Who's the toughest martial arts star?

[capncnut]

Here's the deal, I'm a big fan of martial arts. I love everything from the big blockbusters right down to crappy zero budget turds. Obviously my favourite martial artist is Bruce Lee but there seems to be a new guy on the block, Tony Jaa. After seeing Ong Bak and The Warrior King, I have now come to the conclusion that this guy would actually kick Bruce Lee's ass in a fantasy match up. I mentioned this to a friend of mine who said "nah, Jet Li would kick both their asses!" As you can imagine, I called him every name under the sun.

So this poll has nothing to do with who your favourite martial artist is but more who you believe is the toughest.

[HLS]

I herd of Tony but i have not seen his stuff yet. I would like to. I like Jet Lee or how ever his name is written. I am not sure of the spelling. Fearless was an awesome movie. I loved Hero as well.

I know for sure I can tell you the worst. The worst martial art star is by far that french guy Jean Claude or what ever. Steven Segal is a close second. Chuck Norris I just find annoying.

[MinionZombie]

Not that martial arts are my thing, I voted Bruce Lee. The dude seemed like a hard bastard, Jackie Chan is also tough, but a bit too gimmicky. Lee on the otherhand, you think that if you were in a fight with him you'd be dead in 2 seconds flat.

[_liam_]

tony jaa. ong bak blew me away, i couldnt face taking it back to the video shop so i never went back :D

totally brutal. you can't really convey how hard that man is in words. hard and agile - that market scene, i couldnt believe what i was seeing, it's like real life matrix stuff - no wire work, cgi or stunt doubles?!

jaa is jah, no disrespect to bruce.

chan the man is a superhuman clown who can take serious punishment & risks and is no doubt hard, but he'd get creamed by tony or bruce. jet li is a bloody ballet dancer who learned to throw punches at some point, his films send me to sleep, lamping someone and then moonwalking off and doing a pirouette or whatever...

[capncnut]

jaa is jah, no disrespect to bruce.

Damn straight, here's a taster for all those not in the know. Warning - contains violence.

aYW6MyFPz-g

Anyway, back to the poll. :sneaky:

[EvilNed]

Bruce Lee was an athlete, not a particulary great fighter. Jet Li is an acrobat, not a particulary great fighter. Jackie Chan is a stuntman/athlete. And I dare say he's the "toughest" of them all, and in a match I think he'd win. But Tony Jaa might as well. Only seen Ong Bak once, and it sucked.

If Mike Tyson or Muhammed Ali can be counted as stars, though, I'd put my money on them in a fight. And if we can count ANY martial artists, I'm sure there are loads of MMA fighters that can bend any of those four up there backwards without breaking a sweat.

[slickwilly13]

Jackie Chan. Been around as long as Bruce. And does his own stunts.

[coma]

SONNY CHEEBA, beyotches!
Jet Li is overrated
Bruce Lee was great, but I like Sonny's movies a lot more

[capncnut]

SONNY CHEEBA, beyotches!

*rocks out to the Street Fighter theme*

[coma]

*rocks out to the Street Fighter theme*
Oh yeah.
I never saw Jet Li rip off someones nuts then show it to them!:D

[capncnut]

Damn, I should've put Chiba up on that list! *poses menacingly while making choking noises* :D

[Terran]

Well since we arent talking about who would win in a fight....the toughest would have to be Jackie Chan....no matter how goofy and benign he appears hes definitely the toughest/craziest of the bunch....

[HLS]

I love jackie Chan. I hear he broke almost every bone at some point in his film making career. I saw an interview where some scenes he had to shoot from a wheel chair for he injured himself. He is cool. he can kick ass and be comical.

[MikePizzoff]

http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com

Duh.

[Maitreya]

Ok, for all of you that voted anything besides Bruce Lee, I don't know how to put this, but...

You're wrong.

Bruce Lee's Jeet-kune-do is one of the greatest philosophies of martial arts ever created, it actually relies on real combat situations rather than proper martial arts fights.

I mean, **** the man could send a guy flying with his one-inch punch, he did it at a martial arts exhibition, not a movie. The guy was FAST too, he'd deliver 3-5 punches in the time it'd take someone else to throw one. The only person on that entire list that would give him a run for his money would be Tony Jaa, because that guy's awesome too, I was in total awe when I watched Ong Bak as well.

Jackie Chan's just a really showey escape artist and Jet Li's a ****ing joke.

Therefore I have to go with Bruce, although Mike's post does have a lot of merit as well:lol:

[Neil]

Damn straight, here's a taster for all those not in the know. Warning - contains violence.

Anyway, back to the poll. :sneaky:

I think is even more impressive... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyKpKdSMwgs

[Terran]

Ok, for all of you that voted anything besides Bruce Lee, I don't know how to put this, but...

You're wrong.

Bruce Lee's Jeet-kune-do is one of the greatest philosophies of martial arts ever created, it actually relies on real combat situations rather than proper martial arts fights.

I mean, **** the man could send a guy flying with his one-inch punch, he did it at a martial arts exhibition, not a movie. The guy was FAST too, he'd deliver 3-5 punches in the time it'd take someone else to throw one. The only person on that entire list that would give him a run for his money would be Tony Jaa, because that guy's awesome too, I was in total awe when I watched Ong Bak as well.

Jackie Chan's just a really showey escape artist and Jet Li's a ****ing joke.

Therefore I have to go with Bruce, although Mike's post does have a lot of merit as well:lol:


Yeah but we werent talking about who would win in a fight....I thought we were talking about the "toughest"

[_liam_]

do you define tough as ability to withstand injury/trauma, or ability to defend yourself? or a combination.

it think technically the chan would win, cos we know he can fight and we know he can withstand insane punishment. tony jaa is a more skilled and powerful fighter, but having only seen one of his films i don't know how much of a kicking he could take...

could someone maybe photoshop a picture of tony jaa pulling jackie chan's wife to ignite a confrontation & solve this once and for all?

[Danny]

i say jackie chan hes broke so many bones it puts tony hawk to shame and yet he still makes these movies after how many decades?, just because he's the funny guy dont mean he aint a hard bastard.

[capncnut]

could someone maybe photoshop a picture of tony jaa pulling jackie chan's wife to ignite a confrontation & solve this once and for all?

Wouldn't need to do that. Jackie Chan has already stated that Tony Jaa is the best on the planet right now.

But Chan did criticize the level of violence in Ong Bak and felt it was unnecessary to demonstrate real-life death moves on film. Chan has gone on to say that he's only killed one or two people (on film) in his entire career and that Jaa has killed dozens in his debut movie. Jackie Chan was okay in the day (Drunken Master, Master With Cracked Fingers etc) but now he's just an acrobatic actor. Phineas Fogg case in point.

And yeah, were talking about who would win in a fight as well as durability.

[EvilNed]

Ok, for all of you that voted anything besides Bruce Lee, I don't know how to put this, but...

You're wrong.



Bull****. Bruce Lee has an undeserved idol cult which makes him out to be something he isn't. He was a great athlete, noone is contesting that. But Bruce Lee said himself that he would never ever want to face off against Muhammed Ali for instance, because he'd get beaten.

Bruce Lee had a really strong body and knew fancy wushu (and yes, later developed Jeet Kune Do) but never did anything to actually prove he was a great fighter. I bet that if Bruce Lee was alive today, he'd be wondering why the hell everyone called him that. He was not a fighter, he was an athlete.

[Neil]

Bull****. Bruce Lee has an undeserved idol cult which makes him out to be something he isn't. He was a great athlete, noone is contesting that. But Bruce Lee said himself that he would never ever want to face off against Muhammed Ali for instance, because he'd get beaten.

Bruce Lee had a really strong body and knew fancy wushu (and yes, later developed Jeet Kune Do) but never did anything to actually prove he was a great fighter. I bet that if Bruce Lee was alive today, he'd be wondering why the hell everyone called him that. He was not a fighter, he was an athlete.

The only fight he ever lost was at the age of 14 in a street brawl?

Below... Bruce doing his two finger press ups!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Two_finger_pushup_bruce_lee_1964aug2_long_beach.JP G

[EvilNed]

The only fight he ever lost was at the age of 14 in a street brawl?

Below... Bruce doing his two finger press ups!


And there's only two recorded fights of Bruce actually fighting. One of them wasn't a smashing victory and the other was against a stuntman.

[Terran]

Theyd all get their asses handed to them by even the ****tiest of fighters in the UFC...

The reason I picked Jackie Chan is because he might be the only person of the bunch that would come back for seconds..... :)

[Maitreya]

Bull****. Bruce Lee has an undeserved idol cult which makes him out to be something he isn't. He was a great athlete, noone is contesting that. But Bruce Lee said himself that he would never ever want to face off against Muhammed Ali for instance, because he'd get beaten.

Bruce Lee had a really strong body and knew fancy wushu (and yes, later developed Jeet Kune Do) but never did anything to actually prove he was a great fighter. I bet that if Bruce Lee was alive today, he'd be wondering why the hell everyone called him that. He was not a fighter, he was an athlete.

Actually if you'd ask just about any martial artist alive about Bruce Lee you'd receive a response that he was one of the greatest martial artists ever to live. Perhaps he wouldn't want to BOX Ali, because Bruce Lee didn't limit himself to just using a certain part of him, Ali fought with his fists only, Bruce Lee would have him beat in no-holds-barred combat, which Jeet-kune-do was centered around, doing anything it took to win a fight an defeat your opponent.

[EvilNed]

Actually if you'd ask just about any martial artist alive about Bruce Lee you'd receive a response that he was one of the greatest martial artists ever to live. Perhaps he wouldn't want to BOX Ali, because Bruce Lee didn't limit himself to just using a certain part of him, Ali fought with his fists only, Bruce Lee would have him beat in no-holds-barred combat, which Jeet-kune-do was centered around, doing anything it took to win a fight an defeat your opponent.

That's pretty much a load of crap, man. I've been doing alot of martial artists, and I'm pretty much appalled that you not only consider Bruce Lee to be a top notch martial artists, but infact one of the BEST ONES EVER. That's pure crap.

As Bruce Lee stated, he'd lose to Muhammed Ali if they fought, even in a mma. Why? Because Bruce Lee wasn't a fighter. he was an athlete.

[Maitreya]

Part of being a fighter is being an athlete, and no, Muhammed Ali would not stand a chance against Bruce Lee if they were to just fight normally. Bruce Lee was infinitely faster, stronger, and quicker-minded.

I say that he's one of the greatest, not only because of my personal opinion on him, but because many of my friends who are really involved in martial arts (I have quite a few) believe that, as well as their Senseis... Maybe they're wrong too.


I've been doing alot of martial artists

Are they any good in bed? :lol: (I couldn't resist)

[coma]

I've been doing alot of martial artists,.
Like that tight ass, eh:evil::D

[Chaos]

Bruce Lee, without a doubt. He's only the martial artist-turned-actor to create his own fighting system, Jeet Kun Do. Jeet Kun Do is an improved version of Chinese boxing and Kung Fu, without fixed positions and fighting stances. He was also one of the first "mixed martial" artists. He realized that one must be multi-faceted when regarding the combat arts. That's why he trained with grappling legend and Judo master, Gene LeBell.

This one is a no brainer. Bruce Lee.

[EvilNed]

Like that tight ass, eh:evil::D

I HATE YOU!!!

Anyway, :p Bruce Lee wouldn't stand a chance against Muhammed in his prime. Bruce Lee admitted that Ali could take a tougher beating than him and was just as fast. Could reach longer and was stronger... So, no. Bruce Lee would get flattened. And he was a good martial artist and athlete, but not a great one.

btw, I'm by no means an expert on martial arts. But I KNOW that the idol cult that has developed around Bruce Lee is mostly just gibberish. My friend, for instance, insists that Bruce Lee was constantly challenged when he got to Hollywood. Fact is he got challenged once.

[coma]

I saw this dcumentary about the Chinese Opera and Jackie Chan was trained at it. It starts as a very young boy and all the flexability exercises etc are very extreme and seemed like pure torture. That seemed way beyond most martial arts training. Anybody else know anything about that?


Evil Ned,
Join the crowd:D

[Chakobsa]

I really don't know but my vote would have to be for Lee; go back to "Way of the Dragon" And watch the scene where the waiters are practising at the rear of the restaurant and invite Lee's character to join in. If I'm remembering it right, Lee blasts one of the guys across the set with a side kick to a kick shield and it didn't look fake to me, it looked like an explosive delivery of power, ok, it was a set piece for the camera but bloody impressive nevertheless.
also go back and read the informed opinions of the guys that co-starred in his films.
Look at the scene in "Enter The Dragon" where Lee fights Bob Wall's character; There's no cgi there or any other trickery, The speed and precision is real.

[deadwrtr]

Bruce Lee was an athlete, not a particulary great fighter.

Wrong. Bruce Lee was a fighter, trained as a fighter, not an athlete. Read "Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do" if you have any questions, or ask Dan Inosanto, former student and tough guy in his own right.


Jet Li is an acrobat, not a particulary great fighter.

Wrong. Jet Li is an accomplished martial artist, tournament competitor and actor last... acrobat? Where do you get your information? From watching movies? Jet Li built his reputation on the Chinese tournament circuit.


Jackie Chan is a stuntman/athlete. And I dare say he's the "toughest" of them all, and in a match I think he'd win.

What? You must be joking. Jackie Chan never claimed to be a fighter, and to include him here is silly.


I saw this dcumentary about the Chinese Opera and Jackie Chan was trained at it. It starts as a very young boy and all the flexability exercises etc are very extreme and seemed like pure torture. That seemed way beyond most martial arts training. Anybody else know anything about that?


Evil Ned,
Join the crowd:D

There is a great book called "I am Jackie Chan: My life in Action" wherein he details the rigorous training regimen he underwent in a training school.

In I Am Jackie Chan, Chan tells the fascinating, harrowing ultimately triumphant story of his life; How the rebellious son of refugee's in tumultuous 1950's Hong Kong became the disciplined disciple of a Chinese Opera Master. How the paradise that young Jackie so eagerly embraced proved to be, in reality, a ruthlessly competitive place whose fierce master wielded the legal authority to train his students even to death...

[capncnut]

I think it's plain to see that Tony Jaa could take out all three in a row.

Not only that but he can do EVERYTHING they can do and more... in one damn movie!!!

[Maitreya]

Tony Jaa is good, I'm not denying that, but he could NOT beat Bruce Lee.

I'm sorry to break this news to you

[EvilNed]

Martial Art = An art that is lethal, deadly and can be used to fight with. Jet Li is not a martial artist in that sense. He's trained in Wushu, and he admits himself that he can't fight. So he's first and foremost a really flexible little chinaman. A acrobat!

Bruce Lee? Athlete. The guy focused most of his time to train his body to the extreme. I commend him for that. But just because he invented a fighting style that is, basicly, no fighting style at all, doesn't make him a great fighter. I believe he'd kick my ass fairly easily. But I don't think he'd have a chance against someone who actually had severe experience in fighting. Like Muhammed Ali (or MMA fighters). Put it this way: You can train all your life. But you're still a rookie until the day you actually start fighting. That's when your REAL training begins.

Jackie Chan is just tough all around. He never claimed to be a fighter, but he's definetly the toughest of them all. And since they're all non-fighters, that's who I'd put my money on.

[capncnut]

Tony Jaa is good, I'm not denying that, but he could NOT beat Bruce Lee.

I'm sorry to break this news to you

Personally I think Tony Jaa would wipe the floor with Bruce. Even Jackie Chan said Jaa was the the most accomplished martial artist he has EVER seen and Jackie worked alongside Bruce in Fist Of Fury (when Bruce was at his peak).

I'm not saying this to take away from Bruce as he will always be my favourite martial artist but it's plain to see who possesses more fighting skill. I have every Bruce movie, dvd, interview, book etc and there's nothing I can see in them (apart from philosophy) that could even remotely challenge Jaa.

I remember once, an asian film historian was asked the question "who would defeat who in a fight, Lee or Jaa?" The guy closed his eyes, took a drag of his cigarette and said "I know the answer to that question, but I'm not going to say because a lot of people wont like it."

That answer speaks volumes.


Bruce Lee? Athlete. The guy focused most of his time to train his body to the extreme. I commend him for that. But just because he invented a fighting style that is, basicly, no fighting style at all, doesn't make him a great fighter. I believe he'd kick my ass fairly easily. But I don't think he'd have a chance against someone who actually had severe experience in fighting.

Because of Bruce's status, he was often challenged on the sets of his movies by gangs and solo martial artists wanting a piece of his crown. Bruce never lost one of those fights. Believe me, he had experience in fighting but was way too consumed by the philosophy behind it. Just read one his books, he was obsessed!

[Graebel]

I got lucky enough to train with one of Dan Inosanto's students and through him I met one of the Gracie brothers. He said something that seems relevant to this discussion.

"No matter how good you are, there will always be someone better. So you train to fight that person, everyone else just gets in the way."

That being said, I voted Bruce Lee because I think he had that mindsight. You train everyday to fight the person who is better than you. Whether or not they are, is irrelevant.