There are many distinct styles and schools of

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

. Sometimes, schools or styles are introduced by individual teachers or masters, or as a brand name by a specific gym. Martial arts can be grouped by type or focus, or alternatively by regional origin. This article focuses on the latter grouping of these unique styles of martial arts. For Hybrid martial arts, as they originated from the late 19th century and especially after 1950, it may be impossible to identify unique or predominant regional origins. It is not trivial to distinguish "traditional" from "modern" martial arts. Chronology is not the decisive criterion, as, for example, "traditional" Taekwondo was developed in the 1950s, while the "modern" hybrid martial art of

Bartitsu Bartitsu is an wikt:eclectic, eclectic martial art and self-defence method originally developed in England in 1898–1902, combining elements of boxing, jujitsu, cane fighting and French kickboxing (savate). In 1903, it was immortalised (as "barit ...

was developed in ca. 1900. A large portion of traditional martial arts can be categorized as Folk wrestling (see the separate article), although in some cases a folk wrestling style and a modern combat sport may overlap or become indistinguishable from each other once the sport has been regulated.

Africa

; Angola *

Engolo Engolo or NGolo (Kikongo word meaning strength, power) is a performance of ritual combat by various ethnic groups around the Cunene River in southern Angola. The style of fighting involves various kicks, dodges, and leg sweeps, with an emphasis o ...

; Egypt * Tahtib ; Madagascar * Moraingy ; Nigeria * Dambe ; Senegal * Lutte Traditionnelle * Senegalese wrestling ; Somalia * Istunka ; South Africa * Nguni stick-fighting ;

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

* Nuba fighting

Americas

; Barbados * Bajan stick-licking ; Brazil *

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

* Capoeira * Huka-huka * Luta Livre *

Vale Tudo Vale Tudo (; en, Everything Goes/Everything Allowed), also known No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would event ...

; Canada *

Defendo Defendo is a Canadian martial art and a self defence system created in 1945 for Law enforcement agency, law enforcement structures by Bill Underwood. Underwood had created Combato in 1910, a "non-boxing or wrestling" unarmed combat system which ...

* Okichitaw * SPEAR System *

Wen-Do Wen-Do is a form of self-defence art for women developed by Ned and Ann Paige, a married couple from Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Paige, an optometrist, dedicated himself to creating a program to teach women to protect themselves after hearing of the murd ...

;

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Colombian grima Colombian grima is a martial art that was developed by Afro-Colombian communities during the colonial era that utilizes the use of a machete in combat. History Among contemporary masters of the art, there are a number of competing ideas as to ...

; Cuba *

Juego de maní ('game of war') often simply called or , sometimes referred to as ('dance of war') or , is a combined martial art and dance that was developed in Cuba by African slaves. It has its roots in the Kongo-Angola culture and is still kept alive today ...

;

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

Tire machèt ''Tire machèt'' ("pull hemachete") is a Haitian martial art; a form of fencing with machetes. The origin of the practice lies in the Haitian Revolution of 1791-1804, in which rebel slaves, many armed only with the machetes they had used to cu ...

; United States *

American Kenpo American Kenpo Karate (), also known as Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate, American Kenpo and Kenpo Karate, is an all-inclusive system of martial arts based on ancient martial arts methods applied to solve modern-day violent scenarios using logic and pract ...

* Collegiate wrestling * Combatives * Emerson Combat Systems * Gouging (fighting style) * Jeet Kune Do * Jailhouse rock (fighting style) * Kajukenbo * Kapu Kuialua * LINE (combat system) * Marine Corps Martial Arts Program *

Model Mugging Model Mugging is an American form of self-defense training that uses padded instructors, known as "Model Muggers", to simulate assaults. It was founded by Matt Thomas, and developed by Danielle Smith, Julio Toribio, Sheryl Doran and Mark Morris. ...

* Shootfighting * Special Combat Aggressive Reactionary System *

10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu is a non-traditional system of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu developed by Eddie Bravo. It was one of the first Jiu-Jitsu school systems to avoid using a gi. 10th In 2003, after earning a black belt under Jean-Jacques Machado, Eddi ...

Asia

; Bangladesh * Bangladeshi martial arts *

Butthan Butthan (ব্যুত্থান, ''bʊθɑːn'', meaning "Defense with distinction and awakening") is a Bangladeshi martial art and combat sport. It is a system of self-defense and personal development rooted in South Asian heritage. Butthan ...

;

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

* Chinese martial arts * Shaolin Kung Fu * Baguazhang * Tai chi * Bajiquan * Wing Chun *

Shuai Jiao Shuai Jiao () is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling wushu style of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the North China Plain which was codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excellency in Catching) o ...

* Choy Gar * Fut Gar ; India *

Indian martial arts Indian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A variety of terms are used for the English phrases “Indian martial arts”, deriving from ancient sources. While they may seem to imply specific disciplines (e.g. ...

* Mardani khel * Malla-yuddha *

Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu (; also known simply as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. Kalaripayattu is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts, and is ...

* Vajra-mushti * Adimurai *

Gatka Gatka (; ; hi, गतका; ur, ) is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab and other related ethnic groups, such as Hindkowans. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate ...

; Indonesia * Indonesian martial arts * Pencak silat *

Tarung Derajat Tarung Derajat is a full body contact hybrid martial art from Indonesia, created by Haji Achmad Dradjat. He developed the techniques through his experience as a street fighter during the 1960s in Bandung. Tarung Derajat is officially recognized a ...

; Israel * Kapap * Krav Maga ;

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Japanese martial arts Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usage ...

Kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of ...

* Sojutsu * Naginatajutsu * Bojutsu *

Okinawan kobudo Okinawan may refer to: * Something of or relating to: ** Okinawa Island ** Okinawa Islands ** Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawan language, an endangered language spoken by the people of Okinawa Island * Okinawan people, a subgroup of the Ryukyuan people ...

* Kusarigamajutsu * Kyudo * Tessenjutsu * Shurikenjutsu *

Bajutsu is a Japanese form of military equestrianism. History Although its origins are closely related to those of mounted archery (''yabusame''), bajutsu is considered a distinct and separate martial art, and there are a number of traditional schools ...

* Jujutsu ; Korea * Korean martial arts * Taekkyon * Tae kwon do * Hap ki do ;

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

* Muay Lao ; Malaysia * Silat ; Mongolia * Mongolian wrestling ;

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

Aka (Burmese martial arts) Aka are pre-arranged sets of movement or forms in the Burmese martial arts. They serve as a straightforward way of passing down all of a style's techniques unto the student. They can be practiced as a form of physical conditioning, to develop m ...

* Bando *

Banshay Banshay ( my, ဗန်ရှည်, ) is a weapon-based martial art from Myanmar focusing primarily on the sword, staff and spear. Influenced by both Indian and Chinese sources, it is closely related to similar Southeast Asian systems such as Th ...

Lethwei Lethwei ( my, လက်ဝှေ့; IPA: ) or Burmese boxing, is a full contact combat sport from Myanmar that uses stand-up striking including headbutts. Lethwei is considered to be one of the most brutal martial arts in the world, * * * a ...

* Naban *

Pongyi thaing Pongyi thaing ( my, ဘုန်းကြီးသိုင်း ) is a Burmese martial art created by the monk Oopali in the 9th century. Based on the Hindu-Buddhist principle of non-violence and non-aggression, its objective is not to caus ...

; Cambodia * Bokator * Pradal serey ; Philippines * Filipino martial arts ; Thailand * Krabi–krabong * Lerdrit * Muay boran *

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

* Silat Pattani ; Turkey *

Matrak Matrak is an Ottoman combat sport based on sword and shield fighting, Invented by the Ottoman Bosnian statesman, historian and scientist Nasuh Matrakčija Visočak ''(full name in Turkish: Nasuh bin Karagöz bin Abdullah el-Bosnavî)'' in the ...

* Oil Wrestling *

Sayokan Sayokan is a contemporary Turkish martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spir ...

; Vietnam * Vietnamese martial arts ;

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Angampora Angampora is a Sinhalese martial art that combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, and meditation. A key component of angampora is the namesake ''angam'', which incorporates hand-to-hand fighting, and ''illangam'', involving the ...

Europe

; Finland * Hokutoryu Ju-Jutsu ; France * Canne de combat * French school of fencing * Gouren *

Qwan Ki Do Qwan Ki Do or Quan khi Dao is a Vietnamese martial art that was codified in France in 1981. Qwan Ki Do is practiced internationally, with schools in Asia and Europe. The practice combines the use of hand-to-hand techniques and weapons, with moves c ...

* Savate ; Germany * German school of fencing * Ringen * Unifight * German Ju-Jutsu ; Serbia *

Real Aikido Real Aikido (Serbian Cyrillic: Реални аикидо) is a martial art developed by Ljubomir Vračarević, a self-defence instructor from Serbia. It is a mixture of aikido, judo and jujutsu techniques, with some modifications made by Vrač ...

; Greece * Ancient Greek boxing * Greek wrestling * Pankration ; Iceland * Glima ; Italy * Italian martial arts ; Republic of Ireland * Irish martial arts ; Spain *

Leonese wrestling Leonese wrestling ( Leonese: ''aluche'', es, lucha leonesa), is a form of wrestling specific to the Province of León in Spain. It is one of the oldest sports on the European continent. About Leonese wrestling bouts occur in the ''corro'', a ...

* Lucha Canaria ; Russia * Russian martial arts ;

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

* Schwingen ; Ukraine * Combat Hopak ; United Kingdom * Bare-knuckle boxing *

* Catch wrestling * Combat pistol shooting * Cornish Wrestling * Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling * Defendu * Devon wrestling * English Longsword School * Historical fencing in Scotland * Lancashire wrestling * Suffrajitsu * Singlestick * Shin-kicking * Scottish Backhold * World War II combatives ;Others *

Archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

* Boxing *

Duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

* Fencing * Shooting * Wrestling

Oceania

;

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

* Coreeda ; New Zealand * Mau rākau ; Samoa * Limalama

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Oceania

See also