What do you consider as the best martial art in the world?

If you are wanting to peacefully trash your opponent, and humiliate them, use akido.

If you want to be very water like, and fluid, yet make peace with your oponent, tai chi.

If you want to beat your opponent, senseless, before they even argue about fighting, before realizing that you are there, krav maga.

[edit on 20-6-2008 by TechnoFan21]

The Shaolin's are amazing physically, mentally, and spiritually. But I find Judo to be one of the most explosive forms of martial arts. The moves seem very practical and applicable to the typical self defense situation. Most attackers are hands on, and Judo seems to me to be perfect for turning the tide of an attack in your favor using simple physics and body mechanics.
I've never been through any kind of self defense or martial art training, but if I did decide to find training. I think I would be looking for a Judo program.
When all else fails through, I invoke the words of Bill Murray.
"Bruce Lee, patron saint of self defense, PROTECT US!!!!"

www.youtube.com...


[edit on 20-6-2008 by Chillidog]

[edit on 20-6-2008 by Chillidog]

Originally posted by Nola213


The best fighting style IS to have NO style, when will people learn this.

[edit on 19-6-2008 by Nola213]

[edit on 19-6-2008 by Nola213]

I agree with you there, BUT discipline over the mind and body is key.

When I was a kid, I took tae kwon do for a few years which I liked, but quickly realized it wasnt where I wanted to be. I became more interested in the discipline aspect (thanks to the great teacher we had from the oldschool) and dumped the fighting style. I have boxed ever since, like my father and grandfather before me and the discipline aspect has helped me greatly.

It's kind of funny thinking about it, because I have forgotten most of the style altogether, but the discipline techniques I learned have only grown over the years. I was taught to fish, and now I eat for a lifetime.

Edit: Nola, just one more thing. I don't think having no style is really the way to put it. I think the way to put it verbally is not to try and pursue someone else's style, as you will develop your own. That is inevitable.

[edit on 20-6-2008 by Critical_Mass]

reply to post by Karlhungis


Any art that makes you come out on top.A Martial Way that you fight without thought,go hard,come out the winner,and know exactly how to turn the 'killer instinct' switch on and off.But better still,"the art of fighting without fighting."Using reverse Psychology to stop an attacker in his tracks,during the thought process.Doing moves which crush his ego,tie him up so he can't use his natural weapons,or extended ones.A true Martial artist doesn't claim he's this or that,but keeps quiet until his life is in real danger.Forget the flashy hollywood movie martial arts and learn and develop a non robotic method,as fighting is not step by step,but instantaneous.That ends our lesson for today,grasshoppers!

Originally posted by AGENT_T

I don't think you can beat good old standard boxing..with a little Ju-jitsu thrown in for grappling fighting..

Anything else is just added for visual entertainment.

Boxing and jui jitsu would be a decent martial art...if you were fighting in a ring against one person. However, that doesnt happen very much in real life, only on TV.

The fact is, street fights are fast, furious, and uncontrolled. Someone attacking you is more than likely not going to be boxing you, so it would render your defenses useless. Untrained people normally use what i like to call the Windmill, they lower their head, charge at you, and flail their arms untill they hit you a few good times and the pain makes you stop. Thats if your going one on one.

But, someone who is looking to commit a crime against you is more than likely going to have a partner who will have his back if he gets in trouble. Since jui jitsu is mostly grappling and submissions, it would be ineffective in a real, all out street fight. As soon as you bring down your apponent with a rear naked choke, arm bar, knee lock, or any other submission, his buddy is going to kick you in the face, which will make you release the other guy and they will proceed to kick the s*** out of you and take your possessions.

Krav Maga is a great martial art that is aimed at real world situations. Defending yourself from attacks with knives, feet, and fists, along with how to take a gun or knife from an opponent. You really cant go wrong with it.

I would recommend that you learn more than one technique, Krav Maga being one of them, standard boxing so you can handle yourself in a fist fight, and Brazilian jui jistsu so you can take down an opponent via breaking arms, elbows, wrists, knees and the like, as well as being able to choke someone out in under 6 seconds. Which is a crucial skill to have. Arterial chokes, rather than respiratory chokes, take about 6-8 seconds to take effect and render someone inert for a period of time that will allow you to run, engage someone else, or if you have to, kill the person you choked out.

But, above all else, so long as you make it seem as though you are going to put up one hell of a fight, most criminals will avoid you, as they go for crimes of opportunity. I remember once when i was walking out to my car in the parking lot of my apartment complex. I saw a group of people gathered around a car, i was carrying a bag that had a few valuables in it and i got the feeling something was about to happen to me. Once i had gotten to my car, a Hispanic man began to yell something to me and walk towards me and my car. I heard him and yelled "What?" back because i couldnt hear him. Then i noticed how close he was to me. I set down my bag, squared up to him, looked him right in the eyes and with an authoritative voice i asked him "What do you want?", he stopped dead in his tracks, said "Nothin' man" and walked back to his group of friends.

Confrontations can be avoided if you show no fear of the situation. If i were robbing someone who looked like i do, i would reconsider my options on who i could rob. Of course, appearence does make a difference. If you're a 108 lb woman, you may consider buying a weapon to defend yourself, but if you're like me, a 6'3", 260 lb football player, just show some aggression and you may avoid the situation entirely.

[edit on 20-6-2008 by gibbs1189]

Originally posted by TechnoFan21

If you want to beat your opponent, senseless, before they even argue about fighting, before realizing that you are there, krav maga.

[edit on 20-6-2008 by TechnoFan21]

I understand what you are getting at, but Krav Maga is more or less a defensive art, rather than offensive. It is primarily used when someone attacks you, not when you attack someone else. Like i said in my previous post, learn more than one style so you can conquer any situation.

Be safe out there, its a dangerous world.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu without a doubt...just watch the first UFCs and see how Royce Gracie beat everyone from muay thai to kung fu and kick boxing.....then the brazilian martial art was virtually unknown and everyone was surprised to see skinny Royce kick butt.....today is a different story, everyone studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but do not openly admits it.... By the way, I hold a black belt in Judo and a Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu...

Text BlueHello all,
All Martial Arts are good and each is tailored for individual preferance. I have studied in one form or another for over 25 years and each style has brought its own valuble tools to my technique vault. Success in any Martial Art depends upon the individuals dedication to the art of choice and the commitment of the Instructor to teach self respect, discipline, humility as well as technique.
I currently study Hapkido and have done so under Grand Master Lim of the Jung Ki Kwan for the past nine years. I love this association because it is real world and the Master Instructors are the best I have ever scene in my life. All of them train in S. Korea every year and the focus on constant conditioning and hard cardio vascular work outs is not for everyone.
Martial Arts is one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself and the people you love. The people who are Die Hard Martial Artists are kind, well respected role models for a better community and a better world. The Martial Art of choice is of little concern, it is the spirit, a life of dedication to sweat, bruises, strains, sprains and the higher standard to which we are held that produce Great Martial Artists.
A Martial Artist is born to be one, it is a calling that fulfills ones life when answered anything less and it is not for you. Be Well!!

I always thought using JKD(Jeet Kune Do) concepts as a unifying element was effective. I like Western Style Boxing , Filipino Stick & Knife fighting and Brazillian Juijitsu.

I would agree with a mixed style. Although it was bashed earlier (UFC type stuff), a combo of kickboxing and ju-jitsu seems to be best (hence the now homogenous/bland style of UFC). In it's early days, UFC/Pride were very stylistic and multi-disciplined. It happened that ju-jitsu and kickboxing would win the most matches. And it happened that kickboxers needed to learn ju-jitsu to survive against ju-jitsu practitioners, and ju-jitsu guys need the offense and defense of kickboxers. So they kind of melved into one bi-polar form.
But, the best defense is still a compact 9mm or a shotgun.

Systema or Krav Maga.

Instead of the silly sport-based asian McDojos

Unfortunately, sports-based martial arts are better than any pre-arranged three step sparring which you find in Krav Maga, JKD and other 'highly technical' arts with a separate move for each occasion. Why? Because such activities are Performance-Based.

Consider examples in other activities.

You could learn every single chess opening and practice them 50 times each day for 10 years in your basement by yourself and you'd still never be able to play chess with even an intermediate player. It requires competition.

A guy playing horse in his backyard with a buddy is doing 'something' about basketball, but if he's not playing games with opponents trying to beat him, he might be a one-shot wonder, but will never be able to win a basketball game on a team.

A guy going over and over a stick disarm, or spending hours and hours hitting a tire, will never be able to defeat a Dog Brother who actually spars with sticks. They might learn -about- stick fighting but they never actually 'perform' a stick fight.

A guy doing white-collar boxing, hitting a bag and hitting the pads with a bored trainer will never be a good fighter. He might learn 'about' boxing, but he'll never be a competitive boxer.

A guy might learn every singe JKD drill and perform those drills ad nauseum, but if he never performs those moves in an actual fight, sparring with gear, he will not be able to perform those moves in a real fight.

Unfortunately, 'highly-theoretical' martial artists BELIEVE they can fight, but they never really are able to test it, pulling punches and hitting bags.

Some modern styles have begun to try an incorporate 'alive' training, and to that degree they are becoming more efficient and effective. They are 'functionalizing' their training. Good for them and good for you if your traditional martial art is trying to do that.

Likewise anyone practicing isolated moves, doing the pale imitation of a real combat art originally designed by a tough no-nonsense Israeli with roots in real field combat, will never be able to take these to an actual fight, because he lacks the background in the base art (combat pistol craft, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing) that the originator had, and he's not practicing with the same amount of uncooperative opponents. These specialized arts are homogenized for American strip Mall consumption and one or two day seminars to non-athletes. They don't allow the "real stuff" to be taught to Americans, reserving it for Israelis and Russians in their small, elite groups. You'll learn just enought to engender false self-confidence.

Your martial art must be 'performance-based', have a proven delivery system and be non-attribute based.

What non-attribute based means that trying to learn an art based on having super-human speed (Bruce Lee-like) is conter--productive because we normal people will never have that type of speed. Since JKD is based on 'intercepting' an opponent's technique or intent, if you don't have superhuman speed you will never be able to pull off this principle. You can learn things from JKD, but it's not a combat style - they never really fight (except when they do their rather crappy version of Muay Thai kickboxing (Matt Thornton's school the exception)).

Read Matt Thornton discusses aliveness
So forget styles and Bruce Lee sayings. Train in something with 'aliveness' - unrehearsed competition with movement/footwork, timing, and opposition energy (resistance).



[edit on 21-6-2008 by Badge01]

...I was always taught the best way to avoid all this is not to be there...

Example, best way to avoid punch is to not be in the way!

..yet if the situation arises, I'd stay with Pencak Silat, any day!

reply to post by Badge01


No they are not.

Sports based fighting has you going against what? One man who is trained to fight just like you are, and has the same offense and defense. A street fight is not like that at all.

It gets on my nerves when people assume they know what is right and what is wrong, even if they have no experience in the subject. Im not saying you dont have experience in fighting, but when learning a martial art, you are ALWAYS forced to spar someone. You dont just learn the techniques, and then not do anything with them, especially Krav Maga.

Krav Maga training is intense, and you do face multiple opponents in a sparring match in order to pass your classes. You are taught how to defend yourself in multiple situations. and then you have to apply what you have learned.

Originally posted by gibbs1189
reply to post by Badge01

 

No they are not.

Sports based fighting has you going against what? One man who is trained to fight just like you are, and has the same offense and defense. A street fight is not like that at all.

An MMA fight, though with gloves, is almost identical to a Vale Tudo match, which IS no holds barred, originating in Brazil. Though some aspects are different, it is very easy to transition back and forth.

Krav Maga lacks a suitable delivery system in the majority of its training methods and I have never seen a KM student all-out sparring using K-M techniques only. Typically when such practitioners do so they resemble bad kick-boxing.

K-M is the equivalent to doing drills, ad infinitum. Though they do try to simulate a fight with multiple opponents, I maintain your best defense in such a situation is to run. That will cause your opponents to string out and you can pick them off one-by-one, or elude them completely. Though a good MMA fighter can sometimes handle more than one opponent it's the exception, not the rule.

To reiterate, your martial practice has GOT to be performance-based. Otherwise you're deluding yourself with the endless drills. This was PROVEN by the Dog Brothers, when lots of high level FMA stick fighters went to the Gathering and were rather easily defeated.

In addition sports-based martial arts will always have the highest level of opponent, causing an evolution of the sport. If you watched the UFC over the years you will see how everyone's game evolved, going from grappler-domination to striker domination to wrestling domination and now back to a true style of mixed martial art.

Unlike your assertion, the existence of the UFC proves mine, while there are NO K-M fighters able to make the cut into the UFC. They simply lack the skill, experience, delivery system, aliveness and durability in their American incarnation to be effective enough. I've witnessed a few K-M seminars and there is a lot of standing around and lots of talking.

Contrast this to a BJJ or wrestling class. There's a lot of sweating and very little talking.

It gets on my nerves when people assume they know what is right and what is wrong, even if they have no experience in the subject. Im not saying you dont have experience in fighting, but when learning a martial art, you are ALWAYS forced to spar someone. You dont just learn the techniques, and then not do anything with them, especially Krav Maga.

When I've seen K-M guys spar they resemble bad kickboxing. When they spar with weapons and wear gear they still do not go freestyle, they do drills. Certainly they are sincere and they work hard, but in many respects they are not training someone to actually fight. Under the pressure of fighting you forget those drills. Your skills must be functionalized or you will not be able to reliably employ them.

Drilling is nice, but they can get caught up in what we call 'dead drills' which are drills without footwork, energy and motion.

Krav Maga training is intense, and you do face multiple opponents in a sparring match in order to pass your classes. You are taught how to defend yourself in multiple situations. and then you have to apply what you have learned.

Though I have respect for the original Krav Maga training, which is more like an amalgamation of combat pistol craft, jiu-jitsu and muay thai, it is not offered in that form in the US that I'm aware. If you know different please post a link or a URL and I'll be glad to look it over.

As I said in one post, I've been studying martial arts since 1968 and I've seen quite a bit. I'm not saying other arts are cr*p, far from it. There's quite a bit of useful information imparted.. But as it is currently taught in the US, the core is omitted.

My thesis is that way that a martial arts is practiced is the essential element, and this must include a method of delivering their techniques (delivery system), the practice must be performance based and it must employ a resisting opponent, using timing and footwork (motion). Otherwise the outcome is far from optimal and usually gives the proponent a false sense of self-confidence.

You can drill Chess openings for 10 years but unless your game evolves by playing people who are better than you in actual games you will not be able to play at a competitive level.

Read over the links I gave to Matt Thornton's vid and comments. If you still object, then we'll have to agree to disagree.

As a final example, let me put it this way, I can teach an MMA fighter to do a self-defense art based on drills in a very short time. They already have the attributes of strength, speed, durability and footwork under stress. But it takes many years to teach a traditionally trained martial artist who does a majority of their training doing drills, to do good Mixed Martial Arts fighting.

As yourself why that is.

I agree that many traditional arts teach useful skills and in Krav Maga, one of them is the use of firearms in a manner similar to Combat Pistol Craft, but in my experience, the version offered in American based schools is a pale imitation of the original art developed by Imi Lichtenfeld.

HTH.






[edit on 21-6-2008 by Badge01]

Okay, I've read all the replies, phew. Thank you guys and gals (although not many gals I see ), there are definitely a lot of good replies in here.

The two most popular pick by the members so far are krav maga and brazilian jujitsu. Muay thai and systema are also mentioned several times.

I've thought about it and I think I'm gonna pick ninjutsu. I agree with some of the members that either the tai chi chuan and/or ninjutsu as the best martial art out there, at least it's the best for me. Tai chi chuan is natural, free form and free flowing, and as for ninjutsu, it's the other way around. They are like the yin and yang of each other. Ninjutsu is more premeditated (although it can be spontaneous) and not just cover the hand to hand combat but also a lot tricks and situational awareness, which is very important in real life situation.

Now... about the chi thingy, how real is it? I've never heard a story of combat ki in real life situation. There is also a local martial art called Merpati Putih that also utilizes chi. It can shield the practitioner with a meter radius of invisible chi field. If other people try to get close, they got repelled backward. I found it not easy to believe, especially since I only see this in demonstration and have never heard the technique being implemented in real life situation.

I found this interesting video about combat ki. Definitely very interesting!
No invisible chi field though.



The host say it's pain management, eh I don't know.. maybe.

reply to post by Jazzyguy


Just curious, which school of ninjitsu do you plan to attend?

Keep in mind that the training will be mostly traditional and historic, studying things like Kuji-kiri, stealth tactics and medieval weaponry in many studios.

Be careful of signing contracts and those making extraordinary claims.

Also beware of those claiming lineage but falsely. (it's not uncommon) The best schools are those with ties to Masaaki Hatsumi, an authentic practitioner based out of Noda, Chiba, Japan.

Good luck.

reply to post by Badge01

I don't know, I'm a total beginner when it comes to martial art, but I'll have to start somewhere.
Oh, I don't mind studying history. Thanks for the info and the warning, Badge.

If those chi martial arts turns out to be true and effective, I might study that as well. There are several interesting local martial art right here such as THS-THM and Merpati Putih (extensive training and kinda woo-woo), but for now I'm just gonna focus on learning ninjutsu.