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Ok, this thread is basically here for yall to post the names of influential martial artists through-out the history. All you need to do is put down there name and why they're so influential/great. There is no limit to how many MAists you wanna put. Debates may insue, though(as they always seem to do with our bunch).


Martial Artist: Wong Fei Hung

Why: He was a revolutionary who stood up for the rights of oppressed people. He was a great martial arts master as well as a kind and charitable healer. He developed and evolved his kung fu skills(with such styles as "No shadow kick"). Fei Hung suffered so many losses in his family, yet never faltered(6 wives passing away, as well as his son's murder by gangs). His name and image may have been greatly embelished in Hong Kong Cinema, but none-the-less, he was still a great man and influential martial artist.

(Yep, I got curious one day and decided to read up on Wong Fei Hung. I was surprised to learn that though his fame is embelished, he was really regarded as a bonafied hero.)

Martial Artist: Mas Oyama

Why: Mas Oyama was the founder of the Kyokushin style of karate. He took on any challenger that wanted a fight. The master even took on raging bulls, of which he defeated 52 of them in his life time. He endured a year of solitude atop a mountain, training 14 hours a day. Oyama used rocks and trees as makiwara while on the mountains and tested himself against the harsh climates. Kyokushin still strives and is regarded as hardcore karate.



Oh and if any of those facts are embelished, please tell me.

4 posts 'til the Bruce Lee stuff =P

It's true he is an influencial Martial Artist, theres no real denying that. It's just how much, and how, really.

Hey, he was a pretty hard ********, and I own the Tao of Jeet Kune Do.....I can't knock his validity. It's like saying, "I can bet that if I make a post about the 50 greatest emcees of all time, Jay-Z will be in the first 10. ". I was going to mention Miyamoto, as well(although I don't like the "not bathing" thing =p), but someone got to him first..

For me it has to be Musashi Miyamoto.

Even though he lived hundreds of years ago his principles in combat still hold true today. He killed over 60 men in fights and duels and when he retired he wrote what is now known as the book of five rings, in which he talks about mindset and spirt in combat.

On top of that the reason he always won is because he was always first (pre-emptive) and never stopped until his opponant was neutrilised. His principles in multiple attacker sitautions was to attack and not stop until either you were dead or until you had again neutrilised the enemy.

Obviously my instructors have heavily infulenced me and always pushed me in the right direction whenever i felt lost or stumbled in my training.

Oh, duh!I have to mention one before Bruce gets to him....

Who:Helio Gracie

In the early 1900's, a Japanese jiu-jitsu instructor by the name of Esai Maeda went to the state of Para in Northern Brazil. There he befriended Gastao Gracie, a influential businessman, who helped the Japanese get established. To show his gratitude, Maeda, also known as "Count Koma," offered to teach the traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu to Gastao's oldest son, Carlos.

The youngest son of Gastao and Cesalina Gracie's eight children, Helio was always a very physically frail child. He would run up a flight of stairs and have fainting spells. Nobody could figure out why. So, after completing second grade, he convinced his mother that he shouldn't go to school any more.

When the family experienced some financial hardships following their move to Rio, some of the children were scattered to live with other relatives. Helio was sent to live with some aunts and through these family contacts, he found work as a coxman for a popular local rowing team, eventually moving into the team dorms. His indomitable spirit, great sense of humor and tireless aptitude to drive people nuts, earned him the nickname of "Caxinguele," which means "squirrel." He raised hell!

After a couple of years, when he was about 14, he moved in with his older brothers who lived and taught jiu-jitsu in a house in Botafogo, a borough of Rio de Janeiro. He would spend the next few years limited to only watching his brothers teach, especially Carlos, since doctors had recommended that they keep Helio away from any physical activity.

One day when he was 16 years old, a student showed up for class and Carlos was not around. Helio, who had memorized all the moves and words of his older brother, offered to start the class. When the class was over, Carlos showed up very apologetic for his delay. The student answered, "No problem. I enjoyed the class with Helio very much and, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue with him." Carlos agreed and Helio became an instructor.

He soon realized that some of the techniques he had memorized from watching Carlos teach were not very easy for him to execute. He then started to adapt those moves to his frail body's abilities, improving the leverage in the execution of some of those techniques. He dared to break away from the traditional jiu-jitsu his brothers had learned and were teaching, and through trial and error, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was born.

Helio eventually fought 17 fights including matches against the world wrestling champion, Wladek Zbyszko. and a qualifying fight against the #2 jiu-jitsu fighter in the world, Kato, who Helio choked unconscious in 6 minutes. This victory enabled him to enter the ring with the world champion, Masahiko Kimura, who outweighed Helio by over 80 pounds. Helio Gracie holds the record for the longest match in history for a battle against his former student, Waldemar Santana, which lasted an amazing 3 hours and 40 minutes!

Helio, the first sports hero in Brazilian history, also challenged boxing icons Primo Carnera, Joe Louis and Ezzard Charles. They all declined.

Outside of the ring, always looking for a challenge, he enjoyed breaking wild horses and bulls. In an event worthy of a Hollywood movie, he once jumped into shark infested waters in the Atlantic Ocean to save a man's life which earned him a medal of honor.

Helio's relentless contribution to the perfection of jiu-jitsu techniques, his philosophy on life and his unique teaching methodology have been an example for his children and his students worldwide. These are the pillars on which the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy was built.

A little add on to the Mas Oyama info. He was actually really famous in Korea...being that he was born there and all. Heh, even my boss has heard of him(my boss is from S. Korea) and had nothing but cool stuff to say about him. Hmmm, I do wonder, though. I kyokushin popular in Korea at all?

Shouldn't you broaden yourself a weee bit more then skipping through karate styles?