The MOST Influential Martial Artist!?!

[sensei8]

Geoff Thompson - the man Black Belt Magazine USA called, "the most influential martial artist in the world since Bruce Lee." This tag line can be found in most martial arts magazine publications.

Whether one is or isn't the most influential of anything is up to the masses and not up to the individual for whom the proponent is aimed at. Do advertisements tailored like this upset you? Do you take those words personally? By personally, do you, or your students take those words as a personal attack on you as a martial artist?

Here, Black Belt Magazine USA is just one collected opinion, and nothing more. Opinions vary across the spectrum known as the martial arts. BBM USA is supporting the martial artist, here, Geoff Thompson, and that's their belief as well as it's their right.

The tag in the first paragraph of the OP, imho, is nothing more than an advertising power point, and yes, imho, the laymen martial artist as well as the non-martial artists might perceive this as the holy grail, just as though it's written in stone.

To me, it's all harmless advertising, and one companies opinion. By harmless I mean it's uninfluential across the board and in that, it's nothing. It's no more than when one uses certain power words in their advertising tag lines. Word(s) like "Best" or "Most", as in the example above.

Harmless? Yes. It's the old adage..."Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!" I believe that this idiom should speak loud and clear to every martial artist about everything that's the martial arts.

You; The reader is only interested in the potential benefit that he/she will receive from your product. The old advertising maxim is still valid "Sell the sizzle not the steak". Look carefully at your product and think of all the reasons that I, or anyone else would benefit by owning it.

Even in our casual conversations with other fellow martial artists over lunch, or wherever, we'll speak often one of those "MOST" powerful words, on either side of any martial arts discussion, "BEST"!! That word, "BEST", alone can bring martial artists together or, the word, "BEST", can drive a wedge between two fellow martial artists just that quick. Of course, imho, it depends greatly on each individual's martial arts maturity.

Your thoughts?!?

[DWx]

Don't think you can really put stock into this. Any sort of advertising uses these words all the time. How many movies are called "the best movie since..." or "best movie this year".

Admittedly I don't come out of my TKD box that often but I had to actually Google Geoff Thompson to find out who he was and what he'd done. So if he's so influential how come I didn't know about him? OK I know I don't know everyone and everything but you'd think the most influential guy since Bruce Lee would be a big name. And for that matter who said Bruce Lee was the most influential MAist of his time? Lot of influential people around in the 1960s/1970s.

[bushido_man96]

When you see anything coming out of Black Belt Magazine, you have to look at is half advertisiment, and half endorsement. That's the way I look at it. And it isn't bad, and I'm sure Thompson has done some things to effect the MA community. But, it will depend on the demographics of the area involved, and each one will have different people who affect them differently. In the end, the endorsements help make those decisions for publications like this.

[sensei8]

And for that matter who said Bruce Lee was the most influential MAist of his time?

Pretty much every MAist past and present!

[Montana]

Personally, I've never even HEARD of the guy, let alone been influenced by anything he's done. I quit subscribing to BB Mag years ago when it got to be full of ninja crap and flash and awe martial arts. I don't think I've bought one in over 20 years.

[DWx]

And for that matter who said Bruce Lee was the most influential MAist of his time?

Pretty much every MAist past and present!

I don't disagree. Was just pointing out that even that is just opinion. You could make the argument for a number of people who were around during that era.

[isshinryu5toforever]

"Chuck Norris built a time machine and went back in time to stop the JFK assassination. As Oswald shot, Chuck met all three bullets with his beard, deflecting them. JFK's head exploded out of sheer amazement."

Sorry, I had to. For anyone that hasn't read Chuck Norrisisms, here's a link.

http://www.historyaddict.com/chucknorrisisms.htm