The question of ‘What martial art should I learn’ is an important one for someone who is just getting the martial arts and is debating over which style would best suit them.
This is not an easy question to answer as everyone’s circumstances, preferences and reasons for learning the martial arts are different.
In general there are 3 main factors crucial in determining which martial to learn. i) Your reason for wanting to learn ii)Accessibility of the martial art iii) Affordability and Cost. It depends how you weight each of these factors.
Some of the most viable options are, Gracie Jiu Jitsu or Krav Maga for self defense, Judo, Boxing or Muay Thai for competition aspirations.
For fitness and discipline most martial arts place high value on these aspects so you really cant go wrong with most arts.
Accessibility and cost are further important factors, with Boxing, Judo, Taekwondo and Karate being accessible in most countries and regions as well as being among the more affordable to learn.
In this post we look at the most critical factors in determining ‘what martial art should i learn’ and I hope after reading through you will be in a better place to choose a suitable martial art to start learning and training in.
So what are the most important factors?
In my opinion the determining factors in choosing a martial art to learn are:
- Reason for learning (self defense, competition, fitness, discipline)
- Your location
- Affordability
So lets go through each of the factors above to try to determine which martial art would better suit your circumstances and goals.
Factor #1 – Reason for Wanting to Learn
i)Self Defense
Most people want to feel confident that they can handle themselves in a self-defense situation. In this case there are quite a few effective self defense martial arts out there that you can research and determine which is best for you.
Some of the best martial arts for self defense include Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Krav Maga.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu
Touted as the most effective self defense martial art in the world today, Gracie Jiu Jitsu was first introduced widely to the world through UFC 1 where ROyce Gracie proved the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu Jitsu against much heavier and larger opponents in a no rules, one to one contest.
The effectiveness of Gracie Jiu Jitsu lies in the techniques and strategies of taking the fight to the ground to overcome physical size and strength disadvantages when facing a larger stronger opponent.
However Gracie Jiu Jitsu is a complete martial art and stand up self defense including weapons defense are all included as part of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu curriculum.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu was chosen by the U.S Army as the basis for its military combatives program due to Gracie Jiu Jitsu demonstrated effectiveness. The founder of UFC Rorion Grace identified 36 commonly used techniques that would allow development of fight effectiveness in the most efficient way possible.
These 36 techniques now serve as the foundation for the US Army’s Combatives Program and have been adopted by hundreds of military and law enforcement organizations around the world.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld as a means of self defense based on his experience in various martial arts and fighting systems including, boxing, wrestling and street fighting.
Krav Maga is the combat system used by the Israeli Defense Force as well as many Special Forces around the world. The style is known for its realistic and street applicable techniques and training methods.
Experienced teachers and practitioners, many with military or disciplined forces backgrounds have taught Krav Maga to civilians and even kids making Krav Maga one of the most popular self defense systems out there today.
ii)Competition
Many people are also interested in fighting and competing, whether to make a living out of fighting or with aspirations to become a Champion and perhaps later teach after their competitive career is over.
There are many different style of martial arts that allow for competition with many different organizations holding competitive matches all over the globe.
Due to the many options available I will mainly discuss 3 forms of competition if the competitive spirit is what the driving force behind your reasons for learning martial arts.
If competition is your driving force in wanting to learn martial arts then Judo, BJJ, Boxing, Olympic Wrestling, Sanda and Muay Thai/Kickboxing are great options.
Grappling Compeition
Under this category there are a few very good options that you can pursue in your goals to be a high level competitor or perhaps for your kids to compete in.
The Olympic sports of Judo, Greco-Roman and Freestlye Wrestling are all viable options for someone to pursue as a competitive martial art as well as sport.
Outside of Olympic competition there are also options to train, learn and compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sanctioned under the IBJJF. Within BJJ itself there are also high level competitions in both the Gi and No-Gi.
Many high level competitors compete in No-Gi competition such as ADCC, No-Gi Worlds and newer promotions such as Shugyo, Polaris, Submission Underground and many others with regular competitions held at a large range of age groups.
In the Gi also there are many BJJ Tournaments at the Regional, National and World level for those who wish to compete to take part in.
Stand Up Striking Competition
Within the striking realm there are of course the traditional fighting arts of boxing and Taekwando which are also Olympic sports with many competitions held regularly around the world and at the regional and local level.
Boxing and Taekwando are probably two of the most accessible martial arts in terms of worldwide presence and can be found in virtually every country in the world for those who wish to learn and train.
Outside of the Olympics again there are so many options to choose from to fuel your competitive martial arts goals. Muay thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Savate, Khun Khmer (Cambodian Kickboxing), Lethwei (Burmese Bareknuckle Boxing) are some of the more popular striking martial arts that have regular competitions and tournaments around the world.
Promotions such as Glory and K-1 Kickboxing have large television audiences with packed arenas and world recognized and renowned titles.
Within Thailand there are many professional competitions with Lumpinee and Rajademnern being the most prestigious places to compete. These high level stadiums are also open to foreigners competing – if you are good enough.
‘Mixed’ Style Competitions
Style of martial arts that include stand up striking and grappling are growing even more popular today with Mixed Martial Arts being the most popular and the UFC being the most prestigious MMA competition in the world today
Outside of the UFC there are very popular promotions where mixed martial artists can compete and these include ONE Championship and Bellator.
In addition to MMA the Chinese martial art of Sanda which includes striking much the same as kickboxing as well as grappling throws and takedowns similar to Judo.
Combat Sambo a Russian martial art is similar to MMA in that it includes striking as well as grappling in the form of throws and submissions and is one option for those interested in mixed striking and grappling competition arts.
iii)Fitness and Discipline
All martial arts place high importance on physical conditioning and you really cant go wrong with just about all the martial arts discussed above if losing weight and getting in shape are your primary reasons for wanting to learn martial arts.
There are also many fitness focused variations of traditional martial arts that focus more on physical training and weight loss over martial arts techniques. These include BoxFit and kickboxing cardio type workouts that are really great for developing fitness and weight loss as well due to the many calories burned in these intense but fun workouts.
In terms of discipline, for example if you want your kids to develop this valuable life trait, again all martial arts require a high level of dedication and discipline in training.
I would lean more toward the traditional martial arts for discipline development and options such as Judo, Muay Thai, Taekwando and Karate are really great for kids to learn for physical health as well as traditional values and virtues such as discipline and respect.
Factor #2 – Your Location/Accessibility
This is vital in considering which martial art to learn. The many martial arts discussed above are not all readily available and accessible across the world. So in the end the determining factor in your decision of which martial art to learn could come down to availability within your current location.
Just as examples the arts of Lethwei and Khun Khmer are not easily accessible and you would probably have to travel to Cambodia and Myanmar to learn these arts effectively.
In contrast Judo, Taekwando and Karate are available in many countries across the world with high level and qualified teachers each able to teach and instruct effectively.
Boxing as an Olympic sport is another style that is widely accessible across the world with many great trainers available for instruction. Kickboxing and muay thai have grown in popularity over the decades and now also you can access great instruction in many countries and locations across the world.
But in the end if you want to attend a school or academy to learn in person then your options may be limited by your geographic location and availability of live instruction in your area.
Factor #3 – Cost & Affordability
For many people the cost of learning will be a critical determining factor in the end when it comes to learning a martial art.
As a poor University student I had a friend who was progressing well in Wing Chun but had to stop purely because of financial costs of progressing in level. It just cost too much for him at that time to continue training.
The more affordable fighting styles around the world also tend to be those which are also more available in many countries around the world. These include boxing, Karate and Taekwando which may also be available at your local YMCA which is known for being affordable.
In addition to the actual tuition fees and ranking test costs, you also should factor in travel to and from training, uniforms and training equipment such as gloves, when you make your final selection.
Other Considerations
Learning Curve
Another factor to consider in selecting a martial art is difficulty to learn.
It well known that martial arts such as BJJ take about 10 years to earn a blck belt as a standard whereas in Japan you can earn a black belt in Judo in under 5 years.
Again BJJ is a complex combination of techniques with many techniques and variations to master and requires a high level of dedication to really learn effectively.
Fighting arts such as boxing, kickboxing and muay thai can be considered ‘easier’ to learn due to the simple nature of the striking techniques. However it is in the technical application, fight strategy and perfecting each technique that the difficulty lies.
Arts such as Taekwando, Kung Fu and Karate place emphasis on forms and a lot of the learning is based on practicing and perfecting these forms in order to progress in rank.
In my opinion if you are dedicated and have the sufficient time to put into practice then level of difficulty should not deter you from learning any martial art.
Online Learning
These days with the internet being accessible to many people in the world, martial arts instructors have put together comprehensive and valuable online learning resources.
Through these online learning resources the barriers to learning such as accessibility and even cost have been lowered to allow even more people to learn the martial arts.
In terms of muay thai there are 5 online learning resources which I use and learn from regularly and you can read about them in the post below.
For Gracie Jiu Jitsu, the Gracie brothers Ryron and Rener have put together Gracie University which allows complete online access to the Gracie Jiu Jitsu curriculum as taught by the Gracie’s themselves.This is another online resources I use and have been using and learning from for sometime.
What Martial Art Should I Learn? Final Thoughts
In summary there are 3 key determining factors in deciding what martial art to learn, i) Reasons for Learning ii) Your Location or Accessibility of the Martial Art and iii) Cost and Affordability to learn.
If self defense is your reason behind wanting to learn, some of the best martial arts for self defense include Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Kaav Maga.
If competition is your driving force in wanting to learn martial arts then Judo, BJJ, Boxing, Olympic Wrestling, Sanda and Muay Thai/Kickboxing are great options.
Due to your location, especially in a rural area with a small population if you want to attend a school or academy to learn in person then your options may be limited. But there are online options for learning you can access after doing a bit of research.
Cost is a critical factor too. Some of the more affordable martial arts to learn include Boxing, Taekwando and Karate.
At the end of the day its up to you to weight up these factors and determine what is right for you.
Take your time and do your research before deciding and if possible visit the school or academy of your choice and speak to as many people as possible until you are comfortable in making your choice.
