Have you been considering taking a Martial Arts class or have you seen it on a film or program and you now want to get involved? A lot of people like the sound of Martial Arts and they generally see them and think that they are something that can be achieved in just five minutes. Also, many people do not even realize that Martial Arts come in different styles and types.

So, if you are thinking of starting up Martial Arts, as well as losing the attitude that it will simply take a day or two to learn, you also have to do some research to see which type of Martial Arts is for you.

What Martial Arts Are Available?

Whilst there is a fairly long list of Martial Arts available to choose from, there are some which remain the most common. These include:

• Karate

Karate is definitely one of the most popular Martial Arts worldwide. It was first created to help the user to attack and potentially kill an attacker. These days it is more commonly used as a self defense activity and it is widely learned by all ages.

There are different styles of Karate and all schools may vary in their techniques.

• Judo

Judo is another popular Martial Art and it was first developed in Japan. It is commonly used as a fun, cardiovascular workout which really helps with physical fitness. As with Karate, it is widely used by all age groups and both sexes. The main purpose of Judo however as with all Martial Arts, is for self defense.

• Kendo

Kendo is one of many people's favorite Martial Arts as it mainly focuses on self defense using a sword. It is mainly used by soldiers who need to constantly attack their enemies and it is also used by people who simply want to take part in a fun Martial Art. Obviously for self defense this might not be the best form of Martial Arts which you could take as you are not likely to carry a sword around with you and even if you did you would not be permitted to use it on an unarmed attacker!

• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the best forms of Martial Arts for self defense and it mainly focuses on ground fighting. It has been around for quite a long time but it did not really become very popular until the 1990's. It is ideal for all ages though some may see it as too much for children. It generally teaches you how to use your attackers strength against them.

Overall there are quite a few different Martial Arts to choose form and the ones mentioned above are just a few of them. All will help to get you more confident, fitter and they will also help to keep you safer from attack. You just have to do the right amount of research to ensure you are trying the best form of Martial Arts for you.