The debate as to which style of martial art is the ‘best’ is one that’s been going on forever. Martial arts are combative and competitive by nature, so I guess it makes sense that every school wants to be able to hold the mantle of the best out there.
All will tell you why they think they are the best…
Ju-Jitsu and Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu will tell you they are the most rounded and most fights end up on the ground…
Muay Thai will tell you they have superior conditioning and are direct with their signature knees and elbows…
MMA will say they are the most ‘realistic’…
Krav Maga will claim something similar, that they are focused on combatives for the street…
Karate will tell you how they are steeped in tradition…
Kung Fu will talk about their speed and agility…
You get the idea. They ALL have their merits as systems for fighting, as well as their limitations.
The reality is that there are only so many ways a body can move, or be moved. Only so many ways you can strike someone and only so many variations of joint locks and takedowns. Eventually, in terms of technique and content at least, you’ll find that all styles will have their similarities.
What differs is methodology (i.e how they train), and the underlying philosophy of the school/system, and the context for training (i.e sport, self defence, fitness etc). Also, importantly, how well the school performs within their context, i.e. do they perform well in competition, or are they teaching self defence in an effective and realistic way – I’d be wary of no-touch knockouts being taught as self defence (this about the individual school than the style and is probably a topic for another post)!
People take up martial arts for all kinds of reasons. Some people want to fight competitively. Others want to feel like they can protect themselves on the street, while some people just want to get fit, have some fun and get out of the house.
When we look at it from that perspective, how we define ‘best’ changes somewhat. The question changes from “what’s the best style” to “what style (or school) is the best fit for what I want?”
Which style or school is actually going to teach me what I want to learn and develop me the way I want?
How will I measure it? Is it about the number of techniques I learn? Or is it how effectively I can apply them under pressure? Is it about how long I can last in a fight? How hard and fast can I punch? How high I can kick? How many social events I can attend?
If you are clear on what you want as a student or practitioner, that will guide you towards which style is best for you.