances are a training staple.
The movements of animals inspired many kung fu styles, such as the grabbing hands of praying mantis style and the tumbling and rolling of monkey style.
6. Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a stand-up combat sport that combines boxing punches with kicks. Rules vary by organization, from full-contact American kickboxing to rules that also allow knees.
Its techniques overlap heavily with Muay Thai, but most kickboxing rules limit or ban elbows and long clinches.
A kickboxer can use kicks and punches, and under Thai rules, elbows and knees as well. Boxing, by contrast, allows only punches above the belt.
Kickboxing is fast-paced, and referees usually break clinches quickly.
7. Karate
Karate grew out of Okinawan fighting arts and became popular in mainland Japan early in the 20th century. It made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, but Paris 2024 left it off the program.
The Tai sabaki, which entails using body movement for self-defense in sparring, is one of the most common maneuvers in karate training.
If you're training for Tai sabaki, you will learn to move from a full-distance to a close-range stance, repositioning your body from an opponent's reach. Karate and kung fu use combative sequences of blocking, kicking, and striking training to respond to an attack.
Karate uses a range of hand strikes, including backfists and palm strikes, along with kicks. Some styles and competitions also allow sweeps and throws.
Once you progress through the ranks, your level of commitment until you reach the pinnacle might earn you a black belt.
Earning a black belt takes years of hard work and discipline.
8. Krav Maga
Photo by Department of Defence, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Krav Maga is a self-defense system developed by Imi Lichtenfeld and adopted by the Israeli military. Its name is Hebrew for "contact combat." It combines strikes, takedowns, joint locks, and chokes, and its training focuses on principles more than set techniques.
The nature of street violence is volatile and unpredictable, and the last thing any of us want is to end up unprepared in a street fight.
Krav Maga training aims to help you react quickly under stress. It also teaches awareness, so you avoid being taken by surprise in the first place.
You learn to move based on instincts to address the immediate danger and work against various attacks by defending and counterattacking your adversary. In violent attacks, Krav Maga students learn to react immediately to neutralize the attacker.
Unlike MMA, a sport with rules and a referee, Krav Maga is not a competition sport. It trains for situations without rules, such as multiple attackers or weapons.
Knock-Out Point: One of the oldest martial art forms gained prominence because of its simplicity of movement. Read and learn more about this self-defense technique made popular by a renowned actor -- Is Wing Chun Effective.
Watch This!
Frequently Asked Questions
What combat style features the best striking techniques?
Muay Thai is a strong answer because it uses all eight limbs: fists, elbows, knees, and shins. Boxing has the deepest punching game, while karate and taekwondo are known for kicks.
How do you choose the best striking martial art for you?
Making the right choice of the best striking martial art is essential to enjoying and maximizing the benefits of the entire experience. The most effective striking martial art to learn must be the one that supports your goal and helps you achieve it.
Many martial arts can teach powerful techniques, but it's best to go for what meets your requirement for intensity level and the one you will enjoy. Ultimately, the best striking martial art will help you stay fit, improve mental alertness, and teach self-defense.
Which combat style has the strongest kicking technique?
The arts best known for kicking are taekwondo, karate, and Muay Thai. Edson Barboza, known for his kicks in the UFC, comes from a Muay Thai background.
Muay Thai kicks land with the shin and are built for power, while taekwondo and karate kicks emphasize speed, range, and spinning techniques.
What Is the most dangerous martial art?
Many people consider Lethwei or Burmese boxing one of the most brutal combat sports because it allows headbutts. For self-defense, Krav Maga is often called one of the most dangerous systems because it aims to stop an attacker fast.
Krav Maga is an Israeli self-defense system, not a sport. Its core idea is to neutralize the threat quickly and get away.
Conclusion
Martial art fighters and practitioners learn how to use their bodies to achieve the most effective fighting styles. Mastering grappling techniques help you take your opponents to the ground.
By contrast, mixed martial arts teaches grappling, takedowns, and striking together.
Once you discover the best martial art for you and learn how to use any fighting style while on your feet, the benefits are advantageous. The core principle of each type equips you to be well-prepared in self-defense while providing health benefits and helping you achieve personal goals.
Sources
- Rules for International Competition or Tournaments, International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA)
- Karate 101: Since Rio, NBC Olympics
- Olympic Taekwondo history, NBC Olympics
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