Martial Arts Without Striking
Let’s make one thing clear right from the start, training martial arts carries a certain risk of injuries. It would be foolish to enroll in classes thinking that you won’t get hurt at some point, not just in martial arts, but in other sports in general. However, striking and the force of the impact are the most common cause of injuries. Therefore, martial arts that do not include striking are usually a much safer option.
This doesn’t mean that these forms of combat are free from injuries. Not at all, the risk of injuries, both minor and severe ones, is more than present, but the overall injury rate is much lower.
In this article, you will discover martial arts that are free from striking, and with that, very safe to train in.
Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the oldest forms of combat that has been around since ancient times and early Olympic games. In modern days, it is well spread all around the world, and in the US and Russia, a very popular sport. In the US, for instance, millions of people watch collegiate matches on TV, and these events are quite big.
Apart from its long history and tradition, wrestling is very popular because it doesn’t include striking at all. The main goal is to score a takedown and pin the opponent down to the ground. Since there is no striking, wrestling is free from injuries that come with full contact striking like:
- Broken noses/jaw/orbital bone
- Concussion
- Severe fractures of the limbs
One thing to note is that there are two main styles of wrestling:
- Greco Roman — is a style that forbids all the holds below the waist like single and double leg takedowns. The emphasis is on utilizing the upper body to perform different throws and trips to pin the opponent down to the ground, and with that, score points and win a match.
- Freestyle wrestling — is a style that allows holds both below and above the waist. This means that any type of hold, trip, and takedown is allowed as long as these techniques are within the rules.
Bear in mind that wrestling classes are as intense as it gets, and among the physically hardest of all martial arts. Though there is no striking, being thrown down to the ground hundreds of times per class is really hard on your body. Therefore, the following injuries are quite common:
- ligament injuries
- skin infections
- ear damage (cauliflower ears)
- neck injuries.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
BJJ is a system that focuses on grappling and there is no striking at all (setting aside combat jiu jitsu). It was founded in the 1920s in Brazil, by the brothers, Carlos and Helio Gracie. They designed BJJ using Judo as a base on top of which they added advanced ground fighting techniques. In modern days, BJJ is often seen as the ideal balance between the safety of the training and how practical the system is in real life.
It is very popular among women, kids, and men who want to learn self defense tactics that might help them get out of trouble. But what makes it better and more practical than other arts?
First, you have to accept the fact that most average people don’t know how to grapple. You need to spend years of training to learn how to stop a takedown, or joint locks and chokes. While blocking a strike or moving your head away is a natural instinct, grappling is all about leverage and technique. Above all, BJJ allows you to defend and “beat” the attacker without causing any injuries. which is great.
However, bear in mind that BJJ is a complex system that takes many years to master, close to 10 to reach a black belt rank. People also call it a “human chess match” simply because there are so many variables. The key is to learn how to utilize judo throws and takedowns from wrestling to advance the fight to the ground as fast as possible. Once there, the next goal is to get into the dominant position from which you can apply various chokes and joint locks.
Here are different styles of BJJ:
- Gracie jiu-jitsu — is the initial form of BJJ that focuses on traditional methods of teaching. The entire emphasis of this form is on self-defense and preparing a person for real combat.
- Modern BJJ — is a form that puts a lot of emphasis on competition and preparing a person to compete under strict rules. It is still practical in real life, or if you want to switch over to MMA later.
- No-Gi — is a style that was designed under the influence of modern MMA fighting. It is the same as other styles when it comes to the concept with the only difference being that No-gi students do not wear a Gi uniform.
Judo
Judo is another very popular martial art that doesn’t include striking at all. It was designed and developed by the martial art genius named Kano Jigoro and its origins come from Japanese Jujutsu. The entire emphasis of the system is on powerful throws, executing different trips, and sweeps, as well as subduing the opponent on the ground. However, bear in mind that throws are far more important than ground fighting.
Some forms of judo include strikes, but only when students are doing pre-arranged forms called katas. They would practice these strikes alone and there is no sparring or live drills of any kind. What judo includes a lot are powerful throws, so much that you may expect to be thrown hundreds of times per class.
Judo is a highly technical martial art that also requires a high level of core strength, mobility, and explosiveness. Over the years, you will develop that robust/raw functional strength that you can’t get by lifting weight in the gym. On top of that, it is very popular among kids because it teaches them all about respect, discipline, and how important it is to work hard to achieve your goals in life.
Last but not least, Judo techniques are very practical in real life, notably when it comes to close range. As some of you may know, street fighting includes a lot of grabbing and pulling at close range and this is where judokas feel like a fish in the water. Trained judokas need to grab just a single part of your body or a piece of clothing to get you in serious trouble.
Sports Sambo
Sport Sambo is a Russian martial art that is not very popular in the western world. But you can see it raising in recent times thanks to the Sambo-based fighters who compete in modern MMA. They are among the most dominant grapplers, which shows you how practical sambo is.
The Combat Sambo form, the one designed for the military, includes striking with all limbs and a bunch of other techniques. But the Sports version of sambo is all about standup grappling and fighting on the ground. It is very similar to judo because it puts a lot of emphasis on throws and leg locks, while it doesn’t allow chokeholds.
Sports Sambo also includes various takedown techniques from wrestling, as well as sweeps and trips. You will learn all types of takedowns, throws, and how to pin the opponent down to the ground and submit them. Unlike in judo and BJJ, sambo athletes compete at a very high pace and are more explosive because the main point is to finish the match as fast as possible.
Aikido
Aikido is not as popular as it once was, but it is still more than present in the martial art world, notably when it comes to children. On one side, Aikido is very safe to train in, almost free from injuries because there is no striking at all or any kind of intense grappling sparring. But on the other, it is not effective for real-life fighting. Yes, it looks practical when Steven Seagal is pulling those flashy moves in a movie, but the reality is a bit different.
Developed by Morihei Ueshiba, Aikido is a mix of martial arts, philosophy and religious beliefs. It is a complex system to some extent because it involves various grappling, throwing, and wrist locking techniques. Students also do breathing exercises, katas, and many other workouts. However, despite the fact that aikido might look practical for self-defense, it is not. It gives you a certain understanding of what fighting is, but not that much.
On the other side, it is great for kids as their introduction to the world of martial arts. Training will teach them all about respect and discipline, which in the long run, will make them better humans.
