5 Hardest Martial Arts To Learn

Throughout history, humans have developed hundreds of different combat systems. Naturally, mastering some martial arts is harder than others due to various factors such as the complexity of techniques, intensity of training, overall workload, and of course, a high rate of potential injuries.

So in this article, we are bringing you a list of the hardest martial arts you can train in. Our list primarily focuses on martial arts practices well-established worldwide, and that are accessible to most people.

Of course, there might be “harder” or more brutal systems that are practiced in one specific region, but we will leave these systems for another article. Let’s dive right into it.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

MMA is widely regarded as the most complex combat system that combines multiple striking and grappling martial arts into one style. In general, practitioners need to have all-around skills and adopt techniques from BJJ, Wrestling, Boxing, and Muay Thai to create their style.

• Key reasons why MMA is difficult to learn:
• Diverse skill set
• Physical and mental demands of training
• Tactical complexity

Naturally, becoming a skilled MMA fighter requires many years of practice due to the extensive training in multiple areas. Apart from learning techniques and strategies, staying healthy, consistent, and motivated is also a big challenge.

While practitioners in other arts typically focus on one segment, striking or grappling, MMA training has it all. Yes, this makes training dynamic and fun. But it also requires a lot of commitment. The majority of people struggle to sustain such intense workload, and thus give up after a short period.

The physical demands of MMA are high as training puts a lot of emphasis on functional fitness and conditioning. Each training week is a mix of wrestling, intense ground fighting, striking, strength, and cardio workouts, and to succeed, you must hit the gym at least 5 times a week.

Next, MMA is a combat sport and full-contact sparring is a big part of training. Unlike in other arts, there sparring in wrestling, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, and in the end, hybrid sessions where practitioners mix it all.

As a result, injuries are inevitable. From minor bruises to more severe strains and fractures, the sport is really hard on your body and injuries are hard to avoid. The sport will break you sooner or later.

Wrestling

Wrestling is one of the oldest martial arts with its roots dating back to ancient civilizations. Initially, it was developed and used as a military system for hand-to-hand combat. But it later evolved into a popular sport that is also part of the Olympic games.

The unique challenges posed by wrestling lie in its focus on close-range combat. The concept primarily focuses on standup grappling, takedowns, throws, holds, and pins. There is no striking.

Although it may sound or look simple, learning how to wrestle is difficult. To succeed, you must be in it from a young age and basically shape your body and mind through the sport. This is the only way you can get the most out of your genetics.

Wrestlers must develop not only physical strength but also agility and mental toughness, as the sport demands split-second decision-making and adaptability to opponents’ movements.

Furthermore, training sessions are among the hardest out of all martial arts. Practitioners often spend multiple hours clinching, wrestling, and grappling on the mats. And when they don’t, they are in the gym lifting weights, running sprints, uphill, or long distances, or doing skill-specific drills. The work never stops as you constantly need to work harder and more than your competitors.

This is also one of the reasons why wrestlers are so mentally tough. First, they must go through years of physical exertion. Second, they compete in thousands of matches both national and international. Third, they must stay healthy, motivated, and focused on achieving their goals.

Achieving an advanced level of mastery in wrestling can take many years, often a decade or more, and this is why wrestling ranks high on our list.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) originates from Judo and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. The key difference is that BJJ focuses more on the ground fighting aspect while Judo emphasizes standup grappling. It is a highly effective combat system that, unfortunately for some, is difficult to master.

BJJ is known for its advanced and complex grappling techniques and submissions. In training, practitioners learn how to take the opponent down using takedowns, maneuver into a dominant position, and apply chokes and joint locks to neutralize the opponent. Although it may sound brutal, BJJ is a gentle martial art as practitioners rely on technique and leverage rather than brute force.

Many factors make BJJ one of the most difficult martial arts to master. First, the system itself is complex, and techniques are hard to learn, even the basic ones. It takes years of consistent practice and sparring for any practitioner to master the basics before moving to more advanced techniques. Then, there is a strict belt ranking system, according to which, practitioners must spend between 10 and 15 years working hard before achieving a black belt rank.

Apart from learning procedures and techniques, practitioners must develop strong muscle memory, a deep understanding of body mechanics, spatial awareness, and of course, strength and endurance. In order to progress and grow, BJJ students are also advised to compete regularly and represent their academies in tournaments.

Combat Sambo

Originating from the Soviet Union in the early 1920s, Combat Sambo was initially developed for the military. It is a hybrid system that mixes striking and grappling together, similar to modern MMA. There are two main variations, and both are hard to learn:

• Sports Sambo — focuses entirely on grappling without striking
• Combat Sambo — a hybrid mix of striking, grappling, and self-defense tactics.

When it comes to difficulty, Sambo is certainly not your average dojo practice. The learning program is oriented toward self-defense and preparing a person for the brutal realism of real-world fighting. There is a lot of hard sparring, simulation of specific self-defense situations and how to effectively deal with them, and many other realistic drills that most people find to be intense.

First, practitioners must learn complex grappling and striking techniques and how to combine them. Next, they must explosively execute each of these techniques, and goal to hurt the opponent as much as possible. Then, they learn dirty tactics, such as eye gouging, striking sensitive body parts, and many others.

Overall, mastering Combat Sambo is about being prepared for anything life throws your way. Whether it’s a sudden confrontation or a planned competition, it is an all-around system that prepares you for all scenarios. But remember this comes at a high cost as Sambo is one of the most demanding martial arts to one can train in.

Judo

Judo is an Olympic sport and martial arts discipline known for its complexity and physical demands.

What sets Judo apart as a challenging martial art are its core principles. While many martial arts focus on striking or grappling, Judo excels in the art of throws and takedowns. The mastery of these techniques demands precise timing, strong grip, balance, exceptional strength, and a deep understanding of weight distribution. As you would assume, it takes many years of practice to develop these skills.

Since the emphasis is on hard throws, heavy falls, also known as “ukemi” or breakfalls, are an integral part of the training. While Judo practitioners are trained to execute these falls safely, injuries can still occur, especially during intense training sessions or competitions. Each training session includes a lot of intense pulling on the joints, which combined with hard falls takes a toll on your body.

Technique-wise, judo is not harder than wrestling or BJJ and the progress is much faster. Judokas may expect to reach a black belt rank in around 4 to 6 years. However, the intensity of the classes and the system itself is what makes Judo so difficult.