Simple question, what's the best striking art and why?

“100 blades and none of them sharp!” …. Old Chinese saying.

I think there is some truth in what everyone is saying here, and not necessarily contradictory truths.

You got to hand it to MT, in the pro-ring its stripped down to do the job before it, but even with that, aren’t there a lot more guns in its arsenal that don’t appear in the ring? I really hate when people over simplify its range of techniques, I find it a great disservice to the complete art. It is a traditional art, and I stand to be corrected but doesn’t the traditional stuff have throws etc.? Making the distinction between say Burmese, Thai and Sanda blur significantly?

That being said, am I correct in believing that high intensity bag work is core to an MT ring-fighters preparation? So for example you don’t see a lot of side kicks used by MT guys? Effective sidekicks and spinning sidekicks being used from further away than low roundhouses etc. (generally, and certainly when learning them) I guess to train side kicks would take away from the high intensity bag sessions? What I’m getting at here is that I don’t think that the premise if it’s not in MT it’s not relevant is an absolute position? Look at Cung Le’s use of them in Sanshou and MMA, or any mixed rules China V Thailand events. No they are not thrown in as frequently as the bread and butter low kicks, but they can often be show stoppers, I’ve seen many fights finished with side kicks to the abdomen or ribs, when used wisely, i.e. not too frequently. They are also a bitch to catch and throw, hence in sanshou straight push kicks (the easiest to catch) are rarely used and sidekicks more frequent.

Now, that all still doesn’t excuse 570 degree spinning around the room kicks seen in some arts? Unless someone can tell me? why anyone would want to pull more than a simple spin kick? Beyond for grading purposes? I’m serious here, I’ve always wondered if there was some martial virtue I didn’t understand behind it?

Re. using different parts of the feet, well Internal Kung Fu has 18 different hand shapes for attack, but from knowing a lot of the guys who can actually fight with this traditional kung Fu, they themselves limit such to about 3-5 they can pull off, fists and palms obviously, but not so many can apply say “Diamond Finger” technique, I only met one guy who could, and he did 3 X 2 minute handstands a day on his index fingers. That ability took him years to achieve, and of course he could do the standard zero-inch punch with it, so it could come from nowhere and the lead hand, that being said I don’t think a prime Iron Mike Tyson needed a “Diamond Finger” to do serious damage? So why bother? Well in the “Diamond Finger” case it’s extremely useful when employed to assist Jian and Dao (sword and sabre) applications. And there we come to it? See the question is only half complete, it should read “what’s the best striking art and why AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE?” Many train strikes with sabre and sword, is there any boxer out there happy to go in unarmed against a competent swords man?

End of the day, I think every style has its well…. Style … that means uses, and accompanying strategy and tactics, and probably employs the tools necessary to allow it to gain advantage under those circumstances? This makes stuff seem to be sloppy to someone with another truth oblivious to the aim of a move. For example MMA and Sanda are often criticised for sloppy punching, judged on the back of many a strikers understanding - hit and get back in guard as quickly as possible, but the reason it often doesn’t come back to guard is to follow using it for a throw, you hit him and seize him, not hit him and start again! And certainly moving forward reaching for someone, means dropping an absolute guard and contains risk, hence it’s hidden with a strike / punch.
Basically as many have said conditions, and that includes sport rules as much as slippery terrain influence what’s effective! A side kick might be as useful as a fridge to an Eskimo in a wet October day, but for defence, nothing is as simple, safe and satisfying as that same kick on a pleasant summer evening! Except maybe smashing him with your shins, taking his legs out from under him and watching him summersault involuntarily onto the pavement? Ah! Damn it!!! ;-)

yomchi wrote: »

Only if it's to the death

I can't spar to the death, i have work tomorrow