dspyrido - No idea. I guess there's a good chance the internal guys would get their face smashed in. None of their videos show opponents as aggressive and capable as the one's you've listed. I'm not going to fanboy in either direction. I merely wanted to say that 'my' list has a skill set yours doesn't - and probably vice versa. What intrigues me is if there can't be a combination of both skill sets or whether that's just a pipedream.
Bassler: Why not Kelley Graham or Sam Chin? Do they present themselves differently? Of all the people I've mentioned I'd probably like to see Ryabko and Mizner the most in the ring. Mizner said himself that he was too old and too badly conditioned, his main focus is Buddhism anyway (Yet I don't see how that excludes combat/ring fighting). The same probably applies to Ryabko. I think 30 seconds would be enough to see a meaningful result. 'Ancient warrior art' gets thrown around a lot - I don't think there are any left or they're all dying out, on the verge of extinction. When I get the Kickstarter going, I'll post a link
Wayne - I assume you're talking about 'my' list? Note that combative ability wasn't my main focus, just a set of skills.
AJG - What bothers me is: Why can't 'someone' who practices what we would call soft/internal not show superior speed, strength and aggression? What special techniques do you talk about - punches, kicks, throws, dodging/bobbing/weaving, footwork, groundwork, joint locks, jumping actions, escaping, chasing,.....?
I don't want to talk about surviving - the stigma of martial arts being for lower caste or dirty or uncivilized people only still exists. Maybe it doesn't have to forever? There's no point in trying to kill each other in the ring - but maybe participants who join with such an intent have an edge above those who don't - any psychology majors here?
Pressure testing is always necessary. This opens the big debate of why do you learn what movement in TMA - conditioning, body mechanics, application, 'spiritual/esoteric' reasons, cultural one's, attempts at deceiving onlookers, weaponized MA now being practiced without weapons,.....?
Yet a jab, hook or straight can fit into each of those categories. A jab can be practiced just as 'internally' as any other movement, IMO.