What martial arts does Thanos use & what is his fighting style?

Thanos is probably the baddest villain within the Marvel franchise and has single handedly taken down entire planets, killing millions in the process. Although he is best known for his Infinity Gauntlet glove and the power it yields. However, it turns out that Thanos is also a very skilled fighter and knows a lot about certain martial arts. Whilst Thanos is a physically strong and big character to begin with, he’s also a technically gifted martial artist too.

It should be noted that this article is based solely on the fight scene between Hulk and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Whilst Thanos has featured in other fight scenes against many Marvel superheroes, this fight is significant for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that this shows Thanos using martial arts, whereas other fight scenes don’t show his skills as much. The second reason is that based on strength, it’s fairly even to compare the two and Thanos doesn’t hold a significant strength advantage on Hulk (at least in this particular scene). Read on for more information.

Thanos uses Boxing

Perhaps Thanos’s most obvious fighting style is boxing, which he mostly uses to defeat Hulk during their fight at the start of Avengers: Infinity War. During this bout, he manages to out-box Hulk and shows far superior technique when compared to his foe. At the start of their skirmish, Hulk actually has the upper hand, but when Thanos manages to create a bit of distance, his boxing skills ultimately win him the fight.

Here, he manages to dodge Hulk’s punches with well timed weaves and foot work. He then replies with several hooks and uppercuts of his own which seriously damage his enemy. Remember, in the Marvel universe, Thanos is meant to be around 1000 years old. It’s not surprising that his boxing technique is far better than the Hulk who is more of a wild brute rather than a technician. Whatever Thanos had been doing for the past 1000 years, it’s clear that at some point, he’d studied and trained boxing.

Thanos uses Wing Chun

Whilst the bulk of Thanos’s fighting techniques use boxing, he also showcases a little Wing Chun too. At one point, he is forced to engage in trapping vs Hulk and uses this to his advantage. Trapping is used to describe the art of blocking strikes from close range with your own hands and forearms.

This relies on very speedy reactions and for the opponent to throw fights face on, rather than using angles. If done correctly, you can not only block and divert your opponent’s strikes but reply with punches of your own. Although some people are skeptical about the practical implications of trapping, it’s actually been used in the UFC and MMA over the years which shows its uses.

At one point during his fight with Hulk, he manages to use Wing Chun to turn the fight in his favor. Combined with his boxing, this is a good combination that shows off his skill sets. Interestingly, Wing Chun was also trained by Robert Downey Jr for his role as Ironman.

Thanos uses Wrestling

Throughout his fight with Hulk, Thanos also shows his wrestling and grappling skills, which prove he’s a pretty well-rounded martial artist. Not only can he fight by using strikes, he can also fight by using grappling moves if needed. At the start of the exchange, Hulk manages to grab and pin him, but Thanos manages to escape these grips and get superior ones of his own. You may claim this is down to strength, but obviously Hulk is incredibly strong too.

Arguably, this shows a knowledge of grip-fighting which is very important for wrestling and grappling situations. In the end, when Hulk is weakened by punches, he also manages to throw him to end the fight. From an arm-drag, Thanos manages to duck under Hulk and hit a takedown by putting him on his shoulders. This looks cross between a fireman’s carry and a Kata Guruma throw which is found in Judo. It’s clear that Thanos can grapple.

Thanos uses Muay Thai

Lastly, Thanos also engages in Muay Thai at times. When fighting, he often uses the clinch to his advantage and is often looking for dominant collar ties to control his opponent’s posture. From there, he then engages in a mixture of dirty boxing from close range and is also not afraid to use knees to the head either. As you would expect with Muay Thai, this is a brutal but incredibly effective way of fighting. Overall, this style of fighting is similar to that seen in modern MMA where the clinch is very commonplace as it can lead to kneeing the opponent in the head. Was Thanos a fan of MMA? who knows…but it’s pretty clear he knows a modern style of fighting.

Conclusion

Based on the above evidence, it’s fair to say that Thanos is a skilled martial artist. During his fight against Hulk, he’s clearly much better and doesn’t just rely on being big. Instead, he is clearly a technical and trained fighter. The result of this is proof, as in the end he quite clearly defeats Hulk, despite the Hulk’s clear aggression and rage.

To conclude, Thanos has the fighting skills to back up his evil intentions, and even with his physicality taken out of the equation, he’s still a very dangerous martial artist. For instance, imagine if he was a regular human being without superpowers. It’s fair to assume that Thanos would still be able to fight alongside the likes of Nick Fury and others who are also known for their martial arts skills whilst being regular human beings.

In conclusion, Thanos’s fighting style can be described as a mixture of striking and grappling. For the most part, he favors boxing but also complements his boxing skills alongside Wing Chun and Muay Thai but can also wrestle too.

If you’re a fan of the Marvel Avengers series and want to check out Thanos’s fighting style for yourself, then check out the Blu Ray trilogy here.