tai chi pose

WORST Martial Arts for MMA

Indeed there are no definitive rules in martial arts. Yet, there are some martial arts that the MMA ruleset restricts.

If I tell you the truth, every martial art can work, but the fact that a few of them are on this list of the worst martial arts is because no one teaches them correctly. They aren’t going to benefit you much in a fight or when defending yourself.

Let’s look into which martial arts are the worst and how they will not protect you.

Top 10 Worst Martial Arts for MMA

Capoeira

Capoeira originated from enslaved people who adapted this combat technique. They aimed to conceal that they would practice martial arts because it was not permitted back in the day.

It is a martial art merged with dance, often known as half-dance half-combat. And here it is- the drawback!

Martial arts do not mean something that a practitioner wastes energy on, and that is what Capoeira entails- ineffective moves that look like dancing.

Also, instead of defending you, its kicks will injure you. Even though capoeira kicks are highly forceful, they expose your back to the opponent, which can choke you from this position.

It’s pointless because the emphasis of this technique is only on dancing when you can’t even kick your opponent and only trade kicks back and forth.

Kendo

Kendo is a type of sword-based martial art, and it is illegal in mixed martial arts. It isn’t to say that this martial art is utterly useless, but it has no practical application in MMA.

It all comes down to attacking the other opponent first, usually on the helmet. The whole point of this art is to figure out how to accomplish it most effectively and quickly.

Kendo can still help you improve your conditioning and, potentially, your hand-eye coordination, which is beneficial in MMA.

But again, why would you waste your time and efforts on something that the MMA regulation says is illegal?

Ninjutsu

People started to incorporate ninjutsu when no one had heard of mixed martial arts competitions, which summarizes why this martial art isn’t worth learning. It may be appropriate for MMA, but it is also far too extreme.

It’s a Japanese martial art style that emphasizes the use of stealth and trickery in order to defend oneself — And it is connected to ninjas. 

The reason why you should not learn ninjutsu is that it is not grounded in reality. It instills false confidence in the competitors, which might lead to severe injury or death.

Ninjutsu is a fighting style that focuses on joint locks, striking, weapon fighting, and self-defense. However, it has gone off the rails and has become outdated.

Tai Chi

A Tai Chi session is better for healthcare and rehabilitation than an MMA fight. It is a traditional martial art that does not involve physical martial arts training. People who usually learn tai chi; practice by themselves, which is ineffective in a real-life fight scenario.

There are also no live practices against the partner putting up opposition.

Mostly it is elderly and retired people who practice tai chi, and there is no doubt that it has numerous physical and mental benefits.

It is also true that some of the techniques taught in it are potentially harmful to an MMA fighter. For example, standing in a wide stance with your hands stretched in front can cause injury.

However, the expertise taught in Tai chi has never been used in real-life fights, making it the worst martial art to ride in.

Krav Maga

Now, whatever martial arts I’ve mentioned up to this point were the worst because they didn’t meet the standard of what an ideal martial art should have. Krav maga is similar in that it is worse, but it is much more intense.

It’s so outrageous that it shouldn’t even be allowed in MMA. Krav Maga is a military combat art developed for Israeli forces.

The techniques taught by Krav maga instructors are all illegal in an MMA fight. They’re all made to inflict life-threatening injuries, such as eye gouges, bites, and groin strikes.

Not only- are the techniques violent, but the frame of mind imbued in trainees of this martial art is to cause as much damage to your opponent as possible rather than to follow a clear set of rules.

Ba Gua Zhang

Although no one teaches Ba Gua Zhang anymore, it is still widely practiced in China and other Asian countries.

The tenet of this art is to fight the opponent by moving in a circular motion. The practitioners walk in a circular motion with their hands extended in front, which is also; an effective meditation technique.

It teaches you how to attack, grapple, and use weapons such as knives. It also focuses on breathing, keeping the mind calm, and using soft strikes in a controlled manner.

Ba Gua Zhang focuses on what is ineffective and impractical in real-life MMA fights.

In order to fight better in MMA fights, a fighter should know how to block attacks and protect themselves, but in Ba Gua Zhang, you are left vulnerable to punches and strikes.

Kyusho Jitsu

Kyosho Jitsu teaches you to strike your opponent’s sensitive body areas. In reality, however, it is all just in your head. It teaches you to target your opponent’s pressure points, such as nerves on the neck, arms, and legs, and perform different dribbles and joint locks to defeat them.

Learning Kyosho Jitsu can be a nightmare because attempting its techniques can result in serious injury.

It is impossible to subdue or kill someone by pressing pressure points on their body. In fact, all of this is a myth.

You can’t hit someone’s pressure points in the middle of a fight. And while you’re figuring out where the pressure points are, your opponent will have already whipped you with simple techniques.

Taekwondo

One of the most popular martial arts, Taekwondo, is also one of the least useful martial arts.

It is a Korean martial art- that emphasizes head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, fast kicking techniques, and punching and kicking techniques.

In recent years, Taekwondo has been recognized and reframed as an Olympic sport rather than real martial arts.

Most parents enroll their children in Taekwondo because it is a non-injury sport, and this concept indicates that it is not usable in MMA fights.

Aikido 

Aikido teaches people to face adversity and become a better version of themselves. Also, to attack the opponent while not injuring them. It’s a wrist lock-based martial art.

A wrist lock affects the radioulnar joints by causing the hand to rotate. Even Aikido trainers claim that they do not fight with resistance because the joint locks can be threatening to the other person.

Aikido focuses on exploiting the attacker’s pace. It’s a gentle, rhythmic, and resistance-free form of martial art.

Because MMA is thrilling and violent, it cannot include Aikido, which uses soft techniques.

Aikido can also be dangerous for MMA fighters because it can cause minor joint fractures if the fighter does not control his elbow. Furthermore, it does not provide much in terms of blocking striking. So it ranks near the bottom in terms of MMA fights.

Wing Chun

Wing Chun is the worst martial art to learn today because the current meta-fighting style somewhat impedes it. It emphasizes close combat, quick punches, and tight defense to defeat opponents.

However, it is a close-knit martial art, and if one fighter is taller than the other, it is nearly impossible to entangle their hands if they are punching from a long distance.

Because there is no other way to block an overhand shot, some modern-day MMA fighters employ overhand attacks, which are risky and, at the same time, rewarding.

Wing Chun techniques are ineffective in self-defense or against other martial arts.

Why Are Some Martial Arts Harmful For MMA?

Unfortunately, some martial arts techniques do not translate well to modern MMA. Those arts still use swords and are based on using weapons to defeat the opponent. And are far more violent, which is unsuitable for MMA.

MMA is a slightly elevated fight that also refers to cage fighting, and the goal is to knock out the opponent, so the techniques used should be adequate.

MMA being a modern-day fight has its own set of rules, and it restricts many violent martial arts. MMA does not permit anything related to extreme injuries or illegal activity.

Conclusion

While many such martial arts offer mental and spiritual benefits, MMA fighters must focus on improving their fighting skills rather than spiritual growth.

It is best to learn some efficient arts as an MMA fighter such as boxing, judo karate, Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and Muay Thai; even with little practice sessions, you should be able to grow enough agility and coordination to thwart someone off.

Although some of these martial arts fighting styles can still work in MMA and UFC, their global popularity in modern society is dwindling.

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