This is a kill or be killed martial art that aims at being effective when you’re in an alley, not a dojo. The whole philosophy is one of effectiveness and survival, leaving no room for cute flourishes or “honorable” combat. You’ll begin by learning the basics of combat, but then are encouraged to branch out and make it your own. The intent was, literally, to create a street fighting martial art specifically for dirty brawling.
The five styles represented here are Karate (Ka), Judo (Ju), Kendo (Ken), Boxing (Bo), and some Jiu Jitsu, which didn’t go into the name. Even better, it created one of the most utilitarian martial arts available. Yes, that gives it the most awesome backstory. Kajukenbo View in gallery via įive masters of five disciplines came together to create this. Though the best combat style for you is whatever works, here’s the 9 best choices for most average people. There’s also the difficulty of learning, the level of athleticism required to use it effectively, and which ones fit most easily into modern life. Though declaring one “better” than another is a slight misnomer, there are those that work well, and those that falter.
You could spend years mastering Kenpo only to find you should have been a Judo disciple.
With all this nuance built in to martial arts and hand-to-hand combat styles, knowing the right choice could be a crapshoot.