Deadliest Style of Martial Arts

A search for a particular deadliest style of martial arts, is unnecessary, as every style can be deadly if used effectively. Every punk round the corner wants to be a 'Human lethal weapon'! Do you think that learning a few tricks or a few moves, from any one art could make you an ace fighter? Any martial art developed by people around the world, has its advantages and pitfalls because nothing is perfect. Everything in this universe evolves from a not so perfect form to a perfect one. Every martial art has a potential to be the deadliest, in hands of the one, who really masters it and learns how to wield it!

Being the best fighter, is not just mastering every move from any one art, rather it is mastering the mind. It is not the goal of a true martial artist to learn to kill or maim somebody, unless he has to do so, in self defense. They want to reach that state of concentration where the mind is totally aware and the body is in harmony with the mind. A state of total control over mind and body! Real power lies in being supremely aware and in the ability to anticipate and read the opponent's mind.

The best fighter has the ability to combat anyone, anywhere, anytime. Being dangerous or deadly may have nothing to do with what style of martial arts you know, its all about instincts and attitude. When a man is pushed to the edge of survival and provoked beyond limit, the animal instincts within him are on a high alert. Who would like to be cornered, but once done so, self defense is the only way out. Such a cornered man can be the deadliest, even though he may not have mastered any martial art.

Combat is a mind game first and then a physical game. It is about releasing the animal within you, if need be and also learn to keep him on a leash. Yes, at the start the martial arts styles were designed with the purpose of self defense but they evolved into much more than that. Many of them got integrated with a religion or a philosophy. Remember that every martial art is an art first and any art only liberates you! Art adds meaning and substance to your life and leads you on a path of self discovery. More than combat styles they became a way of life. Whatever may be your reason, self defense or self discovery, deciding to learn a martial art is a good decision. So the right question to ask, is not that which art is deadliest but which martial art style will suit you best!

How to Choose a Martial Arts Style

Choose a style that suits your temperament and constitution. Read and gather as much as you can about various styles. Inquire with friends and family. The dictum 'Go to the Masters' is always profitable. So meet the masters or teachers of a particular martial arts style and discuss with them. Attend a try out class for a particular style.

Check the credentials of the teachers of that style. If you have a good feeling about the way things go about, in a particular class, go for it. No matter which martial arts style you go for, be mentally prepared for rigorous workouts and subjecting your body to new levels of pain and endurance. Your endurance and pain threshold will go up if you survive the initial hardcore workout. The goal is to make your body agile, tough and responsive by loosening and strengthening every muscle. The last criteria is, follow the style which you enjoy the most! Don't choose a style just because your friend is doing so.

Different Martial Arts Styles

Here is a list of some of the best known martial arts styles. The complete list of martial arts will be endless, as almost every part of the world has an indigenous martial art style. The best way to know which is the deadliest martial arts style, is to learn every one of them, if possible and decide for yourself! Many prefer mastering just one which is a deadly enough task in itself!

Judo: 

Judo was developed as a style in Japan and has slowly become popular world over. The word 'Judo' literally means 'gentleness' or 'suppleness', ironically. It is a style which involves a lot of throwing maneuvers along with joint locking and chocking techniques that can subdue an opponent. It involves powerful kicks and punches along with the the use of weapons.

Aikido: 

Aikido literally means 'Unifying life force'. This martial arts style is unique in its philosophy. It is developed with the thought of neutralizing one's opponent, while taking care that he is not injured, as far as possible. An Aikido fighter uses and directs the momentum of an opponent against him. It involves a lot of grappling and throwing styles as well as joint locks.

Tae Kwon Do: 

Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial arts style which literally means 'Way of leg and fist'. It is a holistic martial art style which integrates meditation, sport and combat as its essential principles. It is one of the most popular martial arts, practiced world over. It involves almost all the traditional techniques of kicking, punching as well as joint locking, along with throwing.

Kick Boxing:

 Kick boxing as the name suggests is boxing integrated with kicking techniques. It is a popular sport in USA and is a good technique for self defense which involves full body contact.

Jiu Jitsu:

 Jiu Jitsu or Jujutsu which literally translates as 'way of yielding', is the original ancient Japanese martial arts style, involving armed and unarmed combat that was mastered by the 'Samurai'. It is rather a huge family of martial arts styles that have evolved from the original Jiu Jitsu. It is the most complete warrior training program designed to create lethal weapons!

Kung Fu: 

Kung Fu or Wu Shu in Chinese, is a family of Chinese martial arts styles which have evolved over thousands of years as one of the most effective combative styles.

Karate: 

One more classic Japanese martial art that involves rapid leg thrusts, punching and open handed combat. Karate is a very aggressive style.

Each of these styles have a set of moves and techniques which need to be mastered one at a time. The most important thing is learning how to direct and divert the flow of energy. The base of all these combat styles is the development of higher levels of endurance and fitness, which is achieved through rigorous body strengthening exercises.

So all in all, I cannot say which is the deadliest martial arts style because to me all of them seem equally deadly. Still I can guarantee that mastering any one of these martial arts styles will make you a formidable fighter to the core. Not only will you be able to deal with bullies, you will also develop a renewed respect for yourself and gain confidence!

Aikido and The Techniques

Most people choose to avoid confrontation if at all possible, but in some instances, confrontation is simply unavoidable. Aikido teaches its students to avoid confrontation, but it also teaches them how to properly defend themselves when confrontation is imminent. Aikido is a martial art that offers individuals an opportunity to learn controlled physical response techniques that will serve to ensure their safety while limiting the amount of damage inflicted upon their adversaries. Martial arts are popular throughout the world and many people choose to practice the martial arts for reasons other than physical confrontations.

Exercise and the relief of excess stress and energy are commonly cited as reasons for studying various martial arts. Karate and Judo rank among the most popular of the martial arts practiced by Americans and both of these disciplines offer instructions for offensive or aggressive striking motions. Tai Chi is one of the more meditative of the martial arts, focusing on form, concentration, and mental balance. Students of Tai Chi practice exaggeratedly slow striking techniques without ever facing an opponent.

Aikido falls somewhere between the aggression of Karate and the spiritual meditation of Tai Chi. However, it is generally considered to be one of the gentler martial arts. Most Aikido schools place no emphasis on offensive tactics and many advanced students are capable of using the offensive force of an adversary against them, often throwing opponents to the ground with seemingly effortless motions. Whether you are an aggressive or a passive personality, Aikido offers a mental and physical challenge that will certainly pique your interest in the martial arts.


Tai Chi - the Taoist Movements


"He who stands of tiptoe is not steady.
He who strides cannot maintain the pace."

Taoism - the philosophy of Tai-Chi:

Taoism, or "The Laws and Ways of Virtue" is essentially grounded on an understanding of balance. Originating from the principles of Lao-Tzu, the Chinese philosopher, Taoism proclaims that inaction, as opposed to action, is a solution to the chaos and anarchy that rules supreme in an advancing world. The lethargic should not take heart, though; the Taoist inaction comes with a lot of fine print.

Though regarded as the father of Taoism, Lao-Tzu was not the founder of the Taoist philosophy. Religious teachers and thinkers such as Shen Tao had first penned down the principles underlying the philosophy; but it was undoubtedly Lao-Tzu who brought their thinking to the fore, thereby attempting to create a new way of life. According to the Taoist ideal, chaos is the result of human action and desires, and inaction is the key to preventing chaos. By inaction, it is not meant that all action should be suspended; the philosophy simply states that human actions should be in harmony with nature and not try to overcome it. Taoism calls people to eschew the pursuit of knowledge and to rely more on understanding nature by harmonizing oneself to her ways. As Lao-Tzu stated:


The Tao abides in non-action,
but leaves nothing undone.
If rulers observed this,
Then several things would develop naturally.
If they still wished to act,
They would act to return 
to the simplicity of formlessness.
Without form there is no desire.
Without desire there is calm.
Thus all things would be at peace.

Thus, Lao-Tzu says, by limiting desires to the basics, the world can return to the tranquil harmony that is of nature.

The Evolution of Tai-Chi:

As Taoism evolved over the years through the teachings of Lao-Tzu and other philosophers, it was realized more and more that spiritual development also called for a sound physical being. Teachers like Chuang Tzu (399-295 B C) first introduced the movement philosophy through their writings, which forms the core philosophy of Tai chi. In the sixth century AD, a Buddhist scholar Bodhidharma (Known as Ta Mo in China) visited the Shao Lin monastery, and introduced the eighteen form lohan exercise to aid the physical development of the monks. Over time, this eighteen form exercise gave rise to the "Wei-Chia" school of exercise, which takes an "external" approach to physical development. The philosophy of Tai-Chi is essentially intrinsic; however, the origin of the movement philosophy was grounded in "Wei-Chia".

Later, in the early 14th century, Chang San Feng of the Wu Tang monastery introduced the yin-yang concept(the concept of duality - male/female, dark/light, etc.) of Taoism to the Wei-Chia forms of exercise, and introduced the thirteen postures of Tai-Chi. These thirteen postures stressed on balance, flexibility and agility rather than on the use of force, and marked the first shift towards the "Nei-chia" (internal intrinsic) school of exercise. The current form of Tai-Chi is an elaboration of these thirteen postures, developed and modified later by scholars such as Wang Chun Yueh, Chiang Fa and Hao Wei Chen.

Understanding Tai-Chi

As stated elsewhere, Tai-Chi differs from other forms of martial arts in that it has an intrinsic approach. By ‘intrinsic’ it is meant that Tai-Chi, as also Taoism, draws on the inherent internal strengths of the being, through an understanding of equilibrium. The Taoist principle of achieving action through inaction is deeply ingrained in Tai-chi, which strives to achieve equilibrium through tranquility as opposed to force. In keeping with this principle, many of the Tai-Chi forms have names as

• Brush Dust Against the Wind 
• Push the Boat with the Current 
• Wind Rolls the Lotus Leaves 

As may be noted, the above forms symbolize the use of an extrinsic force against itself, without using much intrinsic energy. The fundamental principle that underlies each of the Tai-Chi movements is that of "Using softness to defeat hardness". While other forms of martial arts go by the theory of learning to suffer to learn hitting, Tai-chi essentially entails learning to hit by learning not to suffer. Thus, Xian Qi Ran stated:

"It is necessary not to lose position, not to lose direction. (to be) effective. (When) the opponent's control over his centre of mass is lost, having ascertained where the flaw is, from which direction to attack, from that place attacking, then can using less strength gain greater success."

The most important attribute of Tai-Chi lies, perhaps, in understanding nature; how the elements of nature and the residents therein use achieve great strength through seeming effortlessness. Thus, there are Tai-Chi forms such as

• White Crane Spreads Wings 
• Snake Creeps Down 
• Repulse Monkey 
• Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain 
• Grasp Sparrow's Tail 
• Swallow Skims the Water 
• Bird Flies into Forest 
• Lion Shakes it's Head 
• Tiger Hugs its Head 
• Wild Horse Leaps the Ravine

As the names suggest, these movements have all originated from a study of the motions of various animals.

In keeping with the Taoist philosophy, the various Tai-Chi forms call upon the student to achieve a calm and tranquil mental status in the face of adversity. It, therefore, does not remain a "martial" art; when properly practiced it is more a mode of better living through an understanding of oneself. In today’s world where life is hectic and fast paced, practicing Tai-Chi can establish some amount of control and relaxation by preventing the onset of inertia of motion.