Whenever I watch sports (which is often) I like to sit back on my couch and bet on my favourite players if I find a good bonus code over at bet-bonus-code.ie. And whenever I watch sports, I get motivated to start exercising and get in shape. I have tried various forms of exercise without much success until I discovered martial arts! Martial arts are a form of physical combat that originated in Asia and became popular in the West. They range from traditional styles to modern techniques. Martial arts have various purposes, such as self-defence, sport fighting and meditation. Some people study martial arts to become better fighters while others use them for exercise or spiritual growth. Whatever your reasons might be for wanting to learn these skills, here are some of the most popular styles out there.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport. By practicing it, everybody can really defend themselves against people who are even stronger than them! BJJ is usually practised without strikes in order to emphasise throws, takedowns, submissions and control techniques. However, some BJJ practitioners also use striking techniques like kicks or knees from the standing position to set up an opportunity for executing a takedown or submission when the opponent’s balance is compromised.
Judo
Judo, which originated in Japan, is considered to be one of the most popular martial arts in the world. In fact, it’s so popular that there are over 100 million practitioners who train regularly across the globe!
Judo was developed by Jigoro Kano in 1882 and was originally called “Kano jiu-jitsu.” It’s a modern martial art based on traditional Japanese jujutsu but with an emphasis on throws rather than grappling. Its philosophy includes self-control and harmony with nature; these ideals underpin all aspects of judo training from physical conditioning to mental discipline. Today, practitioners compete in Olympic Games as well as other international competitions such as World Judo Championships or Asian Games (held every four years).
Karate
Karate is a Japanese martial art and a form of self-defence. It is also an Olympic sport, with its first appearance in 1964.
It’s based on the principle that the best defence is a strong offence and uses strikes, kicks, blocks, throws and holds to incapacitate or subdue an opponent.
The meaning of karate was lost over time and it was renamed “empty hand” before the 20th century when it gradually evolved into modern karate as we know it today.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is a martial art developed in Israel by Imi Lichtenfeld, who created it with the intention to teach his soldiers how to defend themselves against real-life situations.
Krav Maga was designed as a no-nonsense self-defence system that could be learned quickly and efficiently; its main focus is on fighting in close quarters, such as when faced with an assailant who is unarmed or armed only with a knife. Krav Maga practitioners learn how to use their body weight, balance and momentum to defeat larger opponents while inflicting maximum damage on their attacker. It also focuses on creating openings for counter strikes so that you can end the fight quickly, rather than trying to outlast your opponent’s attacks—this means using kicks and punches for both offence and defence.