Subscribe to ListverseTop 10 International Martial Arts
- Published August 29, 2007 - 87 Comments
Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. They may be studied for various reasons including combat skills, fitness, self-defense, sport, self-cultivation/meditation, mental discipline, character development and building self-confidence, or any combination of the above. This is a list of the top 10 international Martial Arts. In no particular order:
1. Karate [Wikipedia]
Meaning “Empty hand” in Japanese, Karate is one of the more popular martial arts. Originated centuries ago from the island of Okinawa, it did not catch on in mainland Japan until the early 1900s, when Master Gichin Funakoshi simplified the self-defense techniques and added a philosophical aspect to the art. There are many different styles within Karate, but they are all characterized with the same hard blocks, punches, and kicks. Today, it is practised and studied in countries all over the world.
2. Tae Kwon Do [Wikipedia]
Although in the Korean language it can be loosely translated as “The way of hand and foot”, Tae Kwon Do is distinguished more by its powerful kicks than hand strikes. Practitioners believe that since the legs are longer and generally stronger than the arms, it is the best weapon a martial artist has. Tae kwon do as a sport and exercise is popular with people of both sexes and of many ages. Thanks to the millions of students worldwide, it is now an Olympic sport.
3. Judo [Wikipedia]
Judo, meaning “gentle way”, is a modern martial art that originated from late nineteenth century Japan. The art was founded by Jigoro Kano, who as a youth was often picked on and bullied. After an unsatisfactory experience with Jujutsu, he developed a system with sweeps and throws which made size and strength irrelevant. Just like Tae kwon do, today it is an Olympic sport, where the main goal in a Judo competition is to throw one’s opponent to the ground or make him submit through a joint lock or choke-hold. The balance between standing and ground fighting makes Judo a popular choice for many martial artists.
4. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [Wikipedia]
Well-known to the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters around the world is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (also called Gracie Jiu-Jitsu), which focuses on grappling and ground-fighting techniques. Borrowing from Japanese Judo, the system was developed by the Gracie family throughout the early 20th century and has been going strong ever since.
5. Kung Fu (Wushu) [Wikipedia]
The term “Kung Fu” does not technically mean Chinese martial arts, but rather “skill or ability to do something”. A more accurate name would be “Wushu”, which is the modern name for the Chinese martial arts. It is believed that thousands of years ago the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma created the art to help his students concentrate during meditation. There are literally hundreds of styles of Kung Fu / Wushu that still exist today, some of the more famous ones being Shaolin, Wing Chun, and Tai Chi.
6. Capoeira [Wikipedia]
This art comes not from Asia, but again from Brazil. Capoeira was created in the 19th century by African slaves, who had to disguise the martial art as a dance. Music provided by drums and other instruments help to set a rhythm for the game, which consists of two participants using acrobatic play as well as kicks, sweeps and head butts. The technique and strategy are key elements to a well-played game.
7. Arnis / Escrima / Kali [Wikipedia]
The Filipino Martial Arts called Arnis / Escrima / Kali are known for their weapons, which include rattan sticks, knives, and swords. Fighters in the very effective fighting styles use intricate footwork, stances, blocking and disarms to take out opponents.
8. Muay Thai [Wikipedia]
As the national sport of Thailand, Muay Thai is what baseball is to the United States. This form of kickboxing is different (some say more brutal) than Western kickboxing because fighters are allowed to use fists, feet, shins, knees, and elbows in their strikes. The sport has gained worldwide attention and today there are schools all over the world.
9. Krav Maga [Wikipedia]
This combat system was developed in Israel and has been adopted by military units and police forces around the world for its effectiveness. The martial art is not a sport and has no competitions, but has a specific focus on self-defense in a “real-life” application. Students are taught to ignore distractions and inflict maximum damage in close quarters, making Krav Maga very effective.
10. Jeet Kune Do [Wikipedia]
Developed by the famous martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, Jeet Kune Do literally means “Way of the Intercepting Fist”. Not so much a martial art in the traditional sense, it is a combat philosophy that incorporates traits and characteristics from many other fighting styles, including Western boxing and fencing. There are no set solo training forms, and practitioners are encouraged to interpret techniques for themselves and to change them if necessary, giving the student freedom to experiment.
Notable Exclusions: Ninjutsu, Aikido
Contributor: Wilson Tran
Technorati Tags: martial arts, Sports
August 29th, 2007 at 7:44 am
Great list. I might have added Aikido just because I have done a little and love the way it uses the opponents mass and strength against him (similar to Judo) Sumo also because it is singularly different from all the rest but definitely a martial art of its own. Pankration also, because it is European and traces its roots back to the ancient Olympic games.
August 29th, 2007 at 7:45 am
And the most notable exclusion, one of the most practiced around the world, Aikido!
August 29th, 2007 at 7:50 am
Okay – its added to the exclusion list
August 29th, 2007 at 8:52 am
i have done martial arts for five years karate,judo ,Tae Kwon Do tournaments and love it am still going strong list is great j
August 29th, 2007 at 9:00 am
mix2323: thanks
August 29th, 2007 at 9:42 am
What about savate? It’s a national sport of France and Spain and was part of the Paris Olympics (1924?).
Another great list though. I’m hooked. These lists are addicting. Great job!
August 29th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hmm…There may be an opportunity for me to make a second list!
August 29th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Jeremy: I am glad they are addicting – that is the aim
August 29th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Yeah i second savate, a street fighting technique originally developed from the street and fleets of Marseille that the french special forces and police teams are now trained in, plus it’s one of the most effective forms of self defense. It was used in WWI and II, especially by the French resistance after German occupation.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Man, i had a feeling just seeing the list that ju-jutsu would have “brazilian” or “Gracie” in front of it! this is very understandable, since the gracie family have been the ones to bring it out of obscurity in recent years. ju-jutsu is one of the oldest japanese martial arts and japanese karate, aikido and judo all stem from it. it originally was very grappling intensive, with lots of throws as well as striking techniques involved. modern krav maga is very similar in that it has no katas and a very, very strong emphasis on practical self-defense. unlike krav maga, it does have sport applications and contests. its a great list and i was thrilled to see it posted. its just that i studied small cirlce ju-jutsu for quite a while (if you haven’t guessed already) and like most of my fellow practitioners have been slightly annoyed by the image that gracie ju-jutsu has given to the art, namely that its ALL grappling and really just developed for sports, which is what the gracies did. its just much more of a well-rounded art than many think and extremely progressive, similar to jeet kun do. just to clarify some things
August 29th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
I(unlike a lot of my friends) DO recognize the difference between BJJ and real Japanese Jujutsu. I feel your pain with BJJ…It’s a shame sometimes. However I didn’t wanna clog this list with too many Japanese arts, so I kept I had to sacrifice Jujutsu. I’ll be sure to add it to the next list though!
August 29th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
What about boxing? i don’t know if it’s acually considered a “martial art” but it’s an effective form of self-defense, a multi-billion dollar sport around the world and is pretty cool.
August 29th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Jiu-Jitsu isn’t borrowed from Judo. It’s the other way around.
August 29th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
If you’re talking about the Brazilian Jiu jitsu, according to Wikipedia it actually does come from Judo…but for whatever reason, it is called jiu jitsu(which is the wrong spelling anyway). But if you’re talking about Japanese Judo borrowing from Japanese Jujutsu, you are correct.
August 30th, 2007 at 12:03 am
tjgrs: I don’t think regular boxing is considered a martial art – though I am not sure if its ancient origins (in Greece or Rome) were for defense or entertainment). I did boxing and it is one of the best sports for fitness I have ever come across!
August 30th, 2007 at 10:39 am
i read black belt magazine and it said that boxing is now a art or martial art i forgot what issue it was but yea it was also saying that boxing is as effective as any other form of martial art in terms as like boxing vs karate or boxing vs kung fu one is not better then the other all arts still have there strengths and weakness
August 30th, 2007 at 10:48 am
mix: interesting – I suppose you could call it that because of the fact that it is designed as a defence and attack system.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:51 am
and the technique and science that goes in to it is more then meets the eye
August 30th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Ninjitsu and Aikido definitely…
September 17th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Aikido is not one kind of Martial Art, i think its close to Self Defense Art.
September 28th, 2007 at 1:51 am
OMG…i can’t believe no one mentioned ninjutsu
September 28th, 2007 at 2:18 am
yaurt: comment 19
September 28th, 2007 at 3:06 am
oh, yeah…sorry…
October 29th, 2007 at 2:35 am
‘Muay thai’ is the best martial arts in the whole wide world.When it strikes u,u will die to death.’Muay Thai’use the most strong joints to attack or defend people.Example knees and elbows.
‘Muay Thai’is also the fastest martial arts.
FOR ME ‘MUAY THAI’IS FOR PEOPLE
WHO IS STRONG LIKE ME:)
+++++++++++
+ +
+ 0 0 +
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October 30th, 2007 at 9:31 am
I definitely agree with WilsonT, Xasshern and many others in respect to the whole Traditional JJ and Gracie JJ… But in all respect anyone that studies a martial art is one that is dedicated to that art but is not afraid to branch out and try others. Forever learning that’s what I call a true student of the arts
Have a great day and I really love the list. Keep it up.
November 24th, 2007 at 5:51 am
I’m glad Krav Maga was included.
But yeah, aikido and ninjutsu are epic.
November 24th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Yeah, ninjutsu should be on there. It is almost a mythic martial art now – how many people do you know that have ever acted like they were a ninja but had no clue of what they were doing. Most guys have done that at least once. It’s also been glamorized on television and in the movies. I would have put it near the top of the list.
Otherwise it is a very well done and informative list.
November 24th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Capoeira, and Muay Thai are a DEADLY COMBINATION!! I only know Muay Thai ’cause there aren’t any Capoeira or Brazilian Jiu-jitsu classes in Aruba. 1 out of 3 isn’t THAT bad.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:56 am
systema. look it up. its the fucking shit. ive been doing it for 7 years now. when i first started to learn i had to spar against, how many, FIVE opponents. dim mak is also an interesting art as it translates to “death point striking”.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Capoeira? Do people really take that seriously? The people who do it refer to it as a game, as mentioned in this article. People don’t practice capoeira, they play capoeira. Also, the main focus of the martial is to avoid hitting your opponent. I’ve seen rounds of capoeira come to a halt because someone actually made physical contact.
January 14th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
If you are not looking for a work out or for a “way of life” form of fighting or even a sport fighting style, Krav Maga is the be all, end all, greatest fighting style ever conceived. It takes from every fighting style before it and harnesses it into a practical fighting style and can learnt and used by anyone and everyone. It is the Israeli way to kick ass! Boo Yahhh!!
May 11th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I train Sin Moo Hapkido.It is korean martial art.she has aikido kung-fu Judo
pretty good list
and ninjutsu is not tecknikly martial art or self defense.it is art that train war going skills stragedy and how to get out of fight or avoid it and of course lil’bit fighting skills
June 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Another art worthy of mention is Kalaripayit – it’s also a very old system of combat that incorporates armed and unarmed techniques, and comes from India rather than the archetypal Japanese or Chinese systems.
Oh, and regards Karate, You left out the name of the fellow who taught Yamaguchi-sensei (Chojun Myagi – I kid you not, look it up). Fun Fact – Yamaguchi-sensei’s nickname was “the Cat”, due to his grace and almost preturnatural speed.
Good list, though. Perhaps a list of arts that rely more on weapons would get peoples attention (fencing, Kendo, Pantjak Silat….)?
June 25th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Watch out for these BJJ and some Krav Maga guys, there are a lot of closet homos out there who just like to frotter other blokes.
In a fight, the ground is a very dangerous place to be, be very careful of instructors who are overly fond of rolling about.
Especially with skimpy shorts on, how gay is this?;
http://www.kravmagacombat.com/?Page=integratedcombatsports
August 16th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
what does these things do with paris 1924. you have just wasted 5 muinites of my precious time.and these stuff aren`t even memorable.thanks for nothing. now i need to find another stuff that`s memorable for paris 1924. gee thanks. now my mom will ground me for not finishing my project.happy now you guys. you should be ashamed of yourselves.f**k
August 28th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Krav Maga is virtually the best self defense ever created. It was actually created in eastern europe by Imi Lichtenfeld in Hungary and present day Czech republic. It teaches high stress level to last longer than your attacker. also teaches to punish your attacker as quick as possible. I am currently training in Krav and i have done other forms but this is the most effective on the streets hands down.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Kajukenbo is also worth the mention. While it originated in Hawaii, it is made up of various styles of martial arts that originated from other countries.
October 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Could I suggest Tai-Jutsu? I practice it and sensei always teaches us the practical necessity of good striking/blocking/stance abilities. In the first 4/5 belts sensei really only teaches us atemi (sp?) which are effective on the street, as well as many grapples locks and 7 throws (yep that’s right… only 7. He wants us to be able to whip these out effectively whether your fight a left handed or right anded person – not watered down with 47 odd techniques which you don’t know all that well). He makes sure our reflexes are of a high quality. After blue belt we begin to learn more fancy arty stuff like hand holds etc
October 21st, 2008 at 6:44 am
Bah, I find it stupid about all the ” MMA/ Boxing/ BJJ IS ONLY A SPORT” idiots.
In grappling most of it works on the street, no it doesn’t hurt your knees, only if you do a bad takedown. Sport martial arts –> You practice punching, kicking, choking. It works
“Traditional deadly martial arts”, they do everything in theory, close to NO ressistance while practicing, saying : ” I can kill with one punch”, ” I’ll K.O them before they can take me to the ground”.
I did traditional martial arts, ( I still do in fact, TAI CHI FOR THE WIN), I thought what I did was “too deadly for the ring”. An attack from an untrained dude set me straight. I didn’t KO him before he took me to the ground( and I kicked faster than many people with higher belts than me at that time), my “effective” wristlocks couldn’t be applied because I had no experience doing it on a ressisting opponent. I quit that martial art not long afterwards
Arrogant aikidoka will say about muay thai/boxing: What’s so hard about hitting someone in the face?
Well MOST fights end because the other guy punches the other guy in the face, that gives you a bigger chance of KO than your deadly “nukite” against his solar plexus or something.If your martial art only has techniques “too deadly” for the ring, and only involve kicking to the crotch, scratching eyes and so on, you don’t do martial arts.
You do (women’s) self defence class.(Not talking about Krav Maga in Israel here, they’re awesome, but almost everywhere else Krav schools are sub par. )
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:27 am
Tae Kwon Do actually, when translated means foot, fist, art in Korean.
I should know I practised it for 3 years and was pretty close to getting my 1st Dan (black belt)
Damn the theory part of those tests, I was always rubbish at it…
November 27th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Fodland, your points are dull and such a definition ( Sport martial arts –> You practice punching, kicking, choking. ) perfectly shows how ignorant you are about what is a martial art. I don’t even respect most of these listed anymore. If you wanna practice judo which did not lose its budo essence, try ju no michi.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I am pratice a Krav Magá in Brazil. This self defence is fantastic… I studed Karatê (a shit) and Jiu-Jitsu (Its martial art must in top list). I desagree in This list doen’t have boxe, Westler, Classical fencing, ninjutsu, sumô and kendô.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:12 am
not sure if anyone mentioned it but pankration is the first form of martial arts that originates from greece and is over 2000 years old. also i dont see why mma cant be on the list so im putting it out there
December 16th, 2008 at 5:56 am
what about wing chun? The most streamlined martial art in the world
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:09 am
I think the overall point to get across is that you MUST train at full speed and full contact as part of your normal training or whatever it is you do will not be effective when you are put to a real test like an actual street fight. There is nothing I hate more then a “martial artist” who does everything half ass in training, but thinks they are skilled because some jerk GAVE them a black belt.
Like many of you, I am sure, I grew up on Kung-Fu cinema and early Japanese manga imports like the legendary series Lone Wolf and Cub (which has also been made into movies and a TV series), so martial arts have a mystical and nostalgic place in my heart. But… when it comes to real world situations or even a sporting test such as MMA, Jiu-Jitsu with a solid understanding of basic Muy Thai can’t be beat in my book.
December 29th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
There is a possibility this list will be restart, including boxe, ninjutsu and others stile fights that be in this topic?
January 16th, 2009 at 5:08 am
Capoeira isn’t a martial art it’s a dance, gets refered to as a martial art as the guys doing it need a reason to make it “manly”, rather than retards jumping around. There was a fight between i think he was a kick boxer and a Capoeira “fighter”, the Capoeira fighter was to busy dancing on his hands and doing flips the kick boxer took one step forward and knock him out cold. Don’t beleive… Youtube it! It’s the funniest sh!t.
I’m a fan of Bruce Lee and I beleive he personally was an amazing fighter, but does anyone put any faith in his style
Jeet Kune Do?
February 12th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Eskrima has some dance-like history similar to Capoeira. Enslaved during Spanish colonization, Filipinos sometimes used dance as a way to disguise martial art training. I attended an Eskrima workshop and the speaker talked about Dance of the Lights (a cutesy traditional cultural dance where the girls hold tealights in their hands and dance twirl their arms and look pretty while the guy skips around them and flirts). He said when replacing the candle for a knife, the fighter can cut their opponent at the neck, waist and thigh with one fluid movement. I haven’t seen Capoeira battles/dance-offs but maybe it’s along the same lines as that?
Dude was crazy though… He was from the school of thought where to truly understand the art and history of eskrima, one must train without protective gear. And his style was less about dancing and more about standing still and beating the crap out of one another. Those sticks hurt. A lot.
February 20th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Hey, U 4got ab’t South Asian Martial Arts. The Origin of all martial arts.
Kolarapayat-India
Angan Pora-Sri Lanka
March 26th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
yeah……………Jeet Kune Do is number one because it is a mixture of all that is useful in other martial arts.It depends from a person how this style will look.Bruce Lee had his own JKD, I have my own, and many others have what is JKD to them.Be water my friends:).Bruce used JKD and he is the best martial artist in the opinion of most people and myself.Because of that JKD is the best martial art……..karate isn’t that good……………no Aikido?………..no Savate?…c’mon
March 31st, 2009 at 2:00 am
the ultimate and deadliest form of martial art ….. Pencak Silat….originated around malay archipelago…mainly Indonesia Malaysia…and the most least known…
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
the ineffectiveness that the traditional martial arts (karate, tae kwon do, etc.) have when they are put against actual martial arts (BJJ, muay thai)is incredible! two month tae kwon do black belts think they are the toughest dudes out there because they are lulled into a false sense of confidense in their practice. The UFC, Pride, and other MMA organizations all prove that these techniques fail in a fight, but these people dont get the hint. In the early UFC’s, everything but biting, eye gouging, and fish hooking was illegal. this meant that the traditional martial arts could use whatever secret deadly crotch punch or hair rip they wanted. they still failed miserably. In ufc 2, a ninjitsu expert was extremely cocky (like many of the commenters above) before the tournament, but lasted less than a minute in the first fight. all im saying is that MMA fighters dont have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. they have a black belt in BJJ. so all you saying BJJ is just for sport, there is your proof it is not. Also Japanese Jiu Jitsu involved fighting with sticks, so if you dont have your trusty stick, your screwed!!! Second, whats the deal with these kids in Tae Kwon DO that are still very young with black belts?!? And finally, it is called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu because Judo was still being called Jiu Jitsu (or jujitsu) during the time of Carlos and Helio Gracie and Count Koma
April 29th, 2009 at 1:23 am
I agree with soklgt,because pencak silat has spiritual practice and combine with u energy.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Black belt in 3 years???!!! To me that shows your black belt is worth little. I’ve been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 4 years and am still just a purple belt (3rd belt). It takes around 10 years to get your Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is earned – not given. I trained inTae Kwon Do for 5 months and then realized (after i saw a 10 year old kid with a black belt) that it was worthless. You are going over moves with opponents who just stand there, learning Kata has no practical application. Within my 2 months of BJJ I had more confidence in knowing I was training in something very applicable, not learning kata stances – but learning technique and skill. In BJJ live sparring is essential. You are going full speed with a fully resisting opponent. Unlike most of these traditional martial arts that are flashy, but not very useful.
May 29th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
3 year black belt in BJJ?!?
even lloyd Irving hasnt given out a black belt that fast!
ive been doing BJJ for three years and im only a blue belt
June 12th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
I just recently earned my blue belt in BJJ after six years of training. I am more proud of my BJJ blue belt than my TKD black belt. If you only train one martial art for self defense, BJJ has been proven time after time to be the best.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:09 am
This list is weird. How come you included a LAME street fight such as capoeira, which only has value for its exotic nature and history and is actually more of a stupid dance than a martial art (I’m brazilian), and left out ninjutsu and aikido, two of the more effective martial arts known to man?
July 21st, 2009 at 9:57 am
-Looking for some information on what is out there in terms of krav maga videos: any recommendations.
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:51 am
The best art is the one you for you.
July 24th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
SAMBO
August 10th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Wing Tsun and Sanda are the best martial arts , if you combine both , you would have the ability to strike the best , defend your self the best , grabble the best and face any opponent in the world , no matter the size , the strength or the style …
enough said ….
August 11th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Nothing wrong with capoeira. How many times a day do you have to kill someone? Yeah, exactly. Unless you’re james bond or in the military, no need for kill-in-3-seconds martial arts. You could probably kick the ass of any normal person using capoeira. Plus you learn sick dancing skills at the same time, not a bad tradeof.
August 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I think that Silat ( Indonesian), and Kalari Pyattu( Indian) have been left off of this list. They are bothe very effective martial arts, Kalari being one of the bigest influences on Chinese Martial Arts…
August 17th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I prefer striking to grappling. Karate is a good choice.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
chun kuk do is the best martial art the martial art invented by me chuck norris
September 1st, 2009 at 3:58 am
but dont forget that kung fu is the mother of all those martial arts!
September 1st, 2009 at 4:34 am
Muay Thai should be way higher than number 8,
it could kick the crap out of all the other sports, and where would mma fighters be without doing some Muay Thai training ?.
September 19th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
in my opinion i would say that mixed martial arts fights are the referee regarding the effectivness of martial art
MMA Judo
September 30th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
what about kalaripayattu? the mother of all martial arts?
also mma ufc cannot be the sole criteria as it only shows a martial arts effectiveness vs one other person.. would like to see how effective brazilian ju jitsu and muay thai are when it comes to dealing with many aggressors at once.. may show a reversal of preference of the martial art forms.. plus in real life a guys fists are not padded but on his feet he wears footwear..
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:44 am
I am also a great fan of martial art. I don’t thing any martial art is better than any other. By the way thanks a lot to provide this information.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Krav maga stole ther style to the wing chun … 2 brain for each hand , you block and strike at the same time … punch in the neck btw
October 16th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
How in the hell can Tae Kwon Do and Karate, both competitive non-combat forms, be included in this and *not* any classical Jujutsu forms (the exclusion list, Combat Hapkido, and Aikijujutsu). I mean… Seriously!!!
October 16th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
OK, I´m not a big martial arts fan (even that in itself might be an overstatement…) but I have to take exception to including karate on this list. I read just the other day that a five year old girl from India was awarded her first black belt (she´s been practicing for a solid 2 years). Are you kidding me? Read that again: A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL!!! All because she memorized some katas.
Sorry, but a martial art that gives black belts to five year old girls (sorry I´m being repetitive but I just couldnt believe it) is as deadly as a box of new-born kittens.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I would like to suggest Aikido. Aikido realizes that one straight punch may not be as effective having complete control over multi-adversaries. A kick boxer’s kick could easily be shot down by a guy who know how to turn their kick into a furious blow that came from the boxer himself…I know it depends on skill but I mean any time a n Aikido dude messes up if hes quick enough there is like room for 10,000 counters. Aikido doesn’t just focus on moves like “Tiger Claw” but it summons the power of their body to defend yourself (okay that’s repetitive but I wanted you to get my point.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
You could add Pankration to your list.
It is the first martial art ever created and it is this from which ideas came to create the other martial arts.
It exists for alomost 2.200 years.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Firstly, Jeet Kune Do is not a martial it is merely a concept and Bruce Lee took it all from Wing Chun concepts anyway so I don’t how it even got in this list. Wushu is crap, there is no power in it and is watered down kung fu introduced by those commy pinko bastards running china, it looks good but that is it. Karate is actually a very good martial art if taught properly but the majority of schools teach rubbish, the best stuff came from okinawa and that was derived from Chuan Kenpo and an art called Te. I do not practice Karate by the way. The belt grading system was created by a Frenchman….need I say anymore. Belts were only used to distinguish between beginners and more advanced students, there was only black and white, just to make teacher easier so I don’t rate anyone who tells me what colour their belt is, I only wear a belt to hold my pants up or administer a severe thrashing. Capoeira looks cool but try dancing around like that in a fight…you will end up in a hospital or a wooden box. Overall, this list does not contain the top ten martial arts in my opinion and further research should be undertaken.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
i think aikido should also be in the top ten, even though it doesn’t have any sports (which is understandable) because of the fact that it is mere brutal martial arts. aikido is like a combination of judo and jiu jitsu cause it use the mass and the strength of your opponent i’ve been practicing aikido as a part of our curriculum as criminology student. now a day’s aikido is quite deadly cause while practicing it i almost broke my shoulder with another aikidokian.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 am
eh siao eh if a person noe and learn the martial art well who also can be an expert
December 4th, 2009 at 4:47 am
pencak silat is shit, it just practiced by gay people
that’s why most of you never heard about it
December 18th, 2009 at 10:00 am
yeah judo was borrowed from jujitsu
December 19th, 2009 at 7:27 am
what about kalarippayatt& wushu
December 23rd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
What about Uechi-ryū? It is a traditional style of Okinawan karate. The founder was Kanbun Uechi(1877-1948).It means “Style of Uechi” or “School of Uechi.” I strongly believe it is at least notable. But Great list!!
December 24th, 2009 at 8:54 am
taekwondo is the best cause it has a lot energey and focus. Karate is lame so do taekwondo or muay thai
December 27th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
In my and your opinion due 3 martial arts and why ill tell you why there are so good 1st taekwondo it has intence of workout and its in the olympics because it has good kicking force. 2 muay thai cause its a bone breaking martial arts. 3 brazilian jiu jiutsu cause it has good submissisons and good grappling.
December 30th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Dude.. people will say that their own style is the best.. such a shame ’cause it is not the escense of practice one of them.
I do Ninjitsu, and one of the things i like is that we don’t have tournaments, tv shows, or things like that to show how “cool” or “strong” or “fast” we are.
I really think that Ninjitsu is more like an “Art of War” that a Martial Art, but this is ’cause this concept of “martial art” is now wrong; ¿Why? People wants to learn this stuff ’cause they wanna be bruce lee.
About grades.. really? 3 years? 5 years? black belt? u serious? and if u’re serious.. what makes u think we care? do u really believe that a black belt makes u an international super badass master of any kind of M. Art?
To me, a dmn belt doesn’t changes anything. I don’t practice ninjitsu to be famous, or strong or fast, i do it ’cause the lessons that it has.. it’s true, is an ancient killing art, but also a way to respect life and live it without fear, a way to see what no one cares to see, a way to be in peace with ur own escense.
So.. do u really think that a martial art is just a way to K.O or Kill somebody?
Any important sensei, of any discipline, will just punch u in the face for that.
February 7th, 2010 at 1:02 am
how about silat?