_-_Retarded_Idiot_-_ asked: Are there martial arts that are more effective than others? It's always said that it's more on the person practicing said art, but I don't think that Boxing is as effective as Kung Fu, for example, so I wanted to know, what's your perspective about that?

An excellent question. This is a topic I am very passionate about, so expect a long answer. Now, let's dig into this question. First off, this is not meant to offend any practitioner of any style of martial art, and this is just my personal opinion, backed by my own 12 years of experience practicing martial arts. That being said, I do believe that most people who practice martial arts will agree with me on what I'm about to say.

First off, we need to understand how incredibly complex this question truly is. This is kind of like asking which is more deadly, a gun or a knife. The obvious answer seems like the gun, but remember 9/11 was committed with box cutters. The truth is, both have the potential to kill, and the deadliness of the weapon is determined by whoever's wielding it. Comparatively, yes, the practitioner will have a large factor when determining which style is more effective, because the outcome is completely determined on who's more skilled, who's the better fighter?

All this in mind, there isn't really a definitive answer for your question. Every style of martial art has its own share of advantages and disadvantages. Styles such as Tae Kwan Do, Tang Soo Do, and Wing Chun are all great martial arts, but in my experience, they don't place much emphasis on ground fighting, such as Jujitsu and Judo. Jujitsu and Judo however, don't place as in much emphasis on standing combat as Tae Kwan Do, Tang Soo Do, and Wing Chun. Thus, the scenario will greatly determine the outcome.

The history of martial arts must also be kept in mind when answering this question. You must remember, many martial arts styles, like Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, and Soo Bahk Ki (the predecessor of Tae Kwan Do and Tang Soo Do), were created thousands of years ago, dating as far back as 100 BC. Firearms weren't in existence back then, thus the martial arts that were invented at this time period didn't consider them. Fighting was very different two thousand years ago. There were a series of unspoken rules that people were expected to follow, and a lot of the techniques we see in martial arts today that look ineffective, were actually quite devastating at the time of their creation.

Combat has evolved since that time. We don't really have rules to follow, which we sometimes call fighting dirty. My personal belief is that when your fighting out of self defense or out of defense of others, there is no such thing as fighting dirty. We do what we have to to protect ourselves and others. Martial art styles have also evolved in the past two thousand years. We've developed techniques to disarm opponents with firearms, and they're extremely effective. Some styles of martial arts however, don't learn these techniques. Additionally, there are some 'fake' styles out there, such as a school that boasted they could teach people how to harness their chi so it would manifest like a superpower (Chi is a real thing, but it doesn't exist like this).

When looking at your specific example of Boxing vs Kung Fu, it is natural for you to think Kung Fu would win. This is because Kung Fu is often dramatized in films, and the most common practitioners of Kung Fu are the Shaolin Monks, who devote their lives to the art. Monks literally break bricks with their heads and hang themselves for short periods of time to strengthen their muscles. Boxers lift weights, but that doesn't compare to literally having people smash your head into walls like a battering ram to strengthen the skull (this is something Shaolin Monks actually do).

Additionally, martial arts teach more than just how to fight. I would say that most black belts don't know how to really fight. Again, this is because the techniques we learn aren't suited for modern day combat. Additionally, philosophy is a huge role in most ancient, and many modern day martial arts, something that isn't stressed upon heavily in Boxing and MMA. That being said, as you become more advanced, you see that the ancient techniques do have applications. We teach students these techniques to build a foundation, but in a fight we don't expect them to execute a perfect Chunk Kul Ja Seh Ha Dan Mahk Ki (Front Stance Low Block). It just isn't practical. It's too slow, and quite honestly, ineffective. However, these techniques teach DO carry over into real life fighting. This low block we taught you can be executed as a quick smack to deflect a kick, or an arm break. Our high blocks can be used as a strike to the jaw. These techniques which we name high block, low block, knife hand pierce, their just names. In reality, they have an infinite amount of applications, which are extremely effective and devastating once you understand how to use them. The slow techniques are just a foundation for you to build the practical skills upon. All this in mind, it's not uncommon for black belts to still not know how to utilize these skills, because they haven't practiced. I often teach practical fighting to my advanced students and black belts where I have them don protective body, head, and face gear, and I fight them like how people fight on the streets. Most people don't throw kicks to the head because they can't. In fact, most people don't kick at all. It's really just punch after punch after punch, and you know something, they can't keep up, even the black belts. And this is because they don't know what to do, they haven't learned these skills, and it's my job to teach them these skills. In case you're wondering, yes, I have been in a real fight before. Somebody was threatening one of my friends and I intervened. I tried to talk the guy down but he insisted on fighting, so I ended up fracturing on of his ribs, kicking him across the face, and tossing him on his ass. I could do these things because I knew how to practically apply what I know in a real life scenario, which many practitioners of countless styles would never be able to do. This guy that I fought, he had a black belt in both Tae Kwan Do and Judo, but he didn't know how to use what he learned, and because of that he lost. Also his Dojo needs to take a long hard look on what they're teaching in terms of how to be a good person, because that guy needed a serious lesson in respect.

In summary, the most effective style doesn't exist. It's all about how well you can apply what you know. I know black belts that have had their asses handed to them by people who never took a karate lesson in their life. It's also important to remember that if you're a martial artist and not a boxer or MMA fighter, you're going to learn a lot of traditional and ancient techniques and not practical applications for a long time. Karate isn't about fighting, its about defense and tradition. Again, the situation will also play a large role in the fight. A boxer might not have been trained to deal with a person with a gun or knife, and maybe many black belts haven't been trained either. In reality, if someone pulls a weapon on you, you give them whatever the fuck they want. Money, your car, your phone, it's not worth your life. It's only when they threaten bodily harm to yourself or others that you fight. Many black belts, boxers, etc. don't understand this, and let their egos dictate their behavior, which could result in bodily harm or death. Many people think martial arts is more effective because of how it's portrayed in media or because we have some secret knowledge, and many people think boxers and MMA fighters win because they can 'actually fight'. That's bullshit. Many boxers and martial artists don't know how to fight, and many do. I could teach you every karate technique I know for 10 years and you still might not know how to fight, because you can't apply it. A good martial artist KNOWS HOW TO APPLY WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED IN A REAL LIFE SCENARIO! If someone punches at you and your mind immediately thinks, inside-outside crescent block, reverse punch, high block, yada yada yada, you're gonna lose. You have to have trained your mind and your body to be able to respond to these attacks.

In the end, the better fighter is someone who can apply what they know in an effective manner. Just because someone has a black belt means they know how to fight. A black belt is nothing more than a piece of clothe we use to hold our uniform together. What matters is if you know what you're doing. You might think Kung Fu is more effective than boxing, but that's because Shaolin Monks know what they're doing. Krav Maga and Muay Thai seem so devastating (and they are) because they don't teach the traditional techniques, instead focusing solely on practical applications. Still, I know a practitioner of Krav Maga who had absolutely no clue how to effectively apply what he knew. Realistically, no, I'm not going to flip someone over my shoulder or catch them with a scissor kick. Even though I know how, it's not practical. The answer to your question, again, is that the better fighter is the person who knows how to effectively apply what they're taught. You can't say one martial art is better than another. It's just not true. And I know many people will disagree with me, but that's because everyone want to think that what they've been taught is the best and that they're way is the only way. FALSE. If you tell me Tae Kwan Do is better than Kung Fu, or the other way around, I can show how they are literally no different. Any real style of martial art is, at its core, the same as another. You can tell me that a proper round house kick is with the ball of the foot, or that it's with the top of the foot. A round house kick is a round house kick is a round house kick. IT'S ALL THE SAME! There is nothing new under the sun. I can show you how Tai Chi and Tang Soo Do, two compeltely opposite styles, teach the same techniques. They just teach it in different ways. This is why it's such a benefit to study multiple styles, because each style further broadens your understanding as you understand more and more ways to UTILIZE WHAT YOU KNOW. I never would have thought my inside outside block could be a throw over the shoulder, until one of my Masters used it to throw me over her shoulder.

Again, the better fighter is he who knows how to apply what they know. What? You want me to say it again? The better fighter is the person who can effectively apply what they know. Again? THE PERSON THAT CAN EFFECTIVELY APPLY WHAT THEY KNOW IS GOING TO WIN.

So, if you want my opinion on which style you should practice? I'm going to tell you, do Tang Soo Do. But I'm biased. In reality, there is no superior style. If you want to box, fine, go box. You'll learn how to punch and kick and fight, and that's great. If you just want to learn how to fight, then learn how to fight. If you want to learn the philosophy and the tradition of martial arts, then great, but remember, a black belt doesn't mean you know how to fight. YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED!!!

In short, Tang Soo Do is the best style.

Edit: There is one thing I forgot to mention. Say that two people fight, and they can both effectively apply what they know, then it becomes a matter of who knows more. Say a job requires a wrench. You have a shiny new wrench, and I have a rusty old wrench. Well, yours may look better, but they both get the job done just the same. But say the job needs a screwdriver, and you don't have one, but I do. See what I'm saying? You need to be able to effectively apply what you know, but it also matters who has more in their tool box, so to speak.