Ideal Martial Art? EDIT: Cool movie!

[Gyrene]

For looks and entertainment, I think Tae Kwon Do has the flashiest techniques. For actual competetion, some form of jujitsu for sparring, and Shotokan Karate for forms. For actual street fighting, where you aren't afraid of killing someone, Bamboo Forest Praying Mantis is my art of choice. I am currently studying that. I think everyone's ideal art differs with their own body style.

 

[MustangSVT]

Originally posted by: dtyn
For looks and entertainment, I think Tae Kwon Do has the flashiest techniques. For actual competetion, some form of jujitsu for sparring, and Shotokan Karate for forms. For actual street fighting, where you aren't afraid of killing someone, Bamboo Forest Praying Mantis is my art of choice. I am currently studying that. I think everyone's ideal art differs with their own body style.

I am BUILT for karma sutra

 

[Hammer]

krav maga

 

[giguana]

Originally posted by: MustangSVT

Originally posted by: dtyn
For looks and entertainment, I think Tae Kwon Do has the flashiest techniques. For actual competetion, some form of jujitsu for sparring, and Shotokan Karate for forms. For actual street fighting, where you aren't afraid of killing someone, Bamboo Forest Praying Mantis is my art of choice. I am currently studying that. I think everyone's ideal art differs with their own body style.

I am BUILT for karma sutra

HAHAHA...ROFLMFAO

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

for show I would say the Scotish martial art of fukYOUU!!!. It involves a lot of head butting.

But for reality i would have to say i would go with the style Smith & Wesson developed.

 

[Kev]

If I could choose one style to be a master of, it would be Tai Chi.


Since that is a difficult thing to master, though, I would first set my goal towards learning how to "get a hold of someone" and proceed to "rip their arms off"

 

[palad]

I currently train in RyuKyu Kempo, an Okinawan style.

 

[HarryAngel]

Karate Wado Ryu - Empty hand.

 

[dfi]

The style that allows me to carry a deadlier weapon than anyone else. Or any style that requires dressing up like a ninja.

Oh, oh, and the style must teach me clever phrases to say after I've beaten my opponent!

I really know jack squat about these styles. And since I get the feeling that most of these styles are effective, does it matter?

dfi

 

[dfi]

I don't know what style this is, but watching the video I saw these guys throwing each other around. I have to say, that looks so fake.

dfi

 

[js1973]

I don't think the art itself is as important as the quality of the school where you study.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: dfi
I don't know what style this is, but watching the video I saw these guys throwing each other around. I have to say, that looks so fake.

dfi

It is some variation of Aikido. Although it does look somewhat fake, let me tell you the throws are real. Some of the throws involve a joint lock on the wrist. If the recipient did not jump (allowing themselves to be thrown) then they would be with one less wrist.

 

[gotsmack]

I'm going to take Tai Chi next month. but I would love to learn Iron Palm + a little Dim Mak (Death Touch)

 

[FacelessNobody]

In my opinion, most true arts I've observed contain everything on your list, Jehovah, though not all have competition. Pick something and go from there, no matter what you do, it'll take time and practice.

 

[VBboy]

Aikido!

Search Google for cool action clips

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: FacelessNobody
In my opinion, most true arts I've observed contain everything on your list, Jehovah, though not all have competition. Pick something and go from there, no matter what you do, it'll take time and practice.

Uhh . . . thanks . . . ?

 

[loosliptcomptrola]

WT baby!!! JKD is Wing Tsun junior!

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: loosliptcomptrola
WT baby!!! JKD is Wing Tsun junior!

Damn straight

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: dfi
The style that allows me to carry a deadlier weapon than anyone else. Or any style that requires dressing up like a ninja.

Oh, oh, and the style must teach me clever phrases to say after I've beaten my opponent!

I really know jack squat about these styles. And since I get the feeling that most of these styles are effective, does it matter?

dfi

That would be ninjitsu. And as for the effectiveness of the styles, yes it does matter because it's effective for different reasons - people that's *ahem* 5'8" and 280 lbs. would have a hard time learning Wing Tsun Kung Fu (really any martial arts style including boxing, I'd wager), and a 5'4" 115 lb. girl would have better choices to pick a style fo fighting than Muay Thai/Boxing.

 

[blackdogdeek]

aikido

 

[Schadenfreude]

Yeah - Aikido looks very promising, but I also want to look into Bagua as well - but I'm honestly content with what i have as well

 

[prodigy]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Swedish Elite Combat Force Arm-Ripping

 

[tcsenter]

I'm going to take Tai Chi next month. but I would love to learn Iron Palm + a little Dim Mak (Death Touch)

Bob Wall has a great story about the first time he met Bruce Lee.

They were at a Kung Fu demonstration, there was a Kung Fu master on stage talking about Death Touch and some of the 'mythical' bullsh-t that is associated with Kung Fu. So Bob Wall goes on stage, tells the guy he's full of it, challenges him to a fight, then slaps the sh-t out of him during the demonstration. The Kung Fu guy ran off the stage and hid.

Bruce Lee came up to Wall laughing as he was walking out, telling Wall how funny that was and how full of sh-t most of these Kung Fu guys were.

There is a very good reason Bruce Lee abandoned about 80% of everything he ever learned in Kung Fu and set about to develop a more effective and practical fighting art. Kung Fu sucks.

 

[HarryAngel]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

I'm going to take Tai Chi next month. but I would love to learn Iron Palm + a little Dim Mak (Death Touch)

Bob Wall has a great story about the first time he met Bruce Lee.

They were at a Kung Fu demonstration, there was a Kung Fu master on stage talking about Death Touch and some of the 'mythical' bullsh-t that is associated with Kung Fu. So Bob Wall goes on stage, tells the guy he's full of it, challenges him to a fight, then slaps the sh-t out of him during the demonstration. The Kung Fu guy ran off the stage and hid.

Bruce Lee came up to Wall laughing as he was walking out, telling Wall how funny that was and how full of sh-t most of these Kung Fu guys were.

There is a very good reason Bruce Lee abandoned about 80% of everything he ever learned in Kung Fu and set about to develop a more effective and practical fighting art. Kung Fu sucks.

Bruce Lee was cool. I've met a few of the big martial art's star Chuck Norris (really nice guy!) among a some other less known but on top o fthere game in terms of fighting (full contact) they all said that that bruce was genuine and a fearsome fighter with a incredible speed and power that they never seen before. He was a real Master for sure.

 

[tcsenter]

Bruce Lee was cool. I've met a few of the big martial art's star Chuck Norris (really nice guy!) among a some other less known but on top o fthere game in terms of fighting (full contact) they all said that that bruce was genuine and a fearsome fighter with a incredible speed and power that they never seen before. He was a real Master for sure.

I don't mean to insult or disparage Kung Fu, it has its place and merits. If you want to 'seek paths to higher enlightenment' according to Eastern philosophies, Kung Fu offers much in that way. It is demanding and exacting. It is steeped in mind-body discipline, achieving harmony in your thoughts, meditation, concentration, focus, etc. again a lot of spiritual stuff. It is also very atheletic and physical, which can be a great work-out to improve strength, stamina, flexibility, agility, coordination, quickness, etc.

But if you're looking for combative skills, and don't much care for all the mysticism and spiritualism, there are far more effective and useable arts on which to spend a few thousand hours of your time. The artistic and spiritual elements of Kung Fu are what Bruce Lee became discouraged with. They needlessly multiplied the length of time spent mastering a lot of things that are meant to enhance your 'life philosophy', to make you a better and more enlightened human being, not a better fighter.

How many UFC Champions or even runner-ups have primarily been Kung Fu practitioners? Pride? NHB? Very few, if any. I've seen a few get their asses handed to them, though.

Chinese culture is steeped in 'paths to enlightenment' and 'spiritualism'. Martial arts isn't just something they practice for self-defense, its a religion over there. Its more than a religion. This is a culture thats eats gall bladders and all kinds of other weird things believing in their 'healing powers'. Most Americans don't understand the cultural significance of martial arts over there.

Kung Fu is among those martial arts which are far more "arts" than they are "martial". It has its own mythology and mysticism. Look at Ninjitsu, its all fantasy and legend. Sure, there were Ninjas, no they weren't invisible, nor were they invincible, nor could they fly. They were nothing more than covert operatives, body guards, and assassins, thus all the legend and mythology.

Look at the 'fantasy' Kung Fu depicted in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. That is the significance of Kung Fu in their culture - artistic and spiritual. Its difficult to separate the 'fighting' elements of Kung Fu from the artistic and spiritual elements because Kung Fu has evolved to blend all these elements for over a thousand years. They have Kung Fu masters who think they're 'channeling' their spiritual energy to prevent injury while walking over hot coals or broken glass, when just building thick callouses on the bottom of your feet accomplishes the same thing. It took them 20 years of very difficult and rigorous study to learn that thick callouses protect your feet. Wow.