Who Are Your Martial Art Heroes?

[melfi28]

Bruce Lee

Chuck Norris

Jackie Chan

Miyamoto Musashi

Tony Jaa

Wally Jay - creator of Small Circle Jujitsu

[weberje030916]

Bruce Lee- big influence when I was a child

Tony Blauer- his scientific and researched approach brought concepts that were so 'common sense' but still blew my mind.

[Matthias]

Chuck Norris more for his outspoken commitment to Jesus Christ and Evangelical Christianity and his Kickstart youth karate programs than his martial arts prowess. True, he was six time world champion in professional karate, but to be honest, I was never all that impressed with his speed.

Bruce Lee because of his awesome ability.

Sijo John N. Beall because he's such a class act and a very outstanding Wing Chun practitioner and teacher.

Tom Laughlin, because his movie "Billy Jack" really inspired me. I know somebody else did all the high kicks, but Laughlin was the writer, director and star of the movie and did some competent hapkido in it.

Jackie Chan because he brought comedy into martial arts movies and his amazing ability in movement.

[dwarf2]

Masahiko Kimura- Yang luchan -yip man -farmer burns. Not do i find them great but, i find there lives interesting, unique.

[StrangeBacon]

Above all, my Sensei, he's helped me through some increadibly hard times in my life and helped shape me into the man i am today, i'd go as far to say theres no one (apart from family) that i respect as much as that man.

Other martial artists include:

Jean Claude Van Damme, not only because i love his movies but because he proved how good a fighter he is with his full contact fights under his real name Van Varenburg, only loss he really had was a TKO if i remember rightly, the rest were wins with predominantly first round knockouts. Plus, he's a really nice guy and my inspiration for hours of pain aquiring the side splits.

Scott Adkins, not only an increadibly fast fighter but a phenomenal athlete, gymnast and stuntman as well, those who dont know who he is, he played Uri Boyka in Undisputed 2&3.

Last but not least i'd say Michael Jai White, one of my favourite actors and a pure beast of a man, started karate aged 7, now 42 with black belts in 7 different styles and a successful career in hollywood, not only an inspirational martial artist but an inspirational man in general.

Obviously Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are up there but those were the obvious choices, i thought id elaborate on some of my other heroes.

[Nevinyrral]

Bruce Lee

Jackie Chan

Jet Li

[Kensei723]

1. Miyamoto Musashi

2. Bruce Lee

3. Chuck Norris

4. Jackie Chan

5. Last but not least, my dad who supported me and trained me from my early years

[JiuJitsuNation]

LUIZ PALHARES!!!!

[bushido_man96]

Jean Claude Van Damme, not only because i love his movies but because he proved how good a fighter he is with his full contact fights under his real name Van Varenburg, only loss he really had was a TKO if i remember rightly, the rest were wins with predominantly first round knockouts. Plus, he's a really nice guy and my inspiration for hours of pain aquiring the side splits. :lol:quote]

This is interesting. I have never heard this about Van Damme. I always was under the impression that he never competed in anything like full contact. Can you point me to this information?

LUIZ PALHARES!!!!

Who is this? I imagine a BJJ stylists, but I have not heard the name.

[wolverine uskf]

Mas Oyama- for creating kyokushin under impossible conditions.

Robert Fabrey- the man who taught the men who taught me my first martial art, and did all of our testings at his main school. I'm admiting my stupidity because i don't know if shorinji kempo was created from kyokushin and judo, but thats how he taught it, and i loved it.

Chuck Norris- i like his movies and tv show, but i just read 2 of his books, and his ability to over come any obstacle, and his work with kids from all levels of society put him way up in my eye's.

Bruce Lee- not for his movies, but for his courage to go against tradition, and create an art that changed what he felt was wrong with the traditional arts.

Jackie Chan- because he makes the martial arts fun to watch for everyone even if they aren't martial arts fans.

Jet Li- for making fighting with 1 hand look doable in cradle to the grave, and thats important to me with a bad arm.