London’s most popular martial art revealed

In fact, two English fighters are current UFC champions - Tom Aspinall (Interim Heavyweight) and Leon Edwards (Welterweight).

Plus, with the recent boxing boom, seeing the likes of Tyson Fury and London's KSI’s popularity continue to grow, England is certainly getting into combat sports.

Now, Harlow Leisurezone has analysed search engine data to find out which martial arts classes were searched the most in each region, and county, across England.

The data reveals that, in London, Boxing is the most popular martial art with the term “Boxing classes near me,” being searched an average of 8100 times a month.

“Jiu Jitsu classes near me,” and “Muay Thai classes near me,” come second with an average of 6600 searches a month each, and “Kickboxing classes near me,” third with an average of 5400 searches a month.

Taekwondo (2900), Karate and Judo (1900), and Kung Fu and Aikido (590), round out the list.

Region:

Most Searched Martial Art

North East England

Jiu Jitsu

North West England

Jiu Jitsu

South West England

Jiu Jitsu

East of England

Jiu Jitsu/Muay thai

East Midlands

Muay Thai

South East England

Muay thai

London

Boxing

West Midlands

Boxing/Kickboxing

Yorkshire and the Humber

Kickboxing

Patrick Arnold, activity and engagement manager at Harlow Leisurezone, who conducted the research, said “It’s really inspiring to see interest in martial arts rise.

“Training not only improves physical fitness, but it also grows respect, self-improvement and a sense of community. It’s more than just learning to defend yourself, it's about building confidence, discipline, and resilience, whilst also improving mental health and relieving stress.

“I’m proud to see the rise of English fighters in the UFC like Tom Aspinall, Leon Edwards, Paddy Pimblett, and Molly McCann inspire people to take up a martial art"

"I encourage everyone, regardless of age or experience, to give it a try.”