Trying a new martial art or sport can be nerve-racking and complicated. I argue that two important factors people often neglect when considering a new martial art are personality and learning style. When I first started martial arts, I found no research or even a single article on how to choose the best martial art for my temperament. As a result, I tried a few different martial arts before I found several that align better with my personality. I believe that if someone selects a martial art that aligns well with their personality and learning style, they will enjoy the experience more and may even stay in the martial arts long term.
These observations reflect my personal experiences training in different martial arts, rather than established psychological findings. Individual preferences vary, and the culture of a particular gym or instructor may matter just as much as the martial art itself.
Below, I list 6 martial arts and sports, and my views on how they might align with personality and learning style. Here is a complete list:
- Muay Thai
- Boxing
- Judo
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
- Wrestling
Muay Thai: A combat sport from Thailand that uses punches, kicks, elbows, knees, and clinching techniques to strike and control opponents.
Personality traits that do well with this sport: sociable, adaptable, playful, open-minded, enjoys physical challenges, appreciates a relaxed but disciplined training environment.
Learning styles that do well with this sport: learns through repetition and hands-on experience, enjoys a relaxed, informal learning environment, benefits from partner drills and experimentation, responds well to practical feedback, and learns through observation and live sparring.
Generally, Muay Thai is extremely beginner-friendly, and although it can be physically strenuous, it can be modified to allow beginners to participate fully. Because its ruleset allows many different techniques, many personalities align well with Muay Thai. Generally, Muay Thai encourages a collaborative environment, and while it can be physically strenuous, it is generally more favorable for beginners than many other martial arts.
Muay Thai suits people who are social, playful, and open-minded. Because in Muay Thai you can throw knees, elbows, kicks, and punches, the number of options available at any given moment requires at least some creativity and playfulness. Additionally, because kicks, knees, and elbows can generate a lot of force, sparring and drills in Muay Thai are often (though not always) relaxed and laid back.
Muay Thai may not be well suited for someone who wants constant action, struggles to control their strength, or isn’t okay with occasional soreness from receiving a controlled kick to the thigh or shin during a drill.
Disclaimer: If you choose to spar, do so with the utmost caution and be mindful of repetitive strikes to the head. There is a plethora of research on why being struck in the head is bad for physical and mental health, and sparring should be approached with extreme caution and avoided if possible.
Boxing: A combat sport where fighters use only their fists to punch above the belt, relying on footwork, timing, and defensive movement.
Personality traits that do well with this sport: high intensity, results-driven, conscientious, industrious, and assertive.
Learning styles that do well with this sport: kinesthetic, visual, auditory learners, someone who learns from exposure, repetition-driven learners.
Boxing emphasizes speed, athleticism, and reflexes. Boxers develop exceptional hand-eye coordination and exceptional mental faculties for anticipating and reacting to their opponents’ movements. It is well suited for anyone who enjoys sports that require physical exertion at every practice. It is also well suited for people who are driven by competitive mindsets.
Because boxing is concerned with strikes using the hands to the opponent’s upper body, it can be easier to adapt to than MMA striking or Muay Thai in some regards. This makes it ideal for anyone who wants to start with a martial art but does not have experience. Additionally, other martial arts such as MMA, Muay Thai, and Karate use elements of boxing in their martial art, which makes it a very transferable skill set.
Personality-wise, people who are assertive and competitive or who consciously want to develop these traits in themselves would probably enjoy boxing more than others. Additionally, someone who is conscientious and industrious may enjoy boxing more, as practices are generally physically rigorous. People who enjoy more laid-back or team-like environments may gravitate towards Muay Thai and MMA.
Disclaimer: If you choose to spar, do so with the utmost caution and be mindful of repetitive strikes to the head. There is a plethora of research on why being struck in the head is bad for physical and mental health, and sparring should be approached with extreme caution and avoided if possible.
Judo: A Japanese martial art that focuses on throwing opponents to the ground using balance, leverage, and timing, along with pins and submissions.
Personality traits that do well with this sport: analytical, patient, values structured practices and learning sessions, appreciates small improvements, competitive.
Learning styles that do well with this sport: learns well through repetition, values feedback based on established standards, enjoys tactile learning, or learns well with physical stimulus.
Judo practices are typically structured in a way that supports focused outcomes and incremental improvements. Judo practitioners may practice a single technique hundreds of times in a single practice, or may focus on improving form and posture when executing a technique. The word for this is “Uchikomi,” or structured repetition of a specific technique.
Judo is often said to have a large, perhaps the largest, learning curve of any grappling sport. As a result, people who want to invest time and effort into Judo may need patience as a primary element of their temperament.
Judo is also inherently competitive. Taking another person to the ground and then attempting to submit or pin them is an act that demands at least some sort of competitive drive.
Typically, my assessment is that people who are patient, enjoy structure, and are analytical will enjoy Judo more than people who value other things. People who do not enjoy challenging physical pursuits, or who become frustrated when progress is slow, may struggle with Judo’s demanding learning process. However, people who enjoy working toward long-term goals and find satisfaction in gradually improving their skills may find Judo particularly rewarding.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ): A grappling-based martial art that focuses on controlling opponents on the ground and using joint locks and chokes to force submissions.
Personality traits that do well with this sport: creative, humble, patient, adaptable, curious, persistent, enjoys problem-solving, comfortable with failure.
Learning styles that do well with this sport: learns through trial and error, benefits from repeated exposure, enjoys visual and kinesthetic learning, learns through experimentation and live practice.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has the potential (note my careful use of the word “potential”) to be very beginner-friendly. The sport was quite literally designed so that a smaller, less physically imposing person may be able to defend themselves against larger or trained opponents. For this reason, BJJ is welcoming to beginners, and its techniques often favor using leverage and body mechanics against opponents. It is often colloquially called “human chess” for its reliance on knowledge and analytical thinking.
Someone who is creative and adaptive will thrive in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and I believe that it is the most beginner-friendly grappling sport listed here. It encourages experimentation, trial and error, and calmness under duress. Former wrestlers and Judoka who find the sports difficult to maintain with age also tend to transition to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and value its gentler pace.
Although it is generally beginner-friendly, someone who struggles with physical touch and physical contact may not enjoy this as much as other martial arts. Someone who values competition and access to a large pool of training partners their own age may also struggle. Additionally, BJJ can be rough on the joints and ligaments. Many BJJ injuries tend to be chronic rather than acute.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA): A combat sport that combines striking, wrestling, and submission grappling, allowing fighters to use techniques from several martial arts.
Personality traits that do well with this sport: disciplined, curious, creative, enjoys challenge and problem solving, open to new experiences.
Learning styles that do well with this sport: visual and audio learning, hyperfocus or interest-based learners, and systematic thinkers (someone who enjoys Chess or mathematics).
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is complicated in that it combines techniques from different martial arts and does not have a definitive list of techniques, like Judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Some techniques are oriented towards striking, while others are oriented towards grappling. This can be confusing for a beginner, and if you practice a wide breadth of techniques without specializing in one thing, you run the risk of the old adage, “Jack of all trades, Master of none.” As a result, I believe that MMA is generally not a great recommendation for someone just starting out.
However, if you are someone who enjoys creative problem solving in an athletic environment, I believe that MMA can be a great choice and a good addition to any martial arts practice. MMA has so few rules and so many possible techniques that creativity and problem solving are central to every practice. I believe that someone who is oriented towards things like philosophy, chess, and psychology would really enjoy MMA.
My overall recommendation would be to start with a martial art that specializes in grappling (such as Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or Wrestling) or striking (Boxing, Muay Thai, or Karate), and then progress to MMA.
Wrestling: A grappling sport focused on taking opponents to the ground, maintaining control, and using positioning and physical pressure to gain an advantage.
Personality traits that do well with this sport: disciplined, hardworking, competitive, persistent, resilient, aggressive but controlled, comfortable with physical discomfort, mentally tough, determined.
Learning styles that do well with this sport: learns through repetition and physical practice, responds well to direct coaching and immediate feedback, enjoys structured drills, learns through intense physical stimulation, okay with high-pressure situations.
Wrestling is offered in American schools (called “Scholastic” or “folkstyle” wrestling) and is in the Olympics (Greco-Roman and Freestyle). I am not going to explain the differences between the styles, but I will discuss the psychology and personality of someone who may enjoy the sport more than others.
Wrestling is extremely physically demanding and generally expends a great amount of energy. It is also a sport that has rules that encourage constant forward pressure and discourage moving backward (such as penalties for “stalling”). As a result, it tends to align well with competitive personalities who value physical exertion. Famous wrestling personalities such as Dan Gable, Kurt Angle, and others value this exemplar of physical grit and competitiveness well.
People who are less competitive, dislike physical discomfort, have physically demanding professions outside of martial arts, or have prior existing physical injuries may not enjoy wrestling as much as others. Additionally, people who are more agreeable may struggle to embrace the competitive aspects of wrestling.
However, I believe that its techniques can be adapted to anyone, and with good coaching, adults can learn wrestling too. Wrestling techniques, such as takedowns like the single leg, or defensive tactics, such as sprawling or scrambling, can be valuable additions to other martial arts, and can be taught in a way that is not as taxing on joints. Note that adult (30 years and older) wrestling leagues are making a comeback, and people are adapting wrestling techniques to work for older adults as well. Women’s wrestling has grown in popularity in recent years, with more participation and opportunities to compete at the high school, collegiate, and international levels.
