The Most Famous
MARTIAL ARTS from South Korea
This page contains a list of the greatest South Korean Martial Arts. The pantheon dataset contains 179 Martial Arts, 2 of which were born in South Korea. This makes South Korea the birth place of the 11th most number of Martial Arts behind Russia, and Netherlands.
Top 4
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary South Korean Martial Arts of all time. This list of famous South Korean Martial Arts is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Mas Oyama (1923 - 1994)
With an HPI of 67.83, Mas Oyama is the most famous South Korean Martial Arts. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages on wikipedia.
Masutatsu Ōyama (大山 倍達, Ōyama Masutatsu, July 27, 1923 – April 26, 1994), more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a South Korean karate master who founded Kyokushin Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. Oyama was an ethnic Korean; he was born Choi Yeong-eui (Korean: 최영의; Hanja: 崔永宜) and spent most of his life in Japan. He acquired Japanese citizenship in 1968.
2. Hongman Choi (b. 1980)
With an HPI of 45.21, Hongman Choi is the 2nd most famous South Korean Martial Arts. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Choi Hong-man (Korean: 최홍만; Hanja: 崔洪萬; born October 30, 1980), often anglicised to Hongman Choi, is a South Korean kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and former ssireum wrestler. In Asia, he is called "Che Man", "Techno Goliath", "Korean Monster" and "Korean Colossus". He won the 2005 K-1 Seoul Grand Prix beating Kaoklai Kaennorsing in the finals. He stands 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) and weighs 160 kg (350 lb; 25 st 3 lb).
3. The Korean Zombie (b. 1987)
With an HPI of 36.56, The Korean Zombie is the 3rd most famous South Korean Martial Arts. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Jung Chan-sung (Korean: 정찬성; born March 17, 1987), anglicized as Chan Sung Jung and better known by his ring name The Korean Zombie, is a South Korean former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2007, Jung formerly fought for the WEC, Pancrase, World Victory Road, and DEEP. His nickname, The Korean Zombie, comes from his perceived zombie-like ability to continue to move forward and fight aggressively, even after taking heavy blows.
4. Cha Dong-min (b. 1986)
With an HPI of 29.28, Cha Dong-min is the 4th most famous South Korean Martial Arts. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Cha Dong-min (Korean: 차동민; Hanja: 車東旻; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰa.doŋ.min]; born August 24, 1986, in Seoul, South Korea) is a retired South Korean taekwondo practitioner.
People
Pantheon has 4 people classified as South Korean martial arts born between 1923 and 1987. Of these 4, 3 (75.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living South Korean martial arts include Hongman Choi, The Korean Zombie, and Cha Dong-min. The most famous deceased South Korean martial arts include Mas Oyama. As of April 2024, 2 new South Korean martial arts have been added to Pantheon including Hongman Choi, and The Korean Zombie.
Living South Korean Martial Arts
Go to all Rankings
Hongman Choi
1980 - Present
HPI: 45.21
The Korean Zombie
1987 - Present
HPI: 36.56
Cha Dong-min
1986 - Present
HPI: 29.28
