As someone who has been down the path of a myriad of different martial arts styles and systems (ranging from the obvious to the increasingly obscure), for myself, my body type, and my personality, I would say that the best style for me is a combination of Filipino Martial Arts and Gracie Jiu Jitsu.

Now, that isn’t to say that I don’t use movements and combinations from other styles and systems that I’ve trained in when sparring or training; nor does that mean that I think Filipino Martial Arts and Gracie Jiu Jitsu are universally important for everyone to learn, it’s just that this is what I have found to be the best combination for myself.

If we’re talking instead about Martial Arts Philosophy, then that is a totally different story, with only one true winner standing out against the rest: The Tao of Jeet Kune Do.

Often conflated with being a system or style, Jeet Kune Do is actually a philosophy for how to approach not only the martial arts, but life as a whole (seriously—go read Bruce Lee’s works on it if you don’t believe me).

The Way of No Way (or the Tao of Jeet Kune Do) is a philosophy that prescribes taking what is useful, discarding what is not, and adding what is uniquely your own.

Think about it, does Filipino Martial Arts always apply in every situation? Sure, the combinations are widely applicable to bladed, blunt and empty-hand combat, but what happens if you don’t have a weapon around or the opponent is much bigger than you are?

What about Gracie Jiu Jitsu? Sure, it’s a great way to survive on the street against bigger, stronger, untrained opponents (that’s what made it stand out for me against all other grappling arts), but if you look at the heavyweight division in the UFC, hardly anyone knows or uses Gracie Jiu Jitsu—it’s more about boxing and wrestling at that level.

As I have just proven by disproving my two main styles, there is no one-style that will defeat them all (Bruce Lee pioneered and championed this); there is only understanding yourself enough to take what is necessary (for you), discard what is not (for you), and add what is uniquely your own.

Sure, there may be no one-style to defeat them all, but there is certainly one philosophy—built on Occam’s Razor—that applies to both the martial arts and life (because the martial arts are an expression of life) that reigns supreme; and it’s all about finding and expressing the truest form of your self: the way of the True Artist.

-know thyself.