14 Greatest Martial Artists of All Time
Who is the greatest martial artist of all time? This is a question that has caused many arguments and debates among martial arts fans across the world. With the advent of MMA and UFC and the continued rise in fighting movies, from classic Asian kung-fu flicks to modern Hollywood action movies like the John Wick and Jason Bourne franchises, there have been dozens of incredible martial artists who have helped popularize the many disciplines that make up the sport.
But what makes a person a great martial artist? Is it down to skill or knowledge of different styles? Is it the ability to take down multiple assailants or perform various types of martial arts during one fight? All of this really depends on the individual, but there is no doubt that some famous martial artists stand head and shoulders above others.
While many have found fame in movies and fighting competitions, such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Georges St-Pierre, some of the best martial artists were also masters of their chosen discipline, like Masahiko Kimura and Yip Man, who taught generations of students over the years.
Choosing the greatest of all time isn’t easy, so we have selected 14 of our favorite martial artists who we believe deserve to be spoken about as the best of the best.
1. Bruce Lee
An obvious choice, Bruce Lee is considered by many to be the greatest martial artist of all time. Born in San Francisco but raised in British-occupied Hong Kong, Lee learned several disciplines as a youth, including Wing Chun, tai chi, and boxing. Moving to the United States to study, Lee began making money teaching people martial arts. He eventually opened his own school in Los Angeles and became well-known among the martial arts community, teaching the likes of Chuck Norris, Sharon Tate, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Lee created his own style of fighting known as Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist), incorporating his influences with his own philosophy. But Lee wanted to get into acting, and after raising his profile by scoring the role of Kato in The Green Hornet, he went back to Hong Kong and signed a deal with Golden Harvest, who were known for their martial arts movies.
In the space of two years, he released The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), and The Way of the Dragon (1972), all massive hits that led to Lee’s own project, Game of Death. But when Warner Brothers called offering him the starring role in Enter the Dragon, Lee put Game of Death to the side.
Tragically Lee would pass away six days before the premiere of Enter the Dragon, a movie that went on to make over $400 million at the box office. Although his life was cut short at 32, Lee remains one of the most influential figures in martial arts whose presence is still felt today both on and off the screen.
2. Masahiko Kimura
A Japanese wrestler and Judoka (Judo) expert, Masahiko Kimura was so famous he had a move named after him. The submission move known as the reverse ude-garami arm lock is now commonly referred to as the “Kimura,” thanks to the victory Kimura achieved over Jiu-Jitsu founder Hélio Gracie, in which he snapped Gracie’s arm using the move.
Kimura began studying Judoka from an early age and became the youngest ever godan (5th-degree black belt) at age 18 in 1935 when he defeated eight consecutive opponents. After that, he was said to have gone undefeated until 1950, eventually reaching a 7th-degree black belt when he hit 30.
Kimura got into wrestling in the 50s and stopped participating in tournaments, although he was involved in several famous “shoot” wrestling matches. He died in 1993 after a long battle with lung cancer.
3. Jackie Chan
Martial artist, actor, director, writer, stuntman, and producer are just some of the labels that describe Jackie Chan. One of the most recognizable martial artists in the movie business, Chan has performed in over 150 movies since making his debut in Big and Little Wong Tin Bar at age eight.
Sent to the China Drama Academy as a child, Chan learned martial arts, acrobatics, and dance, using these skills to pick up work, first as a stunt double and co-ordinator, then winning small acting roles. Combining his skills in Hapkido, Judo, Wing Chun, Taekwondo, and Hei Long and his knack for comedy, Chan soon got offered major roles and broke out thanks to starring in movies such as The Young Master, Police Story, Armour of God, and Rumble in the Bronx.
Hollywood soon called and Chan found himself sharing the screen with Chris Rock in the Rush Hour franchise, as well as appearing in Western productions such as The Medallion, The Accidental Spy, and Kung-Fu Panda. Despite being in his late 60s, Chan continues to act and perform his own stunts and is a big influence on modern martial arts movies.
4. Yip Man
Yip Man, also known as Ip Man, was a grand master of Wing Chun and most famous for teaching Bruce Lee. Throughout his life, Yip Man opened several schools where he taught martial arts classes and helped pass on his knowledge of Wing Chun. Highly revered by those who study and teach Wing Chun, there are several books and movies about Yip Man, with the most famous being the Ip Man franchise starring Donnie Yen as the legendary Yip Man.
5. Chojun Miyagi
His name might not be familiar, but Chojun Miyagi’s impact on pop culture dates back to the 80s. The smash hit The Karate Kid is based on Miyagi’s style of martial arts, known as Gōjū-ryū Karate. The character of Mr. Miyagi is also influenced by the real-life Miyagi, hence the two sharing the same name.
Miyagi first took kids’ martial arts classes, learning Okinawan martial arts before traveling to China to further his studies. Upon returning to Japan he started Gōjū-ryū Karate where he opened a dojo and taught self-defense for many years while also writing several books.
6. Jet Li
Jet Li studied Wushu during his youth, winning several huge tournaments before retiring at age 18 due to injury. After coaching for a few years, Li turned his attention to the entertainment world. He quickly became a huge star in his native China during the 80s and 90s, starring in the likes of Shaolin Temple, Once Upon a Time in China, and Fist of Legend.
Hollywood soon called and Li made his international debut in 1998s Lethal Weapon 4. He followed this up with the cult classic Romeo Must Die and was off to the races. Over the past two decades, Li has appeared in both Chinese and American productions, showcasing his martial arts skills and surprising acting talent.
7. Chuck Norris
Depending on when you were born will impact how you know Chuck Norris. Many remember him for the string of hit action movies he starred in during the 80s, such as Missing in Action, Invasion U.S.A., and Delta Force. For others, it will be his role in the cop procedural Texas Walker Ranger. Then there are those who know him for the Norris memes and jokes that circulated around the internet a few years back. Whatever your relationship is with Norris, just know that he is an actual badass.
First training in the art of Tang Soo Do and achieving a black belt, Norris went on to do the same with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. He even created his own martial arts, Chun Kuk Do, and won over 30 martial tournaments between 1646-1974. Training several Hollywood actors, it was Steve McQueen who pushed him to take up acting, with Norris quickly making it big in the world of movies.
Not only is Norris a huge movie star, but the mixed martial arts expert has written several books, starred in advertisements for several big brands, and been involved in many philanthropic endeavors.
8. Mas Oyama
A karate master who founded Kyokushin Karate, Mas Oyama would go on to write What is Karate?, considered by many to be the most influential book about the discipline ever written. Oyama was also responsible for creating the 100-man Kumite, which is a contest where one person takes part in a series of two-minute fights with a continuous flow of opponents. Oyama was believed to have completed three 100-man Kumites over three days, winning every fight.
Fun fact: Ryu from the video game Street Fighter is based on Mas Oyama.
9. Tony Jaa
Part of the new breed of martial artists taking Hollywood by storm, Tony Jaa is proficient in the Thai martial arts of Muay Thai. He began training at age ten and was encouraged to attend Maha Sarakham College of Physical Education. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree, Jaa initially got into stunt work before his independent movie Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior turned him into a star.
He’s gone on to star in two Ong-Bak sequels as well as Hollywood productions Furious 7, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, and Monster Hunter.
10. Jean Claude Van Damme
Jean Claude Van Damme did his best work during the 80s and 90s. The Belgium martial artist and actor learned several different techniques during his youth, including Karate, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Taekwondo. He also studied dance for five years, which he attributes to his success as a martial artist and his ability to do the splits.
Wanting to be more than just a martial artist, Van Damme moved to the United States in 1982 hoping to break into the film industry. He did some stunt work and appeared in small roles before No Retreat, No Surrender got him noticed. He followed this with Bloodsport and Kickboxer and was well on his way to stardom.
Having recently announced his retirement from the film industry after spending the 00s making direct-to-DVD trash, Van Damme leaves behind an enduring legacy.
11. Jigoro Kano
Jigoro Kano may not have starred in any marital arts films, but he is responsible for creating Judo. Kano first practiced Jūjutsu and from that evolved his own version, Judo. He is responsible for introducing black and white belts, the dan ranking system, and for getting Judo recognized as an Olympic sport.
Kano helped Judo become part of Japan’s educational system by 1911, which is one of the main reasons it’s such a popular sport in the country.
12. Steven Seagal
He might be a bit of a weird unit these days, but back in the 80s and 90s, Steven Seagal was one of the great action heroes. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal was a martial arts instructor in Japan before moving to Los Angeles and getting into the entertainment business. After the success of his debut film, Above the Law, Seagal quickly established himself as an action star. Things really picked up in 1992 with Under Siege, which is pretty much Die Hard on a ship.
As the 90s neared its end, Seagal had fallen out of favor with audiences due to pushing his environmental beliefs in his films. Relegated to direct-to-DVD fodder, Seagal still managed to keep a cult following over the past two decades. When not starring in bad films, Seagal is making country music, working for the sheriff’s office, or hanging out with his pal Vladimir Putin.
13. Bolo Yeung
While his name might not be familiar, if you are a fan of 80s kung-fu flicks you will no doubt recognize Bolo Yeung. The Chinese martial artist mastered kung-fu at a young age while also getting into bodybuilding, holding the Mr. Hong Kong bodybuilding trophy for ten years straight.
His first on-screen appearance was in The Wandering Swordsman, a 1970s kung-fu flick. Yeung appeared in a slew of B-grade martial arts films until popping up in Enter the Dragon. This led to more sizable roles until he cracked the American market by starring as the big bad in Bloodsport. Despite this success, Yeung has only appeared in two films over the past two decades, happy to pursue other ventures and concentrate on his martial arts.
14. Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is a UFC legend. At a time when people were wondering what the best technique or fighting style was in the 90s, with many believing it to be between Karate, Taekwondo, and boxing, Gracie proved them all wrong by winning three out of the first four UFC events using Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, a style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Gracie’s father was the mastermind behind Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and he learned the martial art at a very young age. He and two of his brothers moved to America to set up the Gracie Academy, which is when Gracie got involved in the UFC. Gracie beat Ken Shamrock in UFC 1 to become the undisputed fighting champion in the world.
Gracie would leave UFC after UFC 5 and fight for several other promotions over the years before finally calling it a day in 2016.
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