Martial Arts Explained: Types, Styles & How to Choose the Right One
Boxing, MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai, karate, judo, kickboxing, wrestling — and many, many more. If you're only just starting to work out what martial arts actually are (and, while you're at it, which one might suit you best) — this is the perfect place to start building your knowledge from the ground up.
In this article, we break everything down from the basics. Find out what each discipline involves, how they differ, and which martial art is worth considering if you're thinking about taking your first steps on the mat.
What Are Martial Arts?
Martial arts is an umbrella term covering a wide range of structured, codified combat systems. Depending on the specific style, they differ in how fighters engage (including which strikes are allowed and how they are delivered), where the fight takes place (mat, ring, cage, etc.), what protective gear is used (gloves, pads, headgear, etc.), and even what the athletes wear.
But the idea behind martial arts goes beyond pure force, technique, tactics or brute strength. In most disciplines, the practice is also closely tied to a broader life philosophy.
The Main Categories of Martial Arts
Before we get into the details — a quick overview. While every discipline covered here shares one broad goal (making you more effective in a physical confrontation), they differ in almost every other respect: rules, techniques, philosophy, and the environment in which they are practised.
At a high level, martial arts can be divided into three broad categories — each of which branches off into more specialised sub-disciplines:
Striking disciplines, where the fight takes place mainly on the feet. Competitors throw punches and kicks, and — depending on the ruleset — elbows and knees may also be allowed. This category includes boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and karate.
Grappling disciplines (throws and takedowns), where the dynamic is completely different. Instead of strikes, competitors use clinches, takedowns, throws, joint locks, chokes and positional control. This includes judo, wrestling and BJJ.
Mixed disciplines — most notably MMA — which combine the best of both worlds into one.
Each category has its own specific demands, rules and movement vocabulary. We will go through them one by one below. Let's get into it.
Boxing
Boxing is the oldest, and as a result one of the most recognisable, combat sports in the world. Its history goes back to ancient times, although the early version looked quite different from the modern sport we know today.
The modern form of boxing is based entirely on punches thrown with padded boxing gloves. Competitors fight in a ring over several rounds, with victory decided on points or by stoppage. Kicks, throws and all other techniques are prohibited.
An effective boxer masters four fundamental punches:
Jab — a quick, straight left hand used to measure distance and set up attacks
Cross — a powerful straight right hand, the main finishing shot
Hook — a looping punch from the side, aimed at the jaw or body
Uppercut — an upward punch thrown at close range, especially dangerous in the clinch
Boxing teaches fighters to work at three ranges: long (jab work), mid-range (punch exchanges) and close range (clinch and body work). Footwork — how you move around your opponent — is a crucial part of the sport. That is exactly why boxing is widely regarded as one of the best foundation styles for all other combat sports.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is essentially boxing — with one key addition: competitors can also throw kicks (as the name suggests). This makes fights more dynamic and demands much greater athleticism and versatility. The discipline has several main formats, including American kickboxing (kicks to the body and head only), full-contact kickboxing, and K-1 (the most spectacular format, which also allows knee strikes).
Muay Thai
Muay Thai — known as the Art of Eight Limbs — comes from Thailand, where it holds the status of the national sport. You can think of it as an expanded version of kickboxing. The difference is that Thai boxing adds elbows and knees to the striking arsenal, and also allows fighting in the clinch.
That combination makes Muay Thai one of the most complete — and most brutal — striking systems in the world. It is worth noting that Muay Thai is now considered a standard part of training for virtually every serious MMA fighter.
Karate
Karate originated in Japan. It is built around punching, kicking and blocking techniques. Several major styles exist:
Shotokan — the most widely practised, characterised by low stances and long, powerful techniques
Kyokushin — also hugely popular, full-contact karate with real, hard sparring
Goju-ryu — a blend of hard and soft techniques
Judo
Judo takes a fundamentally different approach. There are no strikes, which makes it one of the safer starting points for younger practitioners and anyone who is not keen on trading blows — while still requiring a high level of physical fitness.
Rather than relying on brute force, judo uses the opponent's own movement and momentum against them. In practice, this means: throws and takedowns (fighting on the feet), pins and holds (ground fighting), and chokes and joint locks (ending the fight by forcing a submission).
Wrestling
Wrestling is probably the oldest combat sport in human history — practised in ancient Greece, Egypt and China. It focuses entirely on taking opponents down and controlling them on the ground (no strikes, kicks or chokes). In competitive sport, there are two main Olympic styles:
Freestyle wrestling — allows leg attacks, grabbing the legs, and using the whole body both offensively and defensively
Greco-Roman wrestling — no holds below the waist; leg techniques are not allowed
Like Muay Thai, wrestling is considered one of the core pillars of MMA effectiveness. A fighter with a solid wrestling base controls where the fight takes place — a huge advantage inside the cage.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
BJJ can be thought of as the younger sibling of judo and wrestling, but with an almost exclusive focus on ground fighting — and a strong emphasis on forcing submissions. It does this through a wide range of chokes and joint locks.
BJJ is usually trained in a traditional kimono (gi), which is used for gripping and defence. No-gi training is also common, where athletes wear rash guards and dedicated training shorts instead.
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)
MMA is the discipline with no single identity — because it deliberately combines all (or almost all) of the styles covered in this article. A truly complete MMA fighter is someone who:
Strikes accurately and powerfully on the feet (striking)
Controls where the fight takes place using wrestling skills
Can finish an opponent on the ground (grappling / BJJ)
A gap in any one of these areas is a serious weakness that any decent opponent will exploit. That is exactly why MMA training is considered one of the most varied — and most demanding — approaches in combat sports.
How to Choose the Right Martial Art for You
To wrap things up — here are a few practical pointers. Ultimately, choosing a discipline comes down to your personality, goals, physical condition and what is available near you:
If you love dynamic striking and want to feel your fitness improve quickly — start with boxing or kickboxing
If you want the most complete striking system available — Muay Thai is the answer
If you prefer technique over raw strength — BJJ might be exactly your thing
If you are drawn to Olympic sport and close-range fighting — judo or wrestling are the natural choices
If you want to train everything at once and are ready for more — MMA is the obvious direction
Beyond that, it is worth thinking about your age, your current fitness level, and whether there is a good gym or club within reach.
Once You've Decided What to Train — Decide What to Wear
Knowing your options is a genuinely great start. The next step is getting on the mat or into the ring. And as you have probably worked out — you will need the right kit to do that. At SMMASH (a Polish combat sports clothing brand), we design training gear with fighters from every discipline in mind. Rash guards, shorts, T-shirts and more — for both men and women. Head to our shop and find something built for your sport.
Got questions about the range or need help choosing the right gear? Drop us a message — we are happy to help you find exactly what works for your discipline.
