Nowadays women are empowered to be anything they want, but still, most females wouldn’t go into certain types of very aggressive martial arts such as boxing or MMA.
Martial arts can be quite beneficial for both physical and mental health and teach you a lot more than just some moves of power. They can teach self-control and discipline, and they have an effect on your whole life even outside the training room.
If you want to go into martial arts but you are not a fan of aggression, then we have some options for you that are quite suitable for females too.
How are Martial Arts Beneficial for Women
Many of the martial arts are related to spirituality too, besides physical movement, which is why a lot of women would benefit from them for stress relief and mental health.
Another great reason why women would take up such a sport is the fact that some of these disciplines, including Wing Chun and Krav Maga, we specifically created for women’s self-defense.
These types of fighting sports develop the whole body and they increase strength, flexibility, reaction speed, coordination, and concentration.
They also include many interesting moves and techniques, which is what makes them a perfect hobby that keeps you interested and motivated.
Now let’s get to the list of martial arts that women love.
Aikido
Aikido is one of the gentlest martial arts, a lot more related to spirituality than many other types. Its main principle is to avoid doing any harm and defend yourself by using your opponent’s weight and power.
Rather than defeating your opponent, aikido aims to subdue the conflict. It is also quite gentle on the joints, which makes it also one of the safest forms of martial arts.
The main moves here are joint locks and quick throws, focused in such a way that you are able to take your opponent down as he throws himself at you.
Its spiritual aspect focuses on self-improvement and mental well-being, and its physical aspect develops concentration, coordination, and balance, as well as strength.
The exercises can be as intensive as you want them to be, ranging from low to high-impact exercises.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial arts style originating from Korea that is famous for focusing on the lower part of the body. It includes a lot of kicks which is why females chose this type of sport to build toned legs and flexibility.
The moves most prominent in Taekwondo also develop core strength, which improves balance and posture and it gives you a slim waist and toned abs.
The sport is also frequently chosen by females because we tend to be stronger at the lower body and not have so much upper body strength that is key in other types of martial arts.
Wing Chun
Wing Chun falls into the Kung Fu category of martial arts and it’s actually a system developed by a woman called Ng Mui, and its main purpose is to teach self-defense. It is also the style that the notorious Bruce Lee started with before creating his own system that mixes Wing Chun with many other martial styles.
The main moves in this sport include kicks, fast punches, and blocks, but it also teaches various ways of self-defense and neutralizing a conflict.
Since most attacks on women are in close range, the sport includes mostly close-range combat tactics. It develops reaction speed, coordination, and strength, and it teaches effective force deflection, which could be of vital importance on the streets.
While other types of martial arts might not be as effective for self-defense on the streets as good for sparring in the ring, this one will definitely be of help.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is another self-defense system that originates from the Israeli army, and it’s one of the most damaging forms of martial arts known today. It lacks a spiritual aspect as its main goal is to purely land the most violent damage and quickly neutralize your opponent.
While it is the most effective system for effective self-defense on the streets, this sport could be too aggressive for some females, but still, many women go into it in order to feel more confident and secure.
Its main benefit for mental health is that it teaches you to keep your mind calm no matter the circumstances and make quick decisions when faced with danger.
It may or may not include weapons, and it teaches you to quickly analyze the environment and effectively use whatever comes to your hands to take your opponent down.
The system includes various punches and kicks and in its more extreme versions, it also teaches the students how and when to use some dirty techniques such as eye gauges and groin kicks to quickly escape a dangerous situation.