Greatest martial artist who also ruled a nation?

Pride Fighter

I am starting this one for a bit of fun. It can be throughout history so do not be afraid to put up some dead geezer. My own personal view is that Vladimir Putin is the greatest living world leader at martial arts. He has KGB training and is a judo black belt. In a visit to Japan a few years ago he fought a guy half his age, also a black belt, and he beat him!! Out of respect he allowed the guy to score an ippon ending their session in a draw but Vlad was the man. Franklin D Roosevelt was a brown belt in judo (or was it Teddy, I get confused between the two). Alexander the Great kicked ass aswell. Idi Amin was a boxing champ. Who else deserves to be on this thread? Suggestions please.

Nothingcompares

aparently abraham lincoln was a catch-as-catch-can (or whatever that's called) wrestler of some merit.

Pride Fighter

Interesting.

cavedave

Teddy i believe he used to wrestle visitors to the whitehose. Franklin D Roosevelt was in a wheelchair.
Genghis Kaan and ALexander the great you would not want to get into a ruck with.
Tongan King Tupou IV was over 200kg.

O.P.H

After watching Alexander you would think he was fairy boy who could'nt fight, how do people know he would put up a good fight, Genghis Kann, what a name

Marathon Man

Nobody could beat Hitler. He was thought a secret ss martial art which has sadly become extinct!!!


I've been doing research to bring this art back and when i do the world will be mine ahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!

Clive

Leonidas of course.

Colm_OReilly

Clive wrote:

Leonidas of course.

Game, Set & Match

cavedave

Clive Leonidas of course.

Was that the sound of me losing an argument?

Roper

Leonidas bummed other spartans. I'm not saying that made him a bad warrior necessarily, but it has to be considered you know, when the enemy launches a surprise attack, will he be in his tent in his lieutenant?

Anyway I'll go for Roosevelt, I'd love to see a modern politician having matches with his political opponents. Y'know, getting off the helicopter and walking across the Whitehouse lawan, quick handshake and then YAW! Ippon!

Franklin D Roosevelt was in a wheelchair.

Oh he was a crafty one...

BLUNT

I'ed have to say King Naresuan the Great of Siam.He spent more time on the battlefield than in the palace.As a Prince he fought from the age of 16 ( not sport ) on the battlefield.When he became King 19 years later,he went on non-stop war fare with every one 'n' there da'z till the age of 50......I'ed say hands down,he's the greatest.....................J

scuttery1

Roper wrote:

Leonidas bummed other spartans. QUOTE]
Wasn't he the bloke who got all his men wiped out in a delaying action that didn't really contribute to the eventual defeat of the Persians:D
The Caesars, Hitler, Stalin, Pol pot now there's martial arts at it's highest, they just opened their mouths and millions died, talk about dim mak!

Lucas10101

Vladmimir Putan....are you sure that it was not to make him look good?

HammerHeadGym

Tokugawa Leyasu. The first shogun.

Jimkel

Azato Ankoh Deserves an honorable mention- He didnt rule a nation but he was one of the 2 well-known political figures during his time, and as a result had huge power and influence in his home of Okinowa.

Azato Ankoh, held an honorable rank not unlike that of a lower Daimyo in Japanese society, Which made him a powerful force in Okinowa as far as the locals were concerned he was a national hero, and many top politicians came to him for advice.

he was a typical scholer warrior Who had mastered various Weapons such as-Nunchukcs, sword , sai and archery from horseback.

and most famously To-te or Okinowan hand, he would teach Funikoshi and help give the world karate. He was a famed hand to hand fighter and many accounts exist in translation telling of his combat ability.

http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=124

Jimkel

Oh and dont forget Bertie!!! and his secret art of Tax yoo

paddyc

Leonidas bummed other spartans

you will find he never bummed another spartan... they bummed their children and slaves, but never other spartans

Leonidas of course.

If i was to choose a spartan I wouldnt pick leonidas certainly he was brave and i think alexander the great was a far better leader and braver too boot, he took the spartans further and done more for them as a race as leonidas ever did....

dont be watching the too films and thinking that is all their is too these two great men... most of the quotes used in that 300 film came from alexander and were never uttered bu leonidas at all



ok rant over


paddy


maggie thatcher was also a **** hot leader i dont think any of the above would compete with her...

Dirty Dave

Commodus of Rome! (The guy played by whackme feenix in Gladiator - he was a real emperor and did actually fight in the arena).

He had a Gladiatorial career that lasted 10 years in which he killed over 12,000 men in combat.

Of course, his opponents were given wooden swords and had their arms broken before facing him, but still........ class act!

spiral

12,000 in 10 years

365 x 10 = 3650 so 3-4 lads he chopped every day for 10 years:rolleyes:

Dirty Dave

spiral wrote:

12,000 in 10 years

365 x 10 = 3650 so 3-4 lads he chopped every day for 10 years:rolleyes:

Did the tour of the collesseum in rome recently - thats what the guy said, though the ever-reliable wikipedia has it slightly differently. Either way, most historians would probably agree, he was a bit of an anus!

buck65

Bertie Ahern
He is an honoury black belt in TKD, so watch out Enda Kenny.

Loophole Willie

My money's on Teddy Roosevelt. Jigoro Kano sent his top assistant, Prof. Yama****a, to the U.S. and Teddy had him come to the White House to teach himself and his daughter (with Mrs. Yama****a teaching self defense to the Washington female socialites). The President was ultimately graded a sankyu, and Yama****a went back to Japan, having been heaved from the West Wing to the East Wing by a very enthusiastic President. Roosevelt loved sport and martial arts fascinated him.

crazy monkey

I'll go with Alexander the Great
He was trained in Pankration [wrestling, boxing], sword, spear and shield combat.
As well as tactics, ie the use of the Phalanx
no fallic jokes please

He fought, he lead his men from the front, not from the rear...as some people referring to bumming issues*

But as for living now....got to go with Putin.
Shame we can't get ''world leaders'' to fight their own battles might give the rest of us a break from the news for a while....bet arnie would be voted into office pretty quick

Not the easiest comment I've ever made, but Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein....not hand to hand combatants but would certainly know guerrila tactics a la Michael Collins and our boys...


* remember the so called ''greek act'' has been around a hell of a long time and I seriously doubt a gay man couldn't lead an army or have a scrap if he was correctly trained or was a natural....quit the homophobia...I do bjj....I roll on the floor with men who are either half dressed/wearing hot pants or on an odd occassion wearing a gi [could have said kimona but that just wouldn't be smart or correct]

loz

crazy monkey wrote:

/wearing hot pants

You mean shorts ?

The Bored One

crazy monkey wrote:

I'll go with Alexander the Great
He was trained in Pankration [wrestling, boxing], sword, spear and shield combat.
As well as tactics, ie the use of the Phalanx
no fallic jokes please

He fought, he lead his men from the front, not from the rear...as some people referring to bumming issues*

But as for living now....got to go with Putin.
Shame we can't get ''world leaders'' to fight their own battles might give the rest of us a break from the news for a while....bet arnie would be voted into office pretty quick

Not the easiest comment I've ever made, but Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein....not hand to hand combatants but would certainly know guerrila tactics a la Michael Collins and our boys...


* remember the so called ''greek act'' has been around a hell of a long time and I seriously doubt a gay man couldn't lead an army or have a scrap if he was correctly trained or was a natural....quit the homophobia...I do bjj....I roll on the floor with men who are either half dressed/wearing hot pants or on an odd occassion wearing a gi [could have said kimona but that just wouldn't be smart or correct]

Theban Sacred Band, military force comprised entirely of gay lovers working in pairs. Fought the Spartans at Tegyra in 375 BC, vanquishing an army that was at least three times their number. Huzzah for wikipedia!

crazy monkey

so now we are cheering for the gay warriors of old...
Make up your minds lads

Hot pants....mma shorts if you prefer I wear them I call them hot pants...that's just how I roll :cool:

henryb

Elvis presley was the king of all kings and to the best of my
knowledge was i think around a 7th degree karate black belt.
He even picked up his last one stoned out of his mind wearing
shades..................... and no he didnt get that far just coz he was Elvis!
Beat that :cool:

cowzerp

henryb wrote:

Elvis presley was the king of all kings and to the best of my
knowledge was i think around a 7th degree karate black belt.
He even picked up his last one stoned out of his mind wearing
shades..................... and no he didnt get that far just coz he was Elvis!
Beat that :cool:

Every club Elvis went to gave him a black belt so they could say he trained there-he really could not do martial arts..

henryb

cowzerp wrote:

Every club Elvis went to gave him a black belt so they could say he trained there-he really could not do martial arts..

Yeah i know that bud...... just having a bit of fun.
He was still the king though, cant deny that .

cowzerp

I love the KING, just some people believe he was an animal 50th dan black belt!!

henryb

cowzerp wrote:

I love the KING, just some people believe he was an animal 50th dan black belt!!

LOL

FiannaGym.com

I'm sure Paddy can elaborate on this but,

Wasnt there a "Tiger King" in Thailand that used to compete annonymously? Apparently he was pertty good too.

I'm not sure Alexander, Leonidas or Ghengis Khan belong on this list because they had superiour technology. If you want to consider that MA well then maybe they should.

Ultimately, if you apply "Martial Arts" to excelence in warfare your really just talking about superior horses or horsemanship for khan (and his army), superior feild techniques and weapons (sheilds and spears) for leonidas and alexander. Even for the shogunate your talking about superior swords.

So for me, the greatest Martial Artist to ever rule a "Nation" (not a state) would be Sparticus. Although completely inferior in technology, infrastructer and numbers he still proved to be a great fighter and leader.

He proved his ability on 2 levels, first the Leading/warcraft stuff (which I'm not sure we are really discussing here) and second in actual physical skills - as a succesful gladiator.

Peace