The 10 best Japanese martial arts
It’s no secret that most martial arts originate from the far east. In particular, Japan is seen as one of the founding countries when it comes to martial arts and has a lot to offer. In fact, the chances are that you’ve probably never heard of certain Japanese martial arts as it can sometimes get quite obscure.
Not only this but there’s also a good mix of variety, with some styles being based on grappling, whilst others are based on striking or using weapons. In other words, there should be something for everyone. This is good news if you’re a fan of martial arts or Japanese culture in general. Thankfully, most of these disciplines are still trained today and some are still quite mainstream. Hopefully, you can find the right martial art for you on our list which is written below.
Table of Contents
Japanese Grappling Martial Arts
Judo
Undoubtedly, Judo is one of the best martial arts in the world and is massively popular because of this. Basically, the idea of Judo is to throw your opponent to the ground using their gi as a weapon. From here, you can either pin them or you can submit them if preferred.
These days, Judo is trained mostly as a sport and has a very competitive scene. However, it’s arguably one of the best martial arts that you can learn for self-defense as well. It goes without saying that if you can successfully throw someone with force then you’ll probably win a street fight.
Returning to less violent themes, at its best Judo can look very simple and beautiful. Here’s the kicker – Judo actually takes years to learn and master. Although it may look effortless at times, there are lots of areas to learn such as timing, patience, and kuzushi. If you want to train Judo then you’re in luck, as most towns and cities around the globe will have a local Judo club.
Check Out Judo Moves With This Book
Aikido
These days, Aikido can be viewed as a controversial martial art. The reason for this is that it has certainly been watered down since its creation. This has led to some critics questioning whether it actually works and whether it’s truly effective. Aikido was originally inspired by Judo but is based on reaction more than action. This means you’re taught to use the opponent’s energy against them, rather than forcing moves upon them.
Unlike Judo, Aikido also lacks a competitive scene and is based solely on self-defense. It also lacks many of the throws used in Judo and is based around arm and wrist lock control more than anything else. Although Aikido may have several flaws, it’s ideally the best martial art for older people to learn.
This is because it’s low impact but is still a decent form of exercise. As well, Aikido has often been associated with teaching philosophical values. Whilst you may not become a champion martial artist learning Aikido, it still offers many positives.
Check Out Aikido Moves With This Book
Sumo Wrestling
Another big martial art in Japan is Sumo. Apparently, Sumo is over 1000 years old and has its roots in ancient Japan. Sadly, unlike Judo or Aikido, finding a Sumo gym outside of Japan would prove very difficult – and it’s fair to say that Sumo never really made it outside of its home country.
Nonetheless, due to the beauty of the internet you can still learn Sumo at home. There are plenty of resources and videos to choose from and you can also go to Japan and learn in person. Often, people also falsely believe that you have to be huge or very fat to train Sumo. Although this is the case at the higher belts, you can still train against similar-sized people as a lightweight. Arguably, the grappling world could still learn a lot from Sumo as it has a lot of unique throws and techniques. If you ever get the chance to train Sumo then give it a shot!
Check Out Sumo Moves WIth This Book
Ju Jitsu
Before Judo, there was Ju Jitsu which would also go on to influence other arts such as BJJ as well. This was a standing martial art that has a lot of similarities with Judo and Aikido and can be described as a mixture of the two. In other words, it still uses throws like Judo but these aren’t as advanced, nor are they as focused on.
Similarly, it also uses quite a few joint locks such as straight arm locks and other submissions. Japanese Ju Jitsu probably isn’t as popular as it once was but is still relatively mainstream so if you’re desperate enough to want to train it then you can probably find a place.
Interestingly, some dojos will also train using weapons and in some cases, it can offer quite a varied, diverse array of techniques and styles. If you’re a martial arts buff who loves the history of Japan, then trying out Ju Jitsu will help you understand the culture a bit more.
Check Out Ju Jitsu Moves With This Book
Japanese striking martial arts
Karate
Perhaps the most famous martial art of all time originated from Japan. Specifically, we’re talking about Karate. Although it started off on the small island of Okinawa, it is now global and has dojos everywhere.
Karate involves striking using kicks and punches, as well as forearm blocks and defensive postures too. Here, you will improve your athleticism which means throwing some pretty impressive, flexible kicks. Not only is Karate great for self-defense, it’s also got lots of sports competitions on offer which is nice if you’re competitive.
Another positive about Karate is how diverse it is. Unlike most martial arts, there are a lot of variations within the Karate world. For instance, you could choose to train Kyukoshin which is pretty aggressive or Shotokan which is based on sports.
Put another way, Karate can be quite different depending on where you train. Some people also don’t know that Karate does offer a few trips and throws too which is useful if you want to try and grapple as well.
Check Out Karate Moves With This Book
Shootfighting
Before MMA, there was Japanese shoot fighting. This is a hybrid combination of wrestling and striking from standing positions. Here, practitioners would strike whilst standing – but could only grapple when the action hits the ground. As you can imagine, this would eventually translate into MMA quite well as it has a lot of similarities.
Like Sumo, shoot fighting is almost exclusively taught in Japan. However, if you fancy something similar then you can learn MMA which has a lot in common. Shootfighting gyms still thrive in Japan though and if you go to one, you can expect a pretty tough work out which is a mixture of striking and grappling.
Check Out Shootfighting Moves With This Book
Martial arts using weapons
Kendo
Kendo was the eventual successor to the Samurai who used swords when fighting. For obvious reasons, it’s much safer to train with wooden sticks as opposed to sharp swords. Arguably, Kendo is the most popular of the Japanese martial arts that uses weapons and is practiced worldwide.
The reason for this is possibly due to its safety as well as being great fun. Due to the protective suit and helmet, you’re unlikely to get hurt from training Kendo. Sadly, the same can’t be said about many other martial arts. It’s also interesting to learn how to use a long sword and put it into effect when sparring.
Lastly, Kendo is also fairly unique in terms of what it offers which may explain why it’s survived so long.
Check Out Kendo Moves With This Book
Ninjutsu
These days, it’s very hard to find a legitimate Ninjutsu dojo. However, back in the day these were the skills taught to Japanese ninjas during feudal times. So, if you want to mimic the actions of a ninja then training Jinjutsu is your best bet. Just don’t bank on these skills relating to the modern-day as many of the techniques are a throwback to a bygone era.
In other words, if we’re honest – training Ninjutsu is probably best done from a historical angle based on fun rather than something that’s going to offer much in terms of real-life skills. Still, it’s very interesting to learn about the history and how ninjas operated back in the day.
The weapons in Ninjutsu are vast and these include throwing stars, sai’s, bo’s, daggers, and even explosives. As you’d expect with ninja culture, there were a lot of weapons used for different occasions, so Ninjutsu’s arsenal is fairly broad.
Check Out Ninjutsu Moves With This Book
Bojutsu
The Bo staff is very common in various martial arts and is arguably quite under-appreciated too. The Bo is basically a long, thin wooden stick that needs two hands to yield it. Here, it is used both to defend against strikes and also to attack using its long-range. Interestingly, the Bo staff was made famous in the movie Enter The Dragon when Bruce Lee successfully beat up a gang using his Bo – and showing its effectiveness in the process.
Although it can be difficult to find a Bojutsu dojo, you can still learn its moves in various other disciplines. Sometimes, Ninjutsu and even certain Karate gyms will also have a curriculum based on the Bo. So, even though it’s quite an obscure martial art by today’s standards, it’s still available to learn if you look hard enough.
Check Out Bojutsu Moves With This Book
Kyudo
Another lesser-known Japanese martial art is Kyudo. However, this doesn’t mean that the act itself isn’t common. Simply put, Kyudo is another name for Japanese archery and uses a bow and arrow as its primary weapon.
Although western archery differs slightly, the two still have lots in common. This means that even though Kyudo may not be particularly popular, the act of using a bow and arrow is – and has been used for generations around the world. There are some subtle differences though, with Kyudo using a different grip for one. You could argue that Kyudo is more technical – but to the untrained eye, they’re very similar.
