Simple Guide On What Is The Easiest Martial Art To Learn

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What About Lethwei
• Why Not Try MMA
• Don’t Forget Muay Thai
• How About Some Boxing
• The Art of Running
• My Final Thoughts

Introduction

Many Martial Arts combine complex striking systems and techniques which take many years to learn. So when it comes to learning a Martial Art quickly. You need something that is easily digestible and accessible, without too many frills and years of training. So which of the martial arts is the easiest?

An effective and deadly martial art now used by the Israeli Military. Krav Maga or contact combat was designed in such a way that it could be learned quickly by new military recruits.

While other martial arts may have fewer techniques to learn. It is your proficiency in those arts which makes them so effective! Bad execution of techniques, poor form and underutilisation of the full arsenal at your disposal, can leave you open to counter deadly attacks.

Taking elements from numerous other martial arts such as Karate, Aikido, Boxing wrestling and Judo, Krav Maga is a martial art for the modern era.

Originally born in the ghettos of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. It was designed to help protect the local Jewish population from attack by fascist groups of the time. And so was created very much for utilisation in an urban environment.

Owing to its simplicity, yet effectiveness, today Krav Maga has been rolled out across many of the world’s military powers. When lives hang in the balance and time is of the essence. It has firmly established itself as the martial art of the military.

And so that is why I have placed it at the top of our list. An art specifically created for individual and group attacks. Using what you have to hand in the most efficient and deadly way. Krav Maga can offer you everything you need to learn in quick time.

What About Lethwei

The martial art of Lethwei has recently exploded onto the world scene and into the subconscious of the mainstream combat sports fan. Known as the art of nine limbs, Lethwei has been in existence for some 1000 years. Yet only very recently has begun to finally gain traction amongst a wider audience.

Regarded by many as the most brutal of all fighting sports, Lethwei is similar in almost every way to the art of eight-limbs Muay Thai. Lethwei has the added advantage on the street of a very underutilised tool in the form of headbutts.

The use of the head opens up numerous other attacks and defensive movements that few other martial arts do. Repeatedly training to use the head in close-quarter combat adds a whole new dimension and if done correctly can be a quick learning curve indeed.

While being one of the most brutal, Lethwei still has a relatively low number of techniques to be learned when compared with many other martial arts. Outside of the kicks, punches, knees, elbows and headbutts.

Its non-use of gloves is also a far more realistic unfiltered version of fighting, similar to what you would see in a street fight situation. So training in Lethwei is more likely to prepare you for any unwanted situation in which you might find yourself.

There are no difficult-to-learn submissions like in say Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Repeated drilling of a relatively small selection of moves will give you a good grounding in the sport of Lethwei. What will get you, in the end, would be competing, as this may be the most violent combat sport on the planet!

Why Not Try MMA

Mixed martial arts have exploded over the last several years. Its popularity has far outweighed almost each and every other combat sport on the planet and for good reason.

Like Krav Maga, MMA combines techniques of many other martial arts into one seamless well oiled single discipline. And when it comes to dangerous situations that can erupt anywhere at any time, MMA offers a technique for almost any of them.

It’s the flexibility and adaptability that makes it a favourite amongst fans of martial arts and competitive fighting sports. And while not necessarily the easiest martial art to learn.

Even limited knowledge in some of the ground positioning, submissions and striking could help you out of an awkward situation. So keep this gem in mind when considering what you will eventually train under.

Having trained extensively in MMA in many gyms over many years. I can personally attest to the effectiveness and practicality it can offer in a whole host of scenarios.

Don’t Forget Muay Thai

Muay Thai has been the go-to striking art for the majority of elite fighters who have entered the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championships. The art of 8 limbs, evolved as one of the many Muay martial arts in the Asian subcontinent region.

Beloved around the world, Muay Thai like Lethwei uses a relatively small combination of techniques. These techniques are of course learned and refined for many years until the fighter does not even have to think about their next combination.

A stand-up striking sport that utilised kicks, knees, fists and elbows. Muay Thai has become one of the most popular martial arts on the planet. It does not contain the complex striking combinations of a Wing Chung or the many other more traditional Eastern Martial arts.

But Muay Thai is one of the most deadly, yet practical martial arts you can learn relatively quickly. With devastating low kicks to incapacitate your opponent, front teep kicks push them off and create space. Or in close knees delivered in the clinch and cutting elbows that can come from almost any angle.

Muay Thai truly is a force to be reckoned with and should always be under consideration when choosing what you will train. It will take time to get your conditioning and technique up to speed. But once you do, you will fully realise the beauty and simplicity of the martial art.

How About Some Boxing

Some people don’t know shit about boxing and some people do! Boxing is one of the very oldest forms of combat in the world. With records stretching back to ancient Olympics Greece, boxing has been a staple of combat since records began.

One of the beauties of boxing is that only hands are used as weapons. And as a result, the array of punch-only combinations and techniques means that there are far fewer to focus on than many of the more complicated martial arts.

1 – 2 combinations, jabs, hooks, overhand right, uppercuts, the straight right hand. There is not an endless deluge of information to learn, but getting good, planting your feet. Mastering the accuracy and power behind the punches and of course, your head movement, will all take time and repetition.

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to learn, plenty to get good at in boxing. But if you asked me what is easier to learn Boxing or Jeet Kune Do? I will answer boxing all day every day. And this is all about you learning something that you can use quickly. Not joining a Shaolin monastery and dedicating your life to your craft.

Another great thing about boxing is that in most big towns you will find there is always a local boxing gym. While you might struggle to find training locations for many of the martial arts mentioned. But boxing will almost always exist somewhere in your local area.

The Art of Running

Do not underestimate what may very well be the most critical element in your arsenal. Being able to run and get away from a dangerous situation should always be under consideration.

Even the toughest of martial artists and fighters know when they are outgunned or outclassed. Better to live and fight another day than to die on your sword over something trivial.

We see it happening all the time on our streets and it needs to be at the back of your mind in case it is quickly needed. There is no shame in running if it will save your or another person’s life.

My Final Thoughts

For me, there are just so many outstanding martial arts that you can train. You can spend an entire lifetime climbing the ladder to the very top of your discipline to become elite.

You can spend weeks, months and years on the mats or inside the squared circle, it’s really all about what you want from your experience. But when it comes to learning martial arts quickly and without too much complexity, then focus on one of those recommended above.

But this does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that there are no other easy-to-learn martial arts in the same vein. That you can learn relatively quickly and use in unchoreographed real-world situations. They are out there, but they may not be so easy to find and train anywhere near you.

So for that very reason, I have decided to stick with a relatively small selection from which to choose. So that you can focus your time and efforts on training and not constantly searching for that elusive easy martial art.

Don’t get me wrong, if anything is too easy, then it is not worth the time you spend training at it. Any martial art will require discipline, application and even some personal sacrifice.

But if you are willing to apply yourself and do what you need to do, it may not be too long before what you thought would be difficult, will become second nature, it might even become easy.