The Legends of our Time

Hi, guys and girls!

Some years ago I wrote a blog post listing some of the most awesome martial artists that I have come across from browsing the internet.

Back then it was already a long list.

We have legends of martial arts heroes from ancient times. Truth is, however, that as the martial arts are still alive in this age- some really extraordinary martial artists can be found in the world today.

In this post- I am going to list some really awesome people who have become celebrities and in my book- legends- because of what they have done for the martial arts.

This list also serves as a means to inform anyone who has not yet heard of these people of their existence and what they do.

So- without further ado...

Here is my list, in no particular order:

1. D K Yoo

https://youtu.be/OY_58aCNrhw

I may not be as crazy about Korean martial arts as I am about Chinese martial arts, but I admit that South Korea has produced one scary individual. DK Yoo's skills and demonstrations remind one a lot of Bruce Lee. It is also noteworthy that the universal combat system that he teaches is also the product of understanding various existing martial disciplines. 

His demonstrations are really awesome to watch. The skill you see in his videos is really inspiring.

2. Ken Andre

https://youtu.be/7vgceytHzCI

Where most martial artists would apply their skills to the sports aspect of their art Ken Andre takes his to the street to keep his neighbourhood safe. He is not wealthy enough to get a Batmobile and all sorts of gadgets to aid him in his crusade. Still- armed with only a stick he makes as much of a difference as he can in keeping the streets of his town Yeovil safe.

3. Martial Club

https://youtu.be/wZMrT508N6s

Martial arts choreography is an art form that makes martial arts movies entertaining and spectacular. The members of Martial Club are really awesome to see in action. Their skills are insane!

4. Randy Brown and Tony Puyot of Mantis Boxing

While many Chinese people prefer MMA to traditional Chinese Martial Arts Mantis Boxers Tony Puyot and Randy Brown demonstrate the relevance and effectiveness of Mantis Kung Fu's techniques on a regular basis. 

Shaolin Kung Fu has traditionally been taught in a way that is too difficult for most Westerners to apply in a real fight. Randy and Tony puts traditional forms aside in their videos to show you the combat applications straight up.

5. David Torok

If you are German you may have seen him in movies. I have only recently heard that he is an actor. What I do know him for is his Wushu training videos on Facebook and Youtube. He has tremendous gymnastic ability!

6. The Unknown Phoenix

https://youtu.be/ItzjBhhtvl8

All I know of her is that she has gone viral in China. By the look of her I am guessing that she lives somewhere in the Fujian province. Her strength and beauty are definitely the stuff of legend. Guys be warned- one look at a video of her and you'll be powerless with love!

7. Sniper Girl

https://youtu.be/3BG_7w17UgQ

Slingshots are mainly used for hunting in China, but with the amount of skill displayed by this lovely woman a slingshot can be a fearsome weapon! I have no idea who she is, but she has also gone viral in China.

Times have certainly changed since the days of Feudal Japan and the Jiang Hu period of China. Nowadays we have the internet instead of word of mouth and videos and photos to go by instead of stories. 

It is easy to go to the dojo every day and get so caught up in doing the training for the day that we forget that martial arts are actually awesome. These people remind us that martial arts are about more than just tournaments, gradings and belts. It is about being all that you can be and better!