Explore popular martial arts styles like BJJ, Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, and Muay Thai. I break down key techniques, origins, and what makes each one unique.
Everyone loves to measure their progress. And for younger Taekwondo students especially, that new belt can be quite motivating. But how often can you grade in Taekwondo? As a general rule, students can grade in Taekwondo every 3 months, provided that they train at least 2 or 3 days per week. If they train less … Read more
Taekwondo sometimes gets a bad rap in martial arts, and we hear stories of black belts being handed out very quickly. So, what are the Taekwondo black belt requirements? In most cases, to test for a Taekwondo black belt, the practitioner has to have been training for a minimum of three years. The Taekwondo black … Read more
Martial arts work for all areas of physical training, from strength, balance, speed, agility, and cardio. But sometimes, young or old, we aren’t always the most coordinated. So what is the best martial art for uncoordinated people? The best martial art for uncoordinated people is Tai Chi. Tai Chi is a low-impact martial art that … Read more
Muay Thai fighters are known to wear shorts when competing in the ring. But do they ever wear a gi or long pants? And why do Muay Thai fighters wear short shorts? Muay Thai fighters wear short shorts because it allows them to have maximum airflow and freedom around their thighs when training or fighting. … Read more
Wrestling is a grappling sport featuring some takedowns and a lot of groundwork. So those skills naturally translate better to some martial arts than others. So what is the best martial art for wrestlers? The best martial art for wrestlers is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as wrestlers can easily take advantage of the BJJ rule set to … Read more
Everyone knows how effective BJJ and Judo can be on the ground, but guess what? All fights start on the feet! This led me to question, what is the best martial art for takedowns? Freestyle Wrestling is the best martial art if you want to learn takedowns, although more a sport than a true martial … Read more
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Judo have similar techniques. And they are both grappling martial arts. However, BJJ has gotten a lot more popular than Judo, even though they revolve around the same concepts. So why is BJJ more popular than Judo? BJJ is more popular than Judo because of the mainstream and social media publicity … Read more
After practicing one particular martial art for a while, it is very common to see students pick up an interest in another martial art. But how many martial arts can a person learn? As a general rule, a person can learn and master 3 to 5 different martial arts thoroughly. And many advanced students are … Read more
As with any sport, there are rules, and the UFC is no different. And different martial arts vary widely in their techniques. So, what martial arts are banned in the UFC? As a general rule, no martial art is banned in the UFC. However, martial arts weapons, such as swords used in Kendo are not … Read more
Aikido can be brutally effective, and yet one of its top philosophies is to do no harm. But some of its techniques are quite effective. So let’s review a complete list, for both beginners and experts, of the top Aikido techniques. Here are some of my favorites: Ikkyo (elbow lock) Nikyo (wrist lock) Gokyo (elbow … Read more