Martial arts are more than regular sports, they are a way of life. They help you transcend the limits of your condition in order to achieve something that a regular human being could not. It perfectly fits masculinity, as it embodies hard work, constant self-improvement, and humility. Every time you step in the ring, you are willing to put your past victories and skills to the test.
I purposely did not include in this list the likes of Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Helio Gracie, and other Emelianenkos as they have been covered in detail everywhere and their influence is undeniable. Those present below embody different important aspects of the study of martial arts. Many are missing from this list but I narrowed it down to thirteen particularly influential figures.
1. Alexander Karelin (born in 1967)
The greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time. Born a 5.5 kg baby in Soviet Siberia, his father encouraged Karelin to take up boxing and then wrestling. At the peak of his career he was 1m93, 130 kilos, could bench press more than 200 kilos and would regularly put his fridge in a bear hug and bring it up and down his eight flights of stairs.
Three-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling, 9-time World champion and 12-time European champion, he remained 13 years undefeated in the heaviest weight class in the sport. He was known for his reverse body lift technique where he could pick up his 130kg+ opponent, hoist him in the hair and slam him on his shoulders. He inspired fear in most of his fellow competitors, who would systematically lie on the mat, in the hope of not being thrown around.
2. Dan Kolov (born Doncho Kolev Danev, 1892-1940)
Wrestler and Bulgarian national hero, known as the “King of Wrestling” or the “Lion of the Balkan.” He emigrated to America where he became a railroad worker. His unusual strength was discovered when people witnessed him twisting rails around his neck. Twice World champion, three times European champion, with between 1500 and 2000 victories in his career, he came to fame in the times when wrestling was dirty and unforgiving, far closer to modern-day MMA than to that WWF masquerade.
He became a millionaire but gave everything to charity. Even though he emigrated to America, for him, the homeland was sacred and he refused multiple times to become an American citizen. He often said “I feel strong because I am Bulgarian.”
3. The Great Gama (born Ghulam Muhammad, 1878-1960)
Son of a famous wrestler, he was already winning renowned tournaments when he was 10 years old. He became Champion of India, when it also included Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Then, having defeated everyone around, he sailed to England where he remained unchallenged and became world champion in 1910. In a career of over 50 years, he was never defeated.
His daily routine included up to one thousand jack-knife pushups and deep knee bends. His diet included as many as six chickens, 10 litres of milk, up to half a litre of ghee and almonds crushed into an edible mixture. Bruce Lee used elements from his training, so you know that the man was an authority.
4. William E. Fairbairn (1885-1960)
Martial arts legend from England. He was, among other things, the inventor of the riot police, the bulletproof vest, the smatchet and the tactical knife Fairbairn-Sikes used by the SAS. He survived over 600 non-training street fights in his 32 year-long career as a police officer and was said to be covered from face to ankle in scars from knife wounds. Enlisted underage in the Royal Marines. Learnt how to fight in Japan and Korea.
Fairbairn once was stabbed a dozen times and left for dead. He survived and became a policeman in the dangerous city of Shangai in the early 20th century. He also studied boxing, wrestling, kung fu, savate and received black belts in Judo and Jujitsu, while bringing a scientific approach to close combat.
He also created the fighting style “Defendu” and became instructor for the British Secret Service at 55. He was notably well-spoken, never swore nor drank. I strongly recommend his book: “Get tough!”
5. Sergey Badyuk (born in 1970)
Modern-day titan, Russian legend of FSB units and hand-to-hand combat instructor for the elite military group of the GRU. Master in Kyokushin, Muay Thai and Kung Fu, you can see him as comfortable in every style, kicking a tree in Thailand or practicing Tai Chi exercises in the Chinese mountains.
Known for his sense of humour and his will to share his knowledge, he always pushes his students to the limit. I remember one of the interviews that captured his spirit :
Basically, I am in this bar when suddenly, all these guys get in and want me dead. Had to think fast so I broke two tea glasses with a handle and start flailing in every direction trying to cut them, while progressing towards the exit and get out. Me or them, you know…
6. Ilias Iliadis (born Jarji Zviadauri in 1986)
Greek Judo practitioner. Born in Georgia to a family of skilled wrestlers and judokas, Ilias reached the top when he became Olympic champion after being three-time world champion.
His peculiar techniques are a delight to watch and display a mix of sheer strength and moves coming straight out his earlier study of Chidaoba, the Georgian national wrestling style, and the finesse acquired from the study of Judo. In addition to his talent, his vitality and good mood made him a household name in the world of international Judo.
7. Judd Reid (born in 1970)
Australian Kyokushin practitioner. When he was an 18-year old teenager, Judd’s master noticed the capacities and the fire that was burning in his young apprentice. His obsession was to leave for Japan and complete the famous “1000 days of training” under Mas Oyama.
Following the path of the warrior, Judd completed in 2011 the 100 man kumite (defeat 100 black belts in a row), defying the Japanese on their own turf. He is not alone in this feat but his determination, impressive physical conditioning, and will to travel like the martial artists of old is what sets him apart from the others. The documentary on his quest, “The Journey To The 100-Man fight” is a must watch.
8. Mas Oyama (born Choi Yeong-eui 1923-1998)
His hard fighting style lead to the creation of his own discipline: Kyokushin, probably the most realistic and efficient school of Karate. Legend has it that he shaved his head before retreating to the mountains to survive and train, and swore to come back only when his hair touched his shoulders.
Deeply influenced by the biography of the sword master Miyamoto Musashi, he wandered and defeated all the renowned combatants that Japan had at the time and any opponent that presented himself to him. He was known for his capacity to break large-sized pebbles bare-handed and fight bulls, breaking their horns before fracturing their skull with a single punch. He also fought against 300 fighters in 3 days.
9. Blagoi Ivanov (born in 1989)
Bulgarian Sambo practitioner (Mastersport and world champion), Judo and MMA fighter. His successful career as a sambist found its peak when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko, which is why he found himself under the spotlight.
In 2012, Ivanov got into a fight with a local criminal figure. Some can argue about who started the fight but for anyone, that has seen the fauna that lurks in your average Bulgarian upper-end club, it could be anyone. Blagoi was stabbed in the heart and rushed to hospital. After two life-threatening surgeries and being placed in an artificial coma, he survived, never gave up, and was back to the top MMA level a year and a half later.
10. Buakaw Banshamek (formerly Por Pramuk, born in 1982)
Thai boxing and K1 Champion, he is one of the most aggressive Muay Thai competitors to ever walk this Earth, but also possesses one of the most impressive physical condition ever seen on a Thai fighter. Possessing one of the hardest kicks in his category, he has been admired for his seriousness inside and outside the ring.
His impressive record, ruggedness and inventiveness in training methods made him famous. His training videos of kicking banana trees and running in the scorching heat of Thailand never fail to motivate me to go and hit the bag when I feel lazy and it is raining outside.
11. Andy Hug (1964-2000)
K1, Kyokushin and Seidokaikan champion. From his troubled childhood, the young Andy found solace in martial arts. His natural talent quickly showed and he started representing his native Switzerland in Kyokushinkai. He then became the first foreigner to reach the final of the World Open of Kyokushin Karate.
His impressive and varied kicking abilities, his speed and his trademark kakato-geri (axe kick) brought him fame. He even gained the admiration from the Nippons and the world as he could defeat Japanese karate specialists, beat skilled boxers and rout kickboxers from various nations with the same reactivity and pugnacity. He died at the young age of 35 of leukemia.
12. Masahiko Kimura (1917-1993)
Martial arts prodigy, he became fourth Dan of judo at the age of 15. By age 20, he became the All Japan Open Weight Judo champion, a title which he maintained in undefeated fashion for 13 years. He was known for his highly intense and difficult workouts, which at one point consisted of one thousand push-ups and nine-hours of practice daily.
His o-soto-gari (judo throw with opponents side by side) was so powerful that it caused concussions and his opponents regularly asked him not to use it. He started Karate has a way to strengthen his hands and became a master in a few styles in record time. He defeated the legendary Helio Gracie and the Kimura arm lock was named after his personal favourite technique.
13. Gogen Yamaguchi (1909-1989)
This karate master and student of Chojun Miyagi had from the first day of training only one objective in life: to be the strongest. He was nicknamed “The Cat” for his agility, small stature (just over 1.50 M) and flowing hair, but this was not what made him unique. He survived the Soviet labour camps, was a master of breathing techniques, enagaged in duels to the death, and from many accounts, could project an invisible force towards his opponent that would terrorize him, without saying a word.
This old mystic was an adept of extreme meditation. He would stay hours at a time under ice cold waterfalls, would summon spirits and supposedly killed a tiger with his bare hands.
A bonus extract of his biography:
When “leftist” groups started causing trouble at the University, Yamaguchi and his friends drove them off the Campus.
How can you not love the man?
Read More: Why Karate Is The Most Beta Martial Art
How did Rickson Gracie not make it on this list?
Great guy, but the introduction explicitly states that it’s a list of lesser-known artists. We all know about Gracie, Lee, Norris, etc.
Quite a list! Am going to have to look up some of the documentaries and books you referenced.
Awesome article. But what about Phigalia, the ancient Greek Olympic mixed martial arts (pankration) fighter who made the ultimate sacrifice (his life) to win? That guy’s name should be universally used as shorthand in modern slang for something. Like, “Back off, motherfucker, I’m telling you right now, you will lose–don’t make me go Phigalia on yo’ ass!”
Is Fairbarain the guy who became a bouncer in the red light district in Amsterdam? I remember seeing a special on that guy and I don’t remember his name.
No mention of Imi Lichtenfeld, creator of Krav Maga, which is considered one of, if not the most, effective fighting art.
The anti-Jewish sentiment runs wild here. It’s a shame, since I agree with Roosh on everything except Israel.
and now we see how the comment section on an article about obscure martial artists can become about the jooooooos
Let’s ignore what is considered the most effective fighting style. Because the world banking conspiracy.
No Brazilian Jew-Jitsu here either…I suspect conspiracy.
It doesn’t look like this was an article intended to highlight the BEST martial artists ever. The title really says it all; some lesser known fighters who have unique and inspirational stories. Everyone knows about Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Gracie, etc. Broaden your horizon and study some others.
kung-jew
Lol
I knocked an Israeli Krav Maga expert out in a mma fight in 1 min 30 secs. In his hometown where he had a school and all his students there to see it.
I’ve no doubt that it is effective for what it aims to do but the most effective fighting style? Prove it.
The only effective fighting style is the one that allows you to walk away. So the only true fighting style to worry about must meet body and mind. Everything else is fluff and chest puffing.
I remember I took a session in Krav Maga, they kept on emphasis on groin kick most of the class session and taught eye pokes with two fingers.
Even if it were intended to highlight the best martial artists ever, not a single Krav Maga practitioner would break the Top 10 (or even 20) anyways. Simply because there are FAR better martial arts than Krav Maga.
which ones do you consider better and why? serious question. i’m not especially knowledgeable about martial arts.
Considered by whom?
…
Not at all. There are only so many moves a human body is capable of and the only styles that truly get exalted are those where the practitioner becomes a force to be reckoned with. The person can come from any style. As a practitioner yourself, there comes a point when a fighter moves beyond a form and is supposed to become formless. Whether this is at Dan level or the tenth year or due to some obsession with perfection, the goal is to realize the martial aspect is a guideline to how to move not a superiority contest to see what style is immovable. That is where the mind of the fighter comes into play.
You’re pretty deep my brother!
Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Combat Sambo, etc. A boxer is a thousand times more dangerous than a guy who practices KM and essentially everything is better than Krav Maga as it doesn’t train with full speed against fully resisting opponents; Nor does the art include any form of competition. It gives suburban soccer moms a little confidence and situational awareness, but that’s about it.
cool. i figured brazilian jiu-jitsu was legit. that’s the one i’m most interested in. i was a mediocre high school wrestler but my grappling skills served me very well in the one real fight i’ve been in as an adult, over 15 years after high school. had i a bit more time and motivation, i’d be interested in doing some boxing training, too.
didn’t bruce lee say something about western boxing and wrestling skills being more useful than any eastern martial art in a real fight?
Yep, here’s the exact quote:
BJJ is very legit and you have a wrestling background, so it should come naturally. Definitely take some type of boxing to improve your stand-up skills but for the love of good avoid bullshit fighting styles like Krav Maga and Systema.
The Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is what the Army uses. It’s not pretty, but it is effective. Beyond that, when comparing martial arts, it is important to remember that fighting sports are sports. The goal of a taekwondo tournament is not death. Sport fighting and combat are two different things.
like i said, i wasn’t a particularly great wrestler in high school, but i was amazed at how just having basic grappling skills allowed me to dominate the drunken russian guy i got in a fight with in ukraine that time i mentioned. guy was a lot stronger than me too, but i easily threw a reversal on him from the choke hold he had me in, planted his face into the ground and (hopefully) caused some permanent scarring. heh. i’ve had the same impression when just play fighting with friends in my younger days: basic grappling skills allow you to dominate guys who don’t have them, even if they’re stronger than you. actually getting good at something like BJJ would put you in the top 5% or higher, i’d imagine.
it would be great to do some boxing to add some striking skills too, like you said. i’m in my mid-40s, but i’m pretty fit so i figure i could handle BJJ and/or boxing. it’s mostly a matter of finding the time between work, weight training, cooking, and getting 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night (which is basically all i do).
Brazilian ju jitsu is for fags who want to lay on their ass and cuddle with their opponent. It works one-on-one or in the ring but it is useless in the street.
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Similarly, TKD is flashy but ineffective.
Bruce Lee based his style on western boxing and European fencing. He switched up the straight left jab to make it the right lead.
Dude, you beat me to the punch!
Groin kicks are ineffective against anyone with a bit of training. Eye pokes are difficult to execute: small target on the move.
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There are two basic strategies:
1) punch the motherfucker in the face until he is unconscious
2) Grab something and break it
Not “best” (whatever that means) but “inspirational”. Largely, I agree, but yes Norris, Lee and Gracie are inspirational as well.
are you sure that BJJ is useless in a real fight? i’d know much about it, but i know that my mediocre high school wrestling skills totally saved me in the one real fight i’ve been in as an adult. the other guy was stronger than me and seemed to have some striking skills. he landed a very solid punch to my jaw that buckled my knees and had me seeing stars, but none of that mattered once i had him on the ground and had control of his arms. he had no idea what to do at that point. seems to me that having some grappling skills is vital in a real fight.
There are two basic problems with using ground game in a street fight:
1) If the guy you are fighting has friends they will lay the boots to you
2) If the other guy pulls a knife the last place you want to be is rolling on the ground with him
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Plus, in a place like a crowded bar that is all cluttered up with tables, chairs and people, wrestling or BJJ is not a practical option.
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In a relatively controlled environment, one-on-one, BJJ has proven its effectiveness in the octagon back in the days where there were no rules. And you can watch the various Gracie videos where they throw down on some clown on the beach.
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However, the last fight I found myself in was three of them on one of me. Grappling would have been suicide.
i see what you’re saying, but i think i would be done in any fight where i had to take on more than one guy by myself. in the fight i mentioned, he had four or five of his boys with him but two weren’t into it and my ukrainian buddy, who was a 6’3 muscle bound monster, held off the other guy/guys (can’t remember if it was one or two) while i grappled with the drunken russian guy who didn’t like my talking to cute ukrainian chicks.
how did you manage to fight off three guys by yourself? i know it can be done, but you must be quite the fighter. i met a professional heavyweight boxer when i lived in ukraine, a friend of an american guy i knew. my american buddy said he’d seen the boxer win a fight with three guys who jumped him, supposedly with three punches, all knockouts.
They were drunk, I was sober and coming home from ice skating with my girlfriend. One of them tackled me from behind but I rolled out of it and almost took his fucking head off with my skates. I just kept all three in front of me and backed away slowly towards a nearby gas station to call 911. None of them wanted to risk getting slashed by the skate blade. Not sure how it would have turned out if I didn’t have an improvised weapon. I was in the army at the time and had studied a number of martial arts, and as I mentioned they were drunk. Still, that’s not something I would roll the dice on.
King David?
I know there is an anointing joke to be made but I’ve had a hard day at work.
His fighting style was slingshot or open psalm.
well done
thank you
upvoted for “open psalm.”
I don’t think Roosh is anti-Israel, he is against Zionist interests being more important than western interests in western nations and cultural marxism pushed by leftist jews
and jew jit su
and jeet jew do
Bruce Levi
Boom
I agree with Roosh on everything except Israel.
And I’m the opposite!
what is your position on electrolytes?
It’s what plants crave!!
bravo
Now that you mention it, this article forgot to mention blue-people as well.
Bluish Conspiracy! Papa Smurf? Just look at him. Eh. Eh.
Blue Lives Matter!
I’m just glad you didn’t have a meme pic for “poo-people”…right?
There I was, thinking golems were dead. Look at that ice cold gaze.
with jews you lose
Krav maga is only effect against people who don’t have any basis of fighting . Silate or Kali are much much effect and deadly
Do you know the style in John Wick movie?
Reeve did Judo/Jujitsu.
He trained with guru Dan so he learned Kali and arnece .
Thanks.
Keanu Reeves is a terrible actor but he has picked up some skills.
Roosh is a Mosad agent.
True. I think I saw him in that Splinter Cell mission in … was it Asserbadschan?
He was Jacob the wily one. The Rabbi in Muslim cloths. God bless brother Jacob who said:-
” The longer one sits on the proverbial fence the more splinters there are in one’s ass”
Is that something from the game? I do not remember it.
You’re a tonic! Your posts are the funnest and most interesting ones on this site.
Ha, thanks.
Krav Maga is absolutely useless against any trained fighter. It has nothing to do with Jews crybaby.
Good logic.
Article fails to mention a fighting style that HE CLAIMS is considered the most effective fighting art = anti-Jewish.
You fukin SJW, GTFO here you pussy.
Apparently not enough seeing as you have 9 upvotes
…
Funny story. This was many years ago but I dated a girl from the army who figured that hand-to-hand combat was foreplay. The bitch punched me in the arm and wanted to go! I circled her for about 3 seconds before dropping her ass to the ground with an entering throw. It was epic. As it turns out, I did not fuck her – she got LMR and I could not overcome it. Still, pancaking her ass to the ground was almost an orgasm in itself.
LMR?
Last Minute Resistance
Damn there’s an acronym for everything.
It was kind of whacked. We were in her bed, both stark naked and I asked her what she liked. She said she would like to stop. So I put on my clothes and left. I have since learned to deal more effectively with that sort of situation, but at the time it blew me away.
You sound like Eazy-E;
I’ve been in that situation before when a woman said “no”. I put it in em’ anyway, they enjoyed it and spent the night. Rape?
No Imi. No Jigoro Kano. No Helio Gracie.
No sense
because kikes push cultural marxism…its not for nothing that the community hates them.
Krav Maga is shit. It is dishonorable and just being dirty. Hit the balls, go for the eyes, keep it simple, etc. not much to it. No well conditioned Krav Maga athletes, no martial arts mastery, nothing. It doesn’t deserve to be on the list.
Dirty? In a real fight, there is no honor. Cheat, fight dirty, and kill that motherfucker. The only honorable man is the one who wins.
Sportsmanship has its place in sports. Not for real Warriors on real battlefields.
It’s been a while . Haven’t seen a good martial arts article in a minute here on Rok . The fairbairn dude is my favorite on the list . Would of liked to see just a couple of internal artist on the list, but all in all good piece here thank you
What do you mean by internal artist? I haven’t heard that term.
Internal as in taiji tren , bagwa zhaung . Soft arts as opposed to hard styles like karate , tai Kwon do , some times these arts can be linear and rigid and depend on the persons size and strength for them to work . The internal / soft are more circular they don’t depend on a persons size for them to work its a physics thing they can be very slick and deadly , and these arts can benefit one health as we’ll.
Gotcha. I study Aikido along with a few other styles so I know what you’re referring to. I just haven’t heard them called internal arts before, just soft/hard arts. The more you know!
Very good selection. Watch this, it is very interesting (WW1 training):
This looks very similar to JKD’s principle of attacking during your opponent’s attack.
You mean Wing Chun’s principle of attacking/defending at the same time. That’s where Bruce learned and subsequently passed on in JKD.
You’re right. I am not familiar with Wing Chun so I reference the styles I do know. That being said, I know that Bruce Lee did originally train in Wing Chun and brought over a lot of its principles to JKD.
I’d add James Figg, the father of modern boxing. He was a master boxer, a wrestler, a stick fighter and a swordsman. His record is reputed to have been 269–1 in bareknuckle boxing.
I haven’t found a school around me that teaches stick fighting yet. Definitely looking into it.
I think stick fighting, if it is the same you are thinking of, is called Bartitsu and if so there is actually a place near me.
The best known is Kali Stick Fighting from the Philippines (a branch of Escrima).
There’s also Kalarippayattu from India.
Interestingly, teaching Kali classes in the Philippines is looked down upon. They’re so common place, it’s like going to McDonald’s. However, if they hear you train in something like Taekwondo, they’ll fawn all over you to teach them….I think I need to move.
That is interesting, I remember reading that Bruce Lee studied it, but then I suppose every culture comes to think some things about it are “un-hip,” certainly true in the US.
There’s also Krabi-krabong (and that’s a name isn’t it?) from Thailand.
That I’m not too sure about. There’s definitely a cultural aspect to it, like you said. If you study something like Karate here in the USA, most people yawn as it seems so cliché, but if you say you train in something more exotic like Savate, Kali sticks, etc. they ooh and ahh.
Its called “hurling” in Ireland…..
Hey goingSane, This seemed like a nice safe thread to contact you on. Can you please help me get in contact with the Melbourne meetup group. I wanted to attend anonymously, but looks like i cant do that now. I turned down a $350 job to attend on Saturday. I don’t want that to be for nothing. my email is [email protected]
Where you live? I practice stick fighting and might be able to do some networking and find you a place.
Central NJ, Monmouth county.
Go here and send this guy a request for locations near you.
http://fighting.net/contact-us/
My instructor who sent me the original link must be a site member because he was mentioning specific schools that I could not view when I clicked the link. Hope this helps.
Dan Kolov was great fighter with a big heart. In 1921 he fought against Jiki Higen “The Strangler” in front of the Japanese Emperor. He won and the whole Japan was in shock.
He donated all his money to charity. The first Bulgarian passenger airplanes were bought with Kolov’s financing. Hi dies young though, at 48, from tuberculosis.
list needs georges st pierre
Fairbairn sounds like an absolute badass. I wish our society was still capable of making men who became tougher than flesh and bone.
So you mentioned Buakaw and Hug and you forgot Ramon Dekkers?????? This writer must be kidding.
Danny bill deserves to be on this over dekkers
Great article.
Blagoi Ivanov’s story is very impressive !
What, no Ronda Rousey? Dont you guys know anything about martial arts?
Nope. We can’t hear anything over that foot in her neck. Maybe she should speak up?
Do not make Ronda arousey.
she would but she needs some teeth replacing first
We know it is you, Ronda. Get lost.
No, I’m not Ronda. But I should point out that Ronda Rousey could beat all of the guys above individual or all at once and that includes that tiger the Cat-man lied about. And the bull. Ronda is the world’s greatest fighter, ever.
Lol great joke.
She can not be the world’s greatest fighter as she is a fighteress.
Buakaw is only good against farangs and is a very average Thai fighter . Sittichai and saenchai are much better fighters to pick as is igor kurrinoy for sambo
Noting that many of these men come from Eastern Europe, some from Russia, who, we’re about to start a war with. Nice. Meanwhile, the west makes pajama boys.
Why don’t we change that starting with ourselves?
“This old mystic was an adept of extreme meditation. He would stay hours
at a time under ice cold waterfalls, would summon spirits and supposedly
killed a tiger with his bare hands.”
Re. ice cold I’m presuming this is simply about conditioning and endurance, but I heard something recently about certain yoga masters in tibet who were able to withstand extreme temperatures. I find myself wondering this is done. Is it is mind / meditation, hypnosis, breathing, chi or just conditioning?
I don’t believe he killed a tiger unless it was a cub or he cheated
I read about this Tibetan mind over matter concept called ‘tummo’ years ago. What you describe above seems to fit into that.
Thanks. That word rings a bell. Probably what I was trying to think of
Can the creator of this website please inhale cyanide?
Why would he do that? I would imagine it would be very harmful to his wellbeing.
after years of fending off enraged SJWs I believe Roosh is now highly immune to most poisonous substances
Well, that and his daily regimen of Kratom eyedrops.
“Wellbeing”. I hope that’s sarcasm.
Why?
I’m sensing a bit of a Jap / karate bias here.
I dunno…quite a few wrestlers and other fighters on this list.
true. I’m not sure you can be equally enthusiastic about both though.
Actually, I quite enjoyed reading about the wrestlers even though I study predominantly Chinese/Japanese styles.
that’s interesting. I always felt they were kind of difficult to combine. Its an interesting list though definitely
Having studied TKD for 15+ years before ever delving into any others styles, it can be difficult to overcome some of my hardwired tendencies, but they are definitely able to be combined. I think of the techniques and principles as tools. Every job doesn’t require a hammer, but you want to have one lying around in case you need it.
Good analogy. I only ever did a few karate lessons and kung fu felt very different when I took that up years later. Maybe its also to do with the fact in kung fu films the japs / karate guys tend to be the enemies
Bruce Lee in one of his movies said ‘My technique is to have no technique’. What do you think about that? Is drilling not coutnerproductive to intuitive fighting?
I believe it was Bruce Lee who also said (and I paraphrase), “You must first learn the rules before you can begin to bend or break them.”
Who invented the first rules?
He is one of the few martial artists who was open minded at his times. Instead of just sticking to judo only, kung fu only, or etc. He used variety of martial arts to use what works and discard what didn’t. The modern UFC and MMA closely resembles the principles taught by Bruce Lee. Just fighting.
Hulk Hogan and Sandy Shaw were the best.
Mas Oyama looks cool. I am myself playing with the thought of retreating into the mountains for a few years. To meditate. Just not sure how too survive there. What to eat and drink.
The Alps? You’ll need to know how to build, hunt and sow. Do you know the story of Der Jäger Gracchus?
How can I go about learning that? No, I do not know that.
Just look up survival guides on foraging, water purification, and building shelters. Lots of resources on the internet.
Interesting. Guess it is not impossible, after all.
Few months ago I went on a Camino from Oviedo in Asturias into Galacia….beautiful part of Spain. Still relatively unspoilt. Population has declined last 30 years. Small towns and villages dotted throughout.
I want to hike Sierra Nevada next or Portugal….
Sierra Nevada looks fucking awesome. Do you travel alone?
This time I travelled alone. It really makes one self reliant. Met people on the journey. There is a great sense of camaraderie with people hiking in the one direction with the one goal.
Not necessarily the alps. More something hidden, dark, rocky. Although the alps have a lot of variety, yeah.
Intuitively, I think the Pyrenees would suit you. I could actually see you living in the Catalan region of northern Spain. I think it would appeal to you for some inscrutable reason.
Gorgeous.
http://zamnar.com/data/uploads/37/390242-pyrenees.jpg
Any particular place in Catalan? When I GoogleImages it, I just see flags and protesters.
The whole stretch from Barcelona over the plains and mountains to the southern inlets of the bay of Biscay that brings you into Verde Galica (Green Spain) is a great place to “get lost”. The Spanish there are laid back, traditional, but let you do your thing without any hassle. Old Spain still has that gallant masculine respectful culture that I like.
When I was younger I spent a lot of time happily wandering around this neck of the woods.
Verde Galica looks good. Although I would prefer something rocky and cold. Some caves, you know. But maybe I am just trying to reexperience that day when I feared death while hiding in one.
When you get lost, what do you eat and drink? Or was it more metaphorical?
Well, rocky and cold, I would say southern Patagonian, especially the Chilean side. I trekked for about 6 weeks a couple of years ago from the Argentinian side. It was cold, but it is a “good” cold- I mean that dry cold air straight up from the Antarctic- a cold that never got into your bones.
It was a divine trek, everything was pristine- the air, rivers, lakes, glaciers, trees, even the lichens on the trees seemed to glow! Mind you, I never came across any caves that I recalled, I pitched up my tent on the bone dry forest floors most nights which was protected from the worst elements, especially the wind. Other nights I stayed on estancias, but, they weren’t many of those- but they’re handy for refueling, getting supplies and company for a few days, before heading off again.
Water is generally not an issue in most mountainous places, I’d drink straight from the streams- pure and fresh- food- well there’s many things you can live on in an emergency, but, I’d generally have my own food supplies too, but, I can catch fish if I need to, but, I’m careful about cooking them, due to bears and other animals that can be a serious threat if they approach you unawares.
So what kind of food supplies did you have with you? Interested in terms of nutrients.
It sounds fantastic. Would you be open to go on such a journey with me within the next two years and teach me what you know?
I travel by myself. You need to plan everything well in advance. The time of year, your clothes, your supplies, learn the language, know the routes and the alternatives, know about the types of animals that inhabit the area you’re going through, their breeding seasons etc. Despite, this you have to leave many things to chance, that way you’ll really appreciate the trip- but one thing I’d say- is always to trust your instincts when your out trekking especially by yourself – our instincts are generally dormant- I never use them in my city life- however in the wild they come into their own again- and they’re your truest guide. For example on many occasions my rational mind would tell me that the weather was going to get bad and it would tell me to pitch up somewhere based upon my observations of the environment. However, my instincts which are a much truer feeling would say this is nonsense and time and again it was right- I’d push on and the weather would always clear out and I’d safely make my way. It happened in reverse too.
Awesome, thanks for the tips.
A friend once told me that he had meditated to chase away clouds. He said it worked.
tom, you should try to learn spanish regardless of whether you end up being a mountain hermit in spain or chile. some of the best women in the world speak spanish, and as an “aleman” you would be one exotic gringo in latin america.
Interesting, thanks for the tip.
“Blagoi Ivanov (born in 1989)”
LOL THIS MAN OVER THE G.O.A.T. FEDOR? WHO ONLY DEFEATED FEDOR BECAUSE FEDOR STOPPED LIFTING SERIOUSLY, DAD DIED, AND LOST SPEED.
FEDOR NOT ONLY DOMINATED THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF SAMBO FOR AROUND 10 YEARS (PLACED AT THE TOP CONSISTENTLY), HE ALSO WENT UNDEFEATED FOR 10 WHOLE YEARS AT HW, WITH WINS OVER SOME OF THE GREATEST FIGHTERS EVER, LIKE BIG NOG, CROCOP, ARLOVSKI, RANDLEMAN & MARK COLEMAN.
NOT ONLY THAT, FEDOR IS AS CRIMSON PILL AS THE BEST OF EM. TRUMP, PUTIN, FEDOR. CRIMSON PILL BADASSES. FEDOR HAS TRADITIONAL VIEWS, IS STOIC, AND HAS THE UTMOST RESPECT OF EVERYONE HE GOES, INCLUDING TRUMP & PUTIN.
AT 6’0″, HE CONSISTENTLY BEAT THE TAR OUT OF THOSE LEGENDARY HWS MUCH TALLER THAN HIM. BIG NOG 6’3″, CROCOP 6’2″, ARLOVSKI 6’4″, BRETT ROGERS 6’4″, ETC.
AUTOMATICALLY DISCREDITED YOUR LIST. SORRY BUD.
dat caps lock doe
The Caps Lock is a well-known technique in Bullshido.
It’s nice to see Fairbairn given a place on this list. His All In combat system is easily one of the most combat tested systems in existence. Great list.
Good article. Personally I like the Bulgarian nationalist.
Mas Oyama and Andy Hug are great additions. Hug’s fight with Crocop in K1 was epic.
I think the most underrated part of fighting is prefight intimidation. The non verbal stare down is in my opinion when the fight is subconciously decided who will win.
Absolutely. That is where a fight is won or lost. That stare creates the first seeds of fear. And a fighter with fear cannot win. He begins to doubt and question himself, which makes him a split second slower, and in a fight a split second lapse in focus is all it takes to be knocked out. Mike Tyson in a recent interview also talked about how he knew he would win a fight based on the pre fight stare
It’s a Karate Kid moment: “Why do you want to learn to fight? So I don’t have to fight!”. I was a skinny kid who go picked on incessantly. Then I studied martial arts and joined the army. I have never had a fight in my adult life. Either I or they know the fuck to back off because it isn’t worth it.
.
Having said that, there are some things I will fight for. I am a “white knight” in the classic sense: if you want to beat on little girls then I will hand you your ass.
Bruce Lee?
Did you not read past the first paragraph?
No , I skipped ahead to the list, should’ve read it I guess………..
Good article, although I would have liked to see someone like John Smith or Dan Gable, both of whom were NCAA wrestling champions, and the former of whom won two Olympic golds.
but….. did they take kratom?
Number 5: what kind of self respecting Russian gets a Chinese tattoo?
You forgot the legend. BRUCE LEE.
“You forgot the legend. BRUCE LEE.”
Bruce Lee was a child actor, who acquired just enough martial arts background, to transition to martial arts actor.
Here’s some martial arts actors who were and are legit martial artists.
You are doing disservice to Bruce. Bruce was totally legit. I read one story where a martial art extra was on the set of one of his movies, and he called Bruce a fake. So Bruce challenges him, and quickly dispatches him. He learned real quick that Bruce was the real deal.
FEDOR is the best
Surprised there is no mention of Little Dark. 30 white knights in confined quarters at the club is nothing to sniff at.
Haha. I actually caught that reference. Nice one.
Okay, so Bruce Lee can’t be used on the list b/c his influence is well known in MA. But you could’ve mentioned his teacher and mentors Yip Man and Wong Shun Leung. Even though Yip Man taught Bruce Wing Chun, it was Wong Shun Leung that showed him how to apply it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Shun_Leung
I can’t believe Steven Seagal didn’t make this list.
Bill Underwood could be mentioned too. Five foot two, but he managed to put Lou Ferrigno asleep on the Johnny Carson show.
http://www.ww2incolor.com/canada/bill-underwood.html
Talk about fighter pilots next plz.
I would also ask you to consider Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645) who wrote The Book of Five Rings. William Scott Wilson’s biography, The Lone Samurai, was an excellent and inspiring read.
This list needs more Mancini
Years ago I was watching some kind of international forum of martial artists and one of the magazines covering it was doing one-on-one interviews with these “Masters”. One of the smartest things I ever heard come out of a Budoka of any discipline was that the journalist asked him “Is there anyone here who can beat you?” to which the reply was “No.” The journalist retorted “That is pretty arrogant considering the company you’re in.” The person be interviewed made the statement “It is not that I am unbeatable, it is that I will not put myself in the position to be beaten.”
Hence, there is not a total Martial Art and any true Martial Artist, no matter how “Bad” he may, be knows that on any given day he can receive the beat-down of a lifetime with one momentary lapse of judgment. My favorite trainer had a saying that “It’s 10% physical – 90% mental.” Just my two cents to some of the “Billy-Bad-Asses” posting.
Anyone a fan of George Saint-Pierre here ? Not on the list, but one of the best MMA fighters out there.
Very good list. Thumbs up for including Fairbairn, Oyama, and Kimura.
I am familiar with most of these guys, but where is Chuck? Seriously, where is Chuck? Or JSP?
Yamaguchi is the fucking Cat! Mas Oyama punched bulls into submission! Gama and Fairbairn have their own legacies. If there are any ladies watching (fat chance) then look at Carol Huynh or – going back a few years – Kathy Long.
Maybe you could add Sakuraba.
Good to see Kimura Masahiko on the list. During the occupation, he beat the shit out of four MPs at once.
Maybe too famous for this list, but Takeda Sokaku. Odds on best martial artist of the 20th century.Trained over 10,000, including Ueshiba sensei and the guy who created hapkido. He beat everyone he faced and killed several. During a dispute with a corrupt gang of labourers, he killed about thirty dudes with a sword he concealed as a walking stick. It would be an unbelievable tale it not for so many eye witnes. He brought Daitou Ryu out into the open.
Always remind me of the Movie, Raider of the Lost Ark… The fight Indiana Jones had in the Cairo market using his whip against hoods… Then this big guy with a huge scimitar come & swishing it around by moving toward Indian Jones…..Next ??? What does Indiana Jones do ?? Pull his 45 Colt, & shoot him… That’s all folks…….