Muay Thai is a deadly martial art and one of the key arts used in MMA fighting. And when you’re away from a dojo, it’s a great idea to use a punching bag at home to hone your game. But what is the best freestanding punching bag for Muay Thai? The first thing is to … Read more
The gloves that top MMA fighters use have some common features, such as being made of durable material and having an open palm design. But there are a lot of gloves in a wide range of prices, so what are the best MMA gloves for sparring? Among other factors, you’ll want MMA training gloves to … Read more
Jiu-Jitsu is a Japanese martial art. But there’s also a Brazilian variation (BJJ), and that version has 1 set of belts for kids and another for adults. So how many belts are there in Jiu-Jitsu? As a general rule, there are 5 belts in BJJ, not counting levels above black, with 4 additional ones for … Read more
A mouthguard is an essential protective gear for MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, or any other combat sport. But how do you choose a good one? What is the best MMA mouthguard? Missing teeth, jaw injuries, and even head damage are more likely to occur without the right mouthguard, which is why wearing a mouthguard during … Read more
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, like several other martial art forms, uses a belt ranking system to rank its students’ progress. But what are the belt levels in BJJ? Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has five main belts for adults —white, blue, purple, brown, and black. However, for kids under age 16, there are 13 belts. Then, when BJJ students turn … Read more
Like several other martial arts forms, Taekwondo uses a belt ranking system to track Taekwondo students’ progress. But how many Taekwondo belts are there? As a general rule, Taekwondo has eleven colored belts. But there are subtle differences between the primary 3 governing bodies, the ITF, WTF, and ATA. The belts that are the same … Read more
Tai Chi, Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, and others are highly popular Chinese martial arts. But some are obviously better for self-defense than others, so overall, how effective are Chinese martial arts? The vast majority of Chinese martial arts are not effective if one is looking for a self-defense system that is adaptable and reliable. … Read more
Lots of people want to learn martial arts but maybe don’t live near a dojo or are uncomfortable with partnering strangers. So, can you learn martial arts without a partner? You can learn some facets of martial arts without a partner, especially Japanese katas or Tai Chi. However, to master contact sparring or grappling, partner … Read more
Martial arts are riveting: You execute interesting techniques, have to bow, and are often barefoot. And at times, you’ve got to yell. But why do you yell in martial arts? Martial artists sometimes yell to focus their energy and infuse their strikes with greater power. But it can also be used to startle or intimidate … Read more
Learning Taekwondo is fun. But not everyone likes forms (called kata in Japanese, but called Poomsae, hyeong, or teul in Taekwondo). So, why do you practice forms in Taekwondo? Practicing forms in Taekwondo helps practitioners become more effective and more disciplined. The forms are a sequence of techniques that, when combined, are designed to showcase … Read more