Check out "Sammy Franco's -Contemporary Fighting Arts" its light years ahead of the rest.It's JKD to the next level.....

I do ITF Taekwondo, great for self defence!

I've just started learning Shudokan Aikido, been I've had eleven lessons so far and I'm really enjoying it. Already got my first belt, yellow with a white stripe
I've just been reading up on some deaths related to the training though, caused by hitting heads on the floor from falling backwards. I think I ought to practice my back drops more!

My personal favorite has to be the ancient art of
Rex Kwan Do




Bow to you Sensei!!!! Can't beat the intimidation factor of those killer pants.

My dad trained for years in several different martial arts. However, in the only real fight I ever saw him in he knocked out my drunken knife-brandishing Uncle with a right hook to to the side of his head. He went down like a sack of hammers.

Hi, Interesting thread.
I started Korean Judo when I was 6 and moved on to Taekwondo a bit later. I had black belts in both by 14 years of age. I've had good success in MMA tournaments including winning K1 ( the legalised and somewhat watered down version of Kumate).
I've fought and won against every form of martial art I've ever heard of, but I don't believe that it's the form you do that wins the fight. I believe its the fact I started at 6 years of age and had a natural talent for the sport. I think a karate, kung fu, kick boxing, tae bo or oragami student could do the same so long as they started young enough and had a natural talent for the martial arts.
It's not the style, and no single style is best. Starting young, being diciplined, mixing the styles up... that's the best winning combination I can recommend.
No, this old war horse does not compete anymore... but it was sure fun when I did.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

I picked up traditional boxing about 15 years ago &had a bunch of amatuer matches, I did some wrestling in high school as well, &dabbled in Kick boxing. Boxing is my favorite &the one I stuck with longer. It's gotten me in nearly super human shape, taught me discipline, and made me so much stronger mentally. It's helped my confidence, and courage--go in front of a crown of 4,000+ people &face another man who wants to hurt you in a boxing ring--that will tell you what you are made of. It's also helped me get out of a few nasty situations on the street where if I didn't know how to use my hands, I would have been in trouble....the average man on the street winds up and tries to hit you with a hay maker..which is a deadly mistake (he ends up getting hit in the face a half dozen times before even throwing a punch), or they try to wrestle you, effectively tiring themselves out quickly. The conditioning involved with boxing is really unreal...running 5 miles a day, eating nothing but nutritious foods, boxing 12-15 rounds a night in the gym 5 days a week, including full on sparring with multiple boxers of different sizes (one at a time), speed bag work, heavybag, skip rope, shadow boxing, double end bag, medicine ball work, slip bag, calisthenics, mit work...it's never ending, it's really a sport that conditions your body to withstand punishment &abuse, you learn to punch correctly, how to slip &block punches, how to take a punch, you refine your hand &foot speed, balance, timing, power, &how to get leverage on your punches, how to throw frighteningly accurate, hard, fast combinations, etc. It's helped me a lot in my life, it's something you'd have to try to really appreciate it. The sweet science.

the best martial art, is the one that will WIN in the circumstance or situation in which you are required to fight.

it is all circumstance, no ONE style or move can always be used.

bruce lee did develope a martial art style he called jeet kune do i beleive though, you should look into that. he combined EVERY known form of martial art at that time into it. it's a great technique.

"be like water" bruce lee

when you master the philosophical aspect of martial arts, you gain the tools to master the physical side.

The best martila art I've ever seen has it's origins in Lancashire, England and is called Ecky Thump! The two protaganists stand toe to toe and beat the living you know what out of each other with black puddings..!

In my opinion the most effective martial arts are the most simple one. I'm a MMA fighter and have learned that in fights effective, accurate, quick, and powerful strikes are the way to go. I have been training in Muay Thai,Kyokushin,Jitu Jitsu,Boxing,and wrestling. I love the brutal power you can harness with these martial arts. MMA is itself a martial art that requires a different mind set, just like all the rest.

I would say that if you want to learn a martial to actually fight these ones would be the best. Simple,brutal, and tested. I do like krav Maga to!

Originally posted by Saidar
I do ITF Taekwondo, great for self defence!

Tae Kwon Do absolutely SUCKS! Someone who only knows the basics in any grappling style, like the Brazilian Jiu Jutsu that i've studied, Would stomp a practitioner of Tae Kwon Do's ass
It has very limited offense, which is easy to get inside, and is to defenseless againsts most styles. Any of the five animal Kung Fu styles are strong against it. Any of the more brutal Karate styles like American Kenpo are strong against it. It is just worthless unless you combine it with something more offensive. I have a friend who is a third degree black belt in it and he can't even touch me when we spar.