Martial Arts have been around for centuries. Likely even before then, but some of the earliest known forms of martial arts that are still practiced today were noted all the way back in the 8th century. The ability to use your body in combat either on the attack or defense has been around since the early days of man. But now, many of these martial arts have evolved over time and become not only great in a combat sense but also some are beautiful to watch as a sport or just in general.
For the most part, many martial arts were created to help people defend themselves. Many martial arts are still only for the purpose of self-defense. Others though have become extremely lethal. As techniques have been passed down and improved, the ability to seriously hurt or even kill someone using them has increased to a deadly precision. That is why you are here though. To see which of these martial arts have truly become deadly. Many of these top 10 will be obvious so let's jump in and see which ones made the list of the top 10 deadliest martial arts in the world in 2024..
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Understanding Deadliness in Martial Arts
Before diving too deep it is worth defining what makes a martial art deadly and what the criteria will be for these rankings. This will likely not help you with any
betting guides
on the subject but should help you know more about martial arts. The factors when deciding were things like effectiveness in combat, the ability to actually injure or harm someone and for some, the historical lethality of the practice. What makes a martial art deadly is how potent it is in terms of potential destruction or harm that one can do to another. This could be injuries to any and all extremities or even the ability to puncture or cause trauma to vital organs and how one would go about doing that.
To be clear, all of these martial arts are deadly but we will not be ranking them from deadliest to least. That is mainly based on how well the individual actually knows them and how proficient they are in their techniques. Many of these can be used just as self-defense instead of actually as forceful and deadly attacks. That is why crowning one as the for sure deadliest is potentially a waste as a master of any of these 10 could very easily be deadly weapons.
With that, it is finally time to jump into it.
Ranking the Top 10 Deadliest Martial Arts
Krav Maga
Krave Maga is the first in this list of the top 10 deadliest martial arts in the world. If you were looking forbetting odds explained
on this you came to the wrong place but you will see why it is so deadly. The history and its development are interesting as it started in Israel and means, “contact combat”. This is due to the fact that it is all about striking your opponent while learning strategies of how to disarm or take away the weapon of the assailant. The Israeli Defense Forces train using this martial art as a way to learn how to defend yourself in the modern world.
The core principles for self-defense using Krav Maga are using different twists and strikes to defend yourself and thus is less about the ground game as some of the other martial arts are. Instead, the deadliness comes from the fact that you are going for some of the most vulnerable parts of the body. This includes the groin, eyes, throat and more. It is easily one of the most deadly martial arts in the world simply because of its training and what you would be able to do to another human being if you were proficient in it.
Silat
Silat is often compared to what many call dirty boxing. This generally means that you are going to be ready and able to do some street fighting. This is obviously why it works so well for self-defense. Many times you will find yourself in a situation where it is a simple fist fight or fighting against an aggressor with a knife. Silat will come in handy in teaching you how to be prepared for that.
Originally Silat was first seen in Indonesia all the way back in the 8th century BC. Similar to why it is on this list, it was created to teach people for to defend themselves during times of war. The problem is that it is a bit harder to find anywhere other than Southeast Asia.
Why Silat was added to this list though is that it is one of the martial arts that utilizes join manipulation along with weapons training. While many Silat masters do not need weapons, some are trained to use them, specifically the kris. This dagger-like weapon can be used for defense and offense making Silat extremely deadly in the right hands.
Muay Thai
The characteristics and advantages of Muay Thai are that it is one of the martial arts that actually teaches you to use more of your body. This is because it employs the knees and elbows much more than almost any other martial art. This definitely makes it nice to learn as it helps you learn more about the strengths of all of your limbs. It comes from Thailand and was started way back around the 13th century. Its name means “Art of Eight Limbs” which makes sense given the different techniques that are actually learned.
Muay Thai is especially great in close combat. This means that if you are able to get in close as a Muay Thai expert, you become dangerous very quickly. This is because you can use all of the limbs on your body to strike with devastating force. This leads to many injuries while keeping you safe by getting in close.
Why Muay Thai is on this list is specifically because of its ability to damage organs that have very little or no covering. Specifically, Muay Thai fighters can cause serious damage to the throat and with very quick and deadly precision. It is worth taking care when fighting someone who knows Muay Thai as they could take you out at any time and if they do not it is mainly because they are holding themselves back.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
Origin and principles are stated in its name, from Brazil. This is one of the more common forms of Jiu-Jitsu and one that has become very popular throughout the world for a number of reasons. The main attraction to learning it is that it is helpful for those who may be much smaller than their aggressors. It still requires a bit of strength and techniques but it is about learning the ground game and getting your opponents into a compromised position.
What is interesting about Jiu-Jitsu is that it is mainly taught in self-defense. This is what keeps it from directly being deadly and why it is so popular. It is a form of martial arts that is considered to be one of the safest which is what allows it to be a spectator sport. The thing is, this is mainly because of the rules that surround it.
In truth, Jiu-Jitsu at its fullest potential is actually extraordinarily deadly. This is because of how the different locks are taught. The most deadly masters of Jiu-Jitsu can actually cause damage to their opponent's spine with the correct locks which can cause not only internal damage but even permanent damage to their opponent's nervous systems. Frankly, it is wise not to mess with a Jiu-Jitsu master that has a problem with you. Just walk away.
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet June Do is Bruce Lee's martial philosophy. That is correct, the Bruce Lee who was famous for his many films. He started it back in the 19060s as a response to a world that was quickly forgetting about martial arts. Many credit this style to serving film well and leading the way for other great martial artists to become more well-known.
It is a more philosophy-driven martial art that is very much about simplicity and directness. This means that you are using less energy on certain forms or thinking about your form. Do not let that fool you though. Jeet Kune Do when done correctly can truly be devastating.
It is considered deadly for a few reasons but one of the biggest ones centers around the timing and flurry of moves that can be thrown at someone so quickly. Being able to strike with overwhelming quickness, accuracy and strength making it almost impossible to parry or avoid can be extremely deadly. Especially when those blows are placed correctly and in unguarded spots. Along with this, the idea behind Jeet Kune Do is that you do everything with as little effort as possible which is what makes it hard to keep up with them, making it truly a deadly affair should the fight become extended.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo may have traditional roots but there are many modern applications to those. This is why it is one of the most practiced forms of martial arts around the world. It started in Korea and was developed during the 1940s and 50s using a multitude of other major Korean styles of martial arts. The mixing and matching ones such as subak and taekkyeon were from the Korean side while even karate was added in as a great way to fight.
It is mainly deadly for the sole-purpose of it being easy to learn with devastating force behind blows. It is not exactly deadly in its techniques as it is tough with self-defense in mind first. But, do not be mistaken. A true Taekwondo expert can cause you serious harm and damage if they full unleash themselves in a more violent manner.
Karate
The history and evolution of karate are a bit difficult to follow as it is a long one. But it was initially starting in Okinawa Japan. The more current version of karate has some Judo and Jiu-Jitsu mixed in with it while Karate is also added to many other forms of martial arts from around the world.
Karate is similar to Taekwondo as it is much more focused on self-defense and striking back as the enemy attacks you. That being said, Karate masters can still strike increasingly painful blows. The ability to use their knees and elbows effectively allow for them to hit you with little chance of injury to themselves and a greater chance of truly hurting their aggressor. Even a major kick, while practiced to be swift more than powerful, to an area in the abdomen can certainly cause internal bleeding if struck hard enough. Truly Karate can be deadly which is why it makes this list but is not likely one of the more deadly martial art forms on this list.
Kali
Kali is one of the lesser-known martial arts on this list but may truly be one of the most deadly. It has its roots in Filipino culture and even has some major impacts on the history of the culture. It has been refined over many centuries and has been used as a part of their war tactics all of that time. So much so that most of the advances have been honed on the battlefield instead of just in practice.
The main reason Kali is one of the most deadly, is that it is one of the few martial arts on this list that actually emphasizes or uses weapons at all. Those who are masters of Kali are trained to use bladed weapons such as knives, daggers or swords. But they are also trained for weapons like sharp sticks and even bottles. It is truly a martial art that has the intended ability to kill when needed. It makes it a little different than many other martial arts in that way.
Sambo
Sambo is a Russian martial art designed especially for self-defense. That being said, it is much more violent and aggressive than most special defenses. It includes the normal kicking and punching, but there is much more to it. Almost anything is available and that includes choking and groin strikes. Both are actively taught and used.
Even with it being designed for self-defense, Sambo is still very deadly as it is mainly used for the military and police. It combines different martial arts like kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu. Both of which are on this list in one form or another. It is extremely aggressive and a master of Sambo can do more than just grapple or hit you, they can get you into very tough locks that can cause some serious damage, making it a deadly and dangerous martial art.
Wing Chun
The philosophy and principles of Wing Chun are based around balance. You are wanting to balance not just your body but your mind as well as you prepare for the fight ahead of you. These mindfulness techniques are not readily available or practiced across many different martial arts. That is why this one may attract certain individuals who like you find peace and stay calm in the moment.
Even though it is based on peace and tranquility, do not let that get your guard down. Wing Chun, also known as Kung Fu is still very dangerous and can cause you quite a bit of pain. It turns you into a human weapon that can effectively use many different techniques and strengths within it to deliver devastating blows. This is what makes it almost an unsuspectingly deadly martial art.
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Those are the top 10 deadliest martial arts. While some are a bit more tame, they all have at least the hidden ability to be extremely damaging and painful to their opponents. Just like trying to learn
betting parlay explained. This is mainly due to the fact that those who practice them are people who have learned techniques designed to defend and attack those who threaten them.
Using defense as a tool can be extremely deadly. This is why some of the
best martial arts in the world for self defense
are on this list. Especially in the right hands as you can wear your opponent down and be able to take advantage of that. If not, brute strength can be enough to cause serious bodily harm. Also, learning where to strike and with how much force can be a deadly tool in its own right. Mainly because humans are quite squishy and vulnerable in many different places.
Also, some directly use weapons to enhance their abilities and cause serious damage. Most martial arts prefer to use sharp but precise weapons such as daggers and knives. This truly helps them be dangerous mainly due to the fact that weapons are already dangerous. But being trained in a way to wield them to maximize their efficiency is a frightening idea.
Overall, the top 10 deadliest martial arts are mainly not deadly or intended not to be. But in the right hands and minds, they certainly can be. Trying to best any of these methods with something like brute strength will often now work out. You see this in the movies and on tv and in that sense, they are correct.
So, if you are considering in training in one of these practices, make sure to learn how and when to use these martial arts. Because if you are not carful, you could become a deadly weapon yourself.
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