Like most other sports and physical activities, your body shape plays a role in martial arts. Being tall does not only bring all the benefits to your personal and professional life. As a tall person, you may have to think twice about the activities and sports you can indulge in.
These are the best martial arts for tall people:
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a Thai martial art that involves standing punches and clinches. During combat, athletes use knees, elbows, fists, and shins. This sport is commonly referred to as Thai boxing. As this Muay Thai martial artist, you put on a headband known as Mongkol and a bracelet known as Praziad.
The International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA) is now in charge of overseeing amateur and professional Muay Thai activities worldwide. Muay Thai originated in Siam, Thailand, and is still practiced today. During King Naresuan’s reign in the late 16th century, it began as a martial art. People come to watch as fighters fight naked at festivals and celebrations. Muay Thai peaked in notoriety in the 1970s.
There are numerous kicks and clinches in a typical Muay Thai match. As a result, tall people have a slight advantage over short people. Your knees and hand strikes at your opponent are much more effective when you are tall. Jerome Lebanner, one of the most successful Muay Thai martial artists, stands 1.9 meters (6 feet 3 inches) tall. He is a renowned athlete in this art.
Taller people have a greater range of motion and are more destructive in the middle. You can throw a few punches as a tall person to keep your adversary at a safe distance.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art invented after WWII. It is an art that involves twisting and jumping with head-high kicks and punches and can be translated as the art of kicks and punches. The governing Taekwondo at the Olympics and Paralympics is known as World Taekwondo.
Taekwondo has its origins in the traditional Korean martial arts school Kwon, which was founded in the 1940s. It was a place in Seoul’s capital where various martial arts were taught. The sport grew I n popularity after the South Korean army adopted it as a standard form of combat training. This art has been influenced by other forms of Chinese martial arts and traditions like Korean martial arts, karate, and many more.
As stated earlier, Taekwondo involves powerful kicks and punches. This gives tall people an advantage in this sport. Being a great taekwondo martial artist also necessitates a high level of flexibility. Flexibility might be an issue for tall people, but it is easier for them to raise the pedals. This has a significant advantage over small people. This is because a person’s arm span is strongly associated with their height. To put it another way, tall people tend to have longer arms.
The legendary Cha Dong-min of Taekwondo stands 1.89 meters tall. At the Olympic and Asian Games, he has won multiple gold medals. Moon Dae-sung, who stands 1.91 meters (6 feet 3 inches) tall, is another Taekwondo militaristic who often won by exploiting his height. He currently holds the Olympic gold medal.
Kick Boxing
Kickboxing is a full-contact martial art wherein fighters compete in a boxing ring. There are various types of martial arts. They include the following:
- American Kickboxing
- Japanese Kickboxing (K1)
- Dutch Kickboxing
This art involves knee and elbow strikes, various kicks, and jabbing techniques similar to the ones used in boxing. Kickboxing is managed by two bodies: The International Kickboxing Federation and the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO).
Kickboxing has been around for a long time as a sport and a form of self-defense. In the 1950s, it became a competitive sport. It was developed over time due to competition between Europe, Osaka, Japan, and the United States. In different parts of the world, kickboxing rules are different. Japan’s kickboxing allows low and high strikes, but American kickboxing enables kicks and beats across the waist.
For tall people, kickboxing is excellent martial art. This is due to the fact that it necessitates a great deal of range control. This is particularly effective if you are taller than your opponent.
A long arm span allows a kickboxer to kick and punch from a safer distance. Maintaining this level of reach control for smaller opponents entails moving the taller or larger player to the rope and keeping them there. Sammy Schult, who measured (2.11 meters (6 ft.11 “), is one of the most successful and tallest kickboxers in history.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its origins in Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese judo artist. Around the time of World War I, Maeda arrived in Brazil and competed in a professional wrestling match sponsored by a circus.
Later on, he went ahead and taught Gracies art. Over time, the people improved the judo ground game known as Newaza, which gave rise to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is a combat style in which most of the action takes place on the ground. It mainly focuses on strangles, controls, and joint locks. Ji u-Jitsu, like w wrestling and kickboxing, has had a significant impact on mixed martial arts. People like Demian Maia, Rodol Fobieira, and current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira are all notable modern MMA fighters with a strong Jiu-Jitsu foundation.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has elements that are beneficial to people of all body types. However, tall people thrive better at this art. Someone with long limbs, for example, finds it very easy to be proficient at various techniques like the triangle choke. This choking technique involves wrapping your legs around your opponent’s neck and shoulder.
The guard is another important aspect of Jiu-Jitsu. It involves controlling your opponent with a part of your leg with at least one part of your legs. The top player must completely pass the bottom player’s legs for an effective attack. Tall people are advantaged in this art.
Boxing
Boxing is a Western art form that focuses on punches as a primary tactic for fighting and defending against opponents. The boxer generates tremendous incredible power with his jabs by learning the proper technique, which can knock his adversaries to the ground.
On the other hand, boxing has a lot of strength and conditioning that can be applied to sports, such as developing a powerful core and lower body that can handle punches while creating offensive and defensive power.
Boxing is especially good for tall people because the range of motion is beneficial when the arms and legs are long. One of the greatest fighters to grace the ring, Thomas Hearns, is a perfect example. In five years, Thomas Hearns was the World Boxing Champion Belt winner. He’s tall, lean overall physical appearance and extremely long arms gave him a significant advantage in boxing matches.
So, if you are tall, boxing is an excellent martial art to learn. The only disadvantage of boxing is that it does not involve kicks. As a result, when boxers attack, they only use their hands. Tall people can’t use their long legs to achieve a distance advantage. However, it is still a very efficient martial art.
Karate
Karate is a Japanese style that resembles Taekwondo in many ways. In fact, without knowing how many kicks will be made in Taekwondo, it is somewhat impossible to tell them apart. Karate is a conventional martial art that emphasizes kicks and punches, with a stronger emphasis on punches than Taekwondo.
Because karate and taekwondo techniques are so similar, tall people with long limbs can benefit, especially when they use many kicks. In addition, unlike Taekwondo, karate emphasizes striking, making it a more comprehensive martial arts system.
Conclusion
Martial arts come in many different forms and sizes. Some are designed for tall people, while others are designed for smaller people. However, if you are tall and want to make the most of your height, you should consider the ones listed in this article.