The Twenty Most Influential of Our Time....

[Steve]

Some pretty good lists. Couple of guys I'd like to reiterate, and a couple that are glaring omissions.

Top of the list of omissions is Gene LeBell. Seriously. How does he not get mentioned until post 21???

Chuck Norris
Bruce Lee
The Gracie family... too many were influential in different ways, but the combination of them all changed MA
Ronda Rousey (crazy as hell, but influential)

 

[Xue Sheng]

Chen Fake
Feng Zhiqiang
Chen XiaoWang
Chen Zhenglei
Yang Chengfu
Li Tianji
Ip Man
Leung Sheung
Wong Shun Leung
Bruce Lee
Li Cunyi
Sun Lutang
Gao Yisheng
Kanō Jigorō
Mitsuyo Maeda
Helio Gracie
Morihei Ueshiba
Mifune Kyūzō
Muhammad Ali
Chuck Norris

In no special order and there are many more

 

[Tames D]

Ed O'Neil
Hee Il Cho
Darnel Garcia

 

[Tames D]

Chen Fake
Feng Zhiqiang
Chen XiaoWang
Chen Zhenglei
Yang Chengfu
Li Tianji
Ip Man
Leung Sheung
Wong Shun Leung
Bruce Lee
Li Cunyi
Sun Lutang
Gao Yisheng
Kanō Jigorō
Mitsuyo Maeda
Helio Gracie
Morihei Ueshiba
Mifune Kyūzō
Muhammad Ali
Chuck Norris

In no special order and there are many more

I can't believe I didn't think of WSL :duh:

 

[jezr74]

Johnny Yune

 

[Tames D]

Benny "The Jet" Urquidez

 

[Argus]

I can't believe I didn't think of WSL :duh:

I was glad to see someone mention him as well

 

[Cirdan]

20 fictional ones:

Po the Kung Fu Panda
Buffy Summers
Bruce Wayne
Snake Eyes
Daniel LaRusso
Jin Kazama
Rocky Balboa
Anakin Skywalker
Kato
Goku
Beatrix Kiddo
Neo
Cordell Walker
Jason Bourne
Eric Brooks
Princess Fiona
Ryu
Master Splinter
Sydney Bristow
Alice (Resident Evil)

 

[Buka]

This is who we have so far. Before we whittle it down to 20 (and piss everybody off), who else are we forgetting?

Muhammad Ali, Yuen Baio, Billy Blanks, Emin Boztepe, Jackie Chan, general Choi, David Carradine, Joe Corely, William Cheung, Tino Ceberano, Yang Chengfu, Li Cunyi, Hee Il Cho, Art Davie, Fred Ettish, Gichen Funakoshi, Chen Fake, All things Gracie (if they make the list we'll sort it out later) Darnel Garcia , Sammo Hung, Steven Hayes, Morio Higaonna, Ji Han-Jae, Bob Jones, Jugaro Kano, Sho Kosugi, Mifune Kyūzō , Gene LeBell, Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Dolph Lungren, Tom Laughlin, Imi Lichtenfeld, Sun Lutang, Yip Man, Miyamoto Musashi, George Mattson, Pat Morita, Chojun Miyagi, Mitsuyo Maeda, Chuck Norris, Mas Oyama, Ed O'Neil, Remy Presas, Ed Parker, Elvis Presley, The Marquis of Queensbury, Jhoon Ree, Ronda Rousey, Steven Segal, Leung Sheung, Wong Shun Leung, Robert Trias, Koichi Tohei, Li Tianji, Morihei Ueshiba, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Jean Claude Van Damme, Fred Vallari, Bill Wallace, Dana White, Jimmy H. Woo, Chen XiaoWang, Gao Yisheng, Gogen Yamaguchi, Johnny Yune, Feng Zhiqiang, Chen Zhenglei.

I left out Cirdan's fictional list, not because I didn't love it, but I gotta' get to class.

 

[Cirdan]

That is a nice list Buka. Some guys that should be added: Hironori Otsuka, Kenwa Mabuni, Choki Motobu.
Depending on the "our time" timeframe maybe also Anko Itosu, Sokon Matsumura, Tode Sakugawa.

 

[jezr74]

Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Angela Mao.

 

[Hong Kong Pooey]

Donnie Yen

 

[Tames D]

Kathy Long

 

[Balrog]

I will have to add Grandmaster H. U. Lee, founder of the ATA.

Chuck Norris, for his tireless devotion to martial arts (did you know that H. U. Lee was his first instructor?)

Bruce Lee, Jacky Chan and Jet Li for their movie roles.

David Carradine, Keye Luke and Philip Ahn for their roles in the TV show Kung Fu, which sparked a massive explosion in martial arts training.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Angela Mao.

Now you're just trying to taunt me with the Michelle Yeoh post aren't you :EG: :uhyeah:

 

[jezr74]

Now you're just trying to taunt me with the Michelle Yeoh post aren't you :EG: :uhyeah:

What!? Ballet is not counted?