Martial Arts
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I have a friend who studied it to black belt. He thought it was a bit mediocre, he now does Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and Muay Thai. Having said that, it's possible Wing Chung has changed a little since when he did it to incorporate more ground fighting, depending on the school and how traditional they are. You can blame UFC's influence for that. I hasten to add that even though he is a brilliant fighter (he cage-fights all over Australia and generally wins), I wouldn't take my friend's opinion too seriously, you know how martial aritsts are, everyone thinks their style is the best, because they don't want to admit that they may have wasted their life learning something for years that isn't 100% useful.
What martial art you want to do depends I think in what you want to get out of the martial art. I don't really think there is any "best" martial art overall, I think different ones are useful for different things. If you told us more about why you're interested in martial arts we could help further.
What martial art you want to do depends I think in what you want to get out of the martial art. I don't really think there is any "best" martial art overall, I think different ones are useful for different things. If you told us more about why you're interested in martial arts we could help further.
I did Tai-Kwon-Do (or however the hell you spell it) for a couple of years, but the place I went to was a joke. There was no motivation, no passion, and it was more a game of follow the leader than really learning the moves.
By all means, go ahead with it, but make sure that the place you're learning at actually takes what it's trying to teach you seriously, otherwise you're just wasting your time.
By all means, go ahead with it, but make sure that the place you're learning at actually takes what it's trying to teach you seriously, otherwise you're just wasting your time.
Well I've practiced Shotokan Karate for 2 years under a brilliant Sensei who incorporated many styles especially in the self-defense part of the training, so I know a bit of Jiu-Jitsu as far ar fighting on the ground is concerned, a lot of evasion maneuvers and so on. I was always the fastest in my dojo, both with hands and feet, mostly hands, my Sensei would make me spar with him until my forearms were bruised from constand grips and parries. I noticed how fast punch techniques are in Wing Chun, which is why I want to study and practice it.
The style in question is directly descendant from Ip Man's line, if that means anything to you.
The style in question is directly descendant from Ip Man's line, if that means anything to you.
I would definitely recommend Wing Chun, having previously practiced it for a while - I would agree with previous posters that a Martial art may or may not be for you, but the practical basis of Wing Chun always rings true with me. Recently I have been practicing Karate instead, since there is no Wing Chun in my area, but if there was, I am certain I would go back.
Really this. ^Drakane said:
It depends largely on what you want. I've taken Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do and Nihon Jujitsu. Liked the Jujitsu best because of the instructor and how much more technical the art was. In the likely case you don't know, Nihon jujitsu is focused on standing grabs, locks, and throws. Unlike Brazilian or Judo, it is not a sport style. Done full speed against an opponent who doesn't know how to take the fall/lock/etc, almost every technique is designed to break something. Though, tbh, it's not the most practical art for a street fight. Take Krav Maga or something similar if that's what you're into. It does teach a great deal about where and how to direct force. I'm 5'8, 140lbs and I can throw a 250+ guy over my shoulder.
In training of course. I'd get my ass handed to me in a real fight.
Basically, decide what you want out of it, and then look for the style and dojo that is going to get you there.
Picking the right Dojo is just as important as picking the style. Stay away from any that promise a black belt in a year or two. Proper application and training should take an average of 4-5 years before you reach black. Of course, if you work your butt off you can get there earlier, but it's not common. Places that guarantee it quicker are just looking to make money and aren't interested in teaching you anything. If possible, find someone who teaches it in their spare time, not as a full-time job. Those people are the ones doing it because they love it. Two of my instructors had day jobs, and they were great (my jujitsu one didn't actually get paid at all; he really did just teach it because he loved the art that much). My other instructor ran a full-time dojo and the classes were a joke.
tl;dr - Know what you want. Do your research. Have fun.
One tip is to look at how competitions in the martial art play out and you will get a sense of the direction it is going to take. Of course, it matters a lot what your teacher/sensei prefers to focus on too. Some martial arts are very competition focused and have full contact; these are probably the best bets for actually learning how to fight. The differences between them lies in (to a great degree anyway) different competition rules: WTF Taekwondo has full contact but doesn´t allow punches to the face and stops the clock with every point scored; Kyokushin Karate is similar but there's no stopping of clocks; Kickboxing allows punches to the face but you wear boxing gloves; Thaiboxing allows knees and some throws (and in traditional Muay Thai: elbows); MMA allows grappling and locks.
This means different sports focus on different things. WTF focuses on split second reaction and high kicks. Kyokushin focuses on super hard punches and kicks. Kickboxing and Thaiboxing focus on giving more punishment than you receive and MMA focus on grappling and having stamina like a horse. Of course, this depends on how competition oriented your local clubs are as well.
DISCLAIMER! This is a very simplified view of a couple of different styles but it roughly conforms with what I have gathered from looking at various clubs in my area.
This means different sports focus on different things. WTF focuses on split second reaction and high kicks. Kyokushin focuses on super hard punches and kicks. Kickboxing and Thaiboxing focus on giving more punishment than you receive and MMA focus on grappling and having stamina like a horse. Of course, this depends on how competition oriented your local clubs are as well.
DISCLAIMER! This is a very simplified view of a couple of different styles but it roughly conforms with what I have gathered from looking at various clubs in my area.
I'd agree on "most practical in Kung-Fu" but to me that's a bit like saying "apples taste more like motorcycles than any other fruit". I guess if you really like Kung Fu styles and you want something that's a bit more real-world than anything else out there it might be the perfect fit for you. However I would say that the traditional form is not an overwhelmingly practical martial art overall compared to a lot of other things out there. If your school is claiming Yip Man descendancy, that might mean that upholding the tradition/artistry of the original form is coming before practicality, or on the other hand they may be really flexible and willing to accomodate more practical concerns. I guess you won't really know until you start doing it. Maybe just turn up to the dojo during a training session and sit and watch them do their thing for a while, that alone should tell you a lot, plus it'll give you a feel for the vibe of the place as a whole, which is important.Aldan9 said:
The biggest thing you need to think about is "Why do I want to do this?" Is it for self defence? Or do you want to do competitions? For fitness? Or just for fun? Once you figure this out, then you can start to look into what Wing Chun, and more importantly, your local school will offer you.
As far as I know Wing Chun is a style of Chinese boxing.. Having said that I don't know that much about King Fu.
Also
As far as I know Wing Chun is a style of Chinese boxing.. Having said that I don't know that much about King Fu.
Also
I think you've got those mixed up. Unless they changed the rules for Taekwon do drastically since I stopped competing.Red Scharlach said:
I did Ninjitsu for a while and enjoyed it, however the problem with that style is that it's a little too practical for its own good. You can't really spar properly without seriously hurting either yourself or someone else, you definitely can't do anything competitive, there's no kata either and certainly no "honour" that a lot of the other arts stress, in a way it's the anti-martial art. Of course, that's precisely what I liked about it. A karate guy challenged one of the Ninjitsu guys in my former dojo to a fight once, the karate guy said "I'm way faster and better than you, I'll beat you for sure". The Ninjitsu guy replied "I know, that's why I'll be waiting for you in a tree with a crossbow". That pretty much sums up Ninjitsu philiosophy right there.ethaninja said:
Hahahaha! That made my day, right there!BonsaiK said:
OT: I knew someone who did Wing Chun, they seemed to enjoy it, from what I know, it's the only martial arts technique to be invented by a woman; Yim Wing-chun from Chinese legends, although the specifics are a little hazy.
Also, for the guy I quoted; I'd love to do Ninjitsu; mostly because it sounds like the most fun and the most useful. I don't live in a particularly violent area (actually the worst that could happen to me where I live might be getting a nasty prickling from an ill-tempered hedgehog) but better safe than sorry, I suppose. Also, if you learn Ninjitsu does that mean you're a ninja? If so, then yay.
Ninjitsu is pretty survival-based and that's about all it is. It teaches you to prevail and survive in various situations using whatever tools and techniques are at your disposal. However, it's not the martial art for you if you like the idea of visceral sparring matches, exercising your competitive spirit, or any type of tradition/artistry. Anyone getting into it from an "I like Japanese culture" standpoint will likely be profoundly disappointed too. If I were to compare it to anything else, probably the closest equivalent I can think up philosophically would be Krav Maga, which is kind of like a Ninjitsu 2.0 for special forces. And yes I suppose technically I'm a ninja, and we're totally better than pirates.k-ossuburb said:
Haven't done it myself but I used to hang with a family who ran a school teaching Wing Chun. They did amazing displays of weaponry and gymnastics as well as amateur martial arts movies which were impressive.
Strangely enough none of them looked like they were in great shape but they could move faster and hit harder than most anyone I know.
Strangely enough none of them looked like they were in great shape but they could move faster and hit harder than most anyone I know.
If you're looking for a simple style to defend yourself with, you can't go wrong with Krav Maga or Judo. That being said, if you are interested in an athletic or competitive style, most Kung-Fu styles are ideal, but i'd more recommend boxing. If someone recommends MMA, you should ignore them completely. It is best to be a master of a single style instead of trying to use some stupid hybrid of techniques with no mastery of the central philosophy and mindset.
...and yes, i'm even a geek in my methods of hand-to-hand combat. Not that it is a bad thing. Combining Krav Maga with a knowledge of anatomy is like moving into a pocket dimension where pain is God and you are pope.
...and yes, i'm even a geek in my methods of hand-to-hand combat. Not that it is a bad thing. Combining Krav Maga with a knowledge of anatomy is like moving into a pocket dimension where pain is God and you are pope.