List of European Martial Arts

This page provides details about major and minor European martial arts styles. It covers martial arts such as Bartitsu, Canne de Combat, Pankration, Systema and many more. If you think a style should be added to this page, please contact us. However, we will only accept martial arts styles that have many schools, an active style association/federation and/or a detailed Wikipedia page.

For the styles of other countries (i.e. Japan, Korea and Brazil), please visit the main Martial Arts Styles section.

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European Martial Arts - Click on each style for more information

• Bartitsu - Bartitsu is an English martial arts that combines boxing, cane fighting, jujutsu, etc. Revival of this martial arts is due to interest in Sherlock Holmes.
• Bataireacht - Bataireacht is the martial arts better known as Irish stick fighting.
• Boxing - Boxing is a martial arts style focused purely on powerful punches.
• Canne de Combat - Canne de Combat is a French martial arts that focuses on a sports version of cane fighting.
• Combat Hopak - Combat Hopak (or Boyovyy Hopak) is an Ukrainian martial arts supposedly derived from Cossack military traditions.
• Defendo Alliance - This European martial arts is focused on realistic self-defense training. Schools are primarily located in Scandinavia but this association expanding globally (i.e. USA, Ireland, Poland, etc.).
• Defendu - A British martial arts created by William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes. This system was taught to Office of Strategic Services agents and Allied troops in World War 2.
• Fencing - Fencing today is mainly an Olympic-style sport. However, there is a sub-style called historical fencing which focuses on fencing as a martial arts.
• Glima - Glima is a Scandinavian wrestling-based martial arts that was created by the Vikings.
• HEMA - Historical European Martial Arts - HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) refers to mainly sword-based martial arts based on techniques used in Europe from around the 1300s to the 1800s.
• Keysi - The Keysi Fighting Method is a Spanish self-defense system "created to act and react while defending yourself". This system has been featured in movies such as the Batman series that starred Christian Bale.
• Pankration - This Greek martial arts style combines grappling, kicking techniques and boxing. It was part of the first Olympics in 648 BC.
• Quarterstaffing - The British martial arts that uses a quarterstaff, a 6-9 foot wooden staff. This traditional martial arts weapon is famously used in the tales of Robin Hood.
• Sambo - Sambo is a Russian martial arts style. There are two main types of Sambo; Combat Sambo and Sports Sambo.
• Savate (French Kickboxing) - Savate is a French martial arts style focused on boxing and kicking. No knee strikes are allowed.
• Shin Kicking - Shin Kicking is an English martial arts or combat sport where the contestants kick each other in the shins until one withdraws from the contest.
• Systema - Systema is a martial arts style used by some Russian special forces (i.e. Spetsnaz).
• Wrestling - Wrestling, while used mainly for sports today, is an ancient martial arts style of fighting. It focuses on grappling, throws and "pinning" your opponent. There are many wrestling martial arts but this section focuses on modern day wrestling (i.e. Olympic) that comes from the Greeks and Romans.