Most effective fighting styles?

Question

I'm going to be starting a few classes in a couple weeks, and am unsure as to which kinds of classes I should take?

I'm looking at Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Gymnastics, and am wondering what else I should do as well.

Answer 1

Criteria; to use as little of the body's resources as possible, to exploit the laws of physics and biomechanical/kinetic weaknesses as much as possible, in as little time as possible.  That is the criteria I use to judge the effectiveness of these styles, from top to bottom;

1)  Tai Chi Chuan, the Yang Long Form

2)  Shaolin Kung Fu or Tibetan Crane Style

3)  Shuia Jiao, the king of the grappling arts

4)  Karate, any style, trained in old school and by that I mean, like 200 years ago.

5)  Catch Wrestling (yes, catch) or Judo.

6)  Boxing (yeah, you heard me).

7)  Muay Thai (yeah, you read right; I put it below boxing)

8)  Krav Maga; only real distinctions are its disarms and its approach to catch wrestling's "shark pit" training principle.  In Krav Maga, to survive, they don't give a c**p how you choke, throw, trip, or hit someone, so long as it lets you survive and get away.  So they will take any way of hitting, choking, or throwing someone they can if they feel it will work but as a separate martial art its fundamental core is Judo, eastern European wrestling, and boxing.  That places it below Shaolin Kung Fu, and what its core takes from Judo, Boxing and Wrestling, it does not do as well as each of those separate styles.

9)  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; imitation Judo

10)  Sanda, and no, its not Sanshow.  Sanshow has a much broader aresnal, while Sanda is designed to be learned quickly.  Sanshow I do not rank, because it borrows so much from so many styles of Kung Fu, it really is dependent on the practitioner's strengths.  A Sanshow fighter will be either an undefeatable nightmare, or a pathetic wretch, but rarely be in the middle.  Sanda is something learned in 8 weeks by the Chinese military, so its arsenal is severely limited.  Please do not get the two confused!

Although I could be wrong, I KNOW there is a difference between the two but I forgot exactly what it was.  In case you were wondering, yes, for me, those are the top 10 styles.  I want to get into Karate by the way; Tai Chi Chuan can only be "number 1" if you know all 5 frames, if its learned from a DVD, and you only know the rudimentary form, as a martial art it is d**n well near useless.  For health its awesome, but you can not use it as a martial art.  I do not know how to use it that way.

See, traditionally in Chinese martial arts, there are always 5 frames to learn, 5 forms, each 108 steps long.  This tradition was taken from Shaolin Kung Fu, as every monk who left the temple and developed their own martial art, still adhered to some temple traditions.  Indeed, what sets Okinawan Karate appart from Kung Fu, is its emphasis on short forms.  See the idea of the "short but powerful" form, is an Okinawan one, specifically from its practitioners of To Te Jitsu, Karate's original name.  Far as I know only 1 style of Karate has a 108 step routine, thing is, the style has been said to be more Kung Fu than Karate.

So what does this mean regarding Tai Chi Chuan?

Because it is a Chinese martial art which owes parts of its origins to the Shaolin temple, it stands to reason, that it too also has 5 frames, 5 forms, but only the basic, rudimentary one, is taught to the public.  My guess is its emphasis on meditation and focus, will make a person exceedingly dangerous.  Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art that can potentially make someone freakishly smart from the way it stimultes the central and peripheral nervous system.  See, most martial arts only stimulate, primarily, the peripheral nervous system specifically the muscles.  Because its movements are slow, Tai Chi stimulates them both in equal measure.  That means better flow of cerebro spinal fluid in the spine, it means better electrical discharge, and that means that with the whole of the nervous system thus developed, the reflexes of a Tai Chi practitioner verse in all 5 frames would indeed border on super human.  Not to mention the fact that any and all forms, Kata, Tao Lu, Poomse, whatever you wanna call them, stimulate both the brain's hemispheres.  In time, if a person trains in Tai Chi for a very long time, and they have started early, they could even become freakishly intelligent.

What would happen if you taught the martial art to a sociopath?

You would have a sociopath impossible to restrain physically unless you are armed with a sawed off shotgun loaded with cop killers, who, because of the frames, from doing them over and over and stimulating his brain, became even smarter.

Trust me; the Yang family will not teach all 5 frames to just anybody.  The basic, rudimentary frame, to help you get over a cold, or constant stress?  Sure.  All 5 frames to turn you into the most dangerous living weapon on the planet that not even a Shaolin monk would be able to stop?

Not a chance in h**l.

Still though good luck.

Answer 2

It's not the styles that are effective it's the people who are dedicated in their training that make the style effective.

So there is no one most effective style.  

Answer 3

The style does not make the fighter, the fighter makes the style. What you take will be directly related to what you want from training.

Alright a little fact for you. A user named Judomofo has been posting quizes about all different martial arts, he has done 3 so far. With the exception of Zenlife and myself, no one else that has answered here   in this question has, even though there is one currently open. They, especially dmaud56 and Bunjikan ninja will answer what style i best or what should I take all day long, but when it comes down to an actual question, and how to do technique, they are strangly silent.

Something to think about.  

Answer 4

There is no best martial art, but I'd say Jujitsu beats Gymnastics. lol. Take Jujitsu.

Answer 5

In no particular order

I/ Kyokushinkai, Karate.

2/ Japanese Jiu-jitsu.

3/Boxing

4/Thai Boxing.

5/ wing chun

6/ Aikido

7/Judo

8/ Penjak Silat

9/ Catch as catch can real Wrestling.

10/ Genuine shaolin kung Fu ( if you can find it )

If I've missed out any style I apologise but those 10 listed in my mind are a great start if you can find a genuine school.

Best wishes and good luck :)***

Answer 6

kick your *** kwon do. thats the best.

Answer 7

take two kinds of classes. a striking class and a grappling class.

My suggestion, be efficient in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, and a striking martial art of your choice.

This is how the Army trains us. It works, trust me.

Answer 8

I htink Kickboxing or Muay Thai would be best stand up, & Jiu Jitsu & wrestling best ground game.. that way you know the submissions & you can ground & pounds & avoid being submitted..  

Answer 9

Leiutant X