MARTIAL ARTS from France

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary French Martial Arts of all time. This list of famous French Martial Arts is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of French Martial Arts.

1. Christian Tissier (b. 1951)

With an HPI of 54.35, Christian Tissier is the most famous French Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages on wikipedia.

Christian Tissier (born 1951 in Paris, France) is one of the best known European aikido teachers, who pioneered the art in France. He started his Aikido training in 1962 as a child in Jean-Claude Tavernier's Dojo in Paris, following the style of Hiroo Mochizuki. He soon went on to train under Mutsuro Nakazono and was awarded by him the 2nd dan before leaving for Tokyo in 1969. He came to the Aikikai Hombu Dojo as an 18-year-old, and trained there for seven years. Among the teachers that have inspired him are Seigo Yamaguchi, Kisaburo Osawa and the second doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba. While living in Tokyo, he also trained in Kenjutsu under Minoru Inaba at the Shiseikan and in Kickboxing at the Mejiro Gym. He also worked as a model and taught French language at a school and Institut Franco-japonais de Tokyo. He received 7th dan in 1998, and is among the handful of westerners who have been given the title Shihan by the Aikikai. He is a founding member of the Fédération Française d'Aïkido Aïkibudo et Affinitaires (FFAAA or 2F3A) which was created in 1983. He is also a member of the technical college (Collège Technique) in charge of the Dan grades examination and of the awarding of teaching certifications: Brevet d'Etat and Brevet Fédéral. These examinations take place jointly with members of the other federation, the Fédération Française d'Aïkido et de Budo (FFAB), within the Union des Fédérations d'Aïkido (UFA). Christian Tissier also serves the International Aikido Federation as an instructor during congresses and as a technical coordinator and demonstrator during major events such as the World Combat Games. He was one of the three Shihan (with Tsuruzo Miyamoto and Jiro Kimura) to be awarded the 8th dan by Aikido's Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba at the Kagamibiraki Ceremony held on January 11, 2016 at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.

2. Jérôme Le Banner (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 54.01, Jérôme Le Banner is the 2nd most famous French Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Jérôme Philippe Le Banner (French pronunciation: [ʒeʁom filip lə banɛʁ]; born December 26, 1972) is a French kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler. Le Banner fought for most of his career in K-1 and became known for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power. He is a 2-time K-1 World Grand Prix runner up, a 2-time K-1 Preliminary Grand Prix champion, and is a multiple time world champion in Kickboxing and Muay Thai.

3. Ciryl Gane (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 49.13, Ciryl Gane is the 3rd most famous French Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Ciryl Romain Jacky Gane (born April 12, 1990) is a French professional mixed martial artist, actor and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. A professional since 2014, Gane has also formerly competed for TKO Major League MMA where he was the Heavyweight Champion. As of June 24, 2025, he is #1 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

4. Natalina Lupino (b. 1963)

With an HPI of 45.72, Natalina Lupino is the 4th most famous French Martial Arts.  Her biography has been translated into 14 different languages.

Natalina Lupino (born 13 June 1963 in Valenciennes, Nord) is a female retired judoka from France. She claimed a bronze medal in the Women's Heavyweight (+72 kg) division at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. In the bronze medal match she defeated Germany's Claudia Weber.

5. Cheick Kongo (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 44.14, Cheick Kongo is the 5th most famous French Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 14 different languages.

Cheick Kongo (born May 17, 1975) is a French mixed martial artist and former kickboxer who fights in the Heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator.

6. Christophe Gagliano (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 43.61, Christophe Gagliano is the 6th most famous French Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Christophe Gagliano (born 22 May 1967 in Paris) is a French judoka.

7. Frédéric Demontfaucon (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 41.06, Frédéric Demontfaucon is the 7th most famous French Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Frédéric Demontfaucon (born 24 December 1973) is a French judoka. He won a bronze Metal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Followed by winning the 2001 world Championships. He moved up from The -90 kg division to the -100 kg division around 2007.

8. Frédérique Jossinet (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 40.37, Frédérique Jossinet is the 8th most famous French Martial Arts.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Frédérique Chantal Marthe Jossinet (born 16 December 1975 in Rosny-sous-Bois) is a French Olympic judoka in the lightest (less than 48 kg) class.

9. Cyrille Maret (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 37.92, Cyrille Maret is the 9th most famous French Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Cyrille Maret (born 11 August 1987) is a French judoka. Maret won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in the men's 100 kg.

10. Myriam Baverel (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 36.69, Myriam Baverel is the 10th most famous French Martial Arts.  Her biography has been translated into 14 different languages.

Myriam Baverel (born 14 January 1981) is a French taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medalist. She competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she received a silver medal in the +67 kg class. She reached the quarterfinals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Baverel received a silver medal at the 2003 World Taekwondo Championships in Garmisch Partenkirchen. Baverel announced in 2012 that she was pregnant with her first child.