The BEST Martial Art

[@MichaelJenkins910]

There's an old, old joke in the traditional martial arts community: "Which is the best martial art? Well, there's no superior martial art . . . but it's judo."

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Well it's "scientifically" proven now.

[@joebiscuit2243]

They teach people how to hit with the planet

[@mysty0]

I once watched a Judo champion set upon by about 15 or so blokes.. sat on the fence watching the spectacle, when asked why I wasn't intervening I said I was enjoying the show.. I stepped in towards the end as he tired and told everyone fun time was over That said Judo has this polite manner of walking out and taking hold of each others robes, doesnt translate into the real world. Alternatively the bull rush, again effective on the uninitiated.

[@griffin2599]

@@mysty0 Except Judo have techniques that can be adapted and applied. I know because we train how to do it

[@griffin2599]

It depends on what style of Judo you are training if you want advanced Newaza in Judo. Don't forget BJJ came from Judo Newaza. Kosen Judo was before BJJ and although BJJ is more advanced now, the Gracies weren't doing anything new during their hay day that wasn't already being done in Kosen Judo

[@seasickviking]

I would have expected for Bartitsu to be on the list, given that its literally English Martial Arts channel, but that's me. I would also added Sumo, Hapkido and a handful of others to the list, but mostly for personal preference. Personally, I'm glad Krava Maga, Kendo and Kali didn't make the list. Either way, you set a good argument and it was fun listening hearing you out. I ultimately agree on the lack of consistency in terms of TKD, but having trained in multiple arts (TKD, Japanese Jujitsu, Judo, Shotokan and TuiShou), I can say its the same for a LOT of martial arts that have become both sports and daycare centers over the years. Good luck on future videos.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you! I'm not a fan of Bartitsu, and I'd argue what is done currently shares little but the name.

[@Zz7722zZ]

The best martial art is always MY martial art.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I kinda feel that way too!

[@RoboticSafey]

I chuckled at the hema scoring. Your spot-on for consistency for it. I think you should perhaps weight the categories. Is effectiveness really the same importance as aesthetics? Is consistency good if you are consistenly bad?

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Good questions.

[@josephkeeter9648]

I took taekwondo classes for about 4 months. The instructor was great and super motivated to help you improve. I just didn't seem to improve beyond a certain point, probably because I started in my 40s. As for effectiveness, it seems like it would work best on people who didn't know it lol.

[@stevevoyles3816]

It really depends on why you study a martial art. I do not practice anymore because of my age. But i recommend filipino dirty boxing over regular boxing because it teaches you to enter and take someone down. To me entering is the most vital aspect in combat, because entering properly keeps you safe. Aikido has some good moves for entering if they are understood. Learn some ground techniques and silat techniques to round things out. Any military moves also. I just took what i wanted from many systems and blend them. Good luck with whatever you do and stay alert and safe...

[@sharp_medicine9858]

I'm a medium and I've just been speaking with the spirit of Walter Armstrong and he says he understands you not including Cumberland and Westmorland (or the supermarket own brand version Scottish Backhold) in this video. He says there would be no suspense if the winner was obvious from the start.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I love you.

[@King_Of_Games]

Honestly, some of them they scored like three in effectiveness. I was surprised because I thought that was too high. Lol But I’m glad somebody’s giving them credit

[@michaelclark978]

After getting my brown belt in taekwondo at age 14 then having a friend who studied bjj. He wanted to spar or what he called “roll”, after about 2 min I found myself being choked with my own brown belt. I was quickly converted after that moment lol

[@ACarpenter89]

I am a boxer, and yea it lacks kicking and grappling is the clinch which is under utilized. That being said the few street fights i've been in and the ones I have seen have mostly have been punching or weapons based. Not saying thats all fights just my limited observations. Also did taekwondo and first actual fight i got in got the hell beat out of me by a former bouncer it does not work.

[@arianasgar273]

1MMA 2Folk style wreastling 3BJJ/Judo 4Muay Thai

[@dsouthers2]

I think "learning curve" would have been another good criteria. While most arts are going have a great deal of depth and be hard to master, you can definitely pick up some more quickly than others. Boxing for instance, within a few weeks you've probably learned a few combinations and can hit the bags and be far more competent than when you started (not saying you'd be competent, just more than you were). Where as any grappling art you're going to get your ass kicked for at least six months before you gain any real competency.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I like that idea, I shall file it away for future use.

[@tylwyth]

Great work, and I think there's a lot of truth here. Do you want to actually do something martial? Great, top 3 is for you. Don't want to fight, but want an overall enjoyable, consistent experience? Aikido is actually a pretty solid answer. Want to roll the dice on quality, be exhausted, and feel out of sorts in a fight? The bottom is probably what you want to try (though I would have guessed the presence of actual contact in TKD would have pushed it up a -little- further). I imagine, had you covered it, Krav Maga would be fighting (see what I did there) for one of those bottom ranks for the same reasons.

[@Daniel_Cooley]

Dang, I wish you would of had Sambo on the list. I'm interested in what you think about it. I have no Sambo background at all. I started training mma and Muay Thai in high school for about 2 years then I stopped training for a few years and I've been doing BJJ on and off for 7 years but very consistently for the last 3. All that being said I think Sambo is the best single martial art. Combat sambo has strikes, huge throws, and submissions.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I love Sambo, but am definitely too broken to do it properly!

[@adamclark1972uk]

Sambo is based on judo.

[@0-kingsloth-020]

8:25 I agree with wrestling however does it really NEED a counter for kicking

[@capicornboss]

I like your list and the thought process behind it! Oss🤙🏿

[@samwiederspan8823]

I practice Wing Chun (I’ve used it on the street, it’s good boxing and good for blocking) and train in BJJ/some Japanese jujitsu mixed in. I always ask my instructor to include practicable application. I’ve also recently watched some old black and white Judo videos the art used to include - punches, grappling and throwing as part of a single curriculum so, I think in reality that would be the ultimate martial art.

[@simonmorris4226]

Same with Aikido! Earlier styles emphasised the use of atemi or striking as an integral part of technique.

[@gloverdragon6854]

It’s almost impossible to answer this question with the an agreed upon criteria. I say that because your criteria has led for aikido to rank above boxing and be placed 4th. Had the criteria for best martial arts been a different set of criteria marks then aikido wouldn’t have made it that far up. It just doesn’t work as aggressor or for defence.

[@marcoantoniogarcia8576]

This list is very subjective, you ask if aikido is better than boxing, in a fight “on the streets” a decent boxer will certainly knock any Aikido practitioner out, but talking about consistency, esthetic... it’s very subjective, I personally think that if you watch any professional boxing match it’s always going to look like boxing and to watch the greats of the sport like Canelo nowadays or Sugar Ray Leonard in the past it looks awesome to me. Anyway, when you’re talking about effectiveness what do you mean exactly? “On the streets” or, let’s say, in an MMA professional fight? Because if you’re talking about MMA I’d say that maybe BJJ is the most effective overall, maybe alongside freestyle wrestling which is not on the list. Boxing would probably be 5, very effective punching, but nothing else, Muay Thai maybe 6 as it doesn’t move a lot and it doesn’t have a lot of defense, I’d probably score kickboxing higher than Muay Thai. But talking about a street fight, in most cases a good straight hand cross to the face is going to finish the fight as would a good elbow to the face or kick, so I’d score both Muay Thai and boxing very high. BJJ does work in a street fight, but against a good boxer that can punch going backwards the BJJ practitioner is probably going to be knocked out before being able to take the boxer to the ground. About Judo, it’s a good martial art, it has good throws, but it’s certainly not the best, I’d say that freestyle Wrestling is much more effective than Judo both in an MMA fight and in a street fight.

[@papabear328]

Sambo (especially combat sambo which is effectively MMA with a gi top and wrestling shoes) would have been a good addition to the list but not many consistently good schools outside of Russia and some neighbouring countries.

[@izzygarcialionibabaloipici6293]

is weapon training even necessary? it's not like a boxer needs to learn how to stab or that violent people need training. When i say necessary i mean as a part of the martial arts journey, most of what you'll learn unarmed will work with a force multiplier.

[@adhdmed]

Taekwondo is good when mixed with Muay Thai and Judo.

[@richardb2652]

There is a saying: "The individual is more important than any established style". You will probably never find someone who just does Judo or just does Muay Thai or boxing anymore. Even in the best Judo/BJJ/Boxing gyms in the world they have cross training. TKD may not be effective on its own but combined with Boxing/Judo/BJJ it is probably pretty effective. The kicks of TKD definitely rival Muay Thai kicks. May not be a perfect match, but close.

[@andrewryan7583]

Another good vid mate. Some surprising results ikedo on top of boxing? Yeah well what do I know. I’m not surprised about Tae Kwong do. I did it when I was a kid. Useless for combat Nice flashy kicks Nothing else. Cheers

[@uzbekistanimale]

I'd say Iron Palm

[@smokingjazz5067]

Me coming from karate , I say yes judo is the best martial art overall, the one I would advise my son and daughters to practice

[@mayankprasad7317]

A well executed judo throw is the most beautiful thing to watch in all of sports. _john danahar ( lex fridmam interview)

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yes, but my counter argument is that it is also extremely rare.

[@miesvaillanykyisyytta3252]

Artistic gymnastics and figure skating makes martial arts look like a pastime for the elderly but both have their uses.

[@jayephbee]

Like some of the list hate some of the list I love. Great vid though. Find the art you love & don’t get shot or stabbed 😊

[@EnglishMartialArts]

That about covers it!

[@1234dhrifjevdigjr]

imo, boxing is the most effective bc punches will be your main weapon i. a street fight, however for in a ring or anything other then the street id say your rating is fair

[@scholagladiatoria]

So, here's the problem rating HEMA for effectiveness, and you stated it near the beginning. What HEMA is being rated? If it's HEMA wrestling then... well that's basically Catch wrestling, which you gave a higher score. Or boxing. Or savate, or.... you get my point. If it's longsword, then longsworders are regularly wiping the floor with people doing comparative arts like kendo or kenjutsu, and ninjitsu doesn't even get a look in. Lots of HEMA fighters easily hold their own against stick fighting styles, FMA and dog brothers stuff - in fact loads of them cross train that. If it's sabre or smallsword, then those fencers are holding their own against Olympic fencers, cross training and in some cases are doing both things at the same time. So, which bit of HEMA is the 4/10 and which bit of HEMA underperforms against which other arts? IMHO, if you want to learn swords or other large weapons, or indeed perhaps even knife, then HEMA is right up at the top of all martial arts right now, alongside FMA. It should also be pointed out, that in 2022, there are now more people training and competing in HEMA sword styles than there are in things like kenjutsu, and probably more than FMA in a lot of countries.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Well I think there are plenty of HEMA groups that don't compete at all. There are a number of well known instructors who never even spar publicly. And add to that the fact that there is little agreement in what competitive HEMA should even look like or how we define a win I think it's a fair score. I don't think I can reasonably score it more than boxing... I admit it's a very subjective score though.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Let me try a different tack. If you were chatting to someone online for the first time, and they said they did HEMA, would your assumption be that they were able to fight? I don't think mine would.

[@scholagladiatoria]

@@EnglishMartialArts fight with a sword or other large weapon, yes. Fight unarmed, no absolutely not 🙂But if we were talking about weapons, then I can't think of any martial art except for various FMA that I would put on the same level as HEMA. Most kenjutsu and kendoka practitioners get creamed IMHO.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

@@scholagladiatoria I'd still argue that you're talking about a subset of HEMA, and not a universal condition. But taking that as read yes, I agree that the people in HEMA who fight regularly would dominate other sword/poleaem systems.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Now, in terms of effectiveness 'on the street'. Let's talk about knives, which whether you're in the UK, France or USA are the weapon most likely to kill you. A few of the martial arts at the top of this list are amongst the worst for preparing you for a knife attack. Obviously a knife attack is a very specific scenario, but if we're talking about official statistics, a knife attack is what most martial artists should be training for.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I think there are two responses. Firstly I was clear to state street/ring/cage, for the simple fact that different arts are designed for different purposes. If we're limiting it to the street then a number will score even lower. And also I realise we've done this very point several times over the years, but in my experience the people who say grappling doesn't work tend to be the people who have never grappled.

[@scholagladiatoria]

@@EnglishMartialArts in fact I do believe grappling works in this scenario when applied correctly, but only if grappling has been trained for this scenario. I think the way that most grappling is practiced on the mats would be some of the worst ways to try and use grappling skills where a knife is involved. In the end, it's about practice and exposure, and very few grapplers are training for a knife context. From practicing various scenarios and observation of crime and law enforcement, I think a lot of Olympic fencers are actually better prepared for a knife attack than most grapplers are. But of course opinions are like acorns in autumn 🙂

[@amazed2341]

Best martial art to deal with knife attacks is cross country running

[@scholagladiatoria]

@@amazed2341 unfortunately a high percentage of people stabbed to death were running away (or trying to). While I absolutely agree that avoidance is the best option if possible, the reality is that it is usually not even an option once an attack starts.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Thinking about it while making a cup of tea, krav maga or military combatives really should be on this list. IMHO if we're going to list anything top for 'effectiveness' as a martial (eg. warlike) art, then it has to be something that is tried and tested by military and security professionals.

[@martinzarzarmusic5338]

i did judo all my childhood and never thought it was anything special. But then again… bullies never did well with me. Maybe that explains it 😂. Some key aspects of judo is that it’s taught in a very didactic way without much glamorizing, and the strength and fitness training are absolutely brutal. Obviously mixed martial arts is the way to go these days. I think it’s good to learn the best of each tradition. I really like your channel!

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you!

[@rahulmeetei714]

@EnglishMartialArts in terms of effectiveness, i don't agree with you. i don't think judo is effective, i think boxing is much effective in street fight, just one or two punch from a boxer is enought to out down any thugs, even thought a wrestler or grappler has to do some punching before getting hold of the boxer, many mma fighters like dustin porrier, conor mcgregor, kumaru usman they shine because of their boxing knowledge

[@crazygreek6341]

Doens't want to do controversial stuff ... wants to find the best martial art haha nice one

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I never promised to be consistent! 😁

[@crazygreek6341]

@@EnglishMartialArts and to the video I have to agree on a lot of things - loved the TWD bashing - but as a dude that did karate for 12 years and switched to BJJ/MMA/Kick boxing comparing Karate with the 1000 million styles to more stream lined MA is a bit unfair. Well the points still stand if you compare Kyokushin and shotokan with the rest but the points would still be similar but I can still be mad in a post ironic way

[@d4n4r3y]

The best martial art is the one you're most interested in and motivates you to keep training.

[@utkarsh2746]

Could we get a video on the history of Combat Sambo? Or going with your current mood, 'Boxers don't know what to do in the clinch'? Like the difference in styles between older Jack Johnson type boxers, Roberto Duran, Mayweather using the clinch as an escape and the modern day boxer not knowing what to do in the clinch at all. Maybe Loma actually using the clinch with his Sambo background.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Interesting video idea, and also interesting title! 😂

[@moonsdonut5188]

There is an in depth video of sambo on the channel named didos he goes in depth on sambo

[@ghengiskhan9308]

Combat smabo history ain't that deep you can make it deep. It was just smabo developed to be practiced like a real fight. There's also Russian ARB which is basically combat ju jutsu and then there's kudo which has a higher enphasis on striking than throwing

[@100dfrost]

Sir, I had a friend that had studied Judo when he was young and at impromptu horseplay he was dynamic. Of course I would plan on how I would react to his moves in a real fight, a lot of non boxing would have to be involved, but honestly I have no idea how much of what he knew was actually on display. Suffice it to say I'm glad I never really had to fight him. Good video, thanks.

[@brycedavenport1252]

This comment is 3 days old but the video is only 2

[@rahulmeetei714]

@EnglishMartialArts in terms of effectiveness, i don't agree with you. i don't think judo is effective, i think boxing is much effective in street fight, just one or two punch from a boxer is enought to out down any thugs, even thought a wrestler or grappler has to do some punching before getting hold of the boxer, many mma fighters like dustin porrier, conor mcgregor, kumaru usman they shine because of their boxing knowledge

[@ruiseartalcorn]

Great video! :) I find your method of ranking interesting and fun :) In defense of Wing Chun, I think most of the effectiveness issues are as a result of it being taught by theorists rather than fighters. I have trained in many systems over the last 57 years and have been messing about with Wing Chun for about 40 years. Whilst it doesn't do well in gloved competition, I think, if taught correctly, it is a very good self defense system, especially in close spaces. Have a look at Dominick Izzo's stuff. He teaches it as a no-nonsense, direct way of bashing the crap out of an attacker! Anyway, thanks again for a great video :)

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I'll check him out, thanks!

[@ruiseartalcorn]

@@EnglishMartialArts You're very welcome :) Keep up the good work :)

[@chaxologist2024]

Right, Wing Chun is primarily taught as such rather than a complete system that involves punching, kicking and wrestling that is intended for practical use. Winf Chun is supposed to be a principle based art that emphasizes simultaneous attack and defense in any way, shape and form including kicks, punches and takedowns. Its only unique technique addition is the Chi Sao and the vertical fist punches, nothing else. Essentially, real, functional Wing Chun is a derivative or identical counterpart to the old school, pre-Marques of Queensbury Boxing style that punching, grappling and Chi-Sao techniques.

[@ruiseartalcorn]

@@chaxologist2024 I'm also very interested in European Pugilism and I too see some similarities with Wing Chun. I think Wing Chun is also an excellent bridge between punching and grappling.

[@darkmysterytemple]

I learned Wing Chun in Taiwan in the 1980s and we had stand up all in challenge fights at Shir Da university. I trained with Francis Szeto. He fought bare knuckle into his 50s against all comers of all weight categories. It's very useful , especially with a grappling background. But as you say not just taught as theory or compliant opponents but full contact.

[@robertnguyen9493]

I think that the “best” martial art is the one that works best for the individual. Very often the most aesthetic martial art isn’t the most effective i.e. Judo, BJJ and Muay Thai. But are incredibly effective. So one singular art itself isn’t best but a combination of arts is. So it falls on the individual to find the combination of arts that works best for them. Also; FIGHT TEAM!

[@seculardojo7738]

I think Judo is underrated. I have seen a few videos recently arguing for Judo over BJJ. Judo is better for self defence, and trying to avoid the ground, as well as putting people on it, even if groundwork is taught to some degree. I can't argue with BJJ being better on the ground than Judo, but it's obviously best to avoid the ground if possible. Interesting way of scoring by the way

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you!

[@vperna6035]

Of course, they are both great for self-defense, but I feel like I could make the same argument for the skill of escaping bad positions for bjj. It's the other side of the coin I think people tend to forget; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is just as much an escape art as a submission art. "It's best to avoid the ground if possible" Thats a variable I'd rather have covered. Also, Wrestling is becoming an essential skill in the BJJ community.

[@seculardojo7738]

They are both good skill sets to learn

[@randybowman]

If somebody is doing grappling for self defense they should spend a lot of time on standing grappling and a lot of time on escaping bottom position and controlling top position as well as probably a little less time on submissions, but should still spend plenty of time of submissions. All of those things can be gotten from judo, bjj, catch, sambo or any other submission grappling style. You'll just have to train with that in mind and during open mat time seek out standing partners if you're in bjj. Or if in judo don't stop at the ippon sometimes or in catch maybe don't stop at the pin sometimes. Bjj has a more open takedown ruleset than judo does with no banned grips and leg grabs being allowed as well as being able to do more standing submissions leading into throws. The average judo person would probably throw the average bjj person though.

[@ghengiskhan9308]

Judo is mega underrated watch kudo, combat ju jutsu and combat sambo imagine if you learnt basic striking and did that to a untrained person on the street. Not to mention judo has a lot of locks from old ju jutsu that are banned in competition but are super effective for self defence.

[@JustinColletti]

Interesting approach to ranking. The one thing that’s way off is boxing, which should probably score much higher in effectiveness and aesthetics. Sure, a well trained grappler with no boxing is likely to beat a well trained boxer with no grappling. (Doubly so in a ring with padded floors.) But outside of that match up, boxing is one of the most effective martial arts a person can learn for basic self defense situations where striking is warranted. Also, unlike sport BJJ it is comprehensible to watch even if you don’t do it. I say this as someone who prefers BJJ . I also think you scored Judo slightly too high in effectiveness. I say this as someone who loves Judo. Aikido being that high is an artifact of the unusual ranking system that puts aesthetics on such high footing. I’d also suggest that on aesthetics, karate should rank higher. It might have also been interesting to add a category on how easy it is to become competent in the art. This is worthwhile information and would have also moved aikido down and boxing up, which would have been appropriate I think.

[@robcubed9557]

The best martial art is Ameridote. It has all the strengths of various martial arts without any weaknesses. It was founded by Master Ken Po. You can find out more about Ameridote on the channel "Enter the Dojo".

[@wikiwikiwee1]

Best of all, worst of none, oss

[@IR5464...]

Everything else is 🐂💩

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Love Master Ken.

[@assfuckingshit]

Be sure to stomp the groin! 😂

[@Taekwon-Brando]

I actually trained with Matt Paige (master ken) a few times he lives in my city and is a cool guy

[@paullatter1604]

I totally agree with your assessment. I might be a little bias as a second degree Judo Black Belt. But it is a great sport , tough training and useful in a real fight. If I was designing what I think is the best training for self- defense I would recommend Judo training starting at 11-12, BJJ starting at 16 and then adding May Thai at 16-18. In the US High School Wrestling and Golden Gloves Boxing are two other options. I am 72 (today) and started Judo back in the 1970’s. From the beginning I worked out with Judo National Champions and Olympians. Then in the 1990’s started training with a Japanese Sensei who emphasized ground work. BBJ was just starting to gain attention in the USA. I never got to compete in BBJ but did practice with some students and my Judo worked well, but Judo has changed and no longer puts much emphasis on the ground. Wresting is great for conditioning and developing an aggressive attitude! I have trained a little with a former pro boxer and those guys can take a beating. In college I had a friend from Thailand who had studied May Thai and he was fast! If I could only pick one it would be Judo, because if you look at the advanced katas (Kimi no Kata) you will find strikes and kicks as well as ground work. However it is unlikely to find a Judo Club today that teaches everything you need for self-defense.

[@-whackd]

How does it prepare you for being stabbed

[@BeepBoop2221]

​@@-whackdOK. Think about how thie knife attacks happen.

[@katokianimation]

Judo is a paradoxon to me. On paper it is the best martial art but in reality judokas has very poor rate to transition to mma. My hypothesis is that is because judo standing excel at the grappling range that 100% dominated by striking. And while you can shoot for a double leg from distance set up by striking you can't really do that with judo throws. You have to set it up from clinch. That is why greco roman wrestling and muhay thai base works better than judo. Bjj on the other hand shouldn't work but we still see crazzy people throwing heel kicks from dlr guard. Iminari rolling to 50/50 heel hook. And the biggest blunder of history Andarson Silva after 24 minutes of grounded beat up winning the fight from the buttom.... hard to belive we live in a universe where this is even possible. And later we found out the people who have the best guard game also developed the best top controll. It is like the first horsemans. First it was the dummest, most dangerous idea ever, second they rulled the world until everybody started riding horses...

[@adamclark1972uk]

Poor transition rate? How about Fedor and Ronda? Arguably the greatest male and female MMA fighters of all time.

[@katokianimation]

@@adamclark1972uk the meta has changed how could you argue that Ronda was the best? She was desroyed as soon as well rounded fighters stepped in the cage. Nowadays that couldn't happen that somebody with only no gi judo hip thoss and armbar 10 fighters in a row. Even Khabib had to mix up his submissions for a division full of strikers

[@Semiotichazey]

These are decent categories, but it all depends on how you weight them. A lot of people won't care about aesthetics, and some people won't care about effectiveness. Consistency can be important for the community aspect, especially if you're a total newbie breaking into the art. But if you've got a lead on a good instructor, it becomes a lot less important. Also, some people care about the personal development aspect; physical, mental and/or spiritual. That's probably more important that aesthetics no matter who you are, unless you are easily impressed by cool looking stuff.

[@redundantfridge9764]

As a HEMA guy, the second I saw consistency, I knew things were not going to go well. It isn't just the school of thought for German or Italian Longsword, or guys doing more polearms in their criterium, sometimes you get get a school that actually involves a lot of wrestling or grappling. Sometimes you get guys who strictly follow specific treatises and manuscripts from a singular master, such as Fiore Dei Liberi. And then you get that one guy who demonstrates unusual moves or tricks in competition and actually get points successfully.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yeah, HEMA is a pretty broad church... 😀

[@patrickhunter9525]

And that isn't even getting into the different interpretations for the more ambiguous treatises.

[@gurkfisk89]

An other HEMA guy here, I think that we got sort of a high score overall. I would give us lower marks in both effectiveness and asthetics. I feel cool and awesome when I do HEMA, but I sure ass hell doesn't look cool to an outsider. =)

[@bobbysmitty1628]

Cool video as usual !! A big variable in any of these lists is the practitioner. Mentality and training methods are vastly important. All in all, these systems are comprised of biomechanics. For the realistic ones, the effectiveness lies in the way the biomechanics are applied. Boxing in the hands of a middle-aged parent training to lose weight is not going to be the same boxing as a conditioned athlete trying to win a national title. Same with TKD, those flashy moves may not be effective as trained in your average class setting. However, the mechanics of a spinning wheel (heel) kick, lead to one of the most devastating strikes you'll ever see in competitive MMA.

[@-whackd]

And none of these things matter when three meth heads with knives attack you

[@bobbysmitty1628]

@@-whackd I don't hang around meth heads. Are you talking from personal experience? If so, keep better company 😂 Or carry a pistol. That can help too.

[@Odwolf2]

I am a HEMA practitioner, and gotta say, fair's fair lol most I've been exposed to is british military saber and smallsword. That's what I do, that's what I know. However, after some experimentation, with knowing the core principles of those two, I often think about how I'd defend myself with whatever is at hand, and you'd be surprised what might actually be useful. I get the feeling you could get a similar result if one learns boxing and catch together. Both are English martial arts, they even seem like siblings in a sense. And as for the judo assessment, I think judo would benefit if it made its striking techniques more widely known. Not that it would change what it is, but probably break the mould that it's only throwing with some ground fighting. The striking was mostly to break someones posture or put them off balance. But still, I think many people would be shocked, much like I was, that it offers some instruction on striking.

[@joebiscuit2243]

Judo did influence the creation of two other arts therefore it's the best Jk but seriously though I think if BJJ guys could take Judo and Sambo or vice versa they would get better at their respective arts. Similar to how just about every successful catch wrestler in MMA or grappling tournaments has an amateur wrestling background.

[@Michael-yr5oq]

The fact you included consistency makes it in my opinion the best list I've seen on the matter. I agree with judo being the best as you need both theoretical knowledge and practical experience to advance and become a coach. And the standards are very well established and consistent world wide.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you!

[@stephena1196]

Also, probably the best chance of finding a class nearby you can get to.

[@kevionrogers2605]

Your list is consistent with how I rank these from experience. For instance Wing Chun was my first martial art, I started in 2nd grade, but it wasn't until competing in AAU & NCBA Boxing along with training Sayoc Kali & Filipino Boxing in college that I actually had parameters & experience to make it work. Aikido I never really had a problem with it because I did Yang Jwing Ming Taijiquan & Judo & GJJ in middle school & high school & I was on the wrestling team doing Greco-Roman Wrestling & submission wrestling on the off season. All of these arts contains all of Aikido syllabus, so when I joined a dedicated Aikido dojo after college it was just going through the motion learning its cadence & rhythm not really adding anything new. If a person has experience doing American or Japanese rules kickboxing then Kung-fu, Karate, Taekwondo or Savate (Boxe Français) are great alternatives if you want to specialize or take less damage in competition. If you want to appreciate & utilize Wing Chun then a thrust focused art such as Tulisan or Sayoc Kali are important. The slash & bash focused arts such as Inosanto Kali or Balintawak don't really translate directly to Wing Chun curriculum.

[@davidemelia6296]

There isn't one. But just saying that would be an incredibly boring video, and I'm glad to see your channel kicking goals lately. You deserve it!

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you!

[@James_I_Archer]

The top 3 I believe you are correct but 4 and 5 should be boxing and catch not ninjitsu and aikido.

[@ianscott3265]

I feel the fact that you've included aesthetics as a factor in the first place is the reason your results maybe go against popular opinion. That said, I've been following Owen Livesey on both youtube and insta the past few months. My man-crush aside, the success he's had in BJJ, catch-wrestling and MMA competition using a judo-base does indicate that it's a highly effective art whenever grappling is an option. Having been winded to the point of incapacitation in muay thai sparring by hard sweeps and dumps, I can only imagine how devastating a judo throw on a hard surface could be.

[@griffin2599]

Exactly my friend! I've watched a Judoka blackbelt end a fight in under 60 seconds by dumping a so-called boxer/wrestler in a parking lot. Pavement is unforgiving when being thrown into it in a split second by a skilled Judoka.

[@tn9974]

@@griffin2599 i think our body hits at around 60km/h when the judo guys throw us on ground.

[@timadams3979]

Having sparred boxers, they're great--footwork and movement make them hard to deal with. Wrestlers/grapplers -- well, I've done both and I loved that it wasn't widely known back in the time, it gave us a great advantage that's been lost now that every other idiot does "mma". The awareness of grappling makes it less effective than it used to be. Most arts that are "useless" are ineffective because of how Americans train, not the art itself. Example for argument: in the PRC, mainly traditional/modern wushu folks may do weapons, taiji or some other art, but they also do Sanda style full-contact sparring, at least in the limited, daily gym moderate sparring practice with fellow students--most of these folks can throw hands well enough, unlike the soft-only stylists who rely on "ki powers" or other nonsense.

[@LuxisAlukard]

Bartitsu! Or should I say - the idea of bartitsu, as it mixes judo, pugilism, savate and stick fighting. And you carry a cane with you all the time - how cool is that :D

[@moderncombatkarate5822]

As a karateka, I would have two queries with the points for karate (which I would apply to TKD too, as well as TSD etc): 1, you've not taken into account the aesthetics of the kata in your assessment as far as I could tell, which I think should bump that score up (though I agree the WKF's competitive tag does look rubbish) 2, I actually think the WKF style of karate and the practical karate of people like Iain Abernethy as so far removed from each other as to be different arts, and therefore I think it's disingenuous to say karate doesn't work. This year I've competed in wrestling and kickboxing, and last year I competed in an MMA match, all with work we do in our club. To say karate isn't effective because one method of it doesn't work for self protection is unfair, I feel, especially as you haven't applied the same standard to BJJ and judged it off of the IBJJF ruleset (for example). Otherwise, I think this was a really good way to evaluate, and having the different categories for each art does mean you get a more reasonable representation of each style.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

You raise good points!

[@moderncombatkarate5822]

@@EnglishMartialArts Thanks! I think there's always difficulty with these ranking lists, because there are so many other factors to consider (aesthetics is subjective, what metric do you use for "effective," etc..) - I think you made a generally fair evaluation though

[@flamezombie1]

I think one of the biggest issues with HEMA on the effectiveness front is that, like you mentioned, HEMA is many arts - wrestling included - and very few schools do the wrestling! Even if the HEMA group isn't competition focused (mine isn't, I work with my hands for a living and tournaments are always hours and hours away), I'd say if they do wrestling that bumps them up quite a bit above groups that don't and ARE competition focused. Edit: On Wing Chun, you should check out Qi La La - he's an MMA fighter that's trying to incorporate what works in actual fighting. FightCommentaryBreakdowns has some videos on him!

[@flamezombie1]

And yeah, wholly agree on karate. I didn't realize how much bullshido was out there calling itself karate until I grew up and had the hindsight to realize damn, I had a pretty decent sensei huh haha.

[@whim6287]

I agree with most of your scores and criticism. I will say that competitions did more harm to Karate than Tae Kwan Do, but that is with my small sample. Then again, I went in on a focus towards learning how to fight, not go to nationals in a satin gi and glow in the dark weapons. Edit: FIGHT TEAM!

[@gorobard1]

I would say that in the context of a street fight either judo or BJJ would be the best because tackling down an opponent on cement or even on a staircase would end any fight. In the context of fighing in a specialized arena, I would probably give it to muay thai because I feel like they have the most intense training and conditioning sessions.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yes, it's no surprise they're all high up in the results.

[@azazelreficulmefistofelicu7158]

9:09 "Judo... the groundwork isn't brilliant" This sad truth hurts. But hey, there are Judo clubs that train 60/40. Some others have groundfighting only competitions. There is hope for judo Ne waza. I barely know a thing or two about Judo and don't have an informed opinion about the rest... But I have to *UNBIASEDLY* agree with the ranking X)

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Lol, Judo always finds a way to sneak the win.

[@azazelreficulmefistofelicu7158]

@@elliotvernon7971 Late 70's and "military" club aswell, training ne waza everyday. At least one day per week was for "self defence" and we were encouraged to train weights (olimpic lifting) and boxing. Strongly influenced by Kawaishi Mikonosuke's works. "Unoficially" you had to be proficient in "self defence" before you were allowed to try for a new belt.

[@CountryKarate]

I need to do one of my own list and TKD will be at the bottom of that list. I will have Krav Magra and Kenpo/Kempo on the list as well as a few others you did not have this gave me my own 3 maybe 4 different ways of scoring my list, I would probably do a top 10 because top 10 is very popular.

[@The_Prenna]

Check your wardrobe for ninjas before you go to bed.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I always do!

[@drsixlegsjudochop]

I agree Judo is number 1 Clearly your a very wise man. FIGHT TEAM

[@OkurkaBinLadin]

I love, that you made criteria clear from the get go, thus the list will be different for every person. Yeah, we all do forget, that we have bias (including mythology/aesthetics) towards one form or another. I would rate any grappling art far lower for the simple reason, that as of 35 years of age, I am dead afraid of neck cranks, torn ACL, etc. That boat sailed for me.

[@redflynn5168]

I find it funny that Aikido appears to be the best martial art in everything other than actual fighting 😆

[@WhatIfBrigade]

In Aesthetics I'd give Aikido a 9 and bump the rest up +2. Particularly Wing Chun, Ninjutsu and Muay Thai deserve 8s. The rest either require knowledge of the art and/or look silly at times.

[@fennec812]

First off, never apologize for playing the KZbin metagame, man. I know it feels icky doing clickbait stuff, but it’s the nature of the job. Second, yeah, I’d probably agree that Judo is a super strong martial arts base, too. I think my sort of… irritation(?) with BJJ is that 90% of the stuff you’d use in a more open ruleset is taught to you by blue belt. Yes, you can absolutely get better, but in terms of seizing solid position for ground and pound and various escapes-you just get that early on. In that sense, Judo is definitely not as good on the ground, but I think for a would-be well-rounded fighter it’s typically sufficient. I still roll with BJJ guys, but I have zero interest in polishing worm guard, berimboloing, or whatever else, personally. A majority of the time I’m mostly interesting in escaping back to my feet and-for me-getting to that level has taken very little formal BJJ training and just a lot of escape reps over the years. After that point it’s really about choosing a striking art to pair with Judo. I think arts with a developed clinch make the most sense for obvious reasons, but I think you could reasonably slot in most striking disciplines. I do think Judo’s appearance at the top makes some sense. At least in a sort of somewhat arbitrary exercise analysis type way… of course the stuff that complicates all this is when you add in rulesets, (dumb) politics, individual fighters’ skill, etc. I’ve been doing Judo for like… 17 years now or so? It’s an amazing art that I think gets deeply shafted online sometimes. My fingers are a little jacked up, but the common narrative that the throws will lead to inevitable, crippling damage is just… wrong. People need to learn how to fall and train responsibly if that’s happening. I’ve trained with guys that are like 75-and yeah they are old, but they are still going A LOT harder than you’d expect out of someone who looks like they confused the mat for the retirement home cafeteria.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I don't thinknits a surprise that Roger Gracie became the GOAT with an inescapable collar choke from Mount. The fundamentals always work the best.

[@วิชชากรสุขวัฒน์]

Martail arts dont work video was wrong because MMA still use martial arts MMA need to train everythings to be the best as they cant rely on ground fighting alone Boxing muaythai wresling bjj ETc. stuff still part of the program same as agent fbi swat police marine still train martial arts Kungfu had a lot of ilegal sneak attacks stuffs and yes muay thai will lose on the ground to BJJ or wresling if both are fast enough in One on One fight but still not easy & risky as you cant use pure wresling or BJJ to fight muaythai 100% MMA rule dont allow attack back of the head and elbow to the back so in real fight everything can happen. Everybodys in the world train & use martail arts at some point. Martial arts still important to them. in order to use ground fighting you still need to train that martail art and in real fight you still need Boxing or Muaythat etc. to adapt your striking skill. (Boxing Muaythai etc. cleary work) Kungfu aikido still exist as part of self defence program. No thug on the street gonna used high level take down like bjj or wresling anyway. (Every martail arts had advantage & disadvantage) MMA was inspire by bruce lee who train Kungfu and he love chinese Opera kungfu that mean without kungfu existen there will be no bruce lee to inspire MMA program in the future.

[@vammamies]

I train ITF TKD and I love it. But scoring WTF TKD to 2/10 is almost generous. I've read somewhere that they are trying to save it by changin the scoring system. Those stupid monkey kicks could ruin any sport.

[@vercingetorixwulf9298]

Surely only effectiveness counts. By chance I did Olympic Freestyle Wrestling at the Tokei club SE1 (I may have spelt Tokei wrong ..... Modiģ Beowulf (London England UK)

[@Cavouku]

With perhaps some exceptions in the range of one-to-two points, I largely agree with your rankings in each category. But for my part, I would have to put different weight to each category: E.g., a 7 in "Effectiveness" beats a 7 in "Consistency" beats a 7 in "Aesthetics". But, from the perspective of someone who's interested in combat sports as a spectator, that won't necessarily hold the same, so I understand not putting this kind of weight for each category. I'm also somewhat of the opinion that "Athleticism" deserves its own category for ranking: how fit might you typically get when training for this style? And of course, it would be great to add some more esoteric styles like capoeira, dambe boxing, and one or two more types of kung fu. If you ever do this again, I'd be curious to see you compare fairly-similar styles. Especially when it comes to jacket-wrestling, you have Judo of course, its derivatives of BJJ and Sambo. The different jacketed systems throughout the UK like Cornish, Irish, Scottish Backhold, Cumberland, etc. Also Ringen, sometimes done in HEMA, Shuai Jiao from China, Bökh from Mongolia. My girlfriend is from Kazan, and her grandfather enjoys Turkic Kurash wrestling (though the Turkic wrestling might moreso be "belt-wrestling" than "jacket-wrestling", similar to Sumo I suppose). It's a big sea for comparisons and contrasts.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Now that got me thinking about a few video ideas... Thank you!

[@brdr6012]

Kyokushin Karate guy here. I believe boxing is the best martial art - IF we're talking self defense. 99.999% of street fights are centered around fists. Does a boxer run into serious trouble when someone throws a leg in just the right way? Sure. Will a boxer be in trouble when an assailant tries a takedown? Absolutely. But of all the videos of street fights I've watched, fists are the #1 deciding factor, and the guy who knows how to punch without getting punched wins almost always. In mma/k-1 it's a different story, but that story is different from the learned experience of most people. Now I'm not advocating everyone goes and trains boxing (I like getting my legs kicked too much), but I'll call it like I see it every day of the week. Boxing is king in the streets.

[@marcoantoniogarcia8576]

Talking about effectiveness just look at what most modern MMA fighter train in; boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, freestyle wrestling and BJJ, those are certainly the most effective fighting styles. Judo is effective, but freestyle wrestling is more, Karate is effective if you train it with real resistance, but Muay Thai is more, Capoeira has powerful kicks that can be used in a real fight if the practitioner knows how to fight, even Sumo has it’s effectiveness, but not Aikido, not modern Kung Fu... Hema would be the most effective of them all if you walk around with a sword, otherwise it’s useless in a fight, but it’s still really cool...

[@jochentram9301]

I still maintain that the best martial art is the one you practice religiously, even if it is not, at core, all that effective. The cold truth is, most people have zero training, and even shotokan kumite, which is merely touch fighting, does teach balance, footwork and range game. I do think that arts where you actually must take a hit every now and then are better. As Mike TYson observed, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. If nothing else, full-contact arts teach you how to handle getting punched, dealing with the pain, and the fact that your plan just fell apart. (this is the one flaw from that fight scene early in the Robert Downey jr. Sherlock Holmes movie; the plan works to perfection, and that very rarely happens, IME)

[@isolahti]

Combination of savate isnt as good as muy thai, their kicks ARENT as good as taekwondo? Huh what now? Did intentional shoot yourself in the leg there friend or is the anglo-saxon speaking in you. You do know they do full contact competition and their legwork and combinations of kicking and boxing are amazing. Savate is also tought by unified system in most schools and governed by its own rules and regulations. ALSO and its not THAT RARE. This gonna sound pretty passive agressive but did you actually do any study on the art or just threw together some nonsense?

[@mranimesamurai1]

Yeah the really high ranking of judo surprised me. Not saying it can't be quite effective, but the lack of transition to mma plus the factor of people generally aren't wearing heavy thick gi tops to grab onto, are things that immediately come to mind. It would be good if judo offered like no-gi training as it would seem various techniques would need to be adjusted if this was the case. If this was the case, it's closest equivilant would prob be something like greco-roman or wrestling. Honestly I feel a good judoka would struggle against a good wrestler and have seen videos on these match ups (also considering that judo doesn't train in leg takedowns and their defenses). So it's a tricky one. Also when rating the BEST martial art - I think a lot of people would generally interpret this as the art's effectiveness and its ability to defend yourself in a real encounter. These other ratings would seem to be better off separated, as the combined score doesn't really offer any extra benefit IMO.

[@nappyheaded]

I would argue that Aikido does work. I've spanked black belts at my Judo club using Aikido. But if you take into consideration I practice Tomiki Aikido you're actually right. I can beat the yudansha of the other Aikido styles no problem. They don't spar, they don't compete they don't do anything that resembles fighting.

[@lolanashbringer]

Interesting take. I found your grading system to be inconsistent at best. Just an a example in your explanations for consistency for some like Maui Thai and boxing where heavily weighted against by there trainers where as aikido seems more based on the skill sets learned. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you but all of the martial arts across the board here are going to have just bad trainers.

[@HasturYellowSign]

You should have picked an Okinawan style like Uechi. So this video is obvious crap now. Lol. Of course most Okinawan styles really don’t have aesthetics. Especially Uechi.

[@GrizzlyHansen]

The funny thing about me is, I love grappling, love grappling history, but can't stand to watch it. I think boxing deserves more on the beauty to watch, cause many people I know love to watch boxing but know jack about it. Striking is much easier to enjoy than grappling.

[@obscurelines]

I disagree with the consistency of judo. I've trained at more than 20 clubs and the variation between what I would call 'fighting' clubs that produce competition players versus 'exercise' clubs is enormous. Some instructors are innovators akin to BJJ but most just know some good techniques and stick to them in a rigid way.

[@neilrogers6767]

Well I'd definitely say that wing chun should be at the bottom or near it. I trained in it for 5 years and I couldn't fight my way out of a paper bag using it. Plus all the people in their different lineage squabbles. We're the line of Ip Man! No another group are etc blah. Also they vastly overestimate the power of their punches. Someone training Boxing, MMA or Judo would destroy the best wing chun guys with a year of training easily. Trying to anticipate a punch to place a tan sau aint gonna work against a below average club boxer let alone a competent one. It doesn't move as fluidly as is claimed. I did karate when young and had more success but I'm older and less flexible so too limited and I have less strength now. Sorry to moan too much but I should have tried boxing or judo etc.

[@jaypeve]

It looks like you are just looking at WTF(World Taekwondo Federation), but not at ATA(American Taekwondo Association), or ITF(International Taekwondo Federation), there are some differences

[@Rasgonras]

I think a flaw in your scoring system is: How different is "Aesthetics" and "Consistency" really? Even if just subconsciously, you regularly refer to things "looking like" things in both categories, that might be a hint that one of the categories is redundant. Another possible question is whether the consistency aspect is really that important. No matter the martial art, you always may land a club that is crap.

[@ceruleum8853]

I was going to post a long response saying that your methodology is flawed, but in the end this is a subjective subject, even if I think most people would place effectiveness over looks. Then again any list that places aikido over boxing is objectively wrong and an evil thing that demons would probably support.

[@calebkempf1225]

It kills me that people only talk about Olympic WTF Taekwon Do and Mcdojos when talking about TKD. The criticisms of those are well deserved, they're horrible. But the actual art is a lot better than people seem to know about.

[@Unobjectabdul]

Hi man I love your videos. Keep up the good work. What do you think about capoeira?

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I think it's fascinating enough that I'd love to learn more. Have you seen my video on Bill Richmond?

[@titomlm]

Not too shabby, Sir. Here are my 2 cents as follows: The Martial Arts are a fairly modern endeavor to say the least; it is the widespread education of both lethal and non lethal means to deal with an agressor in multiple situations and scenarios. Before mass communication and the cultural sharing of knowledge for the sake of common understanding of the "known world", most of this type of information was HEAVILY regulated and in most cases forbidden to numerous communities for a myriad of rationale. The age of a single warrior able to take on an entire army based on a "superior fighting skill" was made obsolete with the numerous advancement in military technology, notably the machine gun to name a few. At the end of the day, the many schools of thought eventually converge on the same goal, put the opponent down with maximum effect using minimum effort in case their friends show up. The fighter's life was never glamorous, despite the various legends and songs to celebrate the tales of valor and victory. The story ends the same, live to see another day, by any means necessary. My sincerest and deepest regards to all that take on such a tragic trial of tribulation and know that I will be alongside you in the breach of combat, or on the other side, defending those I love. Stay frosty & keep training. See you on the mat! ;0)

[@michaelpierson1090]

I really enjoyed your video especially your brake down of effectiveness and agreed with most of it. I disagree with your rating of boxing, in twenty years in working in prison the most dominant and effective fighting system and effective against multiple attackers is boxing. I have never trained in boxing and I rather wrestle, but boxing is very effective. On what I've seen? Thanks for your time in this video

[@StevieB8363]

Your ranking doesn't look right to me. You have Aikido rated higher than boxing, and Ninjitsu above Savate. I don't think there's any doubt about which of those systems would be the more effective in a real fight. Aesthetics shouldn't have been a factor either.

[@sidhu139]

If you choose to consider 2 absolutely pointless, BS categories (aesthetics and consistency) then of course aikido will rank higher than boxing.

[@AbsoluteStorm]

It's not too far off where I would rank things. But the emphasis on aesthetics is too heavy, meaning Aikido is artificially above boxing. All the boxers I've known were handy men in a scrap.

[@teacake4922]

Ok if you want you see Wing Chun properly tested then check out Sifu James Sinclair and the United Kingdom Wing Chun Kung Fu Association. High standards and real training.

[@theyoungfool.1895]

Wait, your telling me you didn’t rate my consensual manly Brazilian pyjama hugging (#NOHOMO) 10/10?! BrOoOoO! Come on!

[@johngr1747]

I'd argue Savate kicks at the core of its principles, are better than TKD because TKd focuses on flashiness while Savate teaches rapid quick kicking with strong combinations. But you can't be doing them in a real street fight so yeah

[@erikthewizard7752]

As a wing chun practitioner I have to strongly disagree on consistency. Wing chun lineages are often vastly different in application and effectiveness. I am somewhat lucky to have a tutor who was previously a brawler who can thoroughly explain these differences to me and show how to apply techniques against resistance, but even after 5 years I will have trouble reciting any of it beyond acquired muscle memory.

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

Best martial art ... a combination of parkour and track & field, the better to avoid all blows? Or is the best martial art ... FIGHT TEAM?

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Nailed it!

[@rraul48Bo]

There are many ways to avoid the figth,and runnig is not always an option.

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

@@rraul48Bo Very true. Jesting aside, in real fights, where you likely have control over nothing in the situation, even superior technique doesn't guarantee victory, or even safety. Martial systems can be thought of, in a rather practical sense, as a kit of tools to use in an emergency to get you out of that emergency. Personally, I think one of the best tools is Judgement, as it can keep you out of a great many fights. Not all of them, of course, but a great many.

[@deadlined1833]

I think the two that would be most effective together would have to be BJJ and Muay Thai. M T incorporates all of the striking and has enough standing grappling to take someone down. BJJ has plenty of ways to break or control someone. I hear catch wrestling is good too but I don’t know enough about it.

[@MZITinfo]

I think aesthetics are both subjective and also irrelevant. And I think consistency is neither good nor bad (if an art is consistently bad, a higher level of consistancy would make it worse, right?).

[@danhonaker1435]

The sword arts you covered were very traditional and u think you made some good points but I would be interested to see your take on cossack and polish saber fighting and there are several Chinese sword arts that are fairly aggressive. One good example is a 2 handed straight sword made famous In an older move called yellow river fighter. I realize it's a movie but the technique was amazing.