which is the most effective style of martial arts?

Sorry to break it to you but kung fu is not a style.

 

heh. first of all like was said above- "gung fu" is NOT a style. in the same way that running encompasses a lot of things, such as sprinting, jogging, cross country etc so does kung fu.
secondly, the amount of times karateka, american kickboxers, and ESPECIALLY kung fu fighters have won against muay thai fighters is small, compared to the amount of times they have been beaten.
thirdly, if you think you know everything about thai boxing after a month, it just shows how ignorant you are. I have been doing it far longer than that but I am still constantly improving.

And just as a side note, I think the idea of person>training method>style is flawed. while a persons will and physical/mental condition are important factors, I thik that even the "hardest" training in a poor style will still produce a poor fighter. for example if you had someone who was dedicated and trained constantly, but was trained by a complete mcdojo, do you really think he would beat someone who trained more casually but was personally trained by the best teacher in the world?

 

Not sure where the stats come from, point us to any source?

Even though I dont do mt I think you can always learn more no matter what art you do. I think Himura's comment besides being heavily biased is a bit on the ignorant side as you suggested.

Thats the most sound point I have heard in a while, although I think the whole person>training method>style idea is based on the assumption that they are working with a non dilluted, battle oriented style taught by a qualified instructor.

 

-_- Sigh!!!!!!!!!!!

lolz your all so serious gung fu means Hard Work and you state gung fu is not a style i dont care lol when i say gung fu is the best im basicaly stating chinese martial arts is the best... use your brain

 

0_o im double posting again lol

isnt it funny how when u read the thingz posted it sounds like every1 thinks they know everything hahaha

 

Don't let this get personal guys. Critique styles and training methods by all means - but keep it friendly.

 

Any style that enable you to avoid fighting.

Avoidance Fu is my only style. Had enought of :woo: :woo: :woo: to last me through this life.

 

hello my friend. I noticed you were from Glasgow. There is a good club near you, taught by a guy called Rick young. He teaches Jeet kune do. check him out on google. Good luck.

 

Track & field?

 

The funny thing is track and field were originally martial arts.

Run at /away from enemy, throw spears, rocks, discs at enemy, jump rivers, fences to get enemy.

 

Can't we all just get along!!!!

 

I have studied a few different styles in the past, i am currently studying Wing Chun, Gung Fu. In the past I have studied Tae Kwon Do, and a few variations of Gung fu, Also I have studied Jeet Kune Do (The principles of it). I believe that the best martial arts to learn are the ones that teach not so much technique, but more principals of fighting. The "if and" approach to martial arts is, in my belief, ineffective. I guess fundamentally it comes down to the teacher and the student, if you have a good teacher, and when I say good, I mean one who understands the essence of what he is teaching, then you will learn good MA. If you get a bad one, someone who simply teaches the forms and techniques without any true understanding of the principles involved, then you will not learn good MA. My advice is before taking classess from anywhere look at the principles surrounding the art, if they are simple and clear, and built squarly on sound scientific principles, then you are already infront of the eight ball. I believe that Wing Chun is an effective, straight forward approach to fighting, but that is my opinion, and although i did research before I jumped in, you must research yourself and find what is usefull. Just bare one thing in mind, there is a journey you must take from knowing nothing to becoming effective, and it doesn't matter wich style you learn, you must always take that journey from knowing nothing, feeling awkward, gaining confidence, becoming effective, and finally mastering your chosen art. May you be blessed in your search

 

I agree with bcbernam777 (was bcbernam776 taken?), if you are being taught specific defenses to specific attacks all the time - get out of there! In a fight you don't have time to think, only to act by instinct. The most effective MA is therefore one which drills the basic principles of attacking and defense until they become instinct. Assuming you train hard you will then be able to adapt to each situation individually. Once you can beat Joe Bloggs comfortably, then worry about looking good etc. You will have to choose your own MA based on your own reasons, there are more sophisticated systems out there than Wing Chun, but you can reach blackbelt in Wing Chun quite quickly. Is this your goal?

 

Naturally it varies from school to school but I definitely don't think wing chun gives them out faster then other arts!!!! The fastest that anyone got their black belt in Wing Chun in my school's history was 5 years and that was the fastest! I'd say most are 10 years. I've known tkders that got it in two! This isn't always the case, but I don't like the way you implied that Wing Chun just churns out blackbelts or something. Perhaps you should read the threads about McDojo's and the schools that just pump out black belts if your willing to pay for them. It happens in all martial arts, but not at the good schools that actually care about training and not just profit.

Anyway, I think my master summed it up nicely on his webpage:

What can one achieve physically and mentally from Wing Chun Training?

Whatever your goal is in training, you will achieve what you have put in.

"Ultimately, your only enemy is yourself." -- Master Ng


Um, not sure what he meant by that last line lol. The point is, you will get what you put into it. That goes for any martial art.

So yeah, I agree with everyone else that your art is only effective if it "suits you" and you train hard. So stop bashing wing chun (and TKD) already!!! I have respect for all martial arts.

 

It was not my intention to imply anything negative about the Wing Chun grading system. Wing Chun was however created because it was felt it took too long for students to become proficient in other styles of the time. It was designed to be mastered quickly (when I say quickly, I mean in terms of ca. 7 to 10 years - not a cheque and a handshake). My point was merely that if you are looking to develop skills to defend yourself from the average attacker(s), many MAs will do the trick if you have a good master and train hard. This is not the same as seeking to vocate yourself to a lifetime of learning and developing your art, and learning to defend yourself from even the most skilled and advanced attackers.
So you have to decide which MA is best suited to your ambitions. If you are just starting off in your MA career, don't worry too much about it - anything is better than what you know now. There is time to find both your goals and your preferred art.
Incidentally, KungFu Girl, I must concur with your Master, the question of one system vs another is meaningless unless you are committed and diligant in your training. You can study the 'greatest' system with the greatest master - and a thug can still beat you senseless if you didn't train it well.