What martial arts does Wonder Woman know?

Wonder Woman is one of the most recognizable superheroes out there and first debuted back in 1941. Since then, she has remained ever popular and has become something of a feminist icon in recent years. Part of this feminist image is due to her skilled fighting techniques and deep understanding of various martial arts. It’s no secret that Wonder Woman is great at combat and has beaten up a lot of goons in her time. However, what martial arts does Wonder Woman actually know? Read on for more information.

Wonder Woman knows Greco Roman wrestling

In many of the earlier comics, Wonder Woman seems to excel at using Greco Roman wrestling to defeat her enemies. In terms of martial arts in comic book culture, this one is a bit niche to say the least – but is a cool addition. Greco Roman wrestling has unique rules that allow throws from the waist upwards, in other words, you can’t grab the legs.

Although this is very specific, Wonder Woman seems to stick to these rules adamantly whilst fighting. She’s also a very good wrestler which is to be expected considering her Amazonian roots. If you’ve ever wrestled in real life, then you’ll also understand how strong and tenacious wrestlers can be. This is understandable with Wonder Woman who is known for her strength and determination.

Wonder Woman knows Judo

When fighting, Wonder Woman also mixes her wrestling skills with Judo. Judo once again prohibits to use of grabbing legs, but also allows grabbing onto clothes to throw people. This is useful for situations where Wonder Woman is able to assist her wrestling with clothing grips.

It also allows her to do moves such as the Seoi Nage which means throwing your opponent over your shoulder. All in all, Wonder Woman is a fantastic grappler and has a fearsome takedown game. If she gets in close, there’s a good chance you’re getting thrown.

Wonder Woman knows Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

In the image below, we can see Wonder Woman’s fantastic grappling skills from standing. Here, she combines both wrestling and Judo which we’ve previously mentioned. However, she is also skilled in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and knows a few submission holds too. In the one scene, we can clearly see her applying a hold which is a mixture between an achilles lock and a submission on the lower back.

If her enemy doesn’t tap in this position, then they’re going to end up with broken bones. This further proves how good she is at grappling. Whether on the ground or standing up, if Wonder Woman gets her hands on you then you’re in trouble.

Wonder Woman knows Karate

Whilst Wonder Woman is primarily a grappler, she also knows Karate which is useful when she’s fighting from a distance. Grappling is a great way to beat people, but if they stay away then you literally can’t grapple. This is fine, as Wonder Woman is also well versed in Karate and knows when to mix things up. Here, she uses her arms to block punches from close and also knows a variety of kicks that can land to the head and knock people up. In short, if you come close then she will throw you. If you back off then she can pick you off with kicks which show off her great flexibility and speed.

Wonder Woman knows Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu is an ancient Indian martial art that is forgotten by most these days. However, it’s also something that is very relevant to Wonder Woman. This martial art is from India and each fighter is armed with a sword and shield. Sound familiar? These are Wonder Woman’s go-to weapons when fighting without her fists. As she is skilled in this discipline, it’s incredibly hard for her opponents to hit through her defensive shield. Similarly, she will use her sword to attack which can literally kill.

The reason why Wonder Woman knows Kalaripayattu is probably due to her upbringing in Themyscira. Although this was a technologically advanced island, in many ways it was still quite primitive. This meant that the Amazonian warriors of this land would not use guns or modern weapons, and would be forced to rely on medieval weapons, hence the reason for her knowledge of Kalaripayattu which relies on ancient weaponry.

Wonder Woman’s martial arts profile

When looking at the profile of Wonder Woman, it’s clear that she’s a very well trained martial artist. Interestingly, the bulk of her talents lie in grappling, especially from standing. Unlike most superheroes, she doesn’t use particularly flashy techniques which is quite a rarity. You would assume that her island of Themyscira has a big admiration of the grappling martial arts which is why she’s so good at them.

Of course, she is more than just a grappler and is also well trained in both Karate and Kalaripayattu. Whilst many superheroes also use Karate, very few will use Kalaripayattu. It seems that in this sense, Wonder Woman is one of the most unique superheroes out there when it comes to martial arts. Not only was she one of the first female superheroes, but she’s also one of the most interesting and unusual when it comes to analyzing her martial arts skills.

It should also be noted that obviously Wonder Woman has natural strength and agility which will help her during combat. Having said this, these traits are commonly found in most other superheroes who still have inferior grappling skills when compared to Wonder Woman.