Kyokushinkai is a pretty good system. My instructor is primarily a kung-fu stylist, but he holds black belt ranking in this system. This is in response to the previous comment concerning "strikers & MMAs, and who would win in combat." Personally, I don't see the hype about MMAs. From what I have seen MMAs in the UFC aren't true MMAs in the sense. They are just combining wrestling with kicks, punches, elbows, and knees for finishing techniques. A true MMA is something like Luihebafa (sp)--this system blends the three internal arts of Bagua, Xingyi, and Taiqi. Of course striking and grappling have their shortcomings as well as strong points. The system that I study combines the three internal arts as well as shuajaio (sp), and grappling. Our system focuses on making the practitioner a well rounded fighter. I doubt that a grappler will do well against multiple attackers, but a striker will. I doubt that a striker will do good in groundfighting, but a grappler will. I don't give one system or method more credibility than another because it depends on the person, and not the system/method of defense. Plus, it depends on whose rules you are playing by. I went up against a Taiqi person that had good technique with his push-hands--that was his game. But, when we switched up to spar he couldn't handle it--he had no offense or defense. Push-hands isn't a fighting method--it is a sensitivity drill. He found out quickly that his push-hands was ineffective when played against another set of rules.
I apologize for the rambling, and I'm not trying to put down other systems. But, the point is that there is no such thing as one method being better than another. It totally depends on the person behind the system.
Vince
