Who is the greatest martial artist in history for you?

[Julie4]

[Phoenix98]

As far as actual genuine martial artists go I would consider Miyamoto Musashi to be one of the greatest known martial artists.

He was cunning a brilliant strategist and a brutally efficient and effective swordsmen/martial artist. Who created a martial art/sword style that was designed solely for killing in the most efficient and effective/practical ways possible. He participated in over sixty duels and won each and every single duel he ever took part in some he won through his skills as a fighter and others he won through his cunning, utilizing the weakness's of his opponents to his advantage.

Such as one duel where his opponent was known to hate being kept waiting and opponents being late so he watched him out of view from a forest waiting for him to get mad enough and purposely arrived late in order to make his opponent seethe with as much rage possible which in turn disrupted the intense focus and discipline of his swordsmanship he was known for which resulted in his opponents death.

Other time a opponent he was going to fight was known for using a extremely long sword so he crafted a heavy wooden weapon/sword from I think an oar. That looked like it was the same length as his opponents sword but was in fact just long enough that Musashi could strike his opponent and be out of reach by his blade. And after running away and luring him to ground that was favorable to him and killed him with a strike to the head.

These are a few examples of why I think he's one of the greatest martial artists/swordsmen to have lived he was smart enough to thoroughly research his opponents and fight in very specific ways that took advantage of their weakness's their confidence, pride, etc.

And he created his own martial art/sword style who's foundation was death in the most practical and efficient way possible that was birth from live combat and experience. There is not a single wasted movement in his style everything down to how you move your feet is all to make you move as efficiently and effectively as possible.

A lot of people chose celebrity martial artists which is all good and well but many people forget Martial Arts was originally designed to kill on a battlefield and that it genuinely what martial arts is at it's core it's not a system of self defense it's a fighting system for war. The best martial artists in history would have been actual warriors and soldiers.

[Anonymous]

Chuck Norris on the basis that as he became a meme he has essentially kicked the shit out of the entire internet, none of the others can and never will be able to make that claim because even if there is someone else later it will just be a copy of Chuck, so unless or until there is some new frontier like an intergalactic internet or something, that's it, its Chuck all day, every day.

[Julie4]

You could have at least cited these multiple world karate championships title lol

[Opinion Owner]

He did what now?

[Ms_Facesitter]

Bruce lee, seemed to be ahead of his time mixing things up.

[OfMiceandMen]

Based on the books and the movies, Master Yip Man, who taught a number of Martial Artists. He taught Win Chun style Martial Arts which is the same style Bruce Lee learnt. According to a lot of reference materials, Bruce was one of his students.

[KostasKouvalis]

Wu Mei, because she realized she doesn't need strength to kick assess of grown men. She completely humiliated them.

The legendary Shaolin nun is credited with being the founder of the martial art Wu Mei Pai (Ng Mui style), Wing Chun Kuen, Dragon style, White Crane and Five-Pattern Hung Kuen.

[Wade12345]

Choki Motobu is widely accepted as the greatest martial artist of all time. Evidently, he won hundreds of full contact, no rules karate and jiu jitsu matches in his lifetime.

He was one of Tatsuo Shimabuku's trainers.

[Massageman]

I would have no idea. Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris certainly brought MA to the forefront of health/exercise/combat tactics in general, but popularizing something and being the "greatest" in the art form can be very different.

[DJB72]

Probably Bruce Lee but I don't know that many others. Jet Li in some movies I've seen and Jackie Chan, but in competition I don't know.

[LiamJHayden]

Saitama. Okay, j/k. Greatest as opposed to best: probably Bruce Lee, because he popularized "what works" rather than stiff adherence to kata / forms.

[RavVid]

Bruce Lee was legendary but no much interested in martial arts exponents in truth.

[kellytheman]

Jackie Chan or Chuck Norris. a lot people might say Bruce Lee but he made Martial Arts cool. or popular when he was alive.

[AngryCarl2]

That's hard to say because every technique has its exponents.

[joehypo1]

Chuck norris he's the best

[serious]

Bruce Lee without doubt

[Jennz6]

In all of history, probably Bruce Lee

[TheFlak38]

Paul from Tekken.

[Iron_Man]

Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris and Cung le

[msc545]

That would be my cat Allister.

[exitseven]

Chuck Norris.

[Julie4]

Everyone seems to have forgotten that Chuck Norris was 7 times world champion in karate, and he is very humble

[exitseven]

yes he was. He is still awesome.

[Jmmmfi4]

Bruce Lee there's no comparison

[Kreneman]

Bruce Lee

[VikingWarLord]

Bruce Lee

[Alex8736]

Bruce Lee

[Anonymous]

Hamato Yoshi

[eagle1951]

Bruse lee