What Is The Best Martial Art for Beginners (Kids and Adults)?
Let’s be clear right from the start. Whether you are young or old, male or female, it’s never too late to start training martial arts. There is a rising trend in people enrolling in martial arts for various benefits.
This is mainly because martial arts training is not just good for self-defense. No, it is also great for fitness, weight loss, and overall health. And these are the reasons why people who are not into fighting sports are joining martial arts. And let’s not forget that martial arts training is more fun than most average fitness classes.
But which martial art is the best for beginners? To answer this question, we will bring you the six most popular martial arts. And to cover the age difference, we will find out which one is better for young people. which for adults and why.
If you like boxing fails you wont want to miss our boxing machine video:
Wrestling
Wrestling is both, one of the oldest forms of fighting, and a very popular sport. It’s one of those sports that is evenly popular both in the eastern and the western world. In the US for instance, it is a part of the school program and college wrestling events are huge. I mean, some of the biggest TV networks are covering these matches.
There are many forms of wrestling out of which two are the most popular ones:
- Greco-Roman
- Freestyle Wrestling
The key thing you all must know about wrestling is that it’s a very popular sport. It’s not a fighting style people learn for self-defense or to get in shape. No, wrestlers train to compete from a very young age and there are not many hobbyists.
Is wrestling good for kids and young people? Yes, wrestling is very popular among kids and it’s very important to start training at a young age. This is mainly because it is safe to train, includes a lot of competition, and has many health benefits. It will teach any kid all about how important it is to work hard to achieve your goals. Nothing will come easy to you in wrestling without leaving it all on the mats and sacrifice.
Is wrestling good for beginners who are in their 20s or 30s? It’s never too late to start with any martial art, but there is a big BUT when it comes to wrestling. People who are in their late 20s or 30s might have a hard time fitting in or keeping up with the classes. The gyms are usually full of kids when it comes to beginners, while adults are already skilled wrestlers. In our view, you should look for some other grappling arts that are more popular for adults like BJJ.
MMA
MMA is by far the most versatile fighting style as it is a mix of various grappling and striking techniques put into one style of fighting. It will teach you how to use boxing or Muay Thai strikes on the feet, or wrestling and BJJ to fight on the ground. It is the only art that teaches you to fight in all elements, which also makes it very good for self-defense.
Although it is a new sport, MMA is rising fast and we can see people from both genders and of all ages joining the gyms. It offers many benefits when it comes to fitness, self-defense, weight loss, and body strength.
Is MMA good for kids and young people? Yes, MMA is good for kids and they will have a lot of fun training multiple martial arts. This type of training will keep their minds busy all the time since there is so much to learn. And the mix of grappling and striking allows them to evenly improve both upper and lower body strength.
🚨 Are you enjoying this article? Sign up for our newsletter to get updates weekly about content and soon to be exclusive articles for subscribers only
Is MMA good for adults and people over 30? Yes, all that we said for kids stand when it comes to adults as well. You may have a hard time keeping up with the classes, but no one will force you to train like pro fighters. Just join the amateur group and enjoy developing all-around skills.
BJJ
BJJ is the best grappling art that will teach you all about ground fighting. Even though it doesn’t teach striking, it is often seen as the best style for self-defense. But the best thing about it is that BJJ is great for beginners no matter if you are old/young, male or female. Training is safer than in most other arts simply because it doesn’t include strikes that often lead to injuries. And oh boy, rolling on the mats provides a lot of fun.
As a beginner, it’s important to note few things. First, there are two forms of BJJ called “Gi” and “No Gi.” In Gi training, you must wear a uniform that consists of a cotton jacket and pants. “No gi”, on the other side, doesn’t include a gi uniform and students wear shorts, t-shirts, or a rashguard.
And be sure to check your ego at the front door as BJJ is all about positive vibes and supporting each other towards achieving individual goals. Training is hard and will test your ego and will as you have to eat many humble pies in the first couple of months. But this is one of those things that separates people who can take losses as lessons from the ones with a big ego.
Is BJJ good for kids and young people? Yes, it is great for kids mainly because it is very safe. It doesn’t include any striking, vicious wrestling slams or throws that may lead to injuries. And rolling on the mats on a daily basis is very playful and allows kids to burn that extra energy they have on doing something productive instead of making a mess at home. I mean, which kid doesn’t like grappling with other kids?
Is BJJ good for people over 30 and adults? Yes. In fact, it is often seen as the best option for people who want to get into fighting sport in their 30s. It is a complex art that you need to learn at a slow pace and avoid rushing things in training. Adults are often the ones who are more patient and easier to work with when it comes to coaching.
Karate
Karate is a great martial art for beginners, notably when it comes to kids. It is a great way to get into the world of fighting sports and it is well spread all around the world. In fact, it seems like every single town has at least one karate dojo. The art has a really long history and many forms out of which these are the most popular ones:
- Shorin-Ryu
- Shotokan Karate
- Goju-Ryu Karate
- Kyokushin Karate
Is karate good for young people and kids? Karate might be the best option for kids in our opinion. Training is safe, playable, and will help them adopt many good habits and values. It will not just train them to throw strikes and defend on the streets. No, karate training will keep their bodies strong, flexible, and improve personal skills like confidence. Some styles like Shorin-Ryu even have ground techniques similar to BJJ.
Is karate good for people above 30 and adults? It’s never too late to start training karate, but, it’s not a very popular option among people who are above 30. This obviously isn't every dojo and you can definitely find some that retain students past 30 and have them at lower ranks too. Depending on the dojo, you might have a hard time fitting in and keeping up with the classes. If you are into striking, then boxing or kickboxing might be better options. But like always, we recommend trying it to see if it fits your lifestyle.
Judo
Founded in the 1800s by Kano Jigoro, Judo is a fighting style that focuses on grappling and ground fighting. It will teach you all about leverage and how to execute powerful throws and trips to take the opponent down. Once on the ground, judoka (a student of Judo) uses various joint locks and chokes to subdue the opponent. But we must say that the emphasis is on throws and trips rather than ground fighting.
Is Judo good for young people and kids? Judo is very popular among kids. It is great for kids because judokas are among the strongest people on the planet. Their upper and lower body strength is insane. But above all, Judo training is all about respect, discipline, and honor. These are the most important skills every kid will develop.
Is Judo good for beginners who are in their 20s or 30s? If you are in your 20s or 30s, then it’s maybe better to search for some alternative like BJJ. You see, BJJ has its origins in judo and it’s very similar when it comes to throws and trips. Most BJJ techniques actually come from Judo but the emphasis is on ground fighting. The culture and the concept of training and competing in BJJ differs a lot from the one in Judo which makes it much better for the adults.
Boxing
Boxing is a well-known martial art that has been around since ancient times. It is great for beginners who want to enroll in training as it will teach you all about fighting. People train it because it is great for self-defense, to get in top shape, or get a feeling of how real fighting feels like. Training is cardio intense and includes a lot of sparring.
Many people think boxing is not that good as boxers use “just” their hands to do damage. But, this is not true as sports offer much more. Not a single martial art out there will teach you better skills like:
- footwork and how to keep distance
- punching combos
- defense and head movement
Is boxing good and safe for young people? Yes, boxing is a very popular option for kids, and above all, it’s very safe. All kids must wear protective gear whenever they are doing anything that can lead to injuries. Training is hard and will keep their bodies and minds strong and healthy. But above all of that, it allows them to learn valuable life lessons and grow into a person with good manners.
Is boxing good for beginners who are above 30 and adults? Yes, boxing is very good for adults, notably when it comes to fitness and weight loss. You see, boxing training is cardio intense and each class lasts from 1.5h to even 3h in some gyms. Each class burns around 800–1,000 calories which are equal to two hours of running in some cases. This is the reason why so many people are coming into boxing, notably women.
📬 Get weekly updates straight to your inbox
💬 💬 💬 💬 💬 💬
We also have a chat room! (We use Discord) join here
The unleashed network is a network of all martial arts related accounts with ~1 million follows across all our accounts. We are on tiktok, instagram twitter, medium, you name it.
