It has been said that Batman is a master of every martial art in the world. That can't be true, he simply didn't have enough training time. It has also been said Batman is a fighting genius and can master any martial art in just under a year. That is logical but it would also limit his number of martial arts to about 10.

So what do you think? How many martial arts does Batman know? And also how well does he know them?

I would think that he knows every major martial art (there's about 80 of them) and he knows them to the level of a 1st or 2nd dan in Karate. So the second rank of a black belt (there are 10 dans and 10 kyus). That would mean he could be titled as a master but he would only be about half way. Then I also believe he knows about 20% more that isn't included in the training he got. Such as pressure point that is available at the very highest of most martial arts.

IMO the only real training he has had was with the league of shadows with ra's al ghul.

@gats_botl: That was just the movie, sir. He never trained with the League of Assassins, though two of his Robins did.

On topic, I believe Bats knows all of them. And even uses techniques that are not exactly designed for martial arts to enhance his abilities.

To truly be the master of any martial art, you must actually know no martial arts. Therefore Batman knows no Martial arts. Only one. Sumo. The Martial art of pushing people. People who are close to the edge. I'm trying not to lose my head. Ah huh-huh-huh. It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder. How I keep from going under.

Batman.Wikia.com: "He has mastered 127 styles of martial arts including Muay Thai, Escrima, Krav Maga, Capoeira, Savate, Yawyan, Taekwondo, Judo, Jujitsu, Ninjitsu, Kendo, Fencing, Kenjitsu, Kali, Bojutsu, Francombat, Boxing, Kickboxing, Hapkido, Wing Chun, Parkour, Shorin Ryu, Silat, Chin Na, Hokuto Shinken, Kyudo, Aikido, Varma Adi, Jeet Kune Do, Shaolin, Ba Gua, Hung Gar, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Kenpo, and Karate." (Uh, Mr. Wiki, I don't think Parkour is a martial art, but uh...whatever)

Plus, "He had mastered full body control by the time he was 18." The goal of practicing a martial art is to improve your body control (to defend, attack, strengthen, meditate, etc). If he had already done that before he finished his training, he could have progressed through his training far faster than any regular practitioner. So yeah, I think he mastered them all.

However, the wiki also says: "His primary form of combat is an idiosyncratic admixture of Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, Boxing, Jujitsu, and Ninjitsu." So, while he probably understands the unique traits of the rest of the arts (Wing Chun's efficiency, Varma Adi's pressure points, Aikido's redirection, etc), it seems that he thinks the most important arts are those seven. Which makes sense, because I think it would be difficult for Batman to practice all of them in his spare time, and because the way he fights seems to somewhat reflect those seven arts.

As for how much he knows of each art...He's the goddamn Batman, of course he knows them all inside and out.

@JonSmith: @gotwillpower:

But think about it? To even master 127 martial arts would take close to 80 years even if he could master a martial art completely in just under a year and begin to learn a second while still learning the first. It's just to impossible, I can understand him knowing up to a black belt level (1st Dan) in 120 martial arts (this would give him a good understanding of how they work) and being a master to 10th dan in 7. But to be up to 10th dan in 127 is completely impossible.

Plus where does this leave time for him to get his amazing detective skills, near perfect body, escape artist skills, apparently has 12 master degrees and his knowledge on tactics.

@Blacklightning13: You say it's impossible for him to do these things? You ask how or when or why he could perform such impossible feats?

@JonSmith: It had to happen eventually.

I even considered doing to my self.

Knows ever martial arts, only shows the ones seen in mass media

SMH

a good explanation is that he swiped prometheus' tech

@Blacklightning13: Doing what?

@Gibbet: Is there evidence of this?

@JonSmith: Posting the "I'm Batman picture".

@Blacklightning13: Nope, just speculation because with all that crimefighting in gotham its hard to believe that he finds alternative methods

@Blacklightning13: To be fair, you questioned Batman. "I'm Batman" is an inevitability at that point. If it didn't happen, your thread would collapse and all of reality would soon follow, falling into the gaping maw of the black hole left by the necessary answer of "I'm Batman" to the question of Batman's incredible powers.

Now aren't you glad I posted that picture before that horrific event took place?

For example, to master wing chun alone it takes a lifetime, you cannot master more than 5 martial arts in your life. Fact.

I mean master, not just get good at.

He knows all the martial arts, and 127 different styles of combat.

Why does he have to know every single one....how stupid...

Saying "He's Batman" isn't a valid excuse, a funny one(though at this point in time, its becoming tiresome and mediocre)...but its not valid.

@Pyrogram: That is true. But you have to take into account apparently Bruce Wayne is a martial arts protege and can apparently master a martial art in a year of incredible intense training.

@Alexander505: Martial Arts are styles of combat...

Anyway there are several hundred martial arts to master all of them would take 2 or maybe 3 lifetimes.

I can understand him learning to a 1st Dan level for 120 of them then to a 10th Dan level for the 7 he uses most. But he also recieved training from richard dragon (who got his from O - sensei), I ching, Kirigi and Asano Nitobe.

@Blacklightning13 said:

It has been said that Batman is a master of every martial art in the world. That can't be true, he simply didn't have enough training time. It has also been said Batman is a fighting genius and can master any martial art in just under a year. That is logical but it would also limit his number of martial arts to about 10.

So what do you think? How many martial arts does Batman know? And also how well does he know them?

He is a master of 127 different styles, of which he combined several to form his own signature style, though I can't remember which these several are.

"Quite possibly the greatest living Martial Artist"

"learned from Manhunters,and Martial Artists, mastering every fighting style"

@Pyrogram said:

@Blacklightning13 said:

@Pyrogram: That is true. But you have to take into account apparently Bruce Wayne is a martial arts protege and can apparently master a martial art in a year of incredible intense training.

@Alexander505: Martial Arts are styles of combat...

Anyway there are several hundred martial arts to master all of them would take 2 or maybe 3 lifetimes.

I can understand him learning to a 1st Dan level for 120 of them then to a 10th Dan level for the 7 he uses most. But he also recieved training from richard dragon (who got his from O - sensei), I ching, Kirigi and Asano Nitobe.

No, My master wakes up at 5am daily, trains, prayers and starts his class at 7am in the morning until 5pm, goes home and does a private lesson's until about 10PM. 24/7. He is intense and could master about 4 arts fully if he tried. Batman is obviously fake, its to long to learn 120 1st dans for crying out loud, only like 4 arts have a proper dan system for starts.

But the whole point is Batman is a martial arts genius and doesn't have to condition because his body is already in a near perfect condition.

Also when I talk about Dan's I just mean the equivalent across all martial arts. I know only a few actually use the system.

@Gambler said:

"Quite possibly the greatest living Martial Artist"

"learned from Manhunters,and Martial Artists, mastering every fighting style"

I know, I have read it.

But if you think logically that is totally impossible. There is thousands (hundred if you only count the still actively taught) of Martial arts in the world. Also it has been said many times that he has learnt all the major martial arts or it has also been said he has learnt 127. I'm guessing they wrote this because they didn't know how many martial arts there are, or they just got "knows every martial art" from "knows every major martial art".@nickzambuto said:

@Blacklightning13 said:

It has been said that Batman is a master of every martial art in the world. That can't be true, he simply didn't have enough training time. It has also been said Batman is a fighting genius and can master any martial art in just under a year. That is logical but it would also limit his number of martial arts to about 10.

So what do you think? How many martial arts does Batman know? And also how well does he know them?

He is a master of 127 different styles, of which he combined several to form his own signature style, though I can't remember which these several are.

Yes but what do you mean by master? You could call yourself a master when you get a black belt (i'm using karate for an example) but for those involved in karate that is just the first rank of 1st Dan and to them Kyu (the coloured belts) is just the beginning ranks and 1st Dan is where you truly count as a practitioner of Karate.

I can imagine a genius for martial arts learning to a 1st Dan level in 120 martial arts and to a 10th dan in 7.

@Blacklightning13: Logically Batman should age but never does ;) logic is pretty much non existent in comics. Sure there's an underlining thread of logic but for the most part comics require suspension of disbelief.

@Gambler: Yes but DC regularly resets and cuts outs bits of time. So he shouldn't be to old. And he is getting on, he should be about 30ish?

@Blacklightning13: You are trying to apply Real-World Logic to a Comic Book World...it doesn't work.

Logically, Batman shouldn't have been able to master 127 forms of martial arts....but that's besides the point. The point is that he has done so.

Logically, It should also be impossible for him to bench press 1000 lbs and to dodge bullets (it would be even more impossible for one man to be able to do both of those things)....but he can do those things as well.

Logically, A man doesn't decide to dedicate his life to become a costumed vigilante just because his parents were killed by a street thug.

127 is it possible to master that many? no, but it's comic books, so stop complaining about it.

@Blacklightning13 said:

@Gambler said:

"Quite possibly the greatest living Martial Artist"

"learned from Manhunters,and Martial Artists, mastering every fighting style"

I know, I have read it.

But if you think logically that is totally impossible. There is thousands (hundred if you only count the still actively taught) of Martial arts in the world. Also it has been said many times that he has learnt all the major martial arts or it has also been said he has learnt 127. I'm guessing they wrote this because they didn't know how many martial arts there are, or they just got "knows every martial art" from "knows every major martial art".@nickzambuto said:

@Blacklightning13 said:

It has been said that Batman is a master of every martial art in the world. That can't be true, he simply didn't have enough training time. It has also been said Batman is a fighting genius and can master any martial art in just under a year. That is logical but it would also limit his number of martial arts to about 10.

So what do you think? How many martial arts does Batman know? And also how well does he know them?

He is a master of 127 different styles, of which he combined several to form his own signature style, though I can't remember which these several are.

Yes but what do you mean by master? You could call yourself a master when you get a black belt (i'm using karate for an example) but for those involved in karate that is just the first rank of 1st Dan and to them Kyu (the coloured belts) is just the beginning ranks and 1st Dan is where you truly count as a practitioner of Karate.

I can imagine a genius for martial arts learning to a 1st Dan level in 120 martial arts and to a 10th dan in 7.

The quote ranges from "mastered 127 different styles of martial arts" and "knows 127 different styles of martial arts", so if what you say is true we can go by the second one and call it a day.

@nickzambuto: Sounds good.

@Blacklightning13 said:

@Pyrogram: That is true. But you have to take into account apparently Bruce Wayne is a martial arts protege and can apparently master a martial art in a year of incredible intense training.

@Alexander505: Martial Arts are styles of combat...

Anyway there are several hundred martial arts to master all of them would take 2 or maybe 3 lifetimes.

I can understand him learning to a 1st Dan level for 120 of them then to a 10th Dan level for the 7 he uses most. But he also recieved training from richard dragon (who got his from O - sensei), I ching, Kirigi and Asano Nitobe.

No dude. The martial arts are disciplines like Karate. Styles are disciplines like Shotokan, a style that is derived from Karate. Understand the difference?

Is it realistically possible to master/learn 127 styles of martial arts in a decade or so? No more possible than it is for beings to fly and bend steel. Even street levellers like Batman are capable of a little more than they would be in the real world. It makes Batman a better character anyway and makes the challenges for him to face even more interesting. Besides you do have to let go of what's realistically possible when reading comics. That's the way they work. For all their attempts at scientific accuracies, real life situations and relatable characters, it's still a work of fiction and with that, many things are possible.

he doesn't know every martial art in the world you silly...

just 127 of them

@MasterDetective said:

he doesn't know every martial art in the world you silly...

just 127 of them

The famous 127 are styles, not martial arts. In the comics, Batman himself has claimed to know every martial art in existence. These are facts, then stick to the comics without inventing anything.

http://batmanfeats.blogspot.it/p/martial-arts.html

I remember seeing a scan ages ago, where he was fighting a couple of thugs, and his narration box said - "I've studied over a hundred different martial arts". He then proceeded to talk about ways to break a man's bones. I'm not sure if that helps you, but I thought I'd add that in!

@ReganRuled

Mentions that he's trained to perfection in every combat form there is plus how he can incapacitate a person in 463 different ways without drawing blood (Batman The Widening Gyre #4)

^_^

I believe he's mastered all known martial arts and that he's a fighting genius

@Alexander505 said:

@Blacklightning13 said:

@Pyrogram: That is true. But you have to take into account apparently Bruce Wayne is a martial arts protege and can apparently master a martial art in a year of incredible intense training.

@Alexander505: Martial Arts are styles of combat...

Anyway there are several hundred martial arts to master all of them would take 2 or maybe 3 lifetimes.

I can understand him learning to a 1st Dan level for 120 of them then to a 10th Dan level for the 7 he uses most. But he also recieved training from richard dragon (who got his from O - sensei), I ching, Kirigi and Asano Nitobe.

No dude. The martial arts are disciplines like Karate. Styles are disciplines like Shotokan, a style that is derived from Karate. Understand the difference?

No, they are styles of combat.. Made and adapted for different scenarios. They are also a discipline.

@Pyrogram said:

@Alexander505 said:

@Blacklightning13 said:

@Pyrogram: That is true. But you have to take into account apparently Bruce Wayne is a martial arts protege and can apparently master a martial art in a year of incredible intense training.

@Alexander505: Martial Arts are styles of combat...

Anyway there are several hundred martial arts to master all of them would take 2 or maybe 3 lifetimes.

I can understand him learning to a 1st Dan level for 120 of them then to a 10th Dan level for the 7 he uses most. But he also recieved training from richard dragon (who got his from O - sensei), I ching, Kirigi and Asano Nitobe.

No dude. The martial arts are disciplines like Karate. Styles are disciplines like Shotokan, a style that is derived from Karate. Understand the difference?

No, they are styles of combat.. Made and adapted for different scenarios. They are also a discipline.

It is required for Alexander505 to suck some apples.

@Gambler:

"Quite possibly the greatest living Martial Artist"

"learned from Manhunters,and Martial Artists, mastering every fighting style"

Where did you get that from? I think yours is from Batman: Year 1. Because I found this one which is similar:

http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll223/darknight2k/Martial%20Arts/Knowledge/?action=view&current=batmanultimateguide-martialartstraining.jpg

It's from the Batman Guide book or something.

@Blacklightning13: The one I posted is from the DCU encyclopedia I'm fairly certain

@Gambler: Ok cool. Because it's funny how they say different things but they are both encyclopedias.

There is no way to know every single martial art, if you take that ancient chinesse kung fu, is actually like 9000 style of combat, it would mean there is no way some one know all the ancient chinesse ones.

Batman most know all the moves the human body can make, that is posible, but to be honest, i am sure he know at least had to learn 10 styles, most of them external and some of them internal.

He's a comic book character. It's impossible to master 127 forms of martial arts in real life, but this is fictional.

@DeathpooltheT1000 said:

There is no way to know every single martial art, if you take that ancient chinesse kung fu, is actually like 9000 style of combat, it would mean there is no way some one know all the ancient chinesse ones.

Batman most know all the moves the human body can make, that is posible, but to be honest, i am sure he know at least had to learn 10 styles, most of them external and some of them internal.

Kung fu is not a martial art.. it means martial art in Chinese -_-

He knows the 127 deadliest but his primary style is a mixture of Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Muay Thai, Dragon Style Kung Fu, Boxing,Jujitsu, and Ninjitsu.

Has spent years perfecting every known fighting discipline (The Ultimate Guide to the Justice League of America)

Is said to be quite possibly the greatest martial artist alive and a master of every fighting style on earth (DC Comics Encyclopedia vol 2)

Is a master of all fighting arts with his courage being said to be the only thing that matches his skill (Detective Comics #411)