Originally posted by magatsu1
I think asking which is most lethal is a mute point. Any of you guys really gonna beat a guy to death ?
Also, I believe it's not so much which style you pratice, but how you apply yourself to a particular style, and an individual's general temperment, personality etc.
www.evadeblackbeltschool.com
got a couple of world and UK champions in our ranks no less.
(not me though)
[color=66ff00]The discussion of lethality is more of a consideration of which art is the most efficient at doing the greatest damage with the minimum effort. (that's how I consider it anyhow).
The soft styles rely on striking critical damage points on the human body (also known as pressure points or acupressure points depending on who you talk to. As an interesting side effect the soft styles also convey health benefits to the practitioner above those normally associated with straightforward physical activity. Still, my point is this: All martial arts (with the exception of those classed as sports and a few that are ceremonial) are designed to protect oneself, hence lethality is a requirement of a good martial art.
Obviously in the modern age martial arts become more of an interesting exercise form and are practiced less for their potential to protect the practitioner from attack.
I study Wing Chun because it's fun, requires no excessive period to master and it's pretty much designed for someone of my build and flexability. It's also a decent way to get fit and teaches me a lot about my body.

I never pursued it as a method of 'kicking someones head in', as meany other people have said, it's far more likely in this day and age that you'd use a gun.

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