History Main / MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours

In [[FightingSeries shows where mano-a-mano combat is a main plot element]], characters spend much of their lives training and [[SuperWeight improving their strength]] so they can one-up each other at a critical point in a fight. This invariably develops into an arms race that can, and has, taken out entire planets and solar systems.

* ''Anime/YuGiOhARCV'': The strength of a duelist is a scientifically quantifiable in this series, and is typically measured by the energy given off when they summon their strongest monsters.

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* Unsurprisingly, since it is a kung fu movie and owes a certain amount to anime tropes, ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' has this as the basic set-up for the fight with the BigBad: that in order to defeat Tai Lung, the [[TheChosenOne Dragon Warrior]] must attain the [[MacGuffin Dragon Scroll]], for only with its cosmic powers can he hope to be strong enough to prevail. To hammer this point home (as if it needed it), after learning that his former student has paralyzed the Furious Five, Shifu declares that "Tai Lung has gotten stronger." Cue the delivery of the scroll to the understandably freaked Po.
* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'' where Lord Shen can't beat Masters Croc, Storming Ox, and Thundering Rhino with his admittedly formidable kung fu style... which is why he shoots a cannon at them. Po, however, still uses martial arts to to beat Lord Shen's cannons after [[spoiler: achieving inner peace.]]

* Also seen to a lesser extent in sports anime such as ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' and ''Anime/Eyeshield21'' (with training the sport instead of fight training).

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Touma Kamijou normally beats his opponents with his street fighting skills. The reason he can take on powerful espers and mages is because of his AntiMagic right hand, and he largely FightsLikeANormal. As a result, he can easily be beaten by people who are simply more skilled at him in close combat, like in the Angel Fall arc, where he got completely demolished by Motoharu Tsuchimikado. Motoharu mocked him and said street fighting skills cannot compete with elite martial arts training.

** ''Film/TheBattleWizard'''s protagonist doesn't have the patience to train and spends the first half of the movie as a NonActionGuy, but he eventually acquires kung fu skills by drinking the blood of [[TheGreatSerpent a giant magic snake]], whereupon he cheerfully proclaims that "IKnowKungFu!" Later on, he becomes even more powerful after eating a magic frog. It's a strange movie.

** ''Film/ExecutionersFromShaolin'' even has the villainous Pai Mei telling the hero that "My tiger kung fu is better than yours!" To overcome him, the hero has to combine the Tiger Style his father taught him with his mother's Crane Style.

* Parodied in ''Film/AmericanPie'' during an overblown speech by Kevin.

** ''Film/ExecutionersFromShaolin'' even has the villain telling the hero that "My tiger kung fu is better than yours!"

* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', when [[TheRival Ryoga]] learns a technique to channel his {{Wangst}} into a mini AngstNuke. Ranma uses AwesomeByAnalysis ([[AttractiveBentGender and]] [[IHaveBoobsYouMustObey deception]]) to rip off the same attack. [[HilarityEnsues Cue contest to have a worse life and channel more]] {{Wangst}}. Ultimately [[spoiler: Ranma [[TookAThirdOption takes a third option]] and learns a counter-technique based on confidence. Unfortunately he severely underestimated the power of the [[UpToEleven upgraded version]] of Ryoga's technique, which became a true AngstNuke. Cue CurbStompBattle until Ranma's AwesomenessByAnalysis kicks in and points out a weak point in Ryoga's AngstNuke]].

This has a [[TruthInTelevision grain of truth]] in it, as between two equally ''skilled'' fighters, the deciding factor will often be one's strength.

* This phrase is actually said in the Marvel comic ''ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist''. The protagonist would necessarily have to have the strongest kung-fu if he could kill a dragon barehanded, so it wasn't empty boasting. Eventually he does get his ass handed to him by a guy who's even better.

* Deconstructed in ''Manga/MutekiKanbanMusume'', a DeconstructiveParody of the FightingSeries: HardWorkHardlyWorks, so the only one who trains to be stronger than Miki the protagonist is Kankuro, the UnknownRival who doesn’t have a chance to beat her. Toshiyuki (the WorthyOpponent) and Megumi (TheRival) know that they can’t beat Mike with brute force, so they [[WeakButSkilled use their intelligence]]. And not even [[VillainTeamUp all of them together can beat Miki’s mother]].

* Multiple Dei in ''Anime/AngelicLayer'' spend all their free time training for the titular game -- even Misaki, the lead character that converts and attracts her opponents by teaching them that it's just a game rather than SeriousBusiness.

* Also seen to a lesser extent in sports anime such as ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' and ''Anime/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' (with training the sport instead of fight training).
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', between arcs, in the middle of arcs, [[TalkingIsAFreeAction even in the middle of ]] ''[[TalkingIsAFreeAction battles]]''.

* In a decidedly more [[HermeticMagic magical]] example, ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'''s Negi trains constantly for fear of harm coming to his students. He's particularly fond of using [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Evangeline]]'s [[YearInsideHourOutside time-warping villa]] to add extra hours (or rather ''days'') to his day to train more.

* Multiple Dei in ''Anime/KidouTenshiAngelicLayer'' spend all their free time training for the titular game -- even Misaki, the lead character that converts and attracts her opponents by teaching them that it's just a game rather than SeriousBusiness.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Touma Kamijou normally beats his opponents with his street fighting skills. The reason he can take on powerful espers and mages is because of his AntiMagic arm, and he largely FightsLikeANormal. As a result, he can easily be beaten by people who are simply more skilled at him in close combat, like in the Angel Fall arc, where he got completely demolished by Motoharu Tsuchimikado. Motoharu mocked him and said street fighting skills cannot compete with elite martial arts training.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Touma Kamijou normally beats his opponents with his street fighting skills. However, in the Angel Fall arc, he got completely demolished by Motoharu Tsuchimikado. Motoharu mocked him and said street fighting skills cannot compete with elite martial arts training.