Michael Jai White on His Top 3 Martial Arts Styles for Street Fights (Part 18)

46 Comments

1. Anytime someone asks this question the SAME styles are brought up; Boxing and Wrestling. Boxing teaches you how to hit and not get hit, Wrestling teachings you how to grapple and stay of the ground. Muay Thai is always mentioned after but I've heard Dutch Kickboxing is better that MT.

2. I respect all sorts of gender but going to sports or fighting against is just lopsided in my opinion.

3. Boxing Judo Kykoshin Karate

4. I've been a boxer since I was 12 years old. I would agree, but I might give the edge to a Muy Thai fighter as #1, then boxer, then wrestler/ju jitsu. I fights end on the ground, but you do not want to take it to the ground in a street fight because I think it puts you in a vulnerable situation where someone could come from behind your and kick you in the head, like a buddy of the guy you are fighting. Also, you can hurt yourself too depending on the environment you are in.

5. Michael I respect you as a martial artist, I respect you as an actor, I respect you as a comedian, those 3 endeavours are really tough and difficult and you have mastered those 3 (Black Dynamite was hilarious and really original, I'm sure sensei Kelly must being proud of you), but now seeing this interview I respect you as a real fighter and no BS master, you have told it as it is, beatifully differentiate what's martial arts, sport combats and real fighting.

   Truly a master in various arts, you sir are a treasure and painfully underrated.

   From a ex- streetfighter, jeet kune do, silat and wingtsun practioner and a hobby practioner of boxing and kyokushin karate. Probably the best most direct no BS answer to the old age question "what's useful in a streetfight" i've heard in my life. I hope to see more of you in the future.

   You truly embodied what it is to be a martial artist, a fighter and overall artist in any way.

   Greetings from Paraguay, SouthAmerica.

6. Boxing + wrestling is probably the best base for a street confrontation. They have a ton of synergy together. Eventually you can sprinkle in some low kicks and submissions if you want.

7. The disrespect on traditional martial arts from a traditional martial artist is crazy coming from him.

8. Andrew Tate said the same thing. When it comes to a street fight boxing is the way to go.

9. Does VLAD have a brother name Birch?

10. The Transgender Games!! Problem solved!

11. For wearing that t shirt I’m now even more of a fan . Respect and where can I get one .

12. @2:15

13. That is what Bruce Lee thought in regards to getting into a street fight.

14. It's the 4 elements of MMA.

    1. Wrestling
    2. BJJ
    3. Muay Thai KICKBOXING
    4. BOXING

    You need to know all for different situations. Boxing against BJJ or wrestling (Ground Game) in one on one will lose 90 percent of the time. The Boxer and Kickboxer needs ground game. At the same time if their multiple opponents you don't won't to go to the ground. That's where Boxing and Kickboxing come in. So MMA with the 4 main elements is the best style.

15. his top 3 answers are on point..

16. Filipino Martial Arts (Balintawak, Pekiti Tirsia)1,2,3 . Best martial arts in the streets

17. I'd like to know why he is picking Boxing over to Muay Thai interesting

18. MMA Fighter here. I've trained in Krav Maga for over 5 years, and BJJ + MMA for the last two. I would say having great Muay Thai and Wrestling would be ideal. Having something is better than having nothing (even stuff like Wushu or TKD), but having a strong stand up game with the knowledge of ground work too is ideal. My only gripe with "fights end up on the ground" is that I worked at a nightclub for years and always tried to keep it on the feet when a fight broke out, mainly because I don't want to be rolling around on cement and with broken glass, etc. TLDR: Have a strong stand up martial art, but have a good grappling base to be able to act if it gets on the ground.

19. This guy is dead wrong about fights on the ground. A judo or BJJ fighter WILL put any stand up style on the ground.
    As someone who has fought on the street and in the cage my opinion is if the fight is one on one then BJJ rules. If it's multiple opponents, aikido might be the most effective. You don't want to end up on the ground against multiple opponents. Staying on your feet is life or death in that scenario.

20. Nobody should care about the opinion of someone who's never been in the cage or in a street fight with a trained opponent.

21. 1 Boxing 100%
    2 Kickboxing
    3 Wrestling

    Though MJW is right. If you know any one style well, and the other guy doesn't, you'll always beat him. I would say Judo/Jujitsu would also have it's place. I've seen videos of guys getting taken down and then the other guy throws a triangle hold and within seconds and its over.

22. There are only two genders in this world a man and women there is no in-between!!!

23. Keep in mind that there's a difference between Self-Defence and Street Fighting, because a Street Fight would fall under the bracket of Match Fighting.

    As a SD instructor I came here for the top 3, and got an ill-informed biology lesson.
    After 3-4 years of hormone therapy, your musculature/skeletal density will be the same as a biologically-born person of that sex.
    That's why Lady Ballers had to be made as a fictional film as opposed to the documentary it was originally pitched as.

24. Didn't James Toney get mauled and choked out by a wrestler?

25. Wrestling and some striking is best

26. Wrestling is top tier for street fights.

27. When they’re done “transitioning” are they considered “transitioned”?

28. Muay thai, Dutch kickboxing, pencak silat

29. 1 year of wrestling…..in 9th grade….smh… ok

30. My martial arts coach always said: The best way of defending yourself in a street fight is 100 m sprint

31. The most milk toast answer that every martial artist or MMA fan…. Muay Thai, BJJ, and wrestling! 😂

    Most people train 3 to 4 days a week, and it usually for competition! Though competition can be healthy it can also creates bad habits that would get you killed on the street.

    I can agree that the martial arts he mentions are highly effective it ultimately depends on how you train. No two Muay Thai kickboxers are going to be the same! I'm also surprised that he didn't mention his katate style Kyokushin, which is a very tough fighting Karate style, or Enshin style Karate which is an modified version of Kyokushin. Thise

32. Combative Brazilian jiu jitsu krav maga and Muay Thai would be the top three for me

33. People need to stop giving this fraud a platform 😂

34. Sorry I like MJWs jacket and t shirt… it looks like ShoNuff from the Last Dragon

35. How can you not put tie box in over regular box in the legs are longer limbs, a tie boxer with destroy a regular boxer if both are at the same level in their sport

36. How many times has vlad interviewed MJW?

37. 🤢🤮

38. He lost all credibility when he said boxing.

    The best martial art for a 1 on 1 fight with no time limit is Jiu jitsu. With a time limit, it's wrestling. The best bang for your buck martial art is wrestling. I'm a Gracie jiu jitsu black belt, and I will say that many of my jiu jitsu cohorts think that the world is made out of mats. It's not. A wrestling takedown is a strike. Getting dumped on the earth would make me a white or blue belt for 5 or 10 seconds. I'd likely be OK and finish, but I've trained for 20 years. You can train wrestling for 1 year and beat 95% of people.

    For multiple adversaries, run foo is the best, but if boxed in, I would say the striking arts are superior. Boxing may be #1 here because missing shots is built into the art. If you miss a boxing punch, you remain in a balanced position to throw another strike. Also, punches are thrown in volume faster than kick combinations are. Contrast this with, say, karate where a devastating strike may be thrown and be effective, but missing leaves you far more vulnerable than boxing.

    Put your kids in wrestling and/or jiu jitsu and boxing if you have time. They will be safe, and the lessons will permeate other parts of their lives.

    Remember the time the boxer beat a grappler in the UFC? Me neither.

39. Jon Jones would beat Mike Tyson in a street fight. Just saying

40. Bruce Lee Already Defeated Jackie Chan…

41. I tell people this all the time. Boxing is above everything besides mma. Because if your NOT a boxer you will NOT know how to handle that type of power/speed/ punch placement

42. We all get confused with this shit brother, don't sweat it.

43. Mauy Thai 💯… you got knees clinch and elbows.. imo is boxing a bit of wrestling and thai boxing ALL in one

44. No. Trans anything should be facing only Trans athletes.

45. They are gonna be mad at MJW for saying the boxer has the greatest advantage.

46. Nah….the best "pure" martial art for Self-Defense is Judo….then boxing/thai-boxing

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