Here is a video I enjoyed. National Geographic did a study on various martial arts to see which would be the most effective for knocking a person out. Can you guess which one got first and a close second? I’ll give you a hint, Kung Fu got last place. Go see how Taekwondo, Karate, and Boxing faired.

You may watch the video here.

When conducting the same test but with kicks, a Muay Thai boxer placed first, generating enough force equivalent to a 35 mph accident – rendering the dummy useless. In second place was Tae Kwon Do, producing a devastating kick of 1500 pounds of force, and Kung Fu with only 1000 pound of force. Although this test was unfair in my opinion as the Muay Thai boxer used his knee rather than the end of his foot like the other participants. Sorry, no footage here.

In another scientific test for striking speed, scientists tested to see if a martial artist could throw a punch faster than a snake. A snake on average can strike eight to ten feet (two-and-a-half to three meters) in a second. Can you guess which type of martial arts was able to strike faster than a snake? You would be correct if you said Kung Fu – Wushu specifically. Sadly no video on this one either.

Just a couple things to note: The reading scores are biased based on the weight of the puncher. A lighter person will have less of a score. Also the Kung Fu punched shown is not a one-inch punch.

Wanna know your punching speed? Well you can if you have an ipod touch or iphone with Punch Power Meter Pro. Just calibrate it, hold it in your hand, and strike! Although I wouldn’t believe it to be too accurate.