Over the course of human history martial arts have been created, adapted, and expanded upon and the question of which one is "best" is one that has yet to be completely answered. In this blog, we hope to shine some light upon the question and help you come to your own answer of which martial art(s) are truly the best.
What Makes a Martial Art "Good"?
Practicality
One of the main concerns when it comes to choosing a martial art that is "good" is how practical it is. Practicality is a measure of whether it's realistic to ever be able to use the martial discipline that you choose. Now many people seem to forget that martial arts are not just a means of defence or attack, they also train the mind, and body, and teach valuable lessons that are hard to put into words. For example, you may train boxing for the attacking and defence but may train Tai Chi for the mental focus and mindfulness that it grants. Every martial art is practical in some way, but not every martial art is about the fighting aspect.
History
When choosing anything let alone martial arts, the history of it can affect how we see it. For example, a lot of people that I've spoken with don't like kyudo (the Japanese martial art of archery) due to how calm and slow-moving it is. In feudal Japan, Kyudo was a deadly martial art and while the main focus of it is no longer to take another person down the foundations upon which it was laid are still there. Martial arts changed over time and while kyudo is now seen more as a form of meditation, awareness and sports it was certainly a great martial art.
Another example of martial arts evolving over the years is Tai Chi. Tai Chi was a more prominent martial art and was used quite often, but nowadays it's seen as more of a meditative practice and used in all sorts of mind and body wellness programs all around the world.
The Focus
The focus of martial arts can often make one seem better than the other or "better" For example many people like Tae Kwon Do for its focus on kicks, whereas others prefer boxing for its high-strength punches. So if you like punches more then boxing is the better martial art, right?
If your focus is the same as another martial art, then you are more likely to believe that it is the "best" and in a sense, it is the "best" fit for you.
The Value You Can Derive From It
We have already touched on this point in the other points above, but another factor that plays a role in what martial art is "best" is what it offers you or rather what you believe it offers you. If you're looking for a martial art to teach you how to defend yourself in the streets, then maybe Tai Chi isn't for you but if you're looking for a martial art to help you find yourself then maybe Tai Chi is exactly what you're looking for.
The point I'm trying to make is that everyone derives different values from each martial art, one might be looking for strength, but another may be looking for a form of meditation, we each look for different things and even if we want the same thing the reason we want it is the difference.
The Conclusion
The answer to the question of what martial arts is best is quite simple really. The best martial art is a combination of all of them. As we live in a relative world everything revolves around your interests and the conclusions you make based on your own experiences, so whether you like sumo wrestling, kendo, karate, or capoeira, it's up to you to choose the martial practices that are "best" for you.
A few words from me:
Just make sure you don't fight over which one is best, remember everything has its place in this world and everything and everyone has a role to play, it's up to us which one we play.
