who is the best martial artist you have met and why?

[Nick Forrer]

Hey guys

care to name the best martial artist you have trained with and why? If you dont train with them now why not?

[bodhitree]

too many to respond

[RD'S Alias - 1A]

Yeah, same here. There is a lot of talent out there.

[Nick Forrer]

Okay not your top ten...top five?

Surely there must be someone you've trained with who stood out from the others?

Here are two of mine


Val Riazanov (Systema/Sambo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XId7zqbU-2g

and

Steve Morris (MMA)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi-eT1FEsFU

[lkfmdc]

name the best martial artist you have trained with

Chan Tai San

and why?

Diversity of knowledge, level of skill, experience as fighter, strategy, attitude, a host of other qualities that made the 16 years I spent with him an experience you can't replicate again

If you dont train with them now why not?

He passed away

Honorable mentions
Jeng Hsin Ping: Shuai Jiao master
Mark Tripp: Judo coach
John Saylor: Judo coach

I also trained about 5 days with Rickson Gracie, but not sure that is long enough to count, he is as amazing as every says, and MORE SO

[Nick Forrer]

Thanks for the post David

Yes Rickson Gracie counts...you dont have to have done more than a seminar to include someone

I have a couple of rare rickson seminars on my computer and yes his technique and teaching ability are both awesome

Another suggestion..how about people put up you tube clips if there are any...then others can see too

[stricker]

Nice idea Nick, but do you mean best martial artist or best coach? or fighter or ...

anyway in no particular order :

my muay thai coach - someone i have more respect for as a fighter, martial artist and person than probably anyone else. trains harder than a mofo. i probably never would have fought thai boxing without him in my corner...

mma coach - retired from fighting now, but technically amazing.

wrestling coach - just a really great teacher

ernie - words cant describe... he's the man.

andrewS - the true scientist of martial arts training, on a different level to normal people, not just the "long-words clever stuff", its the whole approach...

those are people who i've spent enough one-on-one time with to get a bit of an insight into their methods. 3 of them i train with daily, the other 2 live a few thousand miles away. i'd be honoured to learn from any one of them for the rest of my life

people i've met more briefly but really stand out in what they do would be vitor 'shaolin' ribeiro and alex kozma. they had good 'kung fu'. emin boztepe scares me a bit too

of course i've met a whole list of famous martial artists who were clearly very good, but those are the memorably influential ones...

[Nick Forrer]

Stricker,

Martial artist -with all that entails

Not just coach or competitor (but could include that in criteria)

Interesting that two of your pick are forum members! Perhaps KFO has a bigger talent pool then it gives itself credit for.

Have to 2nd Emin Boztepe (WC)...Scary individual

Ernie Barrios and his coach Gary Lam too (also WC)

[lkfmdc]

you dont have to have done more than a seminar to include someone

In that case let me add Randy Couture, Matt Lindland and Robert Follis... spent three days with them in Oregon when it was still one team quest...

[stricker]

the interesting thing to me nick is there's a list of big names i coulda put : maurilo 'ninja' rua from chute boxe, gokor, gene lebell, eddie bravo, steve morris, the list goes on etc... i mean, how do you choose from a list of world class people like that?

somewhere in my criteria is being well rounded (not a blinkered specialist), constantly progressing what they're doing, having the ability to communicate and the passion to go non stop

[lkfmdc]

I've trained with a LOT of people,,,,

I trained with YC Wong, Tai Yim, Adam Hsu, etc.... all very good, all I respect, but I didn't list them because I don't think they still inform/influence me like Chan Tai San and Jeng Hsin Ping still effect me every day

Iive done Judo with other people, but Mark Tripp's ideas and history are the reason I run NY San Da today. No question about it

John Saylor showed me stuff that I still use in BJJ every day.

I've trained with both Rua brothers, great guys, great stuff, but again I didn't list them because they didn't have a lasting effect. Randy and Matt and Robert changed my clinching game with things they shared with me

Gene LeBell is a living legend, but I think we all know that unless you spend a good deal of time personally with him, you're getting a thin slice of what he is about... Gene choked me out, so maybe the residual brain damage still informs me but little else

[sanjuro_ronin]

Gene chokes everyone out, heck he choked out the cab drive that was driving him once !

[lkfmdc]

anyone who has ever trained with Gene was gonna get the choke reference

[packard]

I work with a guy called Neil McCarthy - a great martial artist and a supurb coach. he has a great understanding of what he teaches and can put it into practice so fluidly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCkebTAQSGo

or www.ukkungfu.com

P

[Water Dragon]

OK, here are my top guys in chronological order.

1. William C.C. Chen, Tai Chi Chuan. No matter hwat you think about his Tai Chi, the man can fight.
2. Tao Ping Siang. Liu He Ba Fa. This guy was so soft it was scary. He could put you down hard in his 80's.
3. Nathan Menaged. Liu He Ba Fa/Tai Chi Chuan. Dr. Tao's senior student and also a student of C. C. Chen. The man is just scary.
4. Fong Ha, Yi Chuan. I didn't work with him much, but he taught me some good Wu Ji Chi Gung.
5. Joe Judt, Shuai Chia, Kun Tao.I spent a few years under this guy, and he is the man who developed my structure, strategy, footwork, and entries. I got my foundation from him. I also picked up the tiny bit of weapon work I know from Joe Sifu.
6. Miguel Torres, BJJ, Muay Thai. This is the man who taught me the ground game and my pugilistic skills. He made me a fighter.
7. Rene Zeelenberg, Judo. This guys is just amazing, and was a long time student of Gene Le Bell. Trust me, I feel it all the time, lol! If you followed the Judo scene in the 1970's, you may have heard of Sensei.