World's Most Popular Art?

[Bob Hubbard]

Any small area will have regional leaders, but if we were to look at the world wide numbers it'll be different.

According to Lycos:
The 10 martial arts most requested by Lycos users for the week ending April 13, 2002:

1. Karate
2. Aikido
3. Kung Fu
4. Tae Kwan Do
5. Tai Chi
6. Krav Maga
7. Judo
8. Capoiera
9. Jiu Jitsu
10. Muay Thai


TKD looks to be the most popular art in the US. Note, this includes all flavors.

Tai Chi would be a close second though, again, this is all flavors.

The number of practitioners of Falun Gong reached 70 million by the mid-90s before the Jiang regime began the persecution.

Tai Chi seems to be the 'prefered' art in China, and with over 2 Billion people, I'd be inclined to give it the title.

:asian:

 

[arnisador]

I think Tai Chi probably has the most practitioners--but I think many of them wouldn't characterize themselves as 'martial artists'. I know when I took Tai Chi everyone but me was doing it for the health benefits, and things like push hands weren't even taught--parts of the art were left out.

Should such practitioners be counted? They may be doing a martial art but might not realize it!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

We're counting heads, not examining the merits of the particular flavor of the art. To do it otherwise, well, we could always have a tournament.

Have the 7 yr old 4th dan TKDers go up against the 80 year olf Tai Chiers, and see if we cant find a couple of JKDers/Arnisers/Kenpoists who agree on things to referee.

:rofl:

 

[Damian Mavis]

Well I've always equated Tai Chi with something like Yoga, but if it's called a martial art then it definately has the most practitioners.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[Bob Hubbard]

What most of us think of as tai chi is an excercise. There are however sword and other weapons forms in it, and some of the earlier forms are closer to the fighting art than what you find at the local senior center. Yang and Chen I believe are the 2 oldest, and 1 of them (not sure which) has some hard techs in it.

Some would also argue that Yoga is a martial art, due to its origin as a pre battle warm up.

 

[arnisador]

But what if the practitioners themselves don't think of it as a martial art or themselves as martial artists, as with the senior citizens who were in the class I was in? They absolutely thought they were doing an exercise for their health.

Can you be a martial artist and not realize it?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Originally posted by arnisador
But what if the practitioners themselves don't think of it as a martial art or themselves as martial artists, as with the senior citizens who were in the class I was in? They absolutely thought they were doing an exercise for their health.

Can you be a martial artist and not realize it?

Yup.

Some MA's train for war, others for health, others for spiritual, etc.

The motions are the same, the techniques are in there. It is just for the student to pull them out. Otherwise, all we are doing is fancy dancing and stretching.

 

[grimfang]

speaking of senior citizens.... they have turned BINGO into a martial art... they take all day to cross the street, but as soon as the Bingo cards hit the table, they turn into The Flash! Amazing handspeed, super hearing... the power of Bingo transforms them into superheros. And pity the poor soul who stands in the hallway as they approach the gaminig room on Bingo night... they can force their way past even the mightiest Bingo hall Bouncers (often called "nurses") And Don't even THINK about taking thier bingo card away... it could get ugly!
Based upon sheer numbers, i think Bingoists are one of the largest MA groups around.

 

[MJS]

Originally posted by Damian Mavis
I'm kind of shocked by some of the answers here.... someone actually said they thought MMA was up there? Uh. no. Regardless of what you think of a martial art (whether you think Tai Chi is just breathing and stretching with no martial art aspect or TKD is just for sport) the bottom line is that those 2 arts dominate for worldwide numbers. What you think of them has no bearing. Tai Chi is huge because of it's widespread practice in China. TKD is huge because of it's appeal to kids and families worldwide coupled with it's huge organisations pushing the spread of the art. If you think something hardcore like MMA or Muay Thai or boxing can compete with millions upon millions of old people, children and families for numbers your nuts.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

Well, if you go back and re-read my post, I said, that it all depends on what the person wants to get out of the art! Some people want to lose weight, build confidence, or learn to fight. If someone really wants to learn to fight, wouldn't you think that they would go to a school that addresses all ranges of combat, not just kicking?? Of course a child is probably going to want to do TKD. An elderly person will do Tai Chi. Also, if you read the post properly, you would see that I said that there is something to be learned from every art. Just because somebody likes a, as you call it, "hard core style" does not mean that they are nuts!

I also find it funny for you to make comments towards me, when looking at your profile, you seem to be studying some of those so called hard core arts yourself, in addition to your TKD.

Mike

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by arnisador
But what if the practitioners themselves don't think of it as a martial art or themselves as martial artists, as with the senior citizens who were in the class I was in? They absolutely thought they were doing an exercise for their health.

Can you be a martial artist and not realize it?

Not to throw Mudd here Arnisador. Some people think only grappling in a ring is the real thing. Others think it must be with a knife. Others do it for the point system. Otheres do it just for the health and the rest is just a bonus.


The question to ask is, Is this a system? or is this just a review of people? I mean Some TKD to continuous contact. others do point after first contact. So do we compare the people inside the arts? or do we look at what is being taught and make a statement that it is os is not a Martial Art.

Just My Opinion.

I know no answers only more questions. For that I apologize. :asian:

 

[MJS]

I'm assuming, and I might be wrong, that we are trying to figure out what art is the most popular. I'm guessing that we are doing this by seeing how many people as a whole, are enrolled in TKD, Judo, etc. to determine the most popular. If in each state, you took all the MA schools, you would determine the favorite by the number of schools in that area or the number of students that attend each of the schools.

Mike

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Originally posted by MJS
I'm assuming, and I might be wrong, that we are trying to figure out what art is the most popular. I'm guessing that we are doing this by seeing how many people as a whole, are enrolled in TKD, Judo, etc. to determine the most popular. If in each state, you took all the MA schools, you would determine the favorite by the number of schools in that area or the number of students that attend each of the schools.

Mike

IMHO, thats the best way. Saves the arguments over all the varients, etc.

:asian:

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Rich Parsons
I know no answers only more questions.

Ditto. I don't know exactly what I think on the matter.

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by MJS
I'm assuming, and I might be wrong, that we are trying to figure out what art is the most popular. I'm guessing that we are doing this by seeing how many people as a whole, are enrolled in TKD, Judo, etc. to determine the most popular. If in each state, you took all the MA schools, you would determine the favorite by the number of schools in that area or the number of students that attend each of the schools.

That's U.S. only, and a big part of the problem is the number of Chinese Tai Chi practitioners.

I am prepared to believe that more people practice Tai Chi worldwide than anything else, followed by TKD. What I'm not sure of is how many of those people doing Tai Chi do it with a martial flavour and view themselves as martial artists.

 

[MJS]

Well, this opens the door to more discussion. Are we talking about just the U.S. or over seas? If we go out of the states, then keep in mind, of course, each counrty will have its own special thing. Korea will be TKD. China will be Tai Chi, kung fu, etc. If you go to Brazil, then there is your Muay Thai and BJJ.

This topic could go on for a while!!!

Mike

 

[Damian Mavis]

MJS I think you are slowly coming to the realisation of what I was talking about. You mistook this conversation and my comments to be about arts being better than each other or what they offer and it's not. The title of this thread is "what is the worlds most popular martial art". I called Muay Thai hardcore as a compliment not a dis. I run a TKD school so know what the majority of my clientelle are, yes I get a small number of hardcore students but most of them are professionals, familes, old people and kids.

Anyway, I was criticising what you said about MMA... it seemed you were infering that maybe it was the WORLDS most popular martial art (not a certain country)... I wasn't criticising any art. For numbers TKD has the most, simple as that, if we include Tai Chi as a martial art than they beat TKD for numbers. I am not saying that makes TKD or Tai Chi better than MMA only more popular... why is it more popular? Because of it's huge organisational powers and/or it's appeal to the larger part of society. TKD attracts a huge market of people (kids, families, people that work office jobs, elderly people etc.) whereas MMA attracts a very small and select group of people.

Anyway get what I meant? I labelled Muay Thai and MMA "hardcore" meaning the majority of society is looking for something less "hardcore". Doesn't make it right I'm just telling you the way it is.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Heh... I just had the mental image of Bea Arthur doing muay thai. LOL!!!

The "best" art is a huge debate, and not for this thread.

As to most popular, there are always fads that spring up (Tae Bo?) and we can recatagotize things (Kickboxing for example can include Savate).

Based on my research, TKD and Tai Chi are the top 2. Depending on how you break them down, they will change positions.

Being even more vague, I'd say the Chinese arts were the dominant ones world wide, with the Japanese and SE Asian arts being second. Filipino arts are also making large inroads.

Newer arts like Kenpo may someday rise to that level, however the majority of kenpoists are in the US, and it hasn't spread to true international levels as yet.

Interesting sidebar - Wing Chun was the last MA developed in China to achieve world wide reconization.

:asian: