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Which martial art is the best/coolest?

Posted: 2002-12-18 11:48am
by Dooey Jo
What do you think? Which martial art is the best?

Posted: 2002-12-18 11:52am
by Lagmonster
Capoeira. Trust me.

www.multilevelmoves.com

www.bilang.com

and the grandmother of them all:

www.combastics.com

Go there to view some of the 'showoff' martial arts: The type that looks insanely neat but has little function.

Posted: 2002-12-18 12:05pm
by Dooey Jo
Lagmonster wrote:Capoeira. Trust me.

www.multilevelmoves.com

www.bilang.com

and the grandmother of them all:

www.combastics.com

Go there to view some of the 'showoff' martial arts: The type that looks insanely neat but has little function.
Image
Yup, this looks cool (and painful) but it is utterly useless. If you're going to hit someone, and he puts up his leg like that, you just hit him in the nuts, end of story.

Posted: 2002-12-18 12:13pm
by salm
boxing, maybe tai boxing.

no fancy shmanzy, show off, style crap with fancy kicks, throws or jumps but straight forward fist/knee/ellbow to head moves.

.

Posted: 2002-12-18 12:15pm
by aerius
Depends on where you're going with the martial art. If you're looking for something simple and effective, military combatives are your friend. If you want something that emphasizes stick and knife work then look towards the various Filipino martial arts such as Kali. If you wanna be like Jet Li then study up on Wushu. It all depends you see?

Posted: 2002-12-18 12:25pm
by C.S.Strowbridge
Capoeira, isn't that the one where you fake dancing or being drunk as part of the fighting style?

Posted: 2002-12-18 12:43pm
by spongyblue
Capoeira is done to the beat of a drum and has a 'dance' like pattern. It is both a martial art and a game. The game is played at a slower pace then the art. They started the whole dance thing as a disguise when the africans were slaves in brazil. They took fighting technique from their homelands in west africa and just added and built up more on it.

Posted: 2002-12-18 01:25pm
by neoolong
C.S.Strowbridge wrote:Capoeira, isn't that the one where you fake dancing or being drunk as part of the fighting style?
You're mixing two. Capoeira incorporates dancing kinda.

Drunken boxing is the one where you fake being drunk. Or if you're badass you really are drunk. :D

Posted: 2002-12-18 02:48pm
by Shinova
What's kempo?

Posted: 2002-12-18 02:53pm
by tharkûn
Krav Maga.

No BS about inner peace, balance of forces, harmony, style points etc. Just effective ways to win.

Posted: 2002-12-18 02:53pm
by Mark S
Best I've come across is Taijutsu. No showboating, nothing fancy, and plenty of dirty tricks. Fighting to win and moving on.

I was surprised to see it on the list though.

Posted: 2002-12-18 03:57pm
by Thunderfire
Silat is pretty good. The style teaches weapon skills , karate & judo like
moves. Its designed for real combat.

Posted: 2002-12-18 05:14pm
by brothersinarm
Do anyone here know the official Israeli martial art?

Posted: 2002-12-18 05:27pm
by aerius
brothersinarm wrote:Do anyone here know the official Israeli martial art?
Krav Maga is the official martial art used by the Israeli defence forces. Quite brutal and highly effective, it's based mainly on military combatives and borrows techniques from many martial arts.

Re: Which martial art is the best/coolest?

Posted: 2002-12-18 05:48pm
by Next of Kin
Dooey Jo wrote:What do you think? Which martial art is the best?
Sumo...no seriously..
All martial arts have certain truths. I'm gonna say that no art in particular is better than or superior than others.

Posted: 2002-12-18 07:45pm
by kheegster
I find styles that utilise the opponent's offence to turn back on him the most elegant. Hence Kempo and Aikido. Taiji-chuan is very good at high levels of training as well (NOT those old ladies and gentlemen you see at the park, but REAL taiji-chuan).

KG

Posted: 2002-12-18 08:47pm
by Frank_Scenario
I'm vaguely surprised not to see any Korean arts( tae kwon do, kook sul won, tang soo do, etc.) or muay thai on the list. I'm also surprised some slightly obscure arts (iaido, though I've always thought of that as a technique rather than an art unto itself), taijutsu (most people don't know what it is called), and kyudo.

As for the best art, for pure combat effectiveness I'd go with Krav Maga or Muay Thai; I've worked with some muay thai practicioners, and they were almost invariably the toughest people around. There's nothing flashy, just learning to take and deliver phenomenally powerful blows.

I practice tae kwon do, and I happen to like it, but I recognize that parts of the art are not necessarily useful. For example, in a real fight I probably wouldn't bother with jump kicks, because a. it's easier to be knocked off balance while you're in the air and b. they are slower than the corresponding grounded kicks and they don't always add much power.

For elegance, I'd have to go with aikido, judo, or some styles of kung fu (pai lum tao is neat), or possibly tai chi chuan. It is truly awesome to watch praciticioners perform, though much of the art may not ever be useful in a fight. Example: I also practice judo, and though I may throw someone in a fight (most likely with a seoi nage) I wouldn't follow it up with a pin even though I know that I can get the pin easily and hold it indefinitely against an untrained opponent. This is because most judo pins (esp. those that flow easily from a seoi nage) do not prevent the person from pulling my hair, punching me, or otherwise taking actions forbidden in judo but possible in a street fight.

Overall, though, a competent practicioner of almost any martial art can expect to win most fights against untrained opponents. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal taste.

Posted: 2002-12-18 09:32pm
by Howedar
Frank_Scenario wrote:I'm vaguely surprised not to see any Korean arts( tae kwon do, kook sul won, tang soo do, etc.) or muay thai on the list. I'm also surprised some slightly obscure arts (iaido, though I've always thought of that as a technique rather than an art unto itself), taijutsu (most people don't know what it is called), and kyudo.
No kidding!

Posted: 2002-12-18 10:10pm
by paladin
Coolest martial art? Gun-Fu.

Posted: 2002-12-18 10:13pm
by Next of Kin
paladin wrote:Coolest martial art? Gun-Fu.
you mean glock-fu

Posted: 2002-12-18 11:17pm
by Sam Or I
escrima is also very effective martial art which is often overlooked

Posted: 2002-12-18 11:20pm
by paladin
Next of Kin wrote:
paladin wrote:Coolest martial art? Gun-Fu.
you mean glock-fu
damn straight! shoot the fucks!

Posted: 2002-12-19 12:31am
by consequences
Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu (Anything Goes Martial Arts)
Gun Chi(The Gun Katas from Equilibrium that looked a hell of a lot like Tai Chi)
From real life, Jeet Kun Do or Jujitsu would be my personal preference, but there are things I admire abou a lot of them.
Most Fun? Drunken Style Kung Fu.

Posted: 2002-12-19 12:40am
by Zaia
Frank_Scenario wrote:I'm vaguely surprised not to see any Korean arts( tae kwon do, kook sul won, tang soo do, etc.) or muay thai on the list.
Mmmm, Bry was the captain of his Tae Kwon Do team at uni. I have photographs. In black and white. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. :twisted:

Posted: 2002-12-19 02:29am
by weemadando
I can't believe how many people voted for Capoeira. Its the easiest martial art to beat up on.

Half the time the person is off-balance or attempting to balance on a single point.

Any aikido practitioner will be able to tell you want a bad idea this is against us. Especially when you mix it up with rugby tackles and freestyle wrestling.