Martial Arts With Least Or No Head Strikes
In layman’s eyes, martial arts training might look like a dangerous activity where people hurt each other all the time. The truth is somewhere in the middle because the dangers vary between systems, schools, or even countries. Some striking systems like boxing include a high risk of injuries like brain traumas. While on the other side, there are more than a few systems where there are no head strikes or striking at all.
Most average people think that, in order to learn self-defense, you need to land and absorb hard body and head strikes, which is not true at all. In this article, we are going to bring you martial arts that include little to no head strikes. Enjoy!
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a martial art developed in South Korea in the 1950s that is also an Olympic sport since 2000. On paper, it is a versatile combat system created for self-defense where the main goal is to learn how to use all limbs as weapons to strike.
But, Taekwondo puts a lot of emphasis on foot strikes, since its founders believed that kicks are longer and more powerful weapons than hands. On top of that, the modern practice focuses a lot on competition where the rules favor kicks over punches. Students spend most of the time learning how to score points with kicks to the body and head, while they can punch only the body are below the neck and above the waist.
This means that Taekwondo includes far less head strikes than other similar systems like Karate or Muay Thai. And the entire focus is on landing a kick or punch with pinpoint perfect technique rather than using sheer force. The most common injuries are contusions, lacerations, sprains, and broken limbs. But also, no one can deny that brain traumas and concussions are also more than present.
Kung Fu (not all styles)
Kung Fu is a broad term that refers to any Chinese martial arts like Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Wing Chun. Most of these systems put a lot of focus on striking, but on the other side, the entire concept of learning and training differs a lot compared to other striking systems. For example, there is no sparring in most Kung Fu styles where you would exchange strikes with the partner who is putting on real resistance.
Even when Kung Fu students do live drills, they pre-arranged forms, and instead of hitting the head, they punch the chest. On paper, Kung Fu will train you for real combat but the students almost never strike each other to the head. In some other schools and styles, they may strike each other to the head but not with too much power and without wearing protective gear.
Be sure to check your local Kung Fu gyms, and ask them about their methods of training and whether or not they emphasize strikes to the head.
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Judo
Judo is one of the most popular martial arts and an Olympic sport that doesn’t include striking at all. Its founder, Kano Jigoro, used jujutsu, a very brutal combat system, as a base to develop Judo as a much safer variation. The main goal in judo is to learn how to perform throws, and once the fight goes to the ground, subdue the opponent using pins, joint locks, and chokes.
Judo doesn’t include striking at all as it is all about grappling. On one side, this makes it safer than most striking arts like boxing, but on the other, very, very hard to learn. You see, Judo is all about balance, core strength, weight distribution, leverage, and technique. Since it includes a lot of hard pulling on the joints, joint and back injuries are quite frequent. But in most cases, these do not end up being serious injuries that would harm your health in the long run.
Above all, judo is a highly effective martial art when it comes to self-defense or any type of hand to hand combat. As you might know, most street fights include a lot of chaotic grabbing and pulling at close range, and this is where judokas shine. It trains you to neutralize the attacker without causing any injuries, which is the ultimate goal in self-defense.
Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
BJJ is often seen as the best martial art one can learn for self-defense or any type of freestyle combat. Do you need any proof? Just look at the dominance of BJJ in the early days of MMA where there were no rules or weight classes if you want to see how effective BJJ is on the streets. But the best thing about it is the fact that there is no striking at all.
Like its precursor, Judo, BJJ doesn’t include any striking as it is all about grappling. Its founders, Carlos and Helio Gracie used Judo as a base to develop a unique system that puts a lot of emphasis on ground fighting. While Judo focuses on throws, BJJ is more about fighting on the ground. Students learn dozens of different positions, escapes, joint locks, chokes, and many other techniques. It is a very complex system often seen as the human chess match since there are so many variables, tactics, and strategies.
Like in any other combat sport, you can get hurt in BJJ while doing throws or rolling on the ground with a partner similar in weight and size. The most common injuries are knee, shoulder, and ribcage injuries. If you are not careful, pulling hard on the joints may lead to joint fractures, dislocations, sprain ligaments, and other injuries.
Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the oldest forms of combat that has been around since ancient times. Like Judo and BJJ, there is no striking in wrestling, which is the main reason why this martial art is so popular among children. In fact, wrestling is so popular in the western world for instance that it is a part of the education systems, and even culture to some extent.
Things get even better when you look at how effective wrestling is for any type of freestyle combat. For example, one study has shown that wrestling has produced the most UFC champions because it matches so well against other martial arts, especially striking. There are many styles out of which the following two are the most important ones:
- Greco Roman
- Freestyle
Wrestling classes are brutal and among the most intense. They offer you a full body workout that will activate every single muscle in your body. Though this may not sound nice, the physical and mental benefits of this type of training are countless. Wrestlers are among the finest all-around athletes who all have both incredible strength and insane cardio.
