If you could only learn one weaponless martial art, what would it be?

[JAVO]

If you could only learn one weaponless martial art, what would it be?

Why?

[Randomnity]

I've already chosen kung fu, because I like the logical basis of it. The movements, the goals, the thinking, everything makes instant sense to me, without needing explanation. It just seems instantly practical for fighting, rather than all the mystical BS that some schools like to give you. That may just be a function of the teacher, though.

And to be fair, I have very little experience with the others. I've tried aikido and left after 2 months because I hated it so much (incredibly slow pace, unintuitive movements, didn't seem like it had any practical use) despite all the good things I'd heard about it.

edit: next on my list to try is jui jitsu, and I'd love to check out muay thai eventually as well. Most of the martial arts intrigue me, actually.

edit2: capoeira is really cool. I saw a demonstration once, it looked like a lot of fun (and hard work!).

[file cabinet]

Other: capoeira

Capoeira incorporates elements to make it more interesting:
- singing
- clapping
- musical instruments
- dancing (kind of..)

Instead of outright fighting, it is about having a conversation where each opponent hops in to outwit the other tit-for-tat, kick-for-kick and flip-for-flip.

[Anonymous]

I'd actually eventually like to, though so far I've been too lazy. But Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is what I'm aiming for. Why? It seems to be a more advanced and functional martial art, what with it springing up only in the past century.

[BryNTP]

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I wrestled in high school and a little in college and jiu-jitsu seems to incorporate everything into it. I really enjoyed it and would love to find a gym (and time) to be able to learn.

[TenebrousReflection]

I don't currently practice any martial arts and I think I'd need to get in a lot better shape to do that than I am now, but I chose Aikido, buceause I like the idea of using someone eleses offense against them (and I have considered taking courses in it from time to time).

[millerm277]

Krav Maga. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_maga) Has no competitions or levels, and the entire purpose is for real-life use to eliminate attackers. Created in Israel.

[kelric]

Ninjutsu - mostly because I did study it for a year or so. I found it very practical, very non-flashy, very noncompetitive, and very analytical. It has a rich history, and although it is spiritual to an extent, there's really not any mumbo-jumbo type stuff. It's primarily about balance, movement, subtle manipulations and straightforwardness in thought - and that applied for really everything from non-weapon fighting, to weapon training, to acrobatics. The only reason I stopped is that my knees just couldn't take the extended periods of putting all of my weight on bent legs.

One thing it's not is a fast-moving (until you get good, which takes a LONG time - I never made it that far) sport-type martial art. The basic attitude is along the lines of "fighting's not a sport - don't fight if you can avoid it, but be prepared, and if you can't avoid it, fight to win, at all costs."

All in all, I enjoyed it (even if I wasn't all that great at it). It definitely helped my flexibility, and even a relatively clutzy guy like me noticed that I could get at least a semblance of grace and balance if I worked at it. The environment was good, the people were by-and-large easy to get along with (although *not* chatty - in type-terms I'd have to say it was a very ISTx crowd and philosophy). Sort of miss it :D.

[Wyst]

I would learn how to kill people.



















With my mind.

[Bear Warp]

Krav Maga

Practical, brutal, efficient.

[colmena]

I'm sure if you did Tai-chi for long enough, your body would know what to do should you ever need to defend yourself. Granted, other martial arts often use a learned response, but they're often less meditative.


If it had to be awesome, then it would be Kali/Eskrima ala Bourne Identity.

But anything involving body manipulation makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

[Wyst]

Does laser-vision count as a weapon?

[CaptainChick]

^ not if you wear those laser-shielding sunglasses that Cyclops wears.

[pure_mercury]

Batman was rocking some sweet Keysi Fighting Method in The Dark Knight. Excellent chest punches, arm breaks, and disarms.

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I have no idea. I would be incapable of telling the difference between any of the choices other than boxing and wrestling.

[CaptainChick]

I chose Ninjitsu cuz it just sounds kewl!!!

:ninja:

[Magic Poriferan]

Out of the written list, I would take Judo. But I chose the "other" option for this: Zui Quan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunken_Fist)

Ease and practicality be damned, I just love this too much. :laugh:

[murkrow]

I chose boxing.

Shiny bath robes>ability

[YourLocalJesus]

Other: Mixed Martial arts (Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Shooto etc). Been training MMA for about a year, other full contact martial arts before that.

[Xander]

It'd have to be boxing. Not sure about the others being actually useful as I've never seen anyone pull one of those moves actually in a fight and half of them are semi weapon based anyway.

For concept it'd have to be Jung Fang Kung Fu (aka Jeet Kune Do) but I'm also unsure as to the usability of this.

(Btw, you know that ninjitsu is basically b&e right? There is no martial art called that. A geeky point, I'll admit that, but still.)

Oh and most preferable of all... I wouldn't learn any of them. I've yet to meet a martial artist who isn't messed up in the head. Esp the krav maga and muay thai lot. Bloomin nutters!

[murkrow]

Oh and most preferable of all... I wouldn't learn any of them. I've yet to meet a martial artist who isn't messed up in the head. Esp the krav maga and muay thai lot. Bloomin nutters!

Yeah I pick that.

Can't I just talk people into submission?

[InaF3157]

It would be nice to have more ju-jitsu lessons though I probably forgot all of it by now. I am not that versed on the various kinds so who knows . . . maybe I would like something like Aikido after all.

[Xander]

Yeah I pick that.

Can't I just talk people into submission?
Works for me... though it does come with the drawback of being very difficult to disarm yourself for more social meetings :(

[Wyst]

^ not if you wear those laser-shielding sunglasses that Cyclops wears.

omg, they have laser shields for cyclops' now???
sunglasses is what the kids are calling 'em these days, huh?

[Peguy]

Russian Martial Arts (http://www.completemartialarts.com/information/styles/russian/russianhistory.htm). Very effective, and of coure in tune with my Slavic heritage.

Here's some nice videos on youtube showing it in action:
YouTube - Russian Martial Art System "Sibirskiy Viun" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=fPx6usHZPR8)
YouTube - Russian Martial Art System "Sibirskiy Viun", hand to hand (http://youtube.com/watch?v=hCIx20yFRj4&feature=related)


I know some boxing, but I tend to do best with grappling arts(like wrestling).

[Night]

Krav Maga

[Beat]

Krav Maga
Beat me to it. Very practical and effective. First time I heard of it, it was explained to me as "the martial art that teaches you the fastest way to incapacitate and kill your opponent/threat." http://b9board.com/images/smiles/icon_super.gif

YouTube - Krav Maga on Discovery Channel (http://youtube.com/watch?v=QnwroUXFtvc&feature=related)

[nemo]

I always though Aikido looked/seemed pretty badass, but I don't know much about martial arts.

[Falcarius]

Can someone please tell Falcarius what martial art involves the most back flips, as he wants to vote for whatever it is?

[substitute]

I used to work with a group of historical re-enactors, we used to do jousting tournaments and demo's of other medieval weapons. I was just the schmuck who carried shit around. But I got bored whilst waiting for things, and started playing with swords. They were too heavy, too wieldy for my weedy muscles, so I downsized and downsized and eventually found my niche with bayonets.

I idled away many a freezing cold afternoon whilst waiting for the big guys on the horses to need me, twirling and throwing and just generally getting jiggy with those bayonets.

Sadly, like skateboarding, it's a skill I once did well at, but have not practiced for so long that I suspect if I picked one up now, I'd be a blithering spazz. Shame, that. I'd like to take it up again and work at higher levels, one day.

[The_Liquid_Laser]

If I were to pick one to truly master it would be Tai Chi. Tai Chi masters pwn all others.

[Usehername]

Krav Maga. (Always wanted to learn it after I heard that's what JG did for Alias training. But I was like 14 give me a break.)

[Lateralus]

Krav Maga. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_maga) Has no competitions or levels, and the entire purpose is for real-life use to eliminate attackers. Created in Israel.
It's the only one I'd ever bother learning. I'd have already started training if I could find a teacher. When I lived in Florida, the nearest teacher was 2 hours away, while there were 100,000 generic martial arts schools within a 10 mile radius. I haven't started looking for a teacher in Minnesota, yet.

[Xander]

So most people are going for a fighting style which requires striking your limbs with sticks for hardness (Muay Thai), a sport based on a martial art (Aikido), a fighting style which half killed off the Muay Thai/ Kung Fu enthusiast I know (Krav Maga... the chosen style of guys with sloping foreheads and a job requiring standing outside doors with a sullen attitude) or a martial art which doesn't exsist except in reference to turtles???

Guys... really... a little class. Kudos to the Tai Chi enthusiasts though... 10 years down the track you could be really good. Even if you never fight it's supposed to be a wonderful look into the movements of the human body.

Oh and when are we doing the whole iron skin thing? Before or after we walk on hot coals?

;)

[substitute]

Ahem Xander - and what about my bayonet fighting that I totally made up my own style (and possibly the entire concept) of? Hmmm?

It was more show/skill stuff though than actually effective fighting. Testing, improving and honing my dexterity by pushing the limits of what I could do, how fast I could move, how accurate I could throw etc.

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Ahem Xander - and what about my bayonet fighting that I totally made up my own style (and possibly the entire concept) of? Hmmm?

It was more show/skill stuff though than actually effective fighting. Testing, improving and honing my dexterity by pushing the limits of what I could do, how fast I could move, how accurate I could throw etc.

I think the point of this thread is to pick a weaponless martial art.

[substitute]

I think the point of this thread is to pick a weaponless martial art.

Oh haha, shit yeah. I forgot. Soz :rofl1:

But still, it's cool, you gotta admit. Though ill-fitting for the purpose of the thread.

[kelric]

or a martial art which doesn't exsist except in reference to turtles???


Don't know much about the others, but you're mistaken here, Xander. Actually, there are a number of "schools" of ninjutsu, all of which are taught under the same tradition (and have been for years, along with a number of traditional samurai disciplines). The official name of the entire realm of teachings is "Bunjinkan budo taijutsu". It's been 10 years or so since I did it, and they seem to have distanced themselves from the name "ninjutsu" a bit (probably due to the Hollywood-induced bad connotations, which aren't consistent at all with the actual teachings), but it does exist.

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Oh haha, shit yeah. I forgot. Soz :rofl1:

But still, it's cool, you gotta admit. Though ill-fitting for the purpose of the thread.

Yeah it is cool. :cool: And I think it's in the spirit of martial arts, since a lot of technique was developed so poor people could learn to fight. Like nunchakus are just two sticks tied to a rope, and obviously a staff is something that is easy for a poor person to acquire. So simple make-shift weapons are definitely part of the martial arts background.

[millerm277]

Guys... really... a little class. Kudos to the Tai Chi enthusiasts though... 10 years down the track you could be really good. Even if you never fight it's supposed to be a wonderful look into the movements of the human body.

If I'm going to put my effort and time into learning a martial art, it's going to be whichever one is most useful realistically. From my point of view, that would be Krav Maga, and I would like to learn it at some time in the future. The rituals and such of other martial arts don't interest me in the least.



Oh and when are we doing the whole iron skin thing? Before or after we walk on hot coals?

That's easy...move quickly and you'll be fine. (Don't blame me if you hurt yourself though).

[CzeCze]

I've taken classes in Tae Kwon Do (purple belt but as a teenager), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, and Krav Maga. As well as various one-off 'self defense' classes including a Kendo workshop (I know, weapons)

When I signed up at the Jewish Community Center to take Krav Maga, some of my friends were like 'WTH are you doing that?' And my answer was, well damn, you know it has to be some serious mojo if the Israeli army is using it. :dry:

Pluses:

1) Utilitarian, works with body's natural reactions for lighting fast response, no strict rules so it's always evolving and improving, meant for REAL life modern situations

Minuses:

1) U-G-L-Y, not an art form
2) No philosophy behind it other than survive. Which is cool, but I want more.
3) Lots of people who take it are just like us on the thread who want to be bad ass. The problem is, not everyone is coordinated, responsible, or grounded in all the self-discipline/respect etc. etc. etc. philosophy that is the backbone of other martial arts

4) Lots of people I took the class with were clumsy and too busy trying to be macho to be good partners. I honestly think 1/2 the guys were desk jockeys/nerds trying to reclaim their masculinity. I was seriously concerned for my safety doing training practices with some people as they lacked respect/safety awareness and basic COORDINATION that is a given in other martial arts classes. It actually pissed me off.

Basically, maybe with Hollywood and cage fighting taking off, there are a lot of clueless noobs trying to learn 'bad ass' sports at places that don't really teach them the basics of respect/safety and are happy to take their money and teach them how to punch people in the face. Not a good recipe.

As an alternative - In serious Wushu (kung-fu) schools even in the states, you aren't guaranteed a spot. You have a probationary period and after a few months, if you don't have the coordination/talent or previous training to cut it, that's it. There are no dreamy ideals that 'everybody' can do this and do it well. It's hard! Aside from natural talent, with time constraints -- no, not every person with a job/family/school can dedicate the time to train enough to advance in a demanding discipline. These schools are serious about mastery and competion and respecting the sport by not doing a half-assed job. I actually don't mind. I wouldn't want to waste my time or money on a sport that is going to injure me and get my ass kicked.

I thought I wanted to do a nitty-gritty martial art like Krav Maga purely for the self-defense skills, but I got turned off by my experience.

Now, I'd rather do Kung Fu or basically something that is more an art-form/sport that incorporates more of a social/mind/body aspect to it. You know -- something pretty.

That's just me though.

[Xander]

Ahem Xander - and what about my bayonet fighting that I totally made up my own style (and possibly the entire concept) of? Hmmm?

It was more show/skill stuff though than actually effective fighting. Testing, improving and honing my dexterity by pushing the limits of what I could do, how fast I could move, how accurate I could throw etc.
Gun fu... way ahead of you :tongue10:
Don't know much about the others, but you're mistaken here, Xander. Actually, there are a number of "schools" of ninjutsu, all of which are taught under the same tradition (and have been for years, along with a number of traditional samurai disciplines). The official name of the entire realm of teachings is "Bunjinkan budo taijutsu". It's been 10 years or so since I did it, and they seem to have distanced themselves from the name "ninjutsu" a bit (probably due to the Hollywood-induced bad connotations, which aren't consistent at all with the actual teachings), but it does exist.
Ninjitsu is breaking and entering... Taijutsu is the martial art. I can't help it if the common sheep has different beliefs and companies prey upon such misconceptions.
If I'm going to put my effort and time into learning a martial art, it's going to be whichever one is most useful realistically. From my point of view, that would be Krav Maga, and I would like to learn it at some time in the future. The rituals and such of other martial arts don't interest me in the least.
Well don't blame me if you get hurt. The guy I know is a major hard man but he still had his back rearranged whilst doing Krav Maga with some bouncers.

As far as I understood things, hurting yourself is easy it's hurting others which is hard. Why take lessons in how to get yourself injured? ;)
That's easy...move quickly and you'll be fine. (Don't blame me if you hurt yourself though).
No the big thing is 'switch brain off'... that stuffs hard!!

[millerm277]

Well don't blame me if you get hurt. The guy I know is a major hard man but he still had his back rearranged whilst doing Krav Maga with some bouncers

From my understanding of it...in order to "practice" it, you have to wear a ton of padding, because there's no way to make the moves safe for just sparring with someone.

[Ivy]

Zui Quan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zui_Quan)

[Uberfuhrer]

Probably the Force Grip (Force Choke).

(I find your lack of faith disturbing.)

[Night]

From my understanding of it...in order to "practice" it, you have to wear a ton of padding, because there's no way to make the moves safe for just sparring with someone.

Full contact sparring is performed with Riot Gear-ish equipment. Reinforced padding covering most vital areas (minus most major joints, to increase flexibility of movement/tumbling).

1-step/choreographed sparring is usually maintained with loose-fitting clothes/streetwear.

[MetalWounds]

Full contact sparring is performed with Riot Gear-ish equipment. Reinforced padding covering most vital areas (minus most major joints, to increase flexibility of movement/tumbling).

Aye, when I went through baton training with the military police they employed almost a full padded suit.

It's called a "Red-man suit".
http://www.bytomic.com/images/products/redman.jpg

I forgot how much fun that was.

[JAVO]

After much thought, I voted for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. (And I'm probably going to my first trial class next week. ;))

I've taken a little tae kwon do and Hawaiian kenpo, but really always wanted to take ju-jitsu or judo. When confronted with real-life situations while a kid and teenager, I used what little ju-jitsu I had learned informally to end the confrontation quickly, generally by throwing the aggressor to the ground and walking away. I like Brazilian jiu-jitsu because of its practical and "kinetic chess" approach. Speed, size, and power can be negated by skill and knowledge.

Our kenpo instructor was wise in warning us emphatically and often to never allow ourselves to be taken to the ground....

YouTube - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs. Kenpo Karate - Royler Gracie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCv8wClAC38)

YouTube - Jiu jitsu Vs Kung fu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjK0g-cDJI4)

[Grayscale]

I've already chosen kung fu, because I like the logical basis of it. The movements, the goals, the thinking, everything makes instant sense to me, without needing explanation. It just seems instantly practical for fighting, rather than all the mystical BS that some schools like to give you. That may just be a function of the teacher, though.

And to be fair, I have very little experience with the others. I've tried aikido and left after 2 months because I hated it so much (incredibly slow pace, unintuitive movements, didn't seem like it had any practical use) despite all the good things I'd heard about it.


agreed... i also think the kung fu regimen is very balanced in terms of developing speed, flexibility, and mental focus. to me, the auxiliary benefits are actually more important than the art itself. realistically, the combative abilities you learn will be rarely used, if ever, while the developmental affects will benefit you in a wide variety of other things, especially sports.

[Xander]

From my understanding of it...in order to "practice" it, you have to wear a ton of padding, because there's no way to make the moves safe for just sparring with someone.
Oh it wasn't punches or such that injured him... he wrenched his back trying to wrestle with the other guy on the floor.
agreed... i also think the kung fu regimen is very balanced in terms of developing speed, flexibility, and mental focus. to me, the auxiliary benefits are actually more important than the art itself. realistically, the combative abilities you learn will be rarely used, if ever, while the developmental affects will benefit you in a wide variety of other things, especially sports.
I'd have loved to study kung fu but unfortunately I have to deal with all the gimps around here who only want to study martial arts as some kind of fashion accessory. That and the whole "oh no you have to do the gradings... we can't just teach you" made me leave the whole idea when I was a kid. I figured if I did want dance lessons the other classes had pretty girls in them and the "martial arts" classes I went to were more suited to formation displays than anything as useful as focus.

[Sling]

Whatever martial art that uses that technique which ruptures organs by yelling.


Nobody see's it coming. You can't block it, unless you're covered in egg cartons or something. Sound travels faster than any kick or jab a human could throw. It would also be practical for many things other than asskicking.

[edel weiss]

I learn karate and some mixed martial arts. Karate's my favourite, by far. I like to use my legs more than boxing allows, and I, um, pretty much suck at wrestling. I enjoyed ju jitsu, though. I was mainly excited about ju jitsu because Sherlock Holmes did it, no other particular reason. I'd like to give a shot at kung fu.

Karate helps me power out all that pent up energy. I broke a guy's hand once while sparring. I don't think he'll ever heard the end of that particular accident. :D

[Kanamori]

Judo's great for totally getting the upper hand in a melee.

[rhinosaur]

If you could only learn one weaponless martial art, what would it be?

Why?

I haven't tried them all, so I'm unqualified to answer the question.

Aikido was good, but I thought it wasn't physical enough. There's a kind of primal energy you get out of doing contact stuff, that you don't get from pins and movements and redirecting energy.

I also don't think I would choose Taekwondo, because it seems more like a sport than a martial art. But I've never tried it.

[rhinosaur]

Whatever martial art that uses that technique which ruptures organs by yelling.

Death metal?

[JustDave]

Krav Maga. Then, Kung Fu.

[Bufo]

IMO, Kali (a Filipino martial art) is the best. Although not a weaponless art, but you can always find an improvised weapon. This is particularly important, because, in an actual combat, you are likely to be outnumbered.

[Xander]

IMO, Kali (a Filipino martial art) is the best. Although not a weaponless art, but you can always find an improvised weapon. This is particularly important, because, in an actual combat, you are likely to be outnumbered.
Oh those guys are unbelivable. The hand eye co-ordination required for that kind of art is increadible. Sod the matrix, these guys are super agents! Empty your clip and all you get is your ass kicked! (Well or stabbed or whacked with a large stick...)

[iamWong]

I picked Judo - okay, I'm being totally biased here; I'm a Judoka.
However, Ninjitsu would be my choice if I were totally unbiased.
It's lethal and precise.
Not to mention illegal to practice in my country.

[Beat]

I'm working towards my gray belt over the next two weeks in MCMAP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCMAP)

[Anja]

The one weaponless marital art I would like to become adept at is - spanking.

MARTIAL? Oh.

Nevermind.

[booyalab]

I've always wanted to box. My grandpa was a boxer and he lost his teeth and had to get dentures in his 20s after one especially dirty fight.

[ajblaise]

Ju-jitsu. I don't know more than half of those listed, but Ju-jitsu seemed pretty badass when I saw it on TV.

[Oso Mocoso]

IMO, Kali (a Filipino martial art) is the best. Although not a weaponless art, but you can always find an improvised weapon. This is particularly important, because, in an actual combat, you are likely to be outnumbered.

Hells yes. Eskrima/Kali FTW. I'd learn that. Or Krav Maga which was also missing from the poll for some reason.

[Eldanen]

Liu He Ba Fa, baby.

[Hexis]

Xingyiquan

Is a chinese martial arts focusing on powerful hand techinques to disable or "plow" through your oponent and low foot work.

[Lithium]

Jeet Kune Do. I've done Tae Kwon Do and while it is a beautiful art it is not that practical in a street fight unless you are of a high level respectively. Jeet Kune Do is designed to be personalized to the individual, only down side is that it is taught by hardly anyone.

[EvanTheClown]

"Daito-Ryu" Aiki-judo-jujutsu - its the common link between Judo, Aikido, and Jujutsu. Its mainly comprised of getting your opponents into a defenseless position as quickly as possible with the least amount of effort. It involves alot with submissions, throws, grapples and such, but also one-hit-takeouts, which I think is genius. Because if you think about it, there are a lot of ways to take somebody out of a fight really quick. Knock the air of out somebody the right way and they're gasping for the next 30 seconds or so (AKA: SOL irl)

[wolfy]

Krav Maga or Kyokushin Karate

[JivinJeffJones]

Krav Maga for me too. Maximum damage, minimum fucking around.

[IlyaK1986]

Krav Maga. If you're going to fight, then the point isn't to subdue your opponent. It's to hurt them so badly that they remember not only the humiliation, but the outright pain involved.

Half of the techniques in KM start with a low blow. There are no rules. Things like eye rakes, throwing sand in someone's eyes, and all out just fighting plain dirty are absolutely encouraged.

And considering the human body has so mean weak spots and ways to shatter important bones or knock out/kill in short order, it shouldn't be too difficult for someone skilled in KM to destroy someone else. And for all of these grappling type martial arts, guess what? If a guy is on your back trying to get a chokehold, punch him in the nuts. Gouge his eyes. Take control of one of his fingers that's not yet locked in and bend it and shatter it.

All of these things are outright illegal in MMA due to the danger they have of permanently injuring someone.

But if you're going to fight...

ISN'T THAT THE POINT?

[LadyJaye]

Aikido. I'm small, and I like the idea of using an opponent's energy against him, while expending little of my own. It's not an attacker's martial art, it's defense based, and I admire the concept of defense without attacker's aggression.

[kyuuei]

I've heard and seen awesome things from ju-jitsu from a student of it.. but if I didn't learn that, good old fashioned wrestling would be for me.

[ByMySword]

Pankration: The original martial art that influence all the others.

[lookoutbelow84093]

Kali

[Bufo]

Aikido. I'm small, and I like the idea of using an opponent's energy against him, while expending little of my own. It's not an attacker's martial art, it's defense based, and I admire the concept of defense without attacker's aggression.

Very realistic approach. A good choice must be based on one's basic strength and weakness.

[JivinJeffJones]

Krav Maga. If you're going to fight, then the point isn't to subdue your opponent. It's to hurt them so badly that they remember not only the humiliation, but the outright pain involved.

Half of the techniques in KM start with a low blow. There are no rules. Things like eye rakes, throwing sand in someone's eyes, and all out just fighting plain dirty are absolutely encouraged.

And considering the human body has so mean weak spots and ways to shatter important bones or knock out/kill in short order, it shouldn't be too difficult for someone skilled in KM to destroy someone else. And for all of these grappling type martial arts, guess what? If a guy is on your back trying to get a chokehold, punch him in the nuts. Gouge his eyes. Take control of one of his fingers that's not yet locked in and bend it and shatter it.

All of these things are outright illegal in MMA due to the danger they have of permanently injuring someone.

But if you're going to fight...

ISN'T THAT THE POINT?

Yeah, it sounds like something that would be awesome to be a master of. I can't help but think it'd be a really nasty and painful form of martial arts to learn though. KM sparring? "Pair up guys, and practice punching each other in the balls. After that, try some eye-gouging. We'll finish up with a bit of light sand-flinging."

[Amargith]

I've done Jiu Jitsu, and although I enjoyed it, I would love to learn some Kung Fu. The idea to draw inspiration from certain types of animals is what is appealing to me.

[r0wo1]

Aikido

Aikido. I'm small, and I like the idea of using an opponent's energy against him, while expending little of my own. It's not an attacker's martial art, it's defense based, and I admire the concept of defense without attacker's aggression.

/agree, though Im about 5' 11'' so without the small part :)

[Numbers]

Boxing. I wish I could find a gym around here, but there really aren't any.

Boxing works well on the street - great defensive skills and offense. Very practical martial art.

Plus I love to watch it and I think it would be fun as long as your sparring partner isn't trying to KO you.


I also think BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Krav Maga would be fun and effective systems.

[Gauche]

Systema - Russian martial art (I guess Specnaz practise this too)

-pragmatic, used to defeat enemy and not to be defeated
-focus rather on smart ways of fight and basic principles than on strictly memorised moves - so improvisational and useful in various conditions