Game Changers

[JR 137]

I would add Royce Gracie. He took an art with little to no striking (like other popular arts), used it to great effect and now it is one of the fastest growing arts in the world.

Most of the major movie starts in the 80's and 90's.

Fumio Demura. he taught much of Hollywood, and really pioneered the MA in the US.

I’d say Royce Gracie (and family) is easily the most current/latest game changer. Enormous impact on MA today.

I’d also add whoever brought TKD to the US. There’s easily more TKD schools than any other style. In my area, possibly more than every other style combined. It’s not a stretch to say TKD schools make up at least half of the MA schools here, give or take 10%.

[LLLEARNER]

I would add Royce Gracie. He took an art with little to no striking (like other popular arts), used it to great effect and now it is one of the fastest growing arts in the world.

Most of the major movie starts in the 80's and 90's.

Fumio Demura. he taught much of Hollywood, and really pioneered the MA in the US.

I’d say Royce Gracie (and family) is easily the most current/latest game changer. Enormous impact on MA today.

I’d also add whoever brought TKD to the US. There’s easily more TKD schools than any other style. In my area, possibly more than every other style combined. It’s not a stretch to say TKD schools make up at least half of the MA schools here, give or take 10%.

The only reason I did not mention the rest of the Gracie family, was that it was Royce who was the face at the beginning. It probably could have been any of that generation at the time.

TKD seems to do well in this country.

[OneKickWonder]

I would add Royce Gracie. He took an art with little to no striking (like other popular arts), used it to great effect and now it is one of the fastest growing arts in the world.

Most of the major movie starts in the 80's and 90's.

Fumio Demura. he taught much of Hollywood, and really pioneered the MA in the US.

I’d say Royce Gracie (and family) is easily the most current/latest game changer. Enormous impact on MA today.

I’d also add whoever brought TKD to the US. There’s easily more TKD schools than any other style. In my area, possibly more than every other style combined. It’s not a stretch to say TKD schools make up at least half of the MA schools here, give or take 10%.

The only reason I did not mention the rest of the Gracie family, was that it was Royce who was the face at the beginning. It probably could have been any of that generation at the time.

TKD seems to do well in this country.

TKD thrives in the US because of the Korean war. The US side with South Korea, against the Soviet and (unofficially) backed north. This meant that a lot of US service personnel were stationed in South Korea. It also meant meant that a lot of South Koreans became familiar with the US way of life, and so there was a significant cultural exchange. After the Japanese had all but crushed Korean culture including its martial arts during the occupation between 1903 and the just after WW2, they wanted to reassert themselves a bit. The Korean war came along. It was hardly a stroke of luck, but with the US presenting an opportunity, here was a chance for Korean martial arts to be shown to the western mainstream. Hence, TKD thrives in the US.

But for the record, it didn't stop there. TKD is massive in the UK too. Perhaps not as much as in the US, over here karate still seems to hold the biggest share, but there are a lot of TKD clubs.

[LLLEARNER]

I would add Royce Gracie. He took an art with little to no striking (like other popular arts), used it to great effect and now it is one of the fastest growing arts in the world.

Most of the major movie starts in the 80's and 90's.

Fumio Demura. he taught much of Hollywood, and really pioneered the MA in the US.

I’d say Royce Gracie (and family) is easily the most current/latest game changer. Enormous impact on MA today.

I’d also add whoever brought TKD to the US. There’s easily more TKD schools than any other style. In my area, possibly more than every other style combined. It’s not a stretch to say TKD schools make up at least half of the MA schools here, give or take 10%.

The only reason I did not mention the rest of the Gracie family, was that it was Royce who was the face at the beginning. It probably could have been any of that generation at the time.

TKD seems to do well in this country.

TKD thrives in the US because of the Korean war. The US side with South Korea, against the Soviet and (unofficially) backed north. This meant that a lot of US service personnel were stationed in South Korea. It also meant meant that a lot of South Koreans became familiar with the US way of life, and so there was a significant cultural exchange. After the Japanese had all but crushed Korean culture including its martial arts during the occupation between 1903 and the just after WW2, they wanted to reassert themselves a bit. The Korean war came along. It was hardly a stroke of luck, but with the US presenting an opportunity, here was a chance for Korean martial arts to be shown to the western mainstream. Hence, TKD thrives in the US.

But for the record, it didn't stop there. TKD is massive in the UK too. Perhaps not as much as in the US, over here karate still seems to hold the biggest share, but there are a lot of TKD clubs.

If I am not mistaken, Chuck Norris got started in Korea when he was in the Air Force.

We could call the servicemen who picked up karate in Japan and Okinawa after WW2 and TKD in Korea as game changers collectively.

[JR 137]

I would add Royce Gracie. He took an art with little to no striking (like other popular arts), used it to great effect and now it is one of the fastest growing arts in the world.

Most of the major movie starts in the 80's and 90's.

Fumio Demura. he taught much of Hollywood, and really pioneered the MA in the US.

I’d say Royce Gracie (and family) is easily the most current/latest game changer. Enormous impact on MA today.

I’d also add whoever brought TKD to the US. There’s easily more TKD schools than any other style. In my area, possibly more than every other style combined. It’s not a stretch to say TKD schools make up at least half of the MA schools here, give or take 10%.

The only reason I did not mention the rest of the Gracie family, was that it was Royce who was the face at the beginning. It probably could have been any of that generation at the time.

TKD seems to do well in this country.

Royce was definitely the face of it all, being the pioneer of it in the octagon. His brothers, I think primarily Rickson and Rorion, and his father Helio did as much outside the octagon to promote the UFC and the like as Royce did inside the octagon.

I could be wrong though. But yes, Royce was definitely the original face of BJJ here.

[OneKickWonder]

I would add Royce Gracie. He took an art with little to no striking (like other popular arts), used it to great effect and now it is one of the fastest growing arts in the world.

Most of the major movie starts in the 80's and 90's.

Fumio Demura. he taught much of Hollywood, and really pioneered the MA in the US.

I’d say Royce Gracie (and family) is easily the most current/latest game changer. Enormous impact on MA today.

I’d also add whoever brought TKD to the US. There’s easily more TKD schools than any other style. In my area, possibly more than every other style combined. It’s not a stretch to say TKD schools make up at least half of the MA schools here, give or take 10%.

The only reason I did not mention the rest of the Gracie family, was that it was Royce who was the face at the beginning. It probably could have been any of that generation at the time.

TKD seems to do well in this country.

Royce was definitely the face of it all, being the pioneer of it in the octagon. His brothers, I think primarily Rickson and Rorion, and his father Helio did as much outside the octagon to promote the UFC and the like as Royce did inside the octagon.

I could be wrong though. But yes, Royce was definitely the original face of BJJ here.

The version of events I read was that one of the Gracie bros was too small and weak to make traditional Japanese jujitsu work, so he practiced modifying the techniques til they worked for him.

If that is true, then he is a game changer not for inventing a new style, but for saying it's not only OK, but necessary to take what you are taught as a baseline, from which to improvise to develop your own style that works for you.

[sensei8]

An untold amount of well known MAists have either been expelled or resigned from well known Governing Body's for varied reasons. These actions have, in their own way, small or large, have all been game changers of their own right, in one way or another.

From this link, there's these examples...

https://www.karateforums.com/expulsion-vt38382.html

Please note the 4th paragraph at the above link, as well as the Sources at the very bottom of same link.