Most famous martial artists
The best martial artists are some of the toughest fighters to ever compete. These guys come from all around the world, so whether you are a fan of traditional fighting styles that originated in Asia or some more rough combat like MMA, it is hard to dispute that all of these men mentioned below are highly skilled in their respective disciplines.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee is one of the greatest martial artists that have ever lived and is considered among many as one of the most influential martial arts movie actors of all time. This legendary fighter combined the cardiovascular capacity of a supreme athlete with a muscular body of a weightlifter. He was a real cultural icon, who has helped change the way Asians were portrayed in American movies. His strokes were fast but hard, he punched efficient but lethal. He was trained in wing chun, Wu-style Tai chi ch’uan, a mixture of dancing and boxing. Many all-time great fighters have credited Bruce Lee for his popularization of martial arts as UFC President Dana White said that he was “the father of mixed martial arts”.
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray Norris, part-Cherokee, part-Irish, is a movie, and a cultural icon, one of the best martial artists that have ever appeared on TV screens. Norris has earned a black belt in three disciplines, Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and judo. He also had an outstanding karate career from 1964 to 1974 as he won at least 30 tournaments during that timespan. He was encouraged by Steve McQueen to come into the film industry, where he gained immense popularity, especially for fighting Bruce Lee on screen.
Jet Li
Jet Li is an acrobatic master and a former champion of wushu. After showing his incredible talent in the Chinese market, he went to Hollywood where he became a martial arts movie superstar. His kickboxing-influenced style was about power, speed, and mind-control. Even though he stated that he considers himself as a “decent” martial arts, he was asked by President Nixon himself to be his personal bodyguard.
Yip Man
Yip man was Chinese grandmaster and teacher of Wing Chun and a Wushu expert. He had several famous students like Grandmaster William Cheung and Bruce Lee, who have popularized martial arts all over the world. Donnie Yen portrayed him in the film “Ip Man”.
Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal is one of the most controversial figures in the world of movies and martial arts. Even though many people find his skill in martial arts a bit suspicious, he is undoubtedly an aikido champion, who also owns belts in karate, judo, and kendo. His defensive skills are surprisingly remarkable as he throws high kicks and joint locks.
