Do you want to get involved in martial arts for fitness or competition? Although the many types of martial arts are similar in many respects, each has its own distinct elements.
Here's a primer to help you choose from among several types of martial arts:
Karate: The basic karate techniques are punching, kicking, striking and blocking. Building balance and developing correct form are especially important because you are often standing on one foot for both attacking and defending moves.
Tae Kwon Do: This Korean martial art and combat sport focuses on disabling your opponent from a distance using mostly kicks and turns; advanced moves involve jumping and spinning.
Jujitsu: In contrast to karate, jujitsu includes grappling on the ground as well as striking from a standing position, and incorporates physics and anatomy to overcome your opponent with less emphasis on brute strength.
And if you want a bit of everything, try mixed martial arts, or MMA. In MMA, every athlete develops his or her own style and favorite techniques, but given the fast pace and uncertainty of MMA competition, you need to hone your proficiency in the key areas:

• Stand up: The stand-up element of MMA includes kicking, punching and striking with the elbow or knee, using kickboxing-style moves.
• Clinch: The clinch element of MMA involves close-range fighting using moves from Judo and Greco-Roman wrestling to inhibit your opponent's movement.
• Ground: The ground element involves aspects of wrestling such as holds and throws, and moves to defend against holds and throws.