Modern Vs Traditional Martial Arts: Which One Is Better?

To get to the bottom of this, one must first realize that some martial arts are just impossible to compare. You can’t compare Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a grappling-based martial art, with kickboxing, which is a striking-based martial art. The reason for this is that they work in different situations with different uses. A fight between a grappler and a striker would depend on the striker’s takedown defense, for instance, not the striker’s technical skill. It’s about denying the opponent the chance to take the fight into their own territory. So, obviously, when comparing martial arts, it’s a given that the martial arts being compared should be in the same category.

So then, what makes martial arts superior to one another? The truth is, the martial artist does. But since we’re trying to compare the martial arts themselves, we could compare the moves and the typical fighting styles that are attributed to them. Let’s say that we’re comparing Muay Thai and kickboxing. Obviously, since Muay Thai fighters have trained everything kickboxers have trained and more (i.e. elbows and knees) they would be superior should both they and the kickboxer be equal in strength and experience.

But that was easy to compare since the two sports are so similar in terms of moves. What if we tried to compare kickboxing with kung fu? The two are so radically different despite being based on striking that it’s hard to compare them. To say one is better than the other would be an extremely wrong way of thinking. And just like that, our entire method of reasoning has fallen apart. Why? Because the argument that one martial art is better than the other, or that modern martial arts are better than traditional martial arts is inherently flawed. The truth is, if you forced Bruce Lee to only use punches against a lesser-experienced martial artist practicing a different martial art, Bruce Lee would still win. Why? Because he’s more experienced. Does that make boxing a better martial art compared to the martial artist’s? No. That’s exactly why one martial art isn’t better than the other; it’s just a matter of picking the one you’re best suited for in terms of thinking, body shape and interests. It’s the martial artist that makes the martial art, not the other way around. So now, having read this, when anyone tries to argue that one is better than the other, you can now look them in the eye and tell them proudly: “You’re mistaken, and I am more educated in this subject than you are.”

A common debate topic between martial arts enthusiasts is whether modern martial arts always prevail

over traditional martial arts or vice versa. To the untrained eye, this may make sense; modern martial arts must have adapted to the environment, so they are undoubtedly superior, one might assume. Well, not

so much. There are many factors at play to be considered in this debate, and to judge it in such a shallow manner would be irresponsible at best.