The most spectacular martial art?

[Mr. President]

From following various fighting styles, I have to say that watching skillful TKD practitioners is really a lot of fun. The emphasis on spinning kicks and quite a bit of aerial fighting makes it a visually pleasing style. The demonstrations are a blast and the KO's in actual matches are really breathtaking.

I know it's subjective and there's no absolute answer, but am I the only one who finds the high flying style to be the best looking martial art there is?

Also, in this video (

) there's an Afghan fighter named Ehsan Shafiq, wearing red. The video says he does Kung Fu, but from what I can see here, it seems to be TKD. Am I wrong?

 

[Dirty Dog]

You've never seen acrobatics used by arts other than TKD?

 

[ralphmcpherson]

For me, watching good karateka doing kata would probably be the best thing to watch. For flashy, jumping around sort of stuff capoiera is hard to beat. From a martial arts perspective, flashy stuff doesnt really impress me.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Im pretty sure I've stated this many times, but Ameri-do-te is the most spectacular martial art in existence.

 

[Twin Fist]

youmust not have seen much....

WU-SHU

case closed.

 

[Xue Sheng]

youmust not have seen much....

WU-SHU

case closed.

Not sure it is case closed, what do you mean by Wushu

Wushu means Chinese martial arts, kung fu, which has become the term for Chinese martial arts, was a misinterpretation/mistranslation, it really means hard work

Modern or competition wushu is what most see which is mostly for preformance

 

[Xue Sheng]

From following various fighting styles, I have to say that watching skillful TKD practitioners is really a lot of fun. The emphasis on spinning kicks and quite a bit of aerial fighting makes it a visually pleasing style. The demonstrations are a blast and the KO's in actual matches are really breathtaking.

I know it's subjective and there's no absolute answer, but am I the only one who finds the high flying style to be the best looking martial art there is?

Also, in this video (

) there's an Afghan fighter named Ehsan Shafiq, wearing red. The video says he does Kung Fu, but from what I can see here, it seems to be TKD. Am I wrong?

Well....when you say Kung Fu...it has come to represent everything on this list and that is only a partial list

 

[Cyriacus]

youmust not have seen much....

WU-SHU

case closed.

Of course, im sure theres actually good Wushu around

 

[sopraisso]

For me, watching good karateka doing kata would probably be the best thing to watch. For flashy, jumping around sort of stuff capoiera is hard to beat. From a martial arts perspective, flashy stuff doesnt really impress me.

Having practiced capoeira myself (and living in Brazil), I haven't seen more spectacular performances in other MAs, even in video (and have never found in videos, by the way, things by far as spectacular as I saw in the old days). The aerial stuff is beautiful, but there's also incredible ground stuff, most of which is done in almost upside-down fashion.
This said, I also believe most of those fancy flying/floor stuff is just pure acrobactics and have no martial meaning or application.
Capoeira was a real martial art in the past (to a point where practicing became forbidden in Brazil, due to its use by slaves and ex-slaves, who were associated with crime), but it was just a whole different animal, seriously. What is widely seen today as capoeira is a modern construction with some inspiration in the old serious martial art (that used hands more often and "dirty street" stuff, added with some tricks that were mere part of fighting tactics). Not everything was lost, obviously, and there are also practitioners that still train some kind of "real fighting" capoeira -- but their stuff isn't teached in the schools (let alone in other countries), and I would even hardly dare to visit the places where they practise their stuff . I've known some of those who cross-trained in various other MAs, too, what is viewed as something highly accepted by all of those I met -- they just don't care about "purity" stuff.

 

[clfsean]

The most spectacular ...

Per Choki Motobu ... "When I fought the foreign boxer in Kyoto, he was taller than me so I jumped up and punched him in the face. This is effective against people who are taller than you."

Simplicity is best.

 

[Twin Fist]

 

[Xue Sheng]

Or

 

[Gorilla]

Twin Fist is the final word!!!

Case closed!!!! WU-SHU!

Don't even bother reading past post #5....

I don't know why you would be reading my post! Stop and refer to post # 5

 

[chrispillertkd]

The most spectacular ...

Per Choki Motobu ... "When I fought the foreign boxer in Kyoto, he was taller than me so I jumped up and punched him in the face. This is effective against people who are taller than you."

Simplicity is best.

Heh, ITF Taekwon-Do fighters do this all the time.

Pax,

Chris

 

[Twin Fist]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for athletic ability, i dont think anything tops wu-shu

 

[clfsean]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for athletic ability, i dont think anything tops wu-shu

For pure athletic ability & 0 viable martial content, I'd have to go with the XMA kids over the PRC wushu kids.

 

[Xue Sheng]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for athletic ability, i dont think anything tops wu-shu

Old school performance Wushu (think when Jet Li was young and competing) I would agree. However the new stuff has gotten very dangerous for the practitioners of it on Mainland China. A lot of really nasty injuries these days because they have pushed the envelope beyond that the human body can really take

For pure athletic ability & 0 viable martial content, I'd have to go with the XMA kids over the PRC wushu kids.

I have paid any attention at all to XMA, I shall have to take a look at it.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

From following various fighting styles, I have to say that watching skillful TKD practitioners is really a lot of fun. The emphasis on spinning kicks and quite a bit of aerial fighting makes it a visually pleasing style. The demonstrations are a blast and the KO's in actual matches are really breathtaking.

I know it's subjective and there's no absolute answer, but am I the only one who finds the high flying style to be the best looking martial art there is?

Also, in this video (

) there's an Afghan fighter named Ehsan Shafiq, wearing red. The video says he does Kung Fu, but from what I can see here, it seems to be TKD. Am I wrong?

I love the high flying style. But taekwondo, wushu, capoeira, and XMA are all a bit too grounded for my tastes. If you want a high flying martial art, perhaps you should look at this:

 

[Omar B]

You know what's spectacular? Seido Karate, all I need is half a second. One technique is always spectacular. LOL

 

[blindsage]

Oh, come on guys. We all know THIS is the most spectacular martial art!