Many martial arts anime emphasize different styles of fighting that are often based on real-world styles in order to add a sense of realism to its action sequences. Fights in Dragon Ball have always played to the series' large degree of fiction, but these fights aren't just ki blasts and random punches.
Many characters possess their own unique fighting styles, and in Dragon Ball, several even come from distinct schools where they learned not only special techniques, but inherited that school's values on martial arts and its philosophies on life in general. Two of the most prominent schools of martial arts in Dragon Ball were Master Roshi's Turtle School and his rival Master Shen's Crane School. While both are descended from the teachings of the late Master Mutaito, they couldn't be any more different in their approach to martial arts.
10 Turtle School: Has Been Around For Much Longer
While the Crane School has been the Turtle School's most ardent competitor, the Turtle School has stood the test of time decades longer. Master Shen and Tao Pai Pai are no longer teaching martial arts, whereas Master Roshi is still living the same life he did back when he first met Goku, and continues to hone his skills, as seen in Dragon Ball Super. And while Krillin and Goku might be the Turtle School's strongest products, it also produced warriors like Grandpa Gohan, essentially transcending generations.
9 Crane School: It's Getting A New, Nobler Beginning
It's often easy to forget Tenshinhan and Chaozu's flawed past, since they've become two of the most humble, heroic members of the Dragon Team, but there's no getting around the fact that the foundations of their fighting styles were derived from legendary assassins who taught them how to kill their opponents with lethality. While the Crane School is no more, Tenshinhan has started up his own dojo, teaching his style in a way that emphasizes the values his former teachers neglected.
8 Turtle School: Focused On Defending Peace
The Turtle School was founded on the basis of training warriors who would be well-equipped to defend the peace of their world. Many of the techniques that Roshi taught his students were never intended to be used for destruction; even when he debuted the Kamehameha, he did so only to put out a blazing fire. A martial arts school that trains its pupils to protect what they hold dear is one that anyone would be lucky to learn from.
7 Crane School: Focused On Killing Opponents
While it's good to want to defend the peace, this desire won't mean much to stronger opponents. Master Shen witnessed firsthand how his beloved master perished in order to seal King Piccolo away, and according to Master Roshi, this changed his heart. He most likely created the Crane School and emphasized crushing enemies with absolute strength because Master Mutaito, though he emerged victorious, was forced to give up his own life to preserve the peace in a nonviolent manner.
Goku's teachings under the Turtle School have given him such a huge degree of mercy that his opponents have time and again taken advantage of, but the Crane School trains its students to see past an opponent's' pleas.
6 Turtle School: The Uniform Is Still In Style
While Tenshinhan and Chaozu haven't been seen rocking the signature threads of the Crane School since Dragon Ball, the Turtle School's bright orange gi hasn't gone out of style, and it's been the outfit Goku's worn the most. Even after the insignia on his gi and its very style changed to highlight his new masters, he's never opted to change the color scheme of his clothing.
He's been able to add weights to his boots, shirts, and wristbands, enabling him to train himself even outside of his battles, and even Gohan, who never once trained under Master Roshi, often prefers his father's uniform more than anything else.
5 Crane School: Students Quickly Surpassed The Master
The Crane School's teachings proved to be pretty effective back in Dragon Ball. Despite being just a teenager, Tenshinhan was strong enough to earn Roshi's respect, and won his matches against Yamcha & Goku when they fought during the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, making him a bad matchup for the Turtle School. Three years later, he was able to defeat one of his teachers, Tao Pai Pai, despite their cybernetic upgrades.
Not only had he outgrown Tao Pai Pai in strength, but he'd also outgrown Tao Pai Pai in moral fortitude as well, berating his teacher for his evil, dishonorable ways. Having surpassed his masters, Tenshinhan ordered them to leave and never bother him again. Given how skilled Shen and Tao Pai Pai were, the two were obviously amazing teachers to raise such a powerful pupil who left them in the dust so fast.
4 Turtle School: Students Always Have Something To Learn
For a long time, Master Roshi was a lot stronger than Goku and Krillin, and even entered the Tenkaichi Budokai under the alias of Jackie Chun to prevent them from thinking that they didn't have anything else to learn. While Goku and Krillin have surpassed Master Roshi in terms of raw power, it seems like Roshi always has something to teach them still.
Krillin needed Master Roshi's counsel to help him get through the fight against Frieza's goons when they attacked Earth, and later on in Dragon Ball Super, he gave Goku and Krillin a mission to retrieve the Paradise Herb from the Forest of Terror in an effort to test their mental fortitude, since both characters weren't lacking in the strength department. Even Goku needed Roshi to teach him the Mafuba.
3 Crane School: Taught Its Students How To Fly
Flying has become almost a given in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, but Dragon Ball was a very different story. Many characters early on couldn't fly, and it was a skill afforded to a select few.
It definitely took Goku and Krillin a lot longer to learn this technique, mostly because Master Roshi himself didn't know it. The art of flying was developed by the Crane School, and Master Roshi's inability to learn or teach flight put his pupils at a stark disadvantage when they went up against anyone from their rival school.
2 Turtle School: The Kamehameha
Out of any one technique that's come out of the Turtle School, the Kamehameha is by far the most recognizable of the bunch. Not only has it become the signature move of the franchise, but it's also extremely versatile in its applications. When it was first debuted, Master Roshi didn't even use it to defeat an opponent, but instead, put out a raging fire.
Since then, it's been adapted by countless heroes and villains alike, many of which didn't even study under Master Roshi, proving just how effective it is. A direct hit from a fully-charged Kamehameha can usually seal the deal, proving just how game-changing of a technique it is.
1 Crane School: The Dodonpa
Even Master Roshi once said that the Kamehameha was inferior to the Dodonpa; one of the reasons is because it doesn't require as much charge-up as the Kamehameha, meaning users can fire off continuous Dodonpas to keep their opponents on their toes. While the Dodonpa won't cause a huge explosion, a well-aimed Dodonpa can pierce flesh with ease, leading to a quick, contact-free kill.
Back in Dragon Ball, Tao Pai Pai was able to survive a direct hit from Goku's Kamehameha, but his Dodonpa would've pierced Goku's heart with ease if not for the Four-Star Dragon Ball taking the brunt of the attack. By the time Goku realized Tao Pai Pai was aiming an energy attack at him, there wasn't anything he could do but take it.