About the greatest martial artist?

Most of the men touted as the greatest martial artists in history were called so because of marketing and self promotion. Being declared the greatest usually meant you were selling or endorsing something. In most cases, it was either their army or their school that they were promoting. During ancient times, a Kingdom declared a Champion who was considered their greatest warrior, to serve as an inspiration to their army and boost morale when they go into battle. It didn't really matter whether or not that person really was in fact the greatest or not as long as the illusion is established to spur their soldiers into battle, if they win then his legend is secured, if they lose, well that just meant the other side had the greater warrior. It was far easier for a kingdom to recruit an army when they had a champion who can rally men together, whose name inspired both admiration and respect from his comrades and fear from his enemies. Later, during peace times, there came a shift in focus from warfare to self defense and martial arts school changed their marketing ploys to promote their schools over others. Miyamoto Musashi for example was promoting his school of swordmanship and became famous for challenging other schools in combat, as were the Yagyu and Itto clans who taught the Shogun as official sword instructors. In China, the same can be said of Hou Yian Jia who was promoting Chinese martial arts and Yip Man who was promoting Wing Chun. Today, you only need to join an organization, pay a monthly fee, make some political connections and the chances of you being voted into a martial arts hall of fame is increased. Fact is, being declared the greatest doesn't really mean much anymore these days.

As soon as there's a tournament based system with a bunch of rules and weight classes then you've taken away any chance of determining martial skill. Try underground fights, if you don't die, great. If you do, your dead and it don't matter much.

Competitions between styles usually involved disciples and those challenging other dojos. It wasn't deemed a fair test of skill for master to fight someone else's student, or master fighting master were beneath one's dignity outside war.

1) They never have

2) NA

3) NA

4) NA

5) NA

Tournaments have long been held to test one's skills, but never to declare who is best. Even if you look at things like gladiatorial fights, most gladiators were very highly skilled and won by small margins. It is impossible to say one martial artist is singularly better than all others.

A long time ago. They called it war.

Throughout history.

Victory,

The lives of others. If you lose... your life.

See a military recruiter.

they have never been used to find who is the greatest overall...but they have been used to test skills