There are a total of 284 Martial arts compiled in this comprehensive list. The selection includes documented styles with accepted names, verifiable origin countries, a clear focus (Striking/Grappling/Hybrid) and a founding period; unverified schools are excluded.

Martial arts are organized systems of combat techniques developed for self-defense, sport, military use and cultural practice. They range from striking arts like karate and muay thai to grappling arts such as judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, plus weapon systems and hybrids. Martial arts combine physical training, technical drilling and discipline with cultural, ethical or philosophical elements in many traditions. They serve health, competition, personal protection and cultural preservation roles across societies worldwide.

Interesting and little-known facts about Martial arts:
– Judo has one of the widest global federations; over 200 national judo federations are affiliated with international bodies.
– Tai chi is heavily studied for health benefits; trials and reviews show it improves balance and cuts older adult fall risk by roughly 20–50%.
– Brazilian jiu-jitsu emphasizes leverage; smaller practitioners can consistently submit larger opponents through technique and positional control.
– Striking and grappling train different energy systems and neural pathways, so cross-training often produces faster skill transfer and fitness gains.
– Impact-based arts like karate and taekwondo show higher bone mineral density in long-term practitioners compared with non-practitioners in observational studies.

The alphabetical index below links to per-letter lists of styles with concise reference entries. Each entry shows columns: Name, Origin country, Primary focus (Striking/Grappling/Hybrid), Founding period, and brief notes on disputed names or variants.