20/20
Martial Art↕ | Origin↕ | Type↕ | Belt System↕ | Weapons↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Karate | Okinawa, Japan | Striking | Yes (white to black) | None (empty hand) | The most widely practiced martial art in the world — linear punches and kicks, kata forms, became an Olympic sport in 2020, 'wax on, wax off' from The Karate Kid |
Judo | Japan | Grappling | Yes (white to black/red) | None | The gentle way that's anything but gentle — throws and pins, founded by Jigoro Kano in 1882, Olympic sport since 1964, uses opponent's force against them |
Taekwondo | South Korea | Striking | Yes (white to black) | None | Spectacular high kicks and spinning techniques — 80% kicks 20% hands, Olympic sport since 2000, Korea's national martial art with over 80 million practitioners worldwide |
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Brazil | Grappling | Yes (white to red) | None | The ground game king — smaller fighters can defeat larger opponents through leverage and submissions, revolutionized MMA when Royce Gracie won UFC 1 in 1993 |
Muay Thai | Thailand | Striking | No (armband ranking) | None | The art of eight limbs — uses fists, elbows, knees, and shins, Thailand's national sport, clinch fighting and devastating leg kicks, fighters compete from childhood |
Boxing | Ancient Greece / England | Striking | No (weight classes) | None | The sweet science — hands only, the oldest and most celebrated combat sport, Muhammad Ali made it a global phenomenon, footwork and head movement are everything |
Wrestling | Ancient civilizations | Grappling | No | None | The oldest combat sport in human history — depicted in 15,000-year-old cave paintings, takedowns and pins, Olympic since the ancient Games, builds unmatched physical toughness |
Kung Fu | China | Hybrid | Varies by style | Yes (sword, staff, nunchaku) | Hundreds of styles developed over millennia — Shaolin monks, animal forms (crane, tiger, mantis), Bruce Lee made it global, as much philosophy as fighting |
Aikido | Japan | Grappling | Yes (white to black) | Yes (bokken, jo staff) | The art of peace — redirects attacker's energy with joint locks and throws, founded by Morihei Ueshiba, Steven Seagal popularized it in Hollywood, no competitions |
Krav Maga | Israel | Hybrid | Yes (varies by organization) | Defense against all weapons | No rules, no sport — developed for the Israeli Defense Forces, focuses on real-world self-defense, simultaneous defense and attack, the most practical street fighting system |
Capoeira | Brazil (Afro-Brazilian) | Hybrid | Yes (cord system) | None | Part martial art, part dance, part music — developed by enslaved Africans who disguised fighting as dance, acrobatic kicks in the roda circle, berimbau music sets the rhythm |
Jeet Kune Do | United States | Hybrid | No | None | Bruce Lee's personal martial art philosophy — 'absorb what is useful, reject what is useless,' no fixed patterns, adapt to any situation, the precursor to modern MMA |
Sambo | Soviet Union | Hybrid | No (ranking by sport achievement) | None | Soviet military combat system combining judo and wrestling — two forms: Sport Sambo and Combat Sambo, Khabib Nurmagomedov's base, dominant in Russian MMA |
Wing Chun | Southern China | Striking | No (forms-based progression) | Yes (butterfly swords, long pole) | Close-range combat with rapid straight punches — reportedly created by a woman (Ng Mui), Ip Man taught Bruce Lee, chain punching and trapping hands, the wooden dummy is iconic |
Kickboxing | Japan / United States | Striking | No (varies) | None | Punches and kicks in a ring — emerged in the 1960s combining karate with boxing, K-1 Grand Prix was its showcase, cardio kickboxing became a huge fitness trend |
Fencing | Europe | Striking (weapon) | No | Yes (foil, épée, sabre) | Olympic sword fighting — three weapons with different target areas, electronic scoring since the 1930s, the only combat sport where you fight with actual weapons, incredibly fast |
Hapkido | South Korea | Hybrid | Yes (white to black) | Yes (cane, short stick, rope) | Korea's comprehensive self-defense art — joint locks, throws, and kicks combined, water principle of flowing around force, influenced by Japanese Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu |
Kendo | Japan | Striking (weapon) | Yes (kyu/dan ranking) | Yes (bamboo shinai, wooden bokuto) | The way of the sword — descended from samurai swordsmanship, practitioners wear armor (bogu) and fight with bamboo swords, the kiai shout is essential, deeply ritualistic |
Tai Chi | China | Hybrid (internal) | No | Yes (sword, fan) | Moving meditation practiced by millions — slow, flowing movements that are actually martial applications, morning parks full of elderly practitioners in China, proven health benefits |
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) | Brazil / United States | Hybrid (all ranges) | No | None | Combines everything — striking, wrestling, and submissions in a cage, UFC made it the fastest-growing sport globally, ended the 'which style is best' debate by requiring all skills |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Related Datasets
More in Sports
UFC Champions
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholders by weight class.
45 rows1 shared tag
Combat Sports Fighters
20 legendary fighters — boxing and MMA GOATs, who hits hardest?
20 rows1 shared tag
Iconic Boxing Matches in History
The most legendary and culturally significant boxing matches of all time, from the early 20th century to the modern era.
20 rows1 shared tag
Tour de France Winners
All winners of the Tour de France cycling race.
321 rows
Football (Soccer) Leagues
The world's top football leagues ranked — from the English Premier League to Liga MX. Where the beautiful game is played best.
15 rows
Grand Slam Men's Singles Champions
Winners of men's singles at tennis Grand Slam tournaments.
151 rows