wing chun

I don't have a lot of choices of martial art styles where I live, which of these do I pick?

2010-05-17T19:33:00.001-07:00

There is Wing Chun, Shotokan Karate, Freestyle Karate, and bunch of Taekwondo. There are more but I'm not sure if they're really qualified. Some of those are, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, and Goju Ryu Karate. Please help me choose.

I don't have a lot of choices of martial art styles where I live, which of these do I pick?
Your best bet is to try as many of them that appeal to you.

The school should let you and in fact should encourage you to observe a class, even take a free class or two.

The instructors should be unfailingly polite, respectful, and cheerful to the students.

Classes should look organised, with instruction appearing to follow a lesson plan.

Students should behave respectfully and attentively at all times, and should continue their respectful behavior when class is finished.

There should never be any roughhousing or dangerous play, or displays of temper on anyone's part.

If there are women in the class, they should be treated the same as the men, not given constant concessions to their supposed fragility, yet not brutalised or otherwise singled out. (If there are no women (or men), it might be a good idea to ask why.)

Young students or children should be given the same respect as adults.

The key to recognising a good school is to watch how they treat students without natural athletic ability. Do instructors focus only on the stars, leaving the strugglers to muddle along as best they can? Do they point out struggling students for ridicule? Do they appear irritated at questions or requests for help? All of these are trouble signs.

In the end, the best guide is your gut feeling and bearing in mind that you are not stuck for life with your decision. If it turns out that the school just doesn't suit you, don't give up on martial arts entirely. Be patient and persistent, and you will find the right place to train.
Reply:Tae Kwon Do is a great martial art.

Some people say that Tae Kwon Do is to Karate what Chess is to Checkers. ;)
Reply:Well that depends on you.

First of all- What do you wish to do? All the Martial Arts you've listed can aid self-defense, but is that what you want?

Secondly- What fighting range is best for you? Do you like punching? Kicking? Throwing? Submissions?

Third- I don't know of your experience and ability to cross train, so I can't pinpoint which art you want to start with. I suggest:

A. Taking an art that teaches skill in one or more ranges, and then taking another art that teaches you ability in the other ranges.

B. Take an art that teaches skill in multiple ranges.

I know that Wing Chun and Taekwondo don't normally teach extensive grappling (Though there are exceptions).

Karate tends to come with entry level grappling (Again: Exceptions exist).

BJJ is wonderful for the submission range.

Most Japanese Jujutsu styles teach entry level striking, but extensive skill in the throwing and grappling range.

Aikido mostly works the throwing range.

Good luck.
Reply:I would say go for the japanese jujitsu, aikido or the brazilian jujitsu. I work in a dojo that is closely knit with all of those styles. I would have to say that the japanese jujitsu is probably the most practical because not only did the other two arts come from it, but it covers a wider range of things, thus you can better defend yourself. aikido is a beautyful art. it really focuses on the graceful movement of one person throwing another person (also part of the japanese jujitsu). brazilian jujitsu focuses more on ground work. it is not a bad art by any means. you will really get a good work out from this one. however, in a fight on rough concrete, i wouldnt want to go to the ground as my first option. personally i prefer japanese jujitsu. not only has it helped me to learn how to better defend myself from a large range of situations, but it has also helped me become a more confident person.
Reply:If you want a martial art that is the best for self defense there is no question: brazilian jiu jitsu.

Plus, bjj will help you have more in common with fellow co-workers, clients, etc. because it is used in the fastest growing and #1 combat sport, mma (ufc). Monday morning nobody is going to ask you about wing chun, but someone might ask you to explain a go-go plata from the big ufc card last weekend.

I understand your concern about making sure the teacher is qualified but a poorly qualified bjj instructor will be much better than a world class wing chun instructor.

This is all assuming that you are not someone that just wants to learn fancy kicks with absolutely no practical application and that you are not afraid of competition.

good luck
Reply:See I’d say BJJ is not good for self defense, because you typically need to take your opponent down. Bad things happen once you are on the ground. Things like bar stools, broken glass and kicks from nowhere. I think you need to stay on your feet in a self defense situation. BJJ is great for a one on one fight under controlled circumstances.

If you’ve got someone teaching Japanese Jiu Jitsu in your area, that is a rare opportunity. I would certainly investigate it, although recognize the falls and joint locks can be very painful and potentially harmful.

If you want to see the quickest results go with GoJu Ryu. I can turn most students into pretty decent fighters in less than a year.

Proficiency develops the slowest in Aikido of all the arts you’ve listed. Once you get good it is a great art, but it takes years of practice to see even a little progress. Part of this is because it is almost purely reactive to what the other person is doing.
Reply:Go Freestyle or Shotokan. If the qualifications aren't there, then neither should you be.
Reply:Japanese jujitsu.
Reply:Decide if you would rather strike or grapple. Then find the best instructor who teaches what you want to do. Don't worry about the name on the door.
Reply:Hi there

My best advice is to try them all. Take time out and have a martial arts holiday. That way you will get to see each art and the instructor. This really does depend on what your tastes are and which direction the wind is blowing at the time so to speak. Try to keep away from the fad arts and make judgement based on the teachers ability and how they conduct a class.

In today's market of boxercise and taibo if an instructor manages to run an adults only class and sustains more than 10 students a week then they must be doing something right!

Nothing worse than screaming little brats running around all over the place in a mixed class! ;-)

Best wishes

idai
Reply:wing chun, freestyle or bjj they are all very effective on the streets, but if you looking for a ringsport maybe consider taekwondo

Your point of view in this please ?

2010-05-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Do you know Sam hing fai chan kung fu sifu ? what do you think ?

I am seeking informations aout his teaching skills, how good he is. He studied kung fu under Lee Ngou who his turn studied under Jow Biu (disciple of the jow ga kung fu creator)

In wing chun Sam hing fai chan is from Ip man's lineage

quite impressive but I don't want to end up in a bad school thanks

Your point of view in this please ?
I am sorry, but I have never heard of this person.

If you are worried about this school then watch a class or two and see how he teaches and what kind of instructor he is. If you are cautious, there is probably a good reason.

Good luck!
Reply:First and formost the best way to determine if you think he's a good instructor is go watch, ask questions (to him, or students). Hands on is the best way to know. It seems nice and all to have this long lineage of who's who on your wall but it dosen't really matter who he trained under. When it comes down to it the question is How good is he? Right? Best way to find that out is to go watch him teach. Join in a class or two. Talk with anyone and everyone at the school. Most likely you won't get much neg. from anyone or they wouldn't be there, but ask them your questions.
Reply:I've trained with people that trained under some great fighters that were crap, some that were great....

At the end of the day it all depends on how well they learn their style and then how good they are at teaching it to you.

Just check it out and make up your own mind. Remember, the same goes for you, there is no gurantee that you will be any good either ;-) Just train hard

Is karate a good martial art to learn for effective self defense? I heard aikido and jiu jitsu are better.?

2010-05-17T19:32:00.003-07:00

I also heard that wing chun, praying mantis, and white crane kung fu are also good. So many people have said different things like Fanziquan, Hapkido, and Judo.

Is karate a good martial art to learn for effective self defense? I heard aikido and jiu jitsu are better.?
Jiu Jitsu is very good!!! Why waste time.Why??...I live in New York City and most cats in the street are very good.So block the attack ...lock up the joint(or break the bone)...slam the child on the hard concrete is more of what i'm into !!!You can even make your opponent call the police on his own cell phone with a joint lock.(uh huh..yea call em.).check out this book...The Power of Internal Martial Arts(Combat Secrets of Ba Gua,Tai chi and Hsinj-I...B.K.Frantzis...peace...One
Reply:NO!

For self defense I HIGHLY suggest taking Lotar or Muay Thai (boxing). Hapkido is another good one.

If you wanna fight for fun you would need Muay Thai, Jui Jitsu, basic Tae Kwon Do, South Paw, Judo(optional, not recomended).

In the end it's all up to you.

-joe
Reply:I've done Karate, general Kung Fu, Kick Boxing, and Jiu Jitsu. Kick Boxing was definitely the most effective in creating self defense (don't know if it's considered a martial art though), but Jiu Jitsu is a close second and really fun and interesting to learn as you'll find a lot of practical ways to incapacitate people that you never thought of. Oh, and Karate was for sure the lamest one. Lame lame lame. Good Luck.
Reply:Well, first of all, effective self-defense is over 85 percent street smarts. It's about trusting your instincts when you think there's something wrong about this guy that came up and asked you for the time. It's about avoiding certain situations altogether and feeling good enough about who you are to walk away when you smell trouble. It's also about knowing you don't have to trade insults with a drunk, etc..., etc...

All martial arts will teach you about self-confidence, overcoming your fears, knowing your body's capacities and using its abilities in a crisis, the proper distance at which to keep an opponent, etc..., etc...

No martial art, on the other hand, will make you invincible or superhuman. If a guy pulls out a gun on you out of nowhere and demands your wallet, the best self-defense move I can think of is to hand him over your waller without making a fuss and cancel all your cards as soon as you can get to a phone.

This being said, the arts all hav their advantages and drawbacks. I don't think you can say there is a best, or a worst martial art. There are better and worse teachers, so you should be careful who you sign up with. But mostly, you should study an art that agrees with you, who you are, and what can keep up your interest.

This is being said, Karate and Kung Fu involve striking, which means trading blows with your opponent. There is a faster learning curve thant Aikido or Jie Jitsu (Don't know much about Hapkido, sorry). It means after one or two months, you'll have learned something effective, because even a punch that's not perfect still has a certain effect. Aikido or Jiu-Jitsu throws and locks, on the other hand, tend to have very little effect unless they are very well executed. The advantage of these, though, is that you don't necessarily have to get up close and personal with your opponent. You can throw an attacker away from you and run, or pin him down and call for help. (Which to me is just as good as beating him senseless - a lot of people on here will disagree, but to me, self-defense is about surviving situations, not necessarily physically dominating your attacker).

Anyway, I would definitely pick up some books about any arts that interest you and learn about them, and see what interests you. I think people should usually go with their instincts.

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you.
Reply:Its not the style that makes the artist, but the artist that makes the style. It doesn't matter what you train in, all styles can be effective.
Reply:I would go with what you like the most because if you master any of them they will be very effective. But I have to tell you - the cheapest is the regular old wrestling room! Most of the time (except when you go to tournaments) it will be free - It will not cost to train and get belts. But all are effective.
Reply:Kyokushin Karate is a very effective form of self-defence, because it emphasises full contact sparring and competition. Full contact is the closest possible representation you can get of a 'real' fight, because you are not pulling your punches and kicks in any way.

Kyoskushin fighters have done very well in premier fighting events like K1, the world's top kickboxing organisation. Andy Hug was one of K1's greatest ever fighters and his style was Kyoskushin. Georges St. Pierre, the current UFC welterweight champion gets his stand up style from Kyokushin also.
Reply:Honestly, all martial arts are good for self defense. They teach you to think differently about your own safety and how to fight. the specific moves are not what's important.

Having said that I will list some very good arts to learn and some not so great ones.

Some good ones because they are versatile are:

Kempo Karate

Jeet Kun Do

Wing Chun

Shaolin Chuan Fa (kung fu is not the correct term but is more commonly used)

Some good arts because they are practical:

Krav Maga

JuJitsu

Judo

Some arts I would avoid but that may work for others:

Tae Kwon Do - it's too predictable for me and relies too heavily on repeated use of the same moves over and over again. It's very pretty, but not street smart. Also I've beaten too many Tae Kwon Do "black belts" to really respect the art any more.

Muy Thai - I know it's the flavor of the year but it's a more dangerous art then any other I've seen. I met a man hobbled before his years, at the age of 65 he could barely stand upright and his legs could barely hold his weight even though we was very thin. He had studied Muy Thai and it had injured him very badly. he broke almost every bone in his body at some point while training and after many years he had to stop training all together. Shaolin monks train until the day they die and at 90+ years of age could still snap me like a twig. At 65 you should still be able to train without major pain due to prior injury.

Boxing - It's the simplest modern martial art and that's why I wouldn't take it. You learn less about how to push your body to it's limit them in other arts. Also you're primary attacks will be punches which the enemy will expect. It's too limiting for me.
Reply:I practise wado-ryu karate, which incorporates elements of jujitsu, and I have no problems with it.

Do whichever style you want to do and good luck!
Reply:It is not as much about the art as it is about HOW YOU TRAIN.

if you train realistically with fully resisting opponents, then that is the better art.

The reality is that many sportative arts train that way (like boxing or muai thai) while non-sportative arts like wing chun, and karate don't.

If you don't know what you are looking for then you are likely to get taken for a ride. If you know how to spot a good teacher and gym. and know what questions to ask about the intensity of the training, then go with whatever art you can find that has a good teacher.

A good teacher and good training outweigh any "search for style" benefits as you may not be in an area that has access to many different styles with good teachers. Even in new york city it is hard to find a good teacher for a particular non-sportative style unless you know someone who knows someone.

my point is that unless you don't know what you are looking for, then i suggest you find a sportative art because it is easier to find a good one as they tend to "self-regulate". Meaning they train for, and go to competitions where there are little rules and they look like a real fight (the closer it looks to a boxing match with legs and grapples or throws tossed into the mix the more realistic the ruleset is).

If you are looking to be non-comittal- then boxing is a good place to start, you will learn to focus on and specialize in punching properly- a skill that translates into or mixes with ANY martial art.

even if you want to do muai thai later, it builds on your boxing skill. I think beginning muai thai first can be very intimidating, boxing slightly less so that is why I'm suggesting it. Also you will be able to get the background of a "good" gym vs. a crappy one that doesn't teach properly, or that teaches you forms and punching techniques that aren't as effective and powerfull as boxing, but they tell you that they are.

Ie: chambering.
Reply:YES, karate is an effective form of street self-defense.

Stay away from MMA, or mixed martial arts, because that is just a ring-style sport and doesn't teach weapons usage or multiple attack defense.

Just realize that it takes a very long time to learn Karate and it is very hard work. Also there are a many different styles of Karate: Okinawan and Japanese. So shop around and choose the style that best suits you.
Reply:Karate is god as are many others. Karate is a striking style, Jujitsu %26amp; Aikido are grappling styles. There are advantages to both. Here is a brief summary.

Striking: Tae Kwon Do. Karate, Shaolin boxing

Good: Can handle multiple attackers, can engage at long range, enables you to be pro active when necessary.

Not so good: Ground, hard to control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.

Grappling: Hapkido, Judo, etc.

Good: effective in close, good on the ground, can control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.

Not so Good: Not good at long range, you must wait for the attacker to make the 1st move. Not effective against multiple attackers.
Reply:honestly karate doesent help much in self defense.. if you want to know how to protect yourself in the streets you should do boxing or kickboxing.. both of those are the best combat sports you can do
Reply:Some martial arts are more external or hard styles eg. boxing karate taekwondo, some are more internal or soft eg taichi aikido wingchun.

jujitsu, hapkido are probably somewhree in the middle.

Generally the softer the style the greater the heights you can take it - the greater in the hands of a master, but the longer it takes to become a master.

Generally the harder styles are much faster to learn at the beginning and to be able to use effectively.

So i am really coming to believe in starting your training in the hard styles, and gradually moving to softer more internal styles as you are ready.
Reply:karate sucks for self defence
Reply:It isn't the martial art, but the practitioner that "is good" or not. Also, no matter what you pick, it takes training and dedication. Everyday you need to be in there training, working out, getting in shape, going over forms, and exhaustivly training your punches, kicks and holds or YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY.
Reply:Martial arts effectiveness is a never ending open-ended and often contested question.

Some arts are built for sport (with rules set to protect competitors from serious injury) other arts are meant to injure and inflict great pain to gain compliance from a would be attacker. From what I’ve learned and scene some martial arts depend on the element of surprise to gain advantage quickly and finish fights with little or nor interference from an assailant. And all depend on your having confidence in your self and being prepared to protect yourself form any attack.

The truth about fighting is if your in a fist fight you will get hit, if your in a knife fight chances are you will be cut. It’s a fact so get past it and learn how to protect yourself form serious injury.

The truly good news is most people will never have to face an attacker in a life or death situation, most conflict is preventable. Use your head more than your hands and you will avoid much trouble.

After studying a handful of martial arts I personally feel it is good to practice whatever style fits your personality, beliefs, lifestyle and body type best. It’s good to challenge yourself in many ways but stick to one art and build a good base of knowledge before seeking additional answers elsewhere. Often you will find the longer your practice one art the deeper your knowledge and wisdom grow.

Young students do not always learn the best an art has to offer them. They simply take a taste, judge too quickly and move along before ever feeling the true nature of the art. So take some time and visit many studios before signing up. All good studios offer free or low cost introductory classes, take some and learn all you can before signing up.

The ultimate goal of all martial arts is to improve self, gain control of emotion and anger and channel your energy into something positive that improves you as a person and makes you a better human being both inside and out.

Truly great martial artists never create conflict, they find resolution in humility and confidence.

Is you seek to visually prove or disprove the effectiveness of martial arts when compared side by side simply search YouTube for many fights between various practitioners and BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). This is as close a comparison as I have scene of one art vs. another. You will note when a grappler closes distance on a striker or distance fighter and the fight ends up on the ground all the grappler need do is gain superior position over his attacker, force them to roll to their stomach by striking to the face and choke them out. To this day the Gracie Family has an open-ended challenge to all martial artists. To my knowledge BJJ has never been successfully defeated in this regard. But I may be in error so forgive me if I speak out of turn.

I enjoy training in both Kung Fu and BJJ and I love each for it’s many differences. But I also enjoy having fun with both.

Find something you like and learn as much of it as you can. If you seek to compete look into TKD, BJJ or Karate they all offer point fighting tournaments that are great fun but take a lot of focus and training to do well in. there are also a great many truly fantastic arts that require a great deal of study to learn but are equally reqarding for the practitioner such as Krav Magra, Kung fu San Soo, Lima Lama etc… All unique but all fun in their own way. (sprry for spelling errors above.)

Don’t dabble either, if you want to study martial art, do your best, focus and give it your all to gain a true understanding of your selected art. Anything worth doing takes great effort and time to get good at. Don’t quit after your first belt, keep learning and expanding your knowledge.

Good luck.

KK

java

Surviving todays modern society?

2010-05-17T19:32:00.002-07:00

my teacher has died some time ago. my martial art buddys have all gone away when i was sent overseas. (U.,S.Army soldier) after coming back ive got no-one to train with. what kind of training can i do to increase my speed everyday? or speed and accuracy training hitting small targets? what can i practice on my own? would anyone have a training layout or exercise i can do on my own? just preparing for the day if i happen to meet the "street-version" of bob sapp, oscar dela hoya, mike tyson, ect.ect. the thug version of these guys are out there. there is always someone better than you ive learned. many thats not famous or well known. i feel in my gut my time will come to defend myself. dreamed all my life about that one guy i fight to save my life. if anyone has a great method of increasing my speed and accuracy,pls share the knowledge. ill practice everyday. seems all ive learned from gung-fu, muay thai is just not enough. wing chun would love to learn.but need realistic training. thanx

Surviving todays modern society?
Martial arts is more about building character than defending your life in confrontation. If you live in a bad area, deal with bad people all day long than work on striking, stamina, grappling, throws and leverages. You need a wide array of weapons if you hope to defend any guy looking to hurt you or worse.

The best solution to a fight is walk away. You only fight if your life is on the line or someone you love is in danger.

There is no single best answer to your question and not one excercise regimen that can prepare you to defend your life against all comers. But you can choose to prepare.

Fighting or conflict in general is a thinking man's game, use your mind before your muscle.

I would advise you to look into MMA if you want to win a fight. Keep practicing and be in shape. Street fights are short and almost always end violently and quickly. Usually the first guy to land a punch/kick wins. You may also wish to check out Kung Fu San Soo or a similar street effective training system that gets you in quickly and ends confrontations. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is extremely effective for ground fighting and one on one confrontation but stay off the ground in multi attacker scenarios unless you like boot marks on your face. ;-)

If you meet a tough as nails fighter like Tyson or the Golden Boy ask him for his autopgrah not a knock out punch. Smile, as if you can be of assistance, get to root of the matter and avoid the fight. You don't want to put him in the hospital and I'm certain he doesn't want to end up there.

Stay safe.

KK
Reply:Why not join another club?

Training on your own only works if you are already a high expert, otherwise there is always something to learn from others.
Reply:Send me an Email. I'll try to help You out.

What will be the best martial art for me ?

2010-05-17T19:32:00.001-07:00

i'm 21 and i like kung fu, tai chi , wing chun what will be the best one for me ?

What will be the best martial art for me ?
STOP and Think... THERE IS NO "BEST" MARTIAL ART.... YOU SHOULD LEARN AND DISCOVER AS MANY AS YOU CAN AND THEN SORT OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. (FOR EXAMPLE: A VERY SHORT GUY WITH SHORT ARMS WOULD BE BETTER AT A GRAPPLING ART SUCH AS JIU - JITSU OR JUDO, AND NOT VERY GOOD AT BOXING) BOXING IS NOT A LEGITIMATE FORM OF SELF DEFENSE ANYWAY. WING CHUN IS A "STYLE" OF KUNG FU. I RECOMMEND READING SOME BRUCE LEE BOOKS, AND THEN EXPLORE DIFFERENT ARTS. TRY JEET KUNE DO (BRUCE LEE'S ART), MUAY THAI, BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, AND THEN GO FROM THERE. *TRADITIONAL ARTS ARE OUTDATED!!!!! DON'T LEARN THE HARD WAY LIKE ME!!
Reply:A good well rounded style would be freestyle Karate.You will learn stand up,ground,grappling and weapons.What a lot of people don't understand is that freestyle Karate is about practical street defence not who can kick the highest or punch a pad the hardest.It's definitely not a sport martial art like TKD or BJJ.The motto of my style is the best of everything in progression.Basically that means we don't care where the technique comes from we improve it and integrate it into our style while still maintaining tradition as do most freestyle Karate's.

The hardest thing is finding a good experienced instructor.I would recommend Bushi Kai or Zen Do Kai, but if your not in Australia or New Zealand you may have some difficulty finding some one who teaches these styles.These styles also usually have separate classes available to everyone in Muay Thai and BJJ/Submission/Shoot wrestling.If you can't find one of these i would suggest Kempo or Enshin or another freestyle Karate.

http://www.zendokai.com.au/countries2/US...
Reply:Look around your area and see which ones are availible. compare prices one might be twice as much as another also some might have you sign a contract, so you'll be forced to pay for a year of classes even if you find out you don't enjoy it after a month or two. Compare class times, how often are you expected to be there, do the times work with your schedual. Do they have adult begginer classes or will you have to be with a bunch of youngsters? Some places will let you sit and watch a class, or participate in one to see if you like it.
Reply:You should get to know your styles a little more, see what's in your area and then visit schools. A lot of people are searching for the perfect style when they should be searching for the perfect teacher (for them).

Wing Chun is a style of Kung Fu so maybe that is what you should look into first.

Tai Chi is a very "soft" art meaning you have no sparring, no fast movement, no contact and just learn a pattern of movements.

You should also decide why you are taking martial arts. Do you live in a bad neighborhood and need self-defense protection? Try Krav-Maga, Kickboxing or Jeet Kun Do. Do you want to compete in tournaments? Try Tae Kwon Do, Ju-Jitsu, American Karate or Judo. Are you looking for a more traditional art? Try Kung-Fu, Japanese Karate, Aikido or Ninjitsu. You can even find gyms now that offer the MMA type of curriculum, even if you don't want to fight for a living.
Reply:visit different schools and do a free intro course. then choose from there
Reply:It would really depend on what you want to do with it. Solid Self defense and or in the ring. Looking at the list you gave I would suggest you go to www.dillman.com and look up one of his affilliated schools. He is an Okinawan Kempo stylist that uses Kung fu and Tai chi Pressure Points. His schools teach realistic real world self defense that you can use as a youngster to an 80 year old man/woman. I have done Martial arts for 30 + years and been to every school or style or seminar I could find and I always gravitate back to kyusho Kempo. Its and all around ecletic style that get to the real original principals of self defense.

Hope this help
Reply:All I can tell you is just visit any schools that're local to you tha offer any one of those Martial Arts.

find out which one of these you like best and then see if they have any trial classes.

No one here can tell you which Martial Art is going to fit you the best, only YOU can make that decision for yourself.
Reply:you should be looking for a good teacher and school not a particular art.

Especially with CMA (chinese martial arts) as a huge number of cma schools don't train you properly and they don't train with resistance. chi sau is not resistance training.

If you don't know what to look for you run the risk of training at a bad school and will not only not learn anything, but could learn bad habits that make you a worse fighter.

I would suggest making sure that the school you goes to trains to fight, meaning that they train and drill with full resistance (eventually, obviously they don't expect you to get it on the first try, the students eventually should be training the moves with full resistance).
Reply:any of them will be fine it just has to do with what you like, and what you are interested in learning, it has nothing to do with age.

good luck !
Reply:No best arts, just best artists. Find a good school, not a good style.
Reply:It depends on what one suits you best to find out, do some research and search on directories.
Reply:Wing chun.

Anyone know how much a month is it to attend the Francis Fong MA Academy in GA?

2010-05-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hello. I am interested in learning wing chun or jkd, which are both taught at the Francis Fong Martial Arts Academy in Norcross, GA. I emailed them asking them how much a month would classes be but I have yet to get an answer. Does anyone know how much classes would be a month at this school? or an estimate will be good...Thank you!!!!!!!

Anyone know how much a month is it to attend the Francis Fong MA Academy in GA?
6 grand

Brazilian jujitsu or MMA in Taiwan?

2010-05-17T19:31:00.002-07:00

I am training wing chun at the moment and would like to get into MMA and BJJ. I will be moving to Taipei soon so I was wondering if the was a good place to train.

Brazilian jujitsu or MMA in Taiwan?
I know of Andy Wang at Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club.

http://www.taiwanbjj.org/

Go to http://www.jiujitsugear.com/forum lots of BJJ/MMA guys hang out there and Andy Wang post there too. They can give you all the info you need.
Reply:You can check out my club if you like. We do BJJ, Submission Grappling and MMA. I’ve also trained extensively in Wing Chun and Ba Gua .

Here is my web site evolutioncombat.com

Contact me at gor15@hotmail.com

Cheers

Gord
Reply:I think tigerhead knows what he is talking about.

flowers baby

Do you have to relax to learn kung-fu ?

2010-05-17T19:31:00.001-07:00

I read that in kung-fu. you have to relax to produce a powerful punch. What if I am someone who doesn't like to relax and likes using muscles. I can relax, but I like to feel my own weight and body mass as I relax. I also have big biceps. Would it be too hard for me to learn kung-fu since I read that kung-fu styles like wing chun uses not body mass but the skeletal structure.

Do you have to relax to learn kung-fu ?
Relaxing is an essential part of speed, you need to be completely relaxed while performing your technique, otherwise muscles that are being tensed and not being used in the proper motion of your attack will hamper it and slow it down, say for example, closing your fist the instant before you land a punch, if you have your fist clenched the entire time you throw a punch, it will move slower and make your punch weaker and easier to identify it when it is coming, this is called telegraphing and helps out your opponent a great deal. When you throw loose then snap into a fist right before you hit, you move faster, and speed equals power when done properly. If you want to learn kung fu, you will be taught to relax in order to do the techniques properly and effectively, you may not like to relax, but that doesn't mean that you cannot learn how. Just train hard under proper technique and all will be well.
Reply:I too am of muscular build and learned to relax my muscles slowly. It took me a couple of years and staying away from weight training. Nice to see nice musculature when flexing but is counterproductive in kung fu for reasons already stated. I did gain flexibility, speed, fluidity in movement when I eventually learned to relax muscles.
Reply:Alot of your power in a punch should ideally come from the waist, and not from your muscles. This is why, even slightly built people with hardly any muscle can pack a good punch that is controlled yet effective with little effort.

I do not think it will be hard for you to learn kung-fu so long as you choose the style that you believe would suit you best and your sifu will provide you with the correct guidance for your style to develop.

I learn the southern style of HapGar, its very long range and covers most aspects of fighting styles such as grapples and take downs, as well as kicks and punches.

Do some research as it could be disheartening to start something but not finish it because you believe later on it's not for you.

For the record, I have many large muscled guys in my class, it does'nt stop them gaining knowledge because they are larger but they do have to work harder when it comes to relaxing and holding stances. In the same breath, I have to work harder on the more physically demanding routines so its different horses for different courses. The main thing is to enjoy what you do and to work hard at it, train your body and free your mind.
Reply:Yo, Kung-fu is a generic term. It refers to effort. As far as martial arts go you are covering a ton of styles and systems. Some systems are hard based or muscle based rather than internal or soft. Relaxing does help you as you do work against the force you are trying to generate if you tense up. HOWEVER, the more mass, the more powerful your muscles, the more endurance and cardio health you have the harder you will be able to punch with good mechanics. In addition, you will be able to punch more often and absorb the inevitable punishment. Muscle helps punching as does mass. Put a great martial artist weighing in at 150 pounds vs. a power punching, muscular boxer of 250 pounds... guess who is going to hit harder? Heck put the same weight person with one person being stronger and guess who hits harder. Of course the same rules apply, you have to hit the target (which both can do) and the martial artist has more weapons (grappling, kicking, elbowing, vital strikes). But I digress.

You have to learn to relax or you will get winded to fast in a fight. Boxers, kick-boxers, UFC, martial artists, and such learn this as well.

Long of the short, you want functional muscles... not body builder style muscles. Those body builders have pretty muscles but I would rather be the power lifter when it comes to fighting or helping someone move.
Reply:You need to know that a punch thrown by relaxed muscle groups are faster than those thrown by muscle that are tense. And if you are tense your reaction time is also very slow.

lr

http://www.pacificwingchunassociation.co...
Reply:its good to focus on ur breathing in kung fu ..... i practice shaolin style n it is defintly worth it so yea relaxing, but focus

Did emin boztepe really fought to william cheung?

2010-05-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

If he did, could he manage to beat him?

and if he managed to beat him does not that show wing chun is not a very good way of self defence?

Did emin boztepe really fought to william cheung?
Answer is Yes and No. Please read on.....

During a seminar in New York City Leung Ting asked for a volunter from the audience to demonstrate some type of palm technique. A member of the audience who was of William Chuengs lineage, and wearing one of his T-Shirts stepped up. During the "demonstration" this person managed to strike Leung Ting once. William Cheung had no knowledge of this incident until after it happened and he reprimmaned the students involved.

A short time later William Cheung was invited to do a seminar in Germany. When he arrived for the seminar there were members of the news media there. He did a photo shoot prior to the start of the seminar. During the seminar he was approached by Emin who wanted to fight. Long Story short Emin had a group of people and video and still photography equipment. Emin made reference to some article in which William Cheung had made statements concerning the superiority of his version of Wing Chun and stated he would fight anyone anytime to prove it. The fight ensued and lasted approximate 25-30 seconds. Both people went to the ground.

Emin got up and left along with his group of people. Wiliam Cheung completed the seminar but cancelled the second day. Neither party was injured and despite claims made by both sides there was no "obvious" victor. I have had the opportunity to view both the "edited" and "unedited" versions of the video and they are, IMO, inconclusive.

A short time after this incident Victor Parliti, a student of William Cheungs, visited one of Leung Tings instructors in New York, Andrew Draheim and a repeat occurred. Again with both sides claiming victory.

Since then things have coold off a bit. Both sides made statements and challenges but nothing ever came of it.
Reply:where can I find a video of these supposed masters fighting..

I wanna watch them "play"
Reply:It took place a long time ago...1986 I think. You can watch it on YouTube. Just don't expect a picture perfect "wing chun" fight!

WingTsun??

2010-05-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Is WingTsun (Wing Chun) a good martial art to learn for Self Defence?

In what way is it realated to Bruce Lee?

WingTsun??
That was the first martial art he learned under Yip Man. Later on, he learned many martial arts as much he could, threw out the junk, took what worked, and he created Jeet Kune Do, which is a style of no style, a way of no way. Peace be to you.
Reply:no
Reply:check this out.... http://wingtsunkungfu.tripod.com/what.ht... i think its related to Bruce Lee cuz he was small size man and u dont rely on strength to do the art.
Reply:No it's not good. I would find something else to studies.
Reply:every martial art can be good for self defence, but if you want to be efficient you'll need to blend wing chun with other styles of fighting using kicking and grappling. Wing chun focuses almost on punches. You will know how to punch and avoid punches. Wing chun is a style of kung fu. Kung fu is a name given to the different styles of martial arts originated from china. Bruce lee was a kung fu practitioner but I don't know exactly in which styles he has been involve in the past. Today the art of bruce lee is often called jeet kune doo.
Reply:That would be a good starter it's a little hard though. Bruce Lee's instructor was Master Yip Man who was a master of Wing Chun, that's how they are related.
Reply:Yes it is a good style to learn, and I believe that Bruce Lee was the(or one of) the first people in the U.S to teach it here.
Reply:Is WingTsun (Wing Chun) a good martial art to learn for Self Defense?

Absolutely. It is one of the few martial arts that deals with the area of defense called "trapping". It builds reflexive actions that translate perfectly to street fighting. It is very difficult to master but extremely efficient.

In what way it it related to Bruce Lee?

It is the first martial art that Bruce studied though he did not learn it completely. If you study Jeet Kune Do (which Bruce created), you can see several obvious elements of Wing Chun plus other art forms.

X training theoretical survey?

2010-05-15T02:56:00.001-07:00

Pick ONE from the first list and ONE from the second list..Id like to see what combonations people would choose for themselves...Which would compliment the other so to speak

PICK ONE OF THESE

Karate

Kempo

Boxing

Muay Thai

Wing Chun

Tae Kwon Do

NOW CHOOSE TO X TRAIN WITH ONE OF THESE

Judo

Jiu-Jutsu

Aikido

Freestyle Wrestling

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

It should be interesting to see what combinations people come up with...Remember use ONLY those listed

X training theoretical survey?
Wing Chun for fluidity of movement and Aikido for pressure points and grappling
Reply:Karate for its body-toughening and straightforward combat and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for its ground fighting and sheer efficiency.
Reply:Wing Chun for knocking them to the ground then Freestyle wrestling when you get them on the ground.

wall flower

In Ur Opionion: Wats The Greatest Martial Art Form? And Why?

2010-05-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

wing chun, karate, shaolin kung fu, judo, ect.

In Ur Opionion: Wats The Greatest Martial Art Form? And Why?
Why does this question have to be asked every day in some form? Honestly, do you really think this is funny?

The answer is the same today as it was yesterday and always will be. It isn't the art, it is the artist.
Reply:I've heard that Tai Chi is the greatest, but only when combined with an external art (Tai Chi is an internal martial art, based on internal energy manipulation). I study Shaolin Kung Fu and I prefer that to karate and takewon do.
Reply:I'd say that none of them are the greatest individually.

However Wing Chun has many great defenses against grappling and various forms of striking as well as being very methodical and scientific.
Reply:Tai Chi....
Reply:Aikido, in my opinion, mainly because it is almost entirely a defensive art. You can inflict heavy and fatal damage to your opponent, but the over all purpose was never to kill you opponent, but to deter your opponent from attacking.
Reply:My favorites are Praying Mantis, Dragon style kung fu (Hakka Version), Snake style, tiger claw, Kempo, Kajukenbo, and JKD
Reply:The one you enjoy the most
Reply:there is no bEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... omg i f***kin hate these questions!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply:none and all
Reply:What's best for me is not what's best for you. ^_^

Firstly: There's a variety of reasons why people take martial arts. The majority obviously have self defense/offense somewhere in the core, but it's not uncommon for an art to have something else coexist with it (i.e. self defense + combat sport, self defense + dance).

Secondly: What do you mean by "Greatness?" Effectiveness? Practicality? A bunch of words that are subjective, that we think are objective? It's impossible to pick styles, and try to make statements like that. The only thing that can be done is hint at it with correlations, which are more or less based on things indiscriminate of style such as training methods, goals, and frequency. Those are the things that make or break people: Not what they're doing.

The greatest thing one can do is learn their own practical art, hence practicality being defined as "Doing what works for you." You have to combine techniques from various arts to get good outcomes. That's all you can do, and hope that your training aligns well to what you want to do, whether it's fun, sport, self defense, or something else. You have to find that out on your own.

All you can do is designate which styles do what. For self-defense/profession: Striking and grappling (Unless you're doing arts professionall with less fighting ranges i.e. boxing, karate, and so on). You also need the right mindset. For sport: Take what you think is right.

This is one reason why a lot of martial artists have a lot of respect for Bruce Lee. He's one of few people in the 20th century that exposed traditional masters for claiming their styles were ultimate, when it wasn't true.

So to answer your question: The greatest martial art is "Everything, and nothing." ^_^
Reply:Systema..just look

http://youtube.com/watch?v=O7_dzu4TQDs
Reply:Dekiti Tirsia Siradas because it is lethal, flexible, adaptable and practical.
Reply:All martial arts have strengths and weakness. It is more like good teachers vs. bad teachers. Most styles have schools with VERY low standards that fit into the category of "McDojo" and those same disciplines have schools with VERY high standards that produce excellent martial artist.

Some people are very much into competition fighting for them Muay Thai or TKD would be best. Others like street fighting, some styles of Okinawan Karate and BJJ are very good for that. Others just want a very defensive art, Aikido is good for that.
Reply:tai chi, mixed with kung fu mixed with MMA. perfect in my opinion

reasons (what i really have gained)

tai chi-balance, learning how to push someone's center of gravity with a light shove, breathing while concentrating

kung fu- using anything as a weapon in real life, joint locks, grappling, arm bars chokes... defending from chokes, joint locks... excersise weight loss (lost 40 lbs) by practicing forms

MMA- grappling, taking someone down, applying kung fu strikes to MMA stand up fighting

see how it all combines? to me, it has all the attributes of a perfect martial art. perefect breathing, balance, health, defense, and offense in a real life situation.
Reply:The one you have the most fun practicing.
Reply:For me personally it is kajukenbo. Kajukenbo is a fast, high impact martial art made for modern fighting. Incorporating new moves from different styles is encouraged.
Reply:Whatever suits you and you like. All styles have strengths and weaknesses. If there was one style that did it all there wouldn't be so many styles. Why does this question get asked so much?
Reply:the ultimate is the drop cool kick - backwards style to the monkey button balloon knot press
Reply:ninjutsu has to be the best ma because it teaches you to be constantly aware of your environment and unlike other ma like kung fu you learn weaponry the whole way through and later on in training you will learn how to take apart other ma

so i believe it is the best

Kung fu in West London?

2010-05-15T02:55:00.003-07:00

Anybody know of any kung fu classes (of any style - except wing chun, unless you know of a cheap class) that are in the middlesex area of west london (southall, hillingdon, uxbridge, hayes, ealing, acton, egham, west drayton). any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Kung fu in West London?
Hi, hopefully one of these will be helpful:
Reply:http://www.yellowpages.com/
Reply:Try www.fwckungfu.com

Tried many clubs and styles. None come close to the above

How are kung fu and karte related?

2010-05-15T02:55:00.002-07:00

I know that kung fu originated in the Shaolin temple in Canton China and that karate in Okinowa. I heard that kung fu was first and that all the karates are a derivation. i am currently learning Wing Chun kung fu and had Shorin Rye karate in the past. And boy are they different.

How are kung fu and karte related?
http://www.easthillskungfu.com/history.h...

it's long but read

At first, fighting was an individual matter, performed in a disorganized fashion, without art. As Chinese keep their knowledge of the art much to themselves, the exact details of its' origin and development are very obscure. Between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago, Chinese monks, within the confines of their monastery, created and organized a system of hand to hand fighting. Thus, Kung-Fu San Soo evolved as the first system of hand to hand combat.

About 400 years ago, this system was introduced to Okinawa (where it was adapted and became known as (Okinawa-Te) and in many other parts of the far east. it underwent a radical change, intermingling with circular motions such as those found in southern china (Num Pi) -- to hard forms consisting of theatrical postures and poses as seen more frequently in the art today. The old system underwent yet another change when it moved to Japan about 1917 and adapted itself to Japanese culture and personality.
Reply:kung fu was adapted to suit okinawan needs and outlook .unless you are studying white crane or mantis kung fu you will see little resemblance between the 2 .

okinawan karate was also influenced in some part by SIAM (THAILAND)and BURMA as CHINA BURMA and SIAM were their main trading partners and political allys long before JAPAN came on the scene.

With the JAPANESE influence and later introduction of karate to JAPAN main island more adaptions were made to suit thier needs and outlook.Advanced kata of GOJU RYU have the most kung fu influence still intact.
Reply:They share the same roots in the arts moving from west of china along with the spread of Buddhism eastward to Japan and Korea. All along the way being modified and adapted by the indigenous populations to suit there circumstances.
Reply:First understand that Okinawa had a grappling art called "ti" or hand, before the Chinese went there...

In the late 1300's there was a cultural interchange between China and Okinawa, known then as the Ryu Kyu Kingdom. They had great political and social relations.

An Envoy of 36 Families were sent to Okinawa, many of who were artisans, doctors and martial artists. The arts they brought were Fujian White Crane Fist, Black Tiger and 18 Lohan Fist, according to some accounts.

Not the complete arts were taught but more the principles and theories along with some technique.

These techniques were adopted into the kata during their formulation period, which was after the Satsuma Invasion, when the Japanese banned the practice of martial arts.

These principles, theories and techniques were incorporated into the Okinawan "ti" and that is where we get the kata of today.

There are many more details but this is the very short answer.

Addendum: U-Gene, Shorin Ryu, especially Matsubayashi and Matsumura Seito has absolutely nothing to do with Wing Chun. You must have heard the wrong thing because your teachers website shows that he is from the Old School... the correct school. The timeframe of Ng Mui's life does not coincide with the arrival of the 36 Families which was much before.
Reply:both asian
Reply:sarate actually Wing Chun is in Shorin-Ryu Karate is just that Shorin-Ryu is the complete martial arts. Wing Chun Kungfu is just one part of Shorin-Ryu. Shorin-Ryu like Shaolin have more than just one martial art. It have 2909+ martial arts in it. Shorin-Ryu is the first karate. The first three branches of karate came from Shorin-Ryu Karate because they are all taught by Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura who knew all the martial arts including all the Arts of Shaolin, Samuari, Okinawa-Te, Chinto Katas, Filipino Arts, Australian Arts. Shorin-RYu means Shaolin Way. it is the direct descendent of Shaolin. yes WIng chun kungfu is different then Shorin-Ryu because wing chun is just on system of Shorin-Ryu. Wing Chun is just the branch of Shorin-Ryu and Shaolin. Wing Chun just focus on one thing where Shorin-Ryu focus on every martial arts in the world. Karate Came from Shorin-Ryu Karate which is from Shaolin. All the karate starting Matsyasbashi Shorin-RYu was derived from Shorin-Ryu which is from Shaolin. Later after WWII the Matsumura Orthodox was taken by the minsmoto samurai clan and the y made the Matsumura orthodox into all the today's karate branches as you see today. each karate is part of the shorin-ryu they just are all modify and transform them into a new system but still part of Shorin-Ryu and Shaolin. Wing Chun is one of Shaolin Martial Arts but if you take all the Shaolin Martial Arts which will include all the 72 branches of Kungfu which wing chun is part of the shaolin kungfu branches , all the branches of Kenpo which is today modernized Rocky version of boxing, kempo the very first branch of karate, and taichi, and all the taekwondo and korean arts, and the samurai arts, and the okinawa-te (Naha, Shurie, and tomari-te) the chinto kata, all the filipino arts, and all the australian, and even every arts of today martial arts which is the total of 2909+ more martial arts which all the martial arts in the world together then Shaolin Martial Arts and Shorin-Ryu karate will be no different if you take wing chun in a complete martial art system which there are only two complete martial art system in the world which is Shorin-Ryu and Shaolin. The reason why the Shorin-Ryu Karate and WIng Chun Kungfu are different is because Shorin-Ryu Karate is a complete martial arts like shaolin and wing chun kungfu is just a single branch of the Shaolin Kungfu. If you take a complete martial art and then take and single branch martial arts then it will be different but if do a complete martial arts like Shaolin then you take another Complete Martial Arts like Shorin-Ryu karate then it will be the same. so in short karate in the complete martial arts and wingchun in the complete martial arts will be equally the same.
Reply:all martial arts startedwhen an idian monk came to the sholin temple in china. and it spread out across asia from there

Which of these martial arts should i do?

2010-05-15T02:55:00.001-07:00

Im almost done with Drunken Fist. After im done i have a few martial arts i might want to do. I can realy pick for myself and everyone i know knows nothing about martial.

Should i take Hung Gar, Shaolin, Ba Gua Zhang, or Wing Chun

ps. i take THE drunken fist as in a martial arts not a form of hung gar or shaolin.

Which of these martial arts should i do?
If you're looking for a no nonsense approach to fighting I'd recommend Wing Chun. Personally I'd take Ba Gua Zhang because I like the deceptive circular techniques.
Reply:Not sure what those nnn's mean, but thanks for the rating. Report It

Reply:wing chun
Reply:all the styles you're choosing are all useless,please stop watching some jet li and jackie chan movies!all of them are fake and just an entertainer,go for real!

boxing,muay thai,kyokushin,tkd(execute proper kick and not some crazy combo kicks and stop doing those pesky no guard jumping stance),judo and bjj.

if you want some effective kung fu,sanshou is the best and the only effective and realistic chinese martial art and kali is a filipino art who resembles like a wushu but brutal and very effective.

capoeira is good for bending the muscles but not for self-defense.
Reply:Wing Chun. Taking Shaolin from a school just seems like it could easily be a money scam. If I was to learn effective Shaolin Kung Fu, I would only learn it at the Shaolin Temple in China.

Wing Chun is a pretty respected Chinese art for good reason.
Reply:Wing Chun
Reply:take boxing alot more fun. but etheir way make sure you have a jock strap and a cup.
Reply:It depends on what you're looking for in a martial arts style.

Wing chun would be the most notable fighting style of our modern age but each of the others have their purpose and place in history.

Hung Ga (Hung Gar or Hung Kuen) Is a southern shaolin style which means it will be comprised mostly of fist techniques and the use of butterfly swords.

Shaolin (Chinese boxing or Wushu) Has a lot of historical back ground to it and is a beautiful art both to practice and watch. The thing is finding an authentic school is not an easy task!

Ba Gua Zhang (Pa Kua Chang, Baguazhang, or Ba Gua Quan) is an internal art but the name is actually a generic name there are seven different modern styles of Bagua they are:

Yin style

Chen style

Liang style

Gao style

Fu style

Shi style

Yin yang style

This would be more along the lines of Taichi with the exception of the extremely large weapons practices with in Bagua.

As you can see there is a lot to consider but ultimately you’d have to decide which path to take on your own. I’m a lifelong martial artist myself but the path I’ve taken involves combat arts. Still I have a plethora of useless information on several styles of martial arts so feel free to drop me a line if you think of any other questions.
Reply:hung gar
Reply:shaolin cuz they usually do sanda.

or wing tsun cuz its strait forward, but mix it with everything else. like boxing, muay thai. and def def dont forget some Ju jitsu. cuz without that in your game.......your nothing my freind. have it all
Reply:The Kali, also known as Eskrima or Arnis is a Filipino Martial Art that in my opinion does not resemble Wushu at all. While primaraly known as a weapon art, thier are some systems that have hand and foot techniques. Ok Back to your question. It does not really matter whcih style you choose. All have thier sstrong points and week points. It will be up to you to determain which one suits you best. What are your goals? What are the reason you do martial arts? To be honest, can you really be "almost done" with a certain style? Some people dedicate thier whole life to the study of a particular style. So are you saying you are a Maaster or Grandmaster of Drunken Fist? This is not a pot shot at you man. I just want you to realize that you can still continue your journey with Drunken Fist. If you say you have reached perfection then I will shut up. Good Luck in whatever you choose to do.
Reply:Traditional Wing Chun..and btw..do a little more research on Capoiera. It's VERY effective. Enslaved Africans were not banned and made outlaws for practicing it for nothing. It's not only lethal, but in fact probably one of the more difficult arts to master because of the totality of fitness one must have to practice it. For a pretty good look at Capoiera in action check out the movie: Tom Yum Goong (The Protector) in the U.S.

peach fruit

Should I begin doubting Kung Fu? (the combat styles)?

2010-05-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

Its been famous for ages but I just can't seem to find any evidence where Kung Fu has really shined in all its glory that its hyped up to be. The only art that redeems itself for me is Wing Chun, which is very effective in a fight, especially punches down the centerline in a straightline.

But what about Choy Li Fut? Praying Mantis? Eagle style? Five Animals?

I've been such a Kung Fu addict (not the movie type) for so long that I find it frustrating how a simple search of Muay Thai on YouTube can produce dozens of amazing fight videos but a Kung Fu search has only a few real fight scenes. More of them loosing then winning too.

Whats the deal, Kung Fu?

Should I begin doubting Kung Fu? (the combat styles)?
It is more than just fighting it is a way of life for most that do it outside the USA in particular. Same goes for most styles. They live and eat it day after day.

Shaolin is good, Hungar I trained in was good. Kenpo which is Okinawan but with heavy Chinese roots.

Kung fu is still a great style and way of life. It is just not for all.

ever watch Fearless with Jet Li? sure it was Wing Chun but he beat all, even the Japanese. So I think Kung Fu is still a great art, just finding the right teacher that matters.
Reply:Think of it like as Kung Fu was the ancestor style of combat. Now, the modern martial arts has surpassed Kung Fu by far. Honestly, I think boxing is by far the most effective style.

The movies has exaggerated the power of Kung Fu. However, Shaolin monk's kung fu is not to be underestimated. They will still whoop your **** with ease if you are not careful.
Reply:Kung Fu is a beautiful martial art which requires great flexibility, athleticism, and artistry. It has also been greatly hyped by Hollywood. The reality is Kung Fu is not practical when it comes to street fighting or MMA. It does not teach ground fighting which is where 90% of fights end up. Kung Fu should not be shunned because it has great historical significance and artistry but for god sake, don't expect it to carry you in a street fight or an MMA cage.
Reply:what exactly is kung fu addict? its other you train or you dont. YouTube is not the source of info and couldnt be taken as such. kung fu is over 3000 years old if you are an addict you would understand that it speaks for itself.i would change your word 'famous' to 'efficient'. i couldnt imagine my instructor placing a video on YouTube to boast like many martial arts do, because kung fu its not just style or fight but a moral state, lifestile and serenity. Good luck, addict
Reply:I would encourage you to look up Shao-lin Kung-fu. It had Mantas, Eagle, ad Five Animals Pa-Kua. It also has Dragon, Snake, Black Tiger, and many other various styles and forms.

I take Shao-lin. I believe it is a very fine example of kung-fu. Our Grandmaster, Grandmaster Sin Kwang The', is one of the coolest people I have ever met.

Shao-lin is also very effective in self defense. It uses a lot of pressure points, knock out from pressure points and joint locks. It could carry you into a MMA ring if you have trained with other martial arts, hence the name mixed martial arts because it not just one martial art its several being mixed together.

Shao-lin has an awesome history. Go look it up and read about it.

I also agree with Fresh. Kung-fu is a way of lifestyle.
Reply:When the Vale Tudo and UFC tournaments first started they sought to answer the question as to which single martial art is superior. The answer? None.

While certain styles prevailed over others (some even on a consistent basis) what has been proven is that no one martial art exclusively wins all the time. What we have found out is that certain aspects of certain martial arts, when combined together, have the most practical application. In effect there has become a new martial art named MMA. With jiu-jitsu ground game, Judo throws, Muay Thai kicks and elbows, boxing strikes, and more, all combined to make an effective and devastating martial art.

Kung-Fu is an incredible art form and fighting form, and yes there are practical applications of plenty of moves taught in Kung-Fu, do not view it simply as a be-all-end-all. Learn it, use what you can and adapt. In the end you probably will never say, "One time I was in this kung-fu fight..." You will say, "I was in a fight once..." and that is the moral of the story. Become a better fighter by studying all forms of fighting.

Good luck, chin down and keep your guard up.
Reply:There is a split in the Kung Fu world between southern styles and northern styles. If you think Wing Chun is effective, note it's a southern style, and check out some other Southern Styles like Hung Gar, or White Crane. (off of which Karate developed) I tend to think the Southern styles are more effective, especially in their training techniques, and the NOrthern styles are more showy.
Reply:Firstly, Kung Fu is not a martial art. The term means "level of achievement".

You are referring to Chinese martial arts Fist styles, or Kuen.

Whether Shaolin or secular, they are all Chinese Boxing or methods.

The problem is, and this is from one of my teachers, who is Chinese, is that the Chinese don't really teach non-Chinese correctly nor completely.

And now it's even worst because it is now considered a sport.

If you learn the techniques but don't learn the hidden meanings of the movements... what they mean, how they are used against an attack, you are wasting your money.

My teacher, was a member of the Iron Guard and has been doing martial arts for 60 years. He calls it as it is. And I believe him.

And he teaches his art without holding back anything.

You don't have doubts in the art, just in the lack of it.
Reply:China has two great schools of martial arts. Shaolin (Buddhist) in the north and Wudang (Daoist) in the south. Martial art is the Yang energy and soft Qigong (Healing) is the Yin. If you are losing interest after such dedication it is most likely you have either reached full Yang and flipping into Yin or are not balancing the Yang energy with cultivation of Yin. Each set or form works the energy in an individual way to achieve a specific result. Sounds like time to reassess where you are in your life Grasshopper. You do need to understand both the culture and philosophies of China to be able to understand the depth.
Reply:I love Kung Fu - I find it to be very effective. I am taking a sojourn into Tang Soo Do right now --- after starting there, I was able to back up Dan's including masters. Maybe it is just me. They now nicknamed me "The Ferocious One" and ask me to represent them in tournaments.

My fighting style is Kung Fu though - although I am integrating things I am learning from them as any good martial artist should do -- in my opinion.
Reply:Yes. No. Find out for yourself.
Reply:Kung Fu is as explained simply good work. But as far as well being efficient, well did you know that most folks will never fight in their life. That is most folks whom participate in Martial Arts of any kind.

The concept to alot is safety not sport fighting. Now sport fighting has it's place, but realize in America the Baby Boomers and such are now in their 40's and 50's. They would rather love and watch the sport than get pummeled every day.

So now for styles that work well, lets look at history. Kung Fu or Chinese styles are equal to both Roman and Greece in longevity. They have a better traced history as for styles though

It is not superior to none, nor less than. It wasn't developed with others destruction in mind. It was designed for self discovery. One of the rewards is self defense, as is great health, peace, and an understanding of our weaknesses and strengths .

This is all a part of learning to win. Many kung fu styles will produce todays winners. Winners in life. What can be better?
Reply:Check on youtube for Sanda, San Shou or Shuai jiao. Those are all forms of Kung-Fu that focus on combat.

I also agree with MrSlappy. It really comes down to "Become a better fighter by studying all forms of fighting". Also being a better fighter requires you to practice fighting, not 3 hours per class of forms/kata (there is space for it but some schools have a unnecessary focus on them).

To me it seems like the creation and popularity of MMA is really just a modern form of Pankration.

Arts Spawned from Shaolin (Shaolim)?

2010-05-15T02:54:00.003-07:00

I know there are 3 styles that came from Shaolin, but I only remember two! Wing Chun and Hung Gar. What is the third?

Arts Spawned from Shaolin (Shaolim)?
Choi Lai Fut.
Reply:i have done homework thats how i know that. i look stuff up instead of just listening to crap spouted by people trying to popularize their art. Report It

Reply:for instance, did you know that very few eastern martial arts existed before 1900, and that ALL types of kung fu, karate, etc DID NOT EXIST AS SYSTEMS AT ALL DID NOT EVEN HAVE NAMES UNTIL AFTER WORLD WAR II Report It

Reply:Odd... I can trace my lineage back to over 300 years. Report It

Reply:that doesn't mean that it was a systemized martial art for all 300 years nor that it came from the shoalin temple, also can you prove all those people ever existed or might many of them be made up? because in most cases the majority of a lineage is made up, look it up Report It

Reply:One thing that those who practice Chinese martial arts can pride themselves on is having a lineage tree. As you may already know, this is similar to a family tree which traces roots back to the origin of a family. Report It

Reply:So, if you truly challenge me on whether my lineage is correct, I offer the same challenge to you and your family tree. Report It

Reply:i don't claim one, i know very little about it because i don't say things i don't know are true. seriously what would stop someone from just making up the names in your lineage? who would know? seriously look into it using actual sources not just believing what someone says Report It

Reply:If you know very little about your own lineage and family tree, how could you honestly try to disprove mine, one that you would know even less about? Mine is not steeped in mysticism, talking monkeys, or dragons. History is written. Report It

Reply:Hello,

There are much more than just 3 styles that 'came' from Shaolin.

White Eyebrow Kung-Fu

Hung-Kuen

Plum Flower

Ect...

You could even argue that Wudang 'came' from Shaolin since the influences were very similar.
Reply:HUNG CHUAN(KUEN) /HOP GAR are 2 others .

When the shaolin or suilum in some dialects was destroyed 5 monks managed to escape sometimes referred to as the 5 immortals or 5 fathers.

MASTER HOP

MASTER HUNG

MASTER GAR

MASTER LIM

MASTER LUM

As you can see by the style names the more well known ones were collaborations between 2 or more of these men .

It is thought all "hard styles" descended from MASTER HUNG.

MASTERS LIM and LUM never lent their name to any style but were thought to be exponents of tiger/crane/eagle methods and weapons mastery and their knowledge was incorperated into many systems that were to follow.

In japanese /okinawan terminology shao lin is expressed as shorin/shorin ji/shorei as chinese martial arts had a strong influence on okinawan martial arts.So you could say shaolin can count hundreds of descendants MARTIAL ARTS WISE

The earliest disciple of these men were

MASTER CHOY

MASTER LAI

MASTER FUT

In turn their students combined the teachings to create one method
Reply:Shaolin (Small Forest) is Buddhist, but Tai Chi Chuan is Taoist. Bhodidharma is said to've invented martial arts at the Chan Buddhist Shaolin temple in Loyang by copying movements of animals. There are now 5 orthodox animal styles: tiger, leopard, crane, serpent and dragon. There is an esoteric 5 venoms too: spider, centipede, scorpion, snake and toad. Unorthodox animal styles exist too, e.g. monkey and mantis. There are 5 family styles. of them, I have studied only Hung Gar and Choi Li Fut. Wing Chun and the Drunken style are other unorthodox offshoots of Shaolin styles. There are many more than 3 styles, as you can see from the list above. I have given more details in other answers, and I told about my style in a question I asked. Look at it if you want more or ask me.
Reply:actually no style came from shaolin many arts have claimed that as a marketing strategy but no art can prove a line, coming from the temple nor can any even name one (made up or not). in fact all people(or in a few cases the grandchildren of) who claimed that thier art came from shaolin have later admitted that they made it up.

No perfect system!!!!?

2010-05-15T02:54:00.002-07:00

Having been trained in jiu-jitsu boxing and karate/kung fu

I've used elements of all the above to win in real life situations including bouncing and using headbutting lol but feel there is still no perfect style ,only the personal skill of the individual.

My choice of styles to mix and learn if young again would be,

Boxing,jiu-jitsu,Aikido,Wing chun,Penjak Sliat and Kali.

Your Thoughts Please!!!!!

No perfect system!!!!?
i think you have answered your own question and having trained in all these systems i cannot but agree . again it is down to the participants own talents,determination,guts,persistence.g... luck and good fortune.
Reply:I believe there is no such thing as a perfect martial arts system. Most if not all martial arts have a set of rules that all practitioners must adhere to.

for example, in Muay Thai, there exists a set of moves and strikes that when executed, will cause fatal injuries to the target instantly. thats why it is only taught to the highest levels of Muay Thai practitioners, and even they are not allowed to use it under most circumstances.

also, each and every martial art has some kind of inherent weakness that can be exploited by anyone knowledgable in martial arts. its just a matter of adapting...

i like your intent to mix martial arts styles in order to close up any "weakness" gaps... i prefer a person versed in mixed martial arts rather than a master of a single style...
Reply:In this day and age, and with disturbing recent events in mind, it seems that no martial art is a good system. Guns are now British society's favourite weapon.

How do you defend against that?
Reply:Aw man, I would to start learning martial arts (I'm 23). I've definitely thought about karate, boxing and kung-fu.
Reply:Before this goes the wrong route. These arts are not about fights/defense etc. No doubt this may help under certain scenarios. You cant find geography in history, similarly, every art has its own characteristics. I strongly beleive these arts are not to trigger killer instincts but its more about self-control and to trigger +ve approaches in tough real-time scenarios. Remember, my mom said once, the fight to an ultimate win is to fight within yourself. A quote changed my life, so can an art.
Reply:Well i am far from any expert but my son and hubby go Thai boxing and boxing and the hubby does grappling as well as has also done kick boxing and was pretty good

I don't know but maybe each to their own????
Reply:if i could start martial arts and stuff all over again as a youngster...

i would def choose boxing as my main system and either ju jitsu japanese styles, akido, kin bushi ryu, zen do kai, judo, hap ki do

but i would only choose 2 systems boxing and 1 other
Reply:your right there is not right style each one has it strengths and weaknes's
Reply:You can train in a million styles but what will really matter is experience.
Reply:Thank you for being the first person with multiple art experience to acknowledge that there is no perfect system. Every system has their pros and flaws.

I have only been officially trained in wrestling, but have learned muay thai and kenpo from friends who have been doing it half their lives, and yes, mixing it up definetally is better then knowing only one art and even then theres always something you wouldnt think of doing until someone does it to you first.

If I could learn any five from real coaches and not in backyards, I would pick BJJ, muay thai (no need for western boxing if you know muay thai), wing chun, judo and capoeria. I said capoeria because I would use it to show off more then to actually fight, I wouldnt be jumping and flipping around in the air if I knew the other four.
Reply:Funny everybody says MMA no such thing Pankration from the greeks is the truest form of martial arts ever made it is what everybody calls MMA
Reply:True, no style is perfect. More correctly stated would be, the artist makes the style imperfect through his / her own actions or lack of actions.

I will be increasing my knowledge till I die.
Reply:I agree whole heartedly with your statement that there is no perfect system. Anyone who thinks there is, is basically delusional. However I do not train in Martial Arts to fight in the street. Martial Arts training for me is about fitness, self improvement and discipline. I have not been in a 'real' fight in over 20 years and god willing won't be for the next 20 years. You have a higher risk of dropping dead from a heart attack or a stroke than due to a violent confrontation (probably more than 100 times). So what we should be looking for in our chosen art is a way of keeping us alive longer by the overall improvements in our health and fitness that they offer.

People who seek out violence will find it.
Reply:I really don't buy all this strengths/weaknesses bull about fighting. These styles are not for video game characters after all. You're right, it is all about the fighter. Look at the UFC. They use a variety of different styles to do essentially the same thing. Furthermore, I would agree with you that a balance of styles is good, but don't like the strength/weakness arguement. I've found it is really much more simple; you need something for standup and something for ground work with something for the transitional stage as well. I do Muay Thai, Boxing, Brazillian Ju-Jitsu, Judo and Wrestling my self. In reallity I only ever train in bits and pieces of each that I need for my own development. The best fighters are those with the most mat time anyway as a rule, so the 'style' and all this 'secret move' stuff is often just impractical hype. Now if you are interested in the culture behind martial arts then that is quite different. But that's not what you asked about is it ;)

Starting a different martial art?

2010-05-15T02:54:00.001-07:00

After about 3 years of taekwondo, I have decided I will go for something more practical (although technically high kicks work, they are not so practical in the present day).

I first thought about Wing Chun. I like the way it doesn't waste energy, how it works in small spaces and I like its speed.

I then thought about Jeet Kune Do. JKD seems like a good option(yes I know it is a philosophy not a style). It seems practical, flexible and fast.

Then I thought about Muay Thai. I used to hate Muay Thai. I hated how they destroyed their bodies and ended up disabled. But after years of people telling me how good muay thai is, I thought about it.

It seems strong, effective and practical. I want effectiveness. I want something that works. I am alright with hard sparring(I am tall, flexible and strong) I just don't like the fact that muay thai attracts lots of hooligans.

So what should I choose? I am mainly after effectiveness, as long as I don't have to destroy my body.

Starting a different martial art?
If the options you have availble are the ones stated above, I'd go for muay thai.

Contrary to what you believe, muay thai doesn't "destroy" your body, or attracts "hooligans", that's entirely up to the school/area, not the martial art per se.

The reason why thai fighters max out in their 20's is because they start young, at age 6-7, by the time they are 20 they have over a hundred professional fights, 4x more than professional boxers in the U.S.

Muay thai fighters in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world start much later, and don't fight as often as the Thais (about 2 times a month). Also, practicing muay thai and competing professionaly are two very different things.

The only way you'd destroy your body is by overtraining, and you can do that in any martial art.

Other suggestions for a strong, effective,practical martial arts are:

for striking: muay thai (already mentioned), boxing, kickboxing, san shou, kyokushin and shidokan karate

for grappling: judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, sambo.

I hope this information is useful.

good luck!
Reply:heh muay thai looks pretty cool. could always go with judo or boxing too.
Reply:Jeet Kune Do has Muay Thai concepts and Wing Chun concepts in it. Because Bruce Lee(creator of JKD) based JKD on WIng Chun and he put TKD, Various Karates and Muay Thai in JKD. Do JKD.
Reply:I myself find Kajukenbo to be a very good martial arts

it combines all the main points from various martial arts and doesnt destroy your body.

its a combination of karate, Judo, Jujitsu,Kenpo,aikido, and kung fu

KA (long life) - comes from the word Karate, an art form that places the emphasis on hard and powerful techniques.

JU (happiness) - comes from Judo and Jujitsu, art forms that emphasize throwing, locks and sweeps.

KEN (fist) - comes from Kenpo, a form of karate that not only stresses the hard and powerful movements, but emphasizes multiple and fluid hand techniques.

BO (style) - comes from Chinese and American boxing. which puts emphasis on flexibility and agility, parrying and evasive movements that flow together.

all of these types are studied as one and can be very effective in present day if you practice

hope this helps.
Reply:Try jujitsu, or kajukenbo. Very effective.
Reply:I dont know where you found out that Mauy Thai destroys the body, I think it maby that some fighters in thailand train hard because competeing in mauy thai is their meal ticket, so they keep on fighting even when their body cant take it anymore. As long as you dont take it to great extremes your body will be alright

JKD is a good martil art too look into also, Id also recomend kyokushin karate if you dont want to be hit in the head too much, it seem like you want to continue doing a stand up art so im not going to suggest doing BJJ or any grapling, but what about going to an MMA school? they usually have some great street defence classes if thats what your looking for

If you want a tough style which still teaches respect and everything traditional martial arts offer give kyokushin karate a go, its a shame that alot of kickboxing and mauy thai students are a little hooligany but its not their fault, most are not taught the kind of things that are taught in traditional arts
Reply:I understand completly. I am a 4th Dan Master level instructor in Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do) with over 25 years experience. I began cross training in JKD, Kali, Muay Thai, Silat, Pekiti-Tirsia, Savate in 2002 and have never been happier. When you see the effective, no nonsense of the cirriculun, you begin to wonder what was I doing all those years? I recently underwent a hip replacement (12/27/06) and had to re-evaluate what I can %26amp; cannot do. I'm almost 45 years old %26amp; have been involved with the martial arts for 30 years. I don't have to keep up with the kids anymore or prove anyhting to anyone but myself. What is you are looking for? To compete? self-defense? teach? Whatever it is, there is enough stuff to learn in these arts that will really enhance your attributes. For example, Muay Thai will give you stamina %26amp; power, Kali will give you speed and coordination and JKD will give you sensitivity %26amp; fluidity. Combining a little grappling/MMA, (only what your body will let you do) %26amp; just enough to take care of business when/if the time arises, will be beneficial as well. I do alot of teaching with kids %26amp; people with disabilities so I have to improvise, adapt, %26amp; overcome alot of obstacles %26amp; sterotypes. (Especially since my surgery) There are many great websites that can guide you. inosanto.com, pamausa.com, kalijkd-u.com, pekiti.com, dogbrothers.com %26amp; the list goes on and on.

Best of luck in your new journey. Keep an open mind %26amp; heart, and allow things to happen.

Sincerly,

Vinnie Howard
Reply:u shoul see capeira. it is fast martial art and wery good u shoul look on youtube for this sport and see it on the videos a

wallflower

Is this a good jeet kune do school?

2010-05-15T02:54:00.000-07:00

I want one which practices it the way Bruce Lee did, including elements of wing chun. I know jeet kune do is more of a concept than a system, but you now what I am talking about here.

So do you think this is a good school to learn practical ways?

Is this a good jeet kune do school?
there is no good jeet kune do schools. its not that jeet kune do is more of a concept than a system, its that jeet kune do is not a system at all. bruce lee studied everything which was availible to him, if you want to follow what he did you have to as well. there is nobody who could teach you jeet kune do, not even bruce lee were he still alive. the best thing you could do is read his book, and take classes/attend practices in all the arts/styles/sports which are availible to you, although you should probably avoid the people who claim to teach jeet kune do. and as a starting point remember that lee said a boxer with wrestling skills could beat 90% of all kung fu practioners, so wing chun may not be a good starting point, though it should still be studied.
Reply:I could give you a list of Jeet Kune Do schools but I can't tell you how they practice the art. As most people know Wing Chun is the core of Jeet Kune Do. Like the word Jeet Kune Do is also part of a theory in Wing Chun. For you talking about the elements of Wing Chun the only thing I think they have in June Kune Do that is related to Wing Chun is the backbonce concept which is part of the theories of centerline, vertical punching, and forward pressure in Wing Chun. In Jeet Kune Do they don't do form in Wing Chun. Talking about practice the way Bruce Lee than I think you should study about how he learn. Bruce Lee didn't started out with Jeet Kune Do but he started out with Wing Chun which he learn from Grandmaster Yip Man. Later developed Jeet Kune Do based around Wing Chun when he got kicked out by Grandmaster Yip Man (supposedly for teaching westerners. Mostly the the concepts, theories and principle in Jeet Kune Do came from Wing Chun.

www.google.com/Top/Sports/Martial_Arts...
Reply:Master Armando is one of the great ones. "Practical" is his watchword. Energy and intelligence flow from his hands. If you are committed, dedicated, and disciplined, you will never learn more from a single teacher on the east coast. Don't miss this opportunity - give it a try for a few months and you will realize what a great, wise exemplar you have stumbled upon in the wilderness of the USA!

Should I begin doubting Kung Fu? (the combat styles)?

2010-05-15T02:53:00.002-07:00

No perfect system!!!!?

2010-05-15T02:53:00.001-07:00

Starting a different martial art?

2010-05-15T02:53:00.000-07:00

Is this a good jeet kune do school?

2010-05-15T02:52:00.003-07:00

Besides Capoeira, what martial arts could one do to help with their breakdancing???

2010-05-15T02:52:00.002-07:00

I know that a pretty wierd question, but I do enjoy martial arts and I'm somewhat progressing in breakdancing/tricking etc.

Just wondering what martial arts help those with balance and stretching needed to perform breakdancing. I suppose mostly all martial arts can help and I have wing chun in mind. But obviously muay thai or BJJ is going to be the most effective.

Plus, I live in Oklahoma so I don't have a huge amount of options.

Besides Capoeira, what martial arts could one do to help with their breakdancing???
Try Silat Harimau.... :) Here's a video to check out! Supposedly it's really big in the Netherlands. A friend recently lead me to these videos, which are quite interesting, and definitely dancelike. These are 2-man sets.
Reply:XMA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_mar...

http://www.xmarevolution.com/

Just RELAX?

2010-05-15T02:52:00.001-07:00

Hey all, I've been training in Muay Thai for a little over a year now... getting pretty good. One problem though: Apparently im too tense (physically speaking)

Whenever we're doing padwork and what not, my trainer is constantly telling me to "RELAX!".

He thinks it might have something to do with me doing Wing Chun for around 9months a few years ago.

Anyways, im doing pretty good but needless to say, i feel im losing a lot of striking power (especially kicks) any hints on staying a little more relaxed and less tense during training?

Just RELAX?
dude, i have the same problem when sparring and i'll gas out fairly quickly from it. i also notice that i tend not to breath when i'm stricking at times on the bag or during sparring. my suggestion is to practice your breathing and train cardio. when sparring step back really quick and shake loose your shoulders. and then get back into it. i'm not saying don't take your training seriously, just don't over think anything. i try to do the same myself and i'm actually getting better. i can feel when i tense up and then i shake myself loose and i'm going longer now with out tensing. good luck and i hope i helped some. oh yeah, you're gonna get hit. so keep in mind that you'll take more damage if you tense up.
Reply:Focus on relaxing the shoulders, and on your breathing.
Reply:Your arm is actually stronger when you relax.

There is a point, around your belt level (bit lower for women), which is your center of gravity (right at the center of your body). The Japanese refer to it as hara. Through practice, you can learn to be aware of Hara. Usually, if that point is tense, so are you, and vice-versa.

Also, internal martial artists are reminded to keep weight underside. This is the feeling you get when somebody tries to lift your arm up and instead of fighting them, you just let them bear the weight of it. You can practice this with a partner: They hold your arm with their own and suddenly let it go. If you are truly relaxed, it should fall straight down. Practicing familiarity with this feeling that way should help you keep relaxed and be aware of what you're looking for in terms of feeling.
Reply:Hello. I do Tai Ji, where relaxation is really crucial in developing whats called "internal energy", or chin. One guy from the Yang family is said to have uttered it 100s times a day during class! its interesting that your trainer is telling you to relax.
Reply:Make a habit of meditating on whatever god you beileive in. If you are non-religous try meditating on a thought. If having troble meditating try my method=

1. If you can sit in lotus postition without causing your self pain do it. If not sit cross legged (If you have normal legbones) if neither work for you sit with your back against the wall.

2. Breathe in breathe out. Try to feel your breathing out soothing your tense muscles try to feel your brething in bringing calm energy into your body (or spirt)

3. consontrate on your breathing DONT LET YOUR MIND WANDER

3. if using a thought bring it into your mind now focus on it (Try the word 'calm') If using a god bring them into your mind and try to feel with them (visualise if possible)

4. repeat 3 if needed

5. slowly work your way back to focusing on your breathing

6. repeat # 2

7. slowly bring your self back to your surroundings

This is diffucult at first but practice and it gets easyer
Reply:practice going into your stance and then relaxing all your muscles, but staying in the same position. tightened muscles make ya a bit slower so you aren't able to put the snap in your strikes.
Reply:Make sure you are breathing correctly. If you breathing is in conflict with your movements it can create stiffness. Breath out during your techniques.

Also, try not to be tense, just let your muscles be loose. the looser you are the faster you are. Stand natural.
Reply:I was priviledged enough to be able to train and get pointers from a Living Legend named Ajarn Chai Sirisute. Relaxing was one of his biggest pointers. Rocking the traps (shoulders) up and down as you are in your "guard" (hands up) position, helps the shoulders relax...thus relaxing your arms. Everything else flows from there. From your footwork, etc. Try this and see if it helps you. The rest is mental. Because as you know, if you have to tell yourself to relax, it might be too late to react.
Reply:Work on relaxation when you aren't sparring 1st. Do deep breathing excercises. Consiously relax different muscle groups 1 at a time. Work up to relaxing several groups at once, then your whole body. Then carry that into your sparring workouts.
Reply:I take a martial art called ki-aikido and it teaches you how to stay calm and relaxed better. It as really improved my reactions and makes it so I don't panic so easily either in a match, during practice, or while taking a test. You could probably take a little ki-aikido on the side.

Also, It is important to just practice arts of relaxation and calming down, ki-aikido does this well, bu so does meditation and yoga.
Reply:When you are not relaxed, some muscles are working against the muscles delivering the blow.

This reduces the delivery force.

.
Reply:Well, one more thing. If you do get into a fight, you won't be able to flow very from move to move as well if you're too tense.
Reply:same, I get told to relax...sometimes I wonder if its just me, becoz I think im relaxed this is me relaxed, but still...they are right, I have been practicing to stay relaxed the whole day today,...I have noticed when im hurying work, it feels like im using more energy, but when im relaxed and taking my time the work gets done even more efficiently and I dont get tired.

cotton tree

What is the best long-term planning approach to learning martial arts?

2010-05-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

i would like to train in different arts-- i.e. jujitsu and a stand-up hard style, to be well rounded..

but i've heard it's good to have one primary art that you train intensely in for several years, and then add on others (so as not to be so-so in many, not great at any). with this reasoning, i'd want to train 5 years a striking style (or what's fun to me), and later supplement with jujitsu for groundwork. do you agree? or is it okay to start several at once?

i've also heard that those who train primarily in styles like kickboxing, who later add in wing chun or taichi, find their skills in their original art improves dramatically.

..for me, something like taichi would be great spiritually and as a supplement, but not primary given my love for high intensity

my motivation -- spirituality, as an art, as a sport, some practicality

my natural ability- striking, agility, flexibility.. i'm 5'4" light and quick

past experience - tkd, no ground fighting at all

any ideas?

What is the best long-term planning approach to learning martial arts?
If you are learning a martial art in two different areas that don't overlap you should have no problem learning both at the same time.

In other words you can learn a striking art like Kickboxing or Karate and a grappling art like BJJ at the same time because they don't overlap. But when you try to learn more than one MA in the same area you could run into problems. For example, if you learn TKD and JKD at the same time, you will have some conflicts in techniques. I would not recommend doing two striking arts at the same time.
Reply:If you are going to mix styles, I recommend becoming proficient in at least one discipline for a base. Then, after reaching a substantial level of expertise %26amp; understanding, supplement your base art with whatever it takes for you to grow and reach your personal goals.

I have blended Kenpo with Nin-jutsu, a 'hard' style with a 'soft' one...Best of luck!
Reply:Join the Marines. Learn to fight with EVERYTHING in EVERY range. EVEN 500 YARDS AWAY.
Reply:to be well rounded i recommend taking a hard/soft style for a base... Goju is a good example seeing how it literally means hard soft. ;) after that i recommend win chun and then bjj or judo ...if ur into tai chi throw that into in the mix after you have do all of the others so you can truly empty and refill yourself completely
Reply:I totally agree with the comments others have written!

i believe you should look at, and participate at as many different styles or schools that you come across, as every style will not suit every person.

i feel the most important is to focus on the style you love and enjoy the most, use it for your basic foundations as these are essential. and then use what you learn to develop your knowledge and understandings of the other styles.

Just enjoy what you do! when you do it! do not look down on other styles! practice techniques that work for you! and do not be judgemental be respectful, all style have good and weak points if they didn't there would only be one!

This will help you in your quest for long term participation in the martial arts.

If you love it why stop, In time we all become masters not of our styles but ourselves and this i feel is the key.- mastery of your own mind and body and loving and enjoying everyday as it comes!
Reply:Chose a style that is designed for combat. It should cover all aspects of fighting... Even if it is primarily a striking art it should teach you how to counter attacks from other styles or it is not a worthwhile style.

Personally I train Wing Chun and instead of cross training in other styles I train with people form other styles and use my Wing Chun to counter them and contrary to popualr belief it does work on the ground and some Jui Jitsu guys that I train with have learnt some cool stuff from me about standing grappling and I have learnt some cool stuff from them about being on the ground.

A style that is popular at the moment and should cover everything is Krav Maga.

Just remember, any style that is deigned for combat will not advocate going straight to the ground, although in a 1 on 1 situation this is very effective, real combat is never 1 on 1 as you can never know if a bystander will stomp on your head :-) This is not to say that you shouldn't learn how to do it cause you need to be able to do and counter as much as possible.
Reply:As a Mixed Martial Artist, dominantly in Jiu Jitsu, but also fluent in Muay Thai and the basics of Tae Kwan Do, I would suggest the following:

3) Research

Read about all of your interests in depth, and see which one appeals to you most. With the internet, there is a seemingly endless amount of Martial Art and Mixed Martial Arts literature at your disposal.

2) PATIENCE

I debated putting this one at number 1. Be extremely patient. Some are quicker than others at picking up Martial Arts, but that does not mean you are an expert. The greatest teacher is always a student. Remember that. Also, when I say patience, I also mean something along the lines of this; don't just learn the art, KNOW the art. Know the background, the history, why and who created it, what it's used for. Knowledge is a very powerful ally in Martial Arts. Practice, visualize, and condition. Take your time, otherwise you will take the fun out of the grind.

1) Humility

Nobody likes an egotistical fighter. I enjoy fighting, hence why I am an MMAist. Being good at fighting is something that I pride myself on. Be careful, however, because pride/self-esteem and ego are often confused. Use Martial Arts wisely. Teach, don't boast, and explain, don't impress. I can't stress these basics enough. Martial Arts is not a way to gain the respect of others, but a way for you to gain respect for yourself.
Reply:Find the best teacher in in the state, and learn from them. Forget all the rest. Even if you can only see them once a month, you will still be better off than learning from a mediocre instructor.
Reply:Firstly, DON'T SEVERAL AT ONCE!! You won't be able to dedicate yourself to all of them.

If you want to do Jujutsu later, I recommend Shotokan Karate as your base style. They are both Japanese, which helps. Or you could try Kung Fu. Whatever you prefer.
Reply:How about a good mixed martial arts school? There are a handful of schools out there who really understand the need to have good stand up fighting skills mixed with a very solid groundwork. A focus on reality based self defense is a good idea, too. (make sure you do your research as there are lots of bad schools out there, too)

Good luck on your search,

Baom71

http://www.sammyfranco.com

What's the best martial art for me if?

2010-05-15T02:51:00.003-07:00

Self defence only and good streeet figiting capabilities as if to fight againset knifes and guns and more of a one shot kill kindda style, is wing chun the best or how about pure boxing alotugh I'm a heavy build guy I may not be as well built as Mike Tyson.

What's the best martial art for me if?
Hapkido is one. When your in blue belt or over you could fight against people with knives.
Reply:Judo is a good form of karate for larger folks as it teaches pulls throws and useing weight against an opponent also for larger peple Tae Kwon Do is an aggresive style where it teaches to attack and avoid attacks by meeting head on and attack also they have many ways of teaching the disarming of an opponent with knifes and guns good luck and stick with it.
Reply:Ed Parkers Kempo.
Reply:For self defense only I'd recommend boxing, it's very useful. Wing chun is also very good but it takes longer to master, although you also learn to use elbows and such.

It does not matter if you are a heavy guy, if you learn to punch effectively, being a heavy guy would actually help, as you learn to use your body weight with your punches.

I'd also give muay thai a try, you also learn elbows, knees and kicks (low kicks are very effective), in case you are not very flexible.
Reply:Okinawa style Kung-Fu would work best in defense against knives and the like. Add some Jujitsu and you'll never regret it.
Reply:What style is best for you depends alot on your mentality. Your goals are one thing, but if you have an agressive mentality versus a defensive or passive mentality, then you should choose a style and trainer who you feel can work with you and bring your best out.

Personaly I am a mixed martial arts man because it emphasises a little of all, if you can find a mixed martial arts school I would definately look into it. Some suggestions:

1.) Mixed Martial Arts (or MMA, because of the variety and application usualy taught. Usualy includes, boxing, muay thai, and submission wrestling)

2.) Boxing + any form of wrestling if you can find simply because a great many fights end up on the ground.

3.) Kali/Arnis/Escrema - Philipno styles which are fluid and involve using weapons as well as hands interchangably. Variety of strikes as well as some holds and locks.

4.) Akido/Ju'Jitsu - Japanese styles that emphasise using fluid movements while using others energy against them in a variety of locks, and holds.

I once more stress the importance of finding both a style you feel comfortable with (physicaly and mentaly) as well as a Instructor because those two elements will determine a great deal of your success.
Reply:If you use unarmed martial arts against people with knives and guns, you're basically an idiot.

Just being honest.
Reply:Krav Maga - I say that a lot, above all enjoy it, good luck
Reply:Pure boxing limits you to your hands only. There is no "best". Find a good school in your area %26amp; don't worry about the name on the door.
Reply:Ninjitsu, cause then you could flip around and do flying kicks in their head, sweep their legs and catch bullets and break their sticks and hit them like 20 times when they blink and then just disappear in a dark cloud of smoke.
Reply:Yupchagee makes a great point , pay attention, thats the kind of wisdom that comes with age and experience.
Reply:Jijutsu. I would say......Hapkido is also great. Also Aikido. But remember takes a LONG TIME to be comfortable with your technique, it wont happen over night. Be ready to make a commitment. and PUSH HARD. All the best.
Reply:Everyone looking to start martial arts searches for the "ultimate style," truth be known there just isn't one, there are great fighters from all styles. Most people that have been doing martial arts for a period of time begin to belive that their style is the best as they win all of the competitions that they enter or they are able to beat up people that they know, but they forget that they are usually play fighting with people that are doing things that they are used to or are untrained.

The best thing to do is try a bunch of different places until you find one that you like and go from there. Don't be scared to ask questions of your teacher, always question what you are doing and how it is relevant to your training, any teacher worth his salt should be able to give you a good reason for absolutely anything that they ask you to do. Also make sure that when you find a style that you like train with people from other styles to try and get your style to work against them, don't be disheartened if you lose, that doesn't mean that your style doesn't work or that their style is better, just that you need to practice more.

One thing I will say though is to try and make sure that the style you choose covers all of the different skills, Blocking/deflecting, Striking, Kicking, Grappling %26amp; Joint Locking

Bruce Lee's 2 finger push ups?

2010-05-15T02:51:00.002-07:00

Now I know alot of you knows about this feat that Bruce Lee used to perform. Now I know that anybody can be able to do great physical stuff by training hard..but I mean there is gotta something more to that than just training. Personaly i can do around 8 push ups on my thumbs..but when i look at what bruce lee did it makes me feel like what im doin is trash.

Briefly i masking if there really is more to just training that made bruce lee able to do this..such as meditation or wing chun forms like sim tau (something like that) or chi quon ( i know its misspelled) thank you.

Bruce Lee's 2 finger push ups?
I always thought Lee's success came from a combination of near fanatical physical training and his philosophy of adding "emotional content" (his words to his student in Enter The Dragon) to his skills. Practicing forms, shadow boxing, sparring, etc. with a mental stress - as if your life depended the outcome, teaches the body to release adrenalin and taps into the body's natural fight or flight defense system. If pure training were the answer, all the tournaments would be won by the most developed bodies. The spirit and the will to live, drives you long after the body thinks its out of gas!
Reply:bruce lee's strength to weight ratio is insane. So ya, good luck not hurting your fingers.
Reply:very doubtful that there was more to it than purely physical training; and Bruce was a very big physical advocate as well as a spiritual advocate.

you have to remember that Bruce trained intensely both at his Martial Arts and his physical fitness.

I know that in Chin Na, several of the masters highly recommmend doing pushups all the way up to doing one and two finger pushups.

So really it's just building the strength up in your hands and then the fingers.
Reply:I am not a martial artist...but I do lift weights..

Bruce lee was a Renaissance man..combining the best of both worlds at the time..

Bruce lee basically strength trained...his one downfall was trying to overdo the weights in area like the lower back...he did what is called a "good morning" with too heavy a weight and blew out a few disk...

hence he had a bad back for the rest of his short lived life..

I would suggest if you wish to increase your strength..google strength training articles and then hit the gym...
Reply:Train as though you'll die today.
Reply:Training for tricks is not what he was trying to achive.

Just train for yourself.

Who do you guys think would win in a fight between a Judoka or Tae Kwon Do student?

2010-05-15T02:51:00.001-07:00

i dont know who would win i just want some other people's insights. since i am in judo and wing chun i belive that judo would, but my decision is biased so uh yea

Who do you guys think would win in a fight between a Judoka or Tae Kwon Do student?
The one with the highest quality and frequency of training would win.

There are no better arts, only better artists.
Reply:Bren Foster, world aussie tkd champ was bad mouthing judo saying how he could destroy any judoka with his tkd.

Long story short, bren was nearly killed by the 16 year old judoka within a minute in an exhibition match Report It

Reply:Whoever has the most experience has the edge, but assuming everything is equal, I'd probably give the edge to the judoka, but I'm probably biased also since I am a Judoka also.
Reply:Tae Kwon Do by many is considered to be fairly decent art. However, the probelm most encounter with Tae Kwon Do is that students learn a great deal of information too quickly and it does not become a way of thinking but more of "things" that they know. Students in Tae Kwon Do may receive black belts in a couple of years and I have even seen kids as young as 8 %26amp; 9 becoming black belts. That level requires more than just a text book knowledge. In combat or simple competition, reaction is very important and the right reaction matters. If you have to think about the right move, you have probably already thought too long and lost. With Judo and some other arts, advancement usually is slow as each level is not all about just knowing many things but learning how to know things like you know how to blink or move your arm... it just becomes part of you and how you just know the right reaction as you know how to breath.

Another disadvantage of Tae Kwon Do is that it relies to strongly on kicks. There is much more to martial arts than the feet and legs.

And lastly, when talking about street fighting and not in a ring or on the mat, most fights end up on the ground. Tae Kwon Do is not designed for going to the ground. This is where arts like Judo and juditso have a huge advantage.
Reply:This is one of those meaningless questions. It depends on things like luck, stupidity ( for getting into a fight in the first place ) and relative skill levels. For these reasons your question really doesn't have a definitive answer. Also since I carry a dan grade in both TKD and Juijitsu I could really murk this one up couldn't I
Reply:Whichever is the better fighter.
Reply:Judo is a sport, not a fighting style. If the Judoka was sufficiently skilled, he may be able to frustrate his attacker by continually throwing him around until he just gets tired and leaves. I have to admit that I am not trained in Judo, but from what I have read and observed, it seems that Judo lacks any type of 'finishing moves' that Jujuitsu employs such as chokes or joint locks.

I think it would be quite humourous to watch a well trained Judoka or Aikaidoka take on a lesser trained striker.
Reply:Standing up, the Tae Kwon Do student has the advantage. But, if the Judoka gets in close and is able to bring his opponent to the ground, the Judoka would have the advantage with the ability to submit his opponent with a choke or joint lock.
Reply:the winner.does it really matter?

how to grow pomegranate

What is (in your opinion) the most effective Chinese martial Art for self defense?

2010-05-15T02:51:00.000-07:00

I am interested in chinese martial arts, like all the different kinds of Kung Fu, and I was wondering, if you have any experience, what is the most effective chinese martial art for self defense? Do you think Shaolin is the best? I've heard some people say Tai Chi is best in the long run, or that Wing Chun is best, etc...What is your opinion?

What is (in your opinion) the most effective *Chinese* martial Art for self defense?
What is best for me won't necessarily be what is best for you. I like Hung Gar. We train in a complete system that does not require blending other systems, but also does not frown upon it.

I have studied Chinese boxing for over a decade now, but have experience in Korean systems previously to that. I do prefer Chinese systems (otherwise I wouldn't be training in them!), but that isn't to say they are necessarily better than other systems; rather, they are better for me and what I want out of my training.

The great thing I have found about Chinese boxing is that they are varied and are determined to be suited for a practitioner not just based on desire of training, but also on attitude and even the practitioner's physique. Since I am of average height and have a stalky build, I am very well suited for Hung Gar, which is the system in which I train. I know of people who do Northern Shaolin who are tall and lanky and excel at it. This isn't to say that somebody like me couldn't do just as well in it, but it may require more practice and training to reach a higher level.

All that being explained, ask yourself what you want out of your training, how long you plan on training, and what techniques may come more naturally for you, otherwise, how much practice you are willing to put in for techniques that do not come naturally for you!

Oh, and FYI, "Tai Chi" is merely a philosophy, whereas "Tai Chi Chuan" is an actual martial art. It is practiced slowly since it possesses no basics and since doing it slowly massages the internal organs and has fantastic health benefits. This being the case, many never progress to practicing it at full speed. This is also why many seniors do it. In fact, it is joked that Tai Chi Chuan is China's universal health care! When somebody does do Tai Chi Chuan at full speed, though, it is easy to see why the translation is "Supreme Ultimate Fist". It takes a very long time to attain this level. Most Chinese boxing schools teach Tai Chi Chuan on top of their external martial arts programs.
Reply:Since you're looking for " most effective " i would say - San Da or San so. it is devised by the chinese millitary and it only took out the most effective techniques from different systems within china and the world and integrated in one that provides max efficiency for soldiers. Report It

Reply:open4one: very interesting stuff. did you felt like your attacks on him got "swallowed/dimished" and his defences blended into your attacks and became an offence? Report It

Reply:learn a little bit of both, or a lot of both. be versatile, my friend. if you have black belt in all the chinese martial arts, you have y uttermost respect. and probably a couple of good-looking girls too
Reply:Why do it have to be chinese? Do you wear a silk dress and walk around and talk in hakitu?

Don't pick style base on where it come from, pick one that you're interested in!
Reply:San Soo. don't go by the videos you see on the internet. most of what i've seen on the net is crap. but san soo done right is a dynamic and versitile art that will honestly be a little hard to spare w/ your buddies with because you never really square up with an opponent .you respond and hurt him quickly and badly,and will save your a$$ when it comes down to it.
Reply:I don't actually have an opinion, but I do have an anecdote.

I had studied TaeKwon Do for eight years in a very serious way when I was invited by a student to come see an Aikido class. I wasn't impressed at all by what I saw. I was invited to spar with the Master.

The Master looked more to me like a little bus driver than a martial artist. He was a short fat guy of about 70. From watching the class I figured he had taken a few Judo lessons once, but that was about all I could see.

We squared off, after he had explained to me that he wanted me to go "full contact", which was fine by me, that's how I was trained.

Well, we squared off a total of six times. He put me on my back six times out of six, and I have no idea how he managed it, considering that he never actually touched me.

From my point of view, it greatly resembled the stuff the Jedi knights were doing in Star Wars, except that it was real.
Reply:tai chi is an interrnal art for relaxation not fighting:

wing chun is the martial art Bruce Lee did when he little wich he later turned into jeet kune do

i did tai chi and lung shou pai; o rdragon style kung fu 7 years 1st degree balack belt. it is a very effective reality based program
Reply:From what I've seen, San Shou is the most effective Chinese martial art. You get to approach the style from an empirical standpoint like with the Lei Tai stadiums of old where kung fu masters of all styles got on stage to fight one another. If you want a REALLY effective Chinese art, go for this one. As for the availability, I don't think you can just find practitioners of this style just anywhere.
Reply:San Shou its like Kickboxing/Muay Thai with Judo throws however the sport part of it withdrawls the knees and elbows from competition.
Reply:Therea are many good Chinese styles. Northern Shaolin features kicking, southern features hand techniques. Wing Chun is a southern style. Tai Chi is excellent once you learn it, but it takes a lot linger to learn. It's a matter of personal preference %26amp; availability of a good school.
Reply:Shaolin Kung Fu is very good,Tai Chi is more for the elderly but that doesn't mean you can't learn it too and Wing Chun is very good for close combat.Qi Gung is very good because that you can become stonger just by breathing.Out of these,I think that Shaolin is the best because it consist of 5 different fighthing styles and all of them are based on animals,example:monkey, grasshopper,tiger,etc.Tai Chi is more relaxing than Shaolin but this is up to you.To master Shaolin,you must begin learning it from a young age so I recommend Chik Kwon Do but you can learn Shaolin if you want.Taekwondo is from South Korea and Karate is originated from China but it became famous in Japan.This is just my opinion.
Reply:Go to e few different schools and watch the classes ,ask questions of the instructors afterwards then make your decision .
Reply:The best in my opinion is Kung Fu San Soo
Reply:Any kind of chinese martial arts.

I used to practice every day, but ever since we had a baby I've been too tired. How can I get more energy?

2010-05-15T02:50:00.003-07:00

I've been doing Wing Chun Kung Fu for over a year. My wife and I had our first baby a couple months ago, and ever since then I've been exhausted all the time. Before the baby was born, I was practicing every day for at least 30 minutes. But now I'm just so tired that I collapse on the couch every day after work. I've tried taking energy Ginsing, Green Tea, etc to get more energy, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Any ideas?

I used to practice every day, but ever since we had a baby I've been too tired. How can I get more energy?
Diet is often overlooked as a cause of fatigue. Most people only think of a diet as a way to lose weight, but what you eat determines how much fuel your body has to burn. As one who has been practicing the martial arts for 17 years, let me give a little advice. Try this formula:

multiply your weight (or target weight if you are trying to lose) by 14. This is the number of calories an active person needs per day. Now figure 50% carbohydrates, 35% protein, and 15% fat. Keep in mind that each gram of carbs and protein is 4 calories and each gram of fat is 9 calories.

Example - a 200 pound man would require 2800 calories which would consist of 1400 calories from carbohydrates (350 grams), 980 calories from protein (245 grams), and 420 calories from fat (47 grams).

Try loading up on low glycemic carbs (fruits, whole grains, etc.) early in the day. This will give you energy when you need it most.
Reply:Make time for a Nap! Then you will have more energy!
Reply:You just have to do it. Once you force yourself a few times then you will get in the habit again. My baby is 6 and I still have trouble finding the energy.....Good Luck.
Reply:I agree with chica loca and Kidd, Prob'ly your biggest need is the sleep, being your newborn is only a couple of months old your child needs a lot of attention: feedings, diaper changins getting your child to sleep etc so you have to get plenty of rest as well.

also diet is a big factor because if you're not eating the proper mixes of foods and eating the easy to make/ get foods then it likely has a lot of fat and calories in it, and since you have less time in the day due to work and the care of your newborn; you have less time to eat a decent meal that's nutrtious enough.

you may need to set a schedule now to compensate for everything.
Reply:That is the same thing that happened to me when I came back from a 5-week long vacation. I always felt so tiered but when I went back to the dojang the instucters pushed me alot so I became more active.
Reply:First, Congrats!!

Give yourself a little time. Great advice on diet (kidd) and just forcing yourself to make time so to speak. This can be tough as babies are life changing. I recommend a loose schedule. Babies want and need a loose schedule. Build in a nap or rest time, don't stress if you don't actually sleep. Work as a family to meet everyone's needs. Sometimes working out (even walking) will give your body an alert boost. I'm guessing you are not sleeping as much as needed due to the baby... once the baby adjusts to schedule of sorts (or hopefully is getting to one) things will be slightly (ever so) easier. I could be wrong there.

Sometimes just scheduling a few events helps you get them done.....there is something magical about writing things down.

best of luck to you, your baby, and family.
Reply:I remember when my daughter was born I felt the same way. It isn't a physical exhaustion, but an emotional one. The new baby takes a lot of your time and emotional energy. It gets easier after the first few months when you worry at every little sound you hear and you can start relaxing and getting into your routine again, but adjusted to make room for the baby in your life. You and the wife can help each other by giving the other a little alone time once a day where you take the baby for an hour and let her go do whatever she wants for an hour, then switch. When you have that hour you can start practicing again, and your energy level will start building back up by itself.

Which well-known martial artist do you think is consider one of the best in the world? Why? His/her style?

2010-05-15T02:50:00.002-07:00

Jacky Chan - No way. Has a good foundation but does not spar.

Jet Lee - China's Champion 5 years in a row. Already known as one of the best but is getting old.

Bruce Lee - Trained by the Head of Wing Chun master. Beat all American Clubs in his time and has a punch damage of 500 hundred pounds.

Chuck Norris - Bruce Lee's student. Not seriously good. I geuss he wasn't a great talent.

Just Wondering what other great martial artist are there that i don't know of.

Which well-known martial artist do you think is consider one of the best in the world? Why? His/her style?
Chuck Norris was actually a great fighter before he became an actor. He was a tournament circuit champion in the late 60's and early 70's. he led the Chuck Norris Fighting Team in more than 150 karate tournaments. He was not Bruce Lee's student. Chuck is probably a close second to Bruce Lee as far as raw talent and mastery of technique.
Reply:Bruce lee.
Reply:Frank Dux

Dux Ryu (if It's spelled correctly)

See Bloodsport

Some say he's a fake others don't I'll let you decide
Reply:Depends what you mean by great in terms of the sport of martial arts then there ar number of great martial artists. Including Chuck Norris who wupped up on a number of people in the ring. Billy Blanks and his Tae-Bo self was also a serious threat in the ring. Benny "the Jet" and so on.

In terms of just great practiocioners who represented the full idea of a martial artists as a scholar and a warrior, then just about anyone who takes their art seriously and uses it as a tool for self betterment and vice versa. By this thinkig Sun Tzu would be considered a great martial artist. Muhammed Ali also.
Reply:Chuck Norris was Professional Middleweight Karate champion 6 years in a row and Black Belt magazine's fighter of the year in 1969, so I would say he's seriously good (or at least was).

The late Andy Hug was a real credit to karatedo and kickboxing IMO. He was a class act and a great fighter.
Reply:best still living would be chuck norris hands down he still holds untouched world records!
Reply:buakaw Por Pramuk, those videos will prove why he's the best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKDNU0c29...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALWlxVI5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exomcGbnQ...

The Thai who fight in Lumpini stadium are not someone a regular karateka can beat. The Thai fighter are incredible tough. They train since they were as young as 5 or 6 years old. They basically do nothing but train, eat, sleep and fight. They train about 5 to 7 hours a day and work out a lot. They fight every two or three weeks. So they're very experienced fighter. Also you cannot beat a Thai of similar size in a stand fight unless you really know how they fight otherwise you will end up in hospital. Also many martial artists has tried to fight the Thai at their homeland and pretty much everybody failed until people start to studies the Thai way.

Here's more link:

http://www.mikemiles.com/history1.html

http://www.mikemiles.com/history2.html

http://members.aol.com/Thaiboxing2000/mu...

http://crane.50megs.com/index6d.htm

Now let see someone else come up with some sort of prove beside talking out of their a55.
Reply:out of those i think jet lee is the best

Does anyone know where James Santi teaches Kung Fu at?

2010-05-15T02:50:00.001-07:00

I saw him do a demo on Hung Gar and Wing Chun in Vegas. He was from San Diego and someone told me he has a school across the border. He is Kung Fu Master and also does Chinese medicine and acupunture. I want to to study with him. I have a 100 day break from my job. Any info would be awesome !

Does anyone know where James Santi teaches Kung Fu at?
Tijuana, Mexico

Academia Santi: Av.Allende No.7450 Col.Independencia

Good luck.
Reply:Tijuana, Mexico

Academia Santi: Av.Allende No.7450 Col.Independencia

Good luck.

lilycare

Trying to find a good place to learn Kung Fu in Hawaii (oahu)?

2010-05-15T02:50:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I've been wanting to learn Kung Fu ever since i was little. I'm now 21, and have taken aikido, but would like to learn Kung Fu. I'm having a hard time finding a good place to learn it. I would like to go more towards the wushu type of kung fu rather than the wing chun type. I would love any type of suggestions or help. I would also like to see if there are any affordable private lessons if possible.

Trying to find a good place to learn Kung Fu in Hawaii (oahu)?
There used to be a bunch down in China town. Just look around in China town between King st. and Beretania. Here are some sites you may wish to look into. Hawaii does tend to have more of the traditional kung fu styles then the mainland.

http://welcome.to/Lung_Kong

http://home.pacbell.net/playme2/

http://www.kongssiulumpai.com/

http://www.onzuka.com/oahu.html
Reply:Hawaii is the home of Kajukenbo which is very Kung Fu based, it is excellent for self defense. If you want to find a wushu/Kung fu school try to the sections of town that have large populations of Chinese People, soem schools may be hard to find, but if you try hard, you will find the right one
Reply:go to chinatown and look for a sifu,.,right off of King st.

Simple martial art style?

2010-05-15T02:49:00.002-07:00

i have an interesting question.

What would be the "simplest" martial art for a small, light person, with slow reflexes to learn and pick up in a short time?

I dont mean become a master.

I mean something straightforward. With straight-forward techniques.

Without being specifically oriented to combat such as wrestling or kick-boxing or regular boxing.

Rather something that can be used for self-defence if necessary but without requiring hours of hard drilling.

I've considered wing chun as a possibility but surely there are others.

I know one chinese art works entirely on using the palm of the hand to both block and strike. This is effectively the only blocking and striking tool for the particular art.

any ideas on alternatives?

NOT karate or Taekwondo as these tend to be forms oriented therefore take a long time.

Simple martial art style?
It takes time and commitment to any "art" that will work. True Wing Chun has only a couple forms but it takes a long time to master the techniques. Akido takes a long time to master. Judo takes a long time to master.

I don't believe in quick arts. Sure there is some one who can show you a couple of tricks that will impress you. These might even work in some circumstances.

You know.... There is a reason why there is an "Old School"

Not to say us old dogs can't learn new tricks.

I now there is no really fast answer to make you become proficient at self defense in a few lessons.
Reply:Hey, if you are purely looking for self defence, then try looking for a Krav Maga school. Krav Maga is an art developed primarily for self defence. It will teach you the simplest and most effective ways to get out of holds and drop your attacker. The only problem is there are not many places around, but if you have one near you, definately take it up! The chinese arts take a very long time to become proficient at self defence, as does all other martial arts. To be honest, i would recommend taking up boxing or muay thai. I know they are combat orientated, but they will teach you the most practical and effective self defence techniques, id give it a go!

Good luck!
Reply:If you are after straightforward and simple art to defend yourself Wing Chun can be the answer: in any case forms are integral part of the system (they are the system) and it require long time to be proficient. If you are small, light and with slow reflexes you'll need to train hard for years to be effective in a number of situations. Frankly I cannot think at any system or style that will teach you the magic trick in a few sessions and end of story. Martial arts require long and consistent training even if some will be more effective in shorter time. Perhaps the palm based style you mentioned is Ba Gua: very nice style indeed but not very useful in less than a few years.

Good luck with your search.
Reply:Wresling or Judo.
Reply:Take Kali.
Reply:That's a tough question. I study Wing Chun and Muay Thai. Both are practical, but it's hard to find someone these days that know the self-defense version of muay thai. You can probably pick that one up easier if you are in ok shape. Wing Chun requires more technique than natural ability, it's more street oriented, and it works for different body types. The basics are straight forward and can be picked up quickly. It's extremely difficult to master Wing Chun. The higher levels are very complex as you'll learn every aspect of body mechanics and every possible situation.

As with anything else you have to practice. You will need to train hard to be good at the basics in 6 months.

flower

Is it worth taking up one martial art for a year before switiching?

2010-05-15T02:49:00.001-07:00

I ultimately want to do ethier Wing Chun or Ninjutsu? I have taken a class in both, and they appear to be the most practical in terms of a real street fight. However, as I'm away for the year and there are no classes in this area, I am unable to take ethier. Tang Soo Do classes are available here. Would it be worth taking that for a year and would it help towards other martial arts classes in anyway?

Thanks

Is it worth taking up one martial art for a year before switiching?
In general, I've found that taking any form of martial art, as long as the instructor is dedicated to doing their job well, is worthwhile. As others have said: it'll keep you in shape, improve your flexability, and increase your hand-eye coordination. And really, unless you're training for 8 hours a day, it's not like you'll learn anything in that time that will prevent you from learning a different style.

However - to be blunt: streetfighting is about being jumped from behind by three crackheads wielding lead pipes and rusty knives. You're not going to see them coming, and most unarmed fighting techniques aren't particularly useful against that. Self-defense is about social awareness (not getting into the situation to begin with), de-escalation techniques (being polite), and disengangement (running away). And while I think learning the martial arts has a lot of value, it's only tangentally related to what I describe above.
Reply:Yes most definitely. It will get you into the rhythm and make you more well rounded in a fight. Mixed martial arts style gives you more tools to work with even if you are basic in one type. You never know if you will love it when you try it and pick it up later :)
Reply:definitely take the tang soo do classes. it's worth it, you still learn from the teacher even though you may not get into the fine details of the art in one year. you will still learn at least the basics, and also all of the philosophies. and if you don't do anything for a year, you're definitely going to slip. and anyway, even if you hadn't taken martial arts before, you will be at an advantage at the one you take next because you will have already been studying, and all arts have SOME similar moves, as there are only so many things you can do with the human body. and also you will be better at the techniques that aren't similar because you will have obtained some of the grace of a martial artist already, and that helps greatly.
Reply:Taking any martial art would be benificial if you want to continue learning in the future. On the note of practicality, jujitsu, boxing, muay thai and wrestling are much more effective in a street fight or in MMA for that matter than kung foo.

View video below
Reply:IMO any fighting discipline that you can learn some techniques from is a plus that will help your overall fighting style and chances of winning a real fight. Plus it will help you keep in shape and focused on fighting in the interum of learning the styles you really want to learn.
Reply:You should deffinately do Tang soo Do for the year. In my honest opinion, Ninjitsu is not practical in terms of real street fighting, it was used a long time ago primarily for stealth attacks. Wing Chun is alot better as far as street fighting goes. However, i would be looking at muay thai or BJJ, they are the superior fighting arts (which is why they are the heavy basis of all UF/MMA fighters). As for Tang soo do, you may love it for the year and want to continue it after that. You probably need more than one class to make up your mind, try as many martial arts as you can to widen your knowledge! Good luck!
Reply:yes
Reply:how about this.. it will only teach you how to learn... the other guy mentions boxing and MT.. those are the best arts to learn if you want to be "effective" in a year... the other styles you mention are very effective, but "one years worth" will only get you started... I say yeah go ahead, but you study one style for a year (like tang soo doo, which is a good style) you wont be a good fighter, then when you switch styles... they will show you something completely different (and probably contridicting to what you learned in that year) and then as the years pass you will understand a lot more, then the training you had will become of some use to you... good luck and get started... it is better than sitting on your couch :)
Reply:Yes.

Go here http://www.monstermartialarts.com to find out how to properly cross-coordinate and understand them once you have two arts.

The owner of the site (my instructor) has 40 years experience in about 15(?) different arts.

Is their any way to make a bruise go away faster.?

2010-05-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

The back of my hands and wrists and bruised from practicing on the iorn palm bag for my wing chun class.

Is their any way to make a bruise go away faster.?
Vitamin C is known to help with brusing and the prevention of brusing since it helps the cellular walls to be stronger.

Of course, You would need to be on a strong regiment for about a month or so before effects would be noticable.
Reply:You can either put an ice pack on the bruise or put medicine for bruises on it. It's really not guaranteed to cure it right away but I'm sure it will help.
Reply:Believe it or not..... but putting a banana peel on it does the trick.
Reply:You should prepare a hard boiled egg, wrap it in a small cloth and massage the affected areas using the egg (while it is still hot).
Reply:I recently tore a ligament resulting in severe bruising my doc gave me a cream to reduce the bruising called hirudoid it helped me.

x

Why are some long time martial arts practioners still fat?

2010-05-15T02:48:00.003-07:00

My aunt's ex boyfriend has diabetes and he was over weight. This was 4 years ago, he took my brother and I to practice Wing Chun every Saturday morning. He has practiced this martial arts for many years yet why is he still over weight?

People say if you practice marital arts it gives great exercise since its cadio you burn a lot of fat. I mean look at my aunt's ex hes still fat, whys that? I've also see other martial arts instructors and they have round bellies... I thought they would have abs after a long period of practice.

Thanks for reading.

Why are some long time martial arts practioners still fat?
Martial arts indeed help you burn calories as any other exercise, but if your calorie intake is more than what you burn, you gain weight.

There are other factors that apply as well, such as genetics, or a hormonal problem.
Reply:If the person still takes eats more calories than he/she burns while exercising, they will still gain weight.
Reply:Sammo Hong is fat but I wouldn't mess with him!

If your aunt's ex-boyfriend is not eating properly he could still be fat regardless of the exercise he gets from martial arts. But on the whole, I haven't seen too many fat people in martial arts.
Reply:He may be slacking. Sometimes people dont lose weight at all by working out even at gyms. Martial Arts wouldnt do it for him.
Reply:I trained under one instructor who didn't emphasize excercise much. He felt doing the forms were enough. I disagreed and worked out on my own. He himself was not that fat but he did have a bit of a pot belly.
Reply:In certain martial arts you eventually gain internal power. When you use the internal power you must use less muscle force and hence burn less calories.

Also as many people get better they do not push themselves as hard at physical training as they had to initially when they started. This is why many people see a plateau in their fat loss after a while in martial arts.

For martial arts to be effective as a fitness program or as a martial art you must constantly push yourself beyond your level of endurance.

Simple martial art style?

2010-05-15T02:48:00.002-07:00

Is it worth taking up one martial art for a year before switiching?

2010-05-15T02:48:00.001-07:00

Is their any way to make a bruise go away faster.?

2010-05-15T02:48:00.000-07:00

Why are some long time martial arts practioners still fat?

2010-05-15T02:47:00.003-07:00

Which of these martial arts should i do?

2010-05-15T02:47:00.002-07:00

Im almost done with Drunken Fist. After im done i have a few martial arts i might want to do. I can realy pick for myself and everyone i know knows nothing about martial.

Should i take Hung Gar, Shaolin, Ba Gua Zhang, or Wing Chun

Which of these martial arts should i do?
I would suggest Shaolin if you are looking to get well rounded it covers the main generals also you are able to pick from the main animals i.e. crane, dragon, leopard, snake, tiger. If you are looking for something along those lines if you are not then Wing Chun is a good compliment to your Drunken Fist style
Reply:wing chun and shaolin. hei!
Reply:I'm not familiar with those forms of martial arts, but I guess it depends on what you are looking for. Are you looking for a style that is more defensive than offensive, are you into grappling, kicking as opposed to punching, a martial art that focuses on meditation and the mind versus focusing on the physical body, or an art that combines different styles? I myself am in Mo Lum Pi Kung Fu which is a boxing style, but incorporates some kick boxing, grappling, and defense strategies as well as meditation and mental exercises.
Reply:Drunken Fist is in Hung Gar and Shaolin. If you like Drunken Fist, I'd recommend Monkey. I'm a Crane fan myself.
Reply:i would go Shaolin mainly for there reputation and the ppl that come out of there r usually rlly good
Reply:wing chun
Reply:That all depends on you .What is your purpose for training in the martial arts.Is it for a hobby,self defense,fitness,competitive fighting or do you want to open your own school.

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Is it crazy to enter this mixed martial arts tournament?

2010-05-15T02:47:00.001-07:00

I have been training for over 21 years in martial arts. First, Karate, then Wing Chun Kung Fu, later, Yang and Chen Tai Chi.

I have not trained at a club for 7 years, so lack regular sparring practice. Recently I got invited to enter a MMA tournament and they found my MA site, where I encourage students to train with me on a personal basis because in the last 7 years, I have trained in China and Japan. The rules are that you enter as a black belt if you have trained for four years or more. But my last grades were taken off me by my former instructor who said I had to start again from white after missing some time through ill health. Is it crazy to think I could actually compete well with these guys - or should I say no thanks I instruct now, not compete...!? Thanks.

Is it crazy to enter this mixed martial arts tournament?
If you have any doubts avoid the fight, bummer about your grades by the way
Reply:Just gotta think of it as fighting someone for real. Not to kill the person or anything just to submit or knock them out. Or Technical KO. Most your mma fighters now a days train Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitus. I don't know much about Karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, or Yang and Tai Chi. I trained Kickboxing and BJJ for about 6 months straight and thought I was going to get serious into it but decided to just do it for fun from time to time.
Reply:MMA has become a style in its own right these days assimilating a lot of what works from other discaplines. If serious about it, train and spar with somebody already doing it to get up to standard
Reply:i don't understand how you can get your grades/belts taken back once you've earned them. Sure if you miss some time you'll have rust but you shouldn't have to start completely over again. You are obviously going to know alot more than someone that is truly just starting out.

As for the tournament thats completely your call. If you feel uncomfortable competing at that level than don't participate. Start training hard again until you feel like you'd be ready to step into a cage/ring for a MMA fight. Thats when i'd start looking around for events.
Reply:Please do not take this the wrong way but if you are having to ask this type of question on here I do not think you should be competing. There is no way for anyone to gauge from what you say on here, whether you are up to it or not and give you good advice. I have decided not to compete anymore due to injury but when I did I knew in myself when I was ready.

Out of interest what is your web site?

Just had a look at your site. It looks very good.
Reply:The basis of "perfection" is practice, whether by yourself or against others. I encourage you to find another group to spar with, as the experience against different opponents is invaluable. However, if you are unable to do so, then train by yourself. You are your own strongest opponent. I myself do most of my training by myself, (Usually in the backyard. I have pads strapped to the trees, as I can't afford expensive equipment.)Keep it up, and I hope you do well.
Reply:as a passionate mma fan and practitioner of bjj i would say dont enter! firstly ur out of practise and that will mean out of shape. also the arts u have experience in will not fair well in the octagon or ring and i dont mean to disrespect those arts its just a fact that some martial arts do well and some dont. the only karate player tat perform well are those at the top end of worldwide karate and im guessing thats not u, kung fu has never performed in mma and i mean never!

if u wanna fight in mma then i suggest ur start training with an mma or bjj club there are many around
Reply:If I were you I'd find a local dojo, club, whatever that trains for or competes in MMA tournaments. Have some serious sparring rounds with some of their black belts and see how you do. You'll quickly be able to tell if you're able to compete with them or not. I think that would be a lot smarter than going straight into a tournament where you could get seriously injured.
Reply:Personally I'd reject the mma tournament appeal !!!

Firstly don't forget that mma these days compered to when it first started ,now has weight divisions,and very safety conscious rules, I suppose It depends on your out look ,I've never bothered with such competitions of any sort that depends on rules as I started and continued my ma studies based on self defence for me.

As some of my fave techniques in real self defence involve ,headbutting,eye gouging,striking joints or single finger digit grabs etc that are not allowed in mma for safety reasons.

Tried and successfully tested !!!!

Former jiu-jitsu coach,boxer,karateka and Bouncer .

Best wishes !!!!!
Reply:Well your instructor has an advantage over the rest of us in that he knows you. If he removed your black belt there must have been some reason. What was the reason given?

Secondly, I think you would be nuts to enter a tournament without sparring. Are you even in shape right now? You need to be sparring in an MMA style every day. I trained for only 3 weeks before my last tourney and that was really pushing it. I did gas out and if I didn't get that last submission probably would have just tapped due to exhaustion. You can really get hurt in that situation.

The money is good right now in Asia, but you also need to consider that there might not be any time limits to the matches, or any weight classes. They also have a habit of standing you up at the first lack of action. If you aren't in shape you have to consider being stood up when you are sucking wind. If your ground skills are not up to muster, then you should know that everyone is grappling over here now. But, if you are talking about the big Unified Martial Arts tournament in Korea next month, that should be pretty safe. I might even see you there.
Reply:You should start training in MMA. It's very different from what you've been doing and the guys tend to be younger.

It sounds like you really need to get back into shape first. Could you go 3 1 minute rounds?

I have friends that compete in amateur MMA who are skilled/fast and have both good striking and ground skills and they get KO'ed in seconds.

For Martial arts classes in the UK, what would you pay for a) personal tuition and b) group classes? Thank you

2010-05-15T02:47:00.000-07:00

I would like to know what students think so I can price accordingly. I teach tai chi chuan (yang and chen) karate (shotokan and wado ryu) and kung fu (wing chun). My clases are in Birmingham and I want to expand the business, but everyone has a different view on what a good price is! Thanks!

For Martial arts classes in the UK, what would you pay for a) personal tuition and b) group classes? Thank you
i only know the answer to shotokan karate because i do it. in shotokan at my club it costs £4 for 2 hours, for a group class. but their are only 6 people at the club i go to.

but there are other clubs near me that charge £5 an hour(rip off)

if i was you i wouldn't pay more then £5 for 2 hours.
Reply:I wouldn't bother with personal tuition - you need plenty of partners/opponents of different skill levels and mind sets.

I would pay up to a a fiver a session. You can get Western martial arts lessons in Swindon for that (longsword, dagger, shield etc)
Reply:Wado-Ryu £8 a class. Used to be £2, but that was a long time ago :-)
Reply:Aim for a dojo price if you are confident.

But i would suggest that you get your reputation strong with a couple of strong kids, then you can charge higher with a dojo rate.
Reply:The prices that you can charge should be subject to a few things.

Size of the class

Location- If you are using top class facilities you may need to charge more. Sports Centre compared to draughty Church hall?

Your Qualifications- Like it or not, people will place a lot on your qualifications and where you got them from.

Advancement of your students- what can you offer your students by way of advancement. Do you have access to more senior instructors?

Would you offer incentives to families or monthly payment schemes. I pay £40 per month for 2 sessions a week for me and my two sons. (If I paid by session the individual class rate would be £4 for me and £3 each for the kids)
Reply:hard for me to answer seeing as all martial arts in my local area now seem rather expensive by comparison lol

Several years ago i did Shotoken karate which was £4 for an hour session.

About 2 years ago i did Goju Ryu Karate that was about £6 for a 2h session

Muay Thai i did for a while that was actuall something like £8 for an hour and a half session, but its one of the top tahi classes in the country ( several of the students there are champions one of them was in the england under 18 international Thai boxing team)

If anything i'd suggest you *Sneakily* look around other martial arts groups in the area and find out what it is they're charging. No point getting a rate online because all areas may charge different. If you can compare it to local groups you can find a good median price to go for.
Reply:£3 to £3:50 and don't bother with personal tuition can cause problems that you want to avoid
Reply:There are so many factors involved in developing a pricing strucuture, I'm not sure that anyone on this forum will be able to give you a definitive answer on what you should consider charging.

In general business terms though, a couple of things you should look into before making your decision are:

1) The demographics of the area you will teach in i.e. population age, educational level, income level etc.

2) Similar competition i.e. other marital arts in the area and their programs and pricing structures

3) Other competition i.e. other activities that may take potential students away such as gyms, fitness clubs, etc and their programs and pricing structures

This should give you a range and an idea of what the are you intend to teach in will tolerate based on what is there. You then have to decide what you believe you can offer that will make you unique, or competitive in the same market and build your progam and pricing accordingly.

Many businesses play with different program offerings and pricing strucures at the same time to see which is the most successful in attraction and retention.

Good luck

Ken C

9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do

8th Dan TaeKwon-Do

7th Dan YongChul-Do
Reply:The answer to this question not only relies on the quality of the teacher, but also the facilities that the students are expected to train in, the length of the lessons and any other extra curriclae thrown in b y the instructor.

I personally charge £5 per lesson (for an hour and a half tuition)

Then for any personal tuition (£20 to £40) depending on comlexity and advancement of students. Always remember to take into consideration the rent and personal liability insurance. Pass this cost onto your students through individual licience and insurance (say, between £20-30 per year) and take into account the revenue gained from belt gradings (say £20 a shot).

Don't look to milk your students like the provebial cow, but as long as you have the rent and insurance payments covered, a decent student base can take up to one year to establish. And by keeping the costs down, you not only gain loyalty from your students and increase the market of affordability throughout the community you teach in.

Good luck chap!
Reply:People don't really use karate or kung fu in the UFC. Seems they don't really work so well as fighting systems. On the other hand they both traditionally seem to have a high emphasis on honor and behaving appropriately. It seems therefore if you are true in spirit to them you should charge little or nothing. Because this is how much they are worth in a real fight.

Looking for a kickass MA!?

2010-05-15T02:46:00.003-07:00

I've studied a few years of karate but found it to be ineffective. I then did wing chun but its too expensive. I live in a rough area and need to be able to **** up a person if they start a fight. I'm thinking about krav maga or kung fu .. anyone got any ideas?

Looking for a kickass MA!?
Everything is good and effective, it is the time you put into it. Although you are from the bad area and wish to learn some moves to beat up a guy, you cannot expect to learn anything in a short while, choosing krav manga over kung fu or over something else doesn't guarantee you at all that you will learn it faster . Again, considering the "kickassness" element of the arts , all are basicly the same.

If you are in a rush try to find some fast , basic self protection classes that teach some military moves , tehniques and else, that can be absorbed somewhat fast.
Reply:Move.

If your neighborhood is so rough that you can't talk people out of a fight, martial arts are the least of your worries. Guns are what you should be worrying about. Martial arts are not for street fighting. That is based on a totally unrealistic view of what street fighting is all about. People who win real street fights are not the most skilled fighters, they're the dirtier fighters who are willing to take things to the next level quicker. Some are outright sociopaths. You're heading into a dead end.
Reply:Any of the Hakka Arts of China

Bak Mei - a real kickass art:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ba...

Okinawan Karate from someone who knows the deep meanings of the forms, like this:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ta...

I don't know what is the fascination with krav maga, mma and bruce lee here but it's saddening.
Reply:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankration

I think Pankration suites your kickass martial art! that your looking for
Reply:I love savate. It is a form of kick boxing that has origins in France. It is one of the more brutal martial arts that is very effective against fighting styles like karate. If you want to get into it, strengthen your forearms. For more info go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savate

I also like Bruce Lee's style of Jeet Kune Do. For info on that go to this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun_Fan
Reply:um train chito ryu sparring
Reply:Why not both? I think if you're in a street fight you would need to know how to use simple object you find on the street as weapons and you would also need to know how to take guns or knives away and I know Krav Maga teaches you how to disarm someone with a weapon very effectively. The number 1 rule about fighting a gun or a knife is run away!! I don't care how trained you are a gun or a knife will most likely kill you.
Reply:Gracie Jiu Jitsu or Judo.

Whats your Jeet Kun Do?

2010-05-15T02:46:00.002-07:00

Or rather, whats your mix of martial arts that work for you best and allow for your own self expression?

For me:

-Wing Chun because I love the centerline theory and deflections.

-Greco Roman wrestling from my High School

-Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do for kicking as their sidekick is really easy for me to use and good for range

Whats your Jeet Kun Do?
Hmmm...let me see, I did start out with learning Wing Chun from someone who claimed to have been certified to teach it back when i was in high school, but since from observation I have concluded that it was a watered down version, I didn't really consider it as a part of my legitimate training, even though some of the techniques I've learned from it have proven to be effective in the few tight spots that I have found myself in a couple of times back in college. I have trained in Boxing, Kickboxing, Aikido and Kali, and dabbled in Tai Chi more as an exercise than as a system of self defense, but all these are merely complimentary training for my ultimate main self defense system, which is the hundred meter dash : P
Reply:TKD Muay Thai BJJ and Aikido
Reply:Collegiate wrestling, tkd, and back yard boxing (yeah, crazy fights).
Reply:I have picked up ideas from - kickboxing, boxing, thai boxing, aikido, judo, JJ, kungfu, stick fighting, selfdefence books and dvds and street fighting ;-]
Reply:I am a SAN DAN in GOJU-RYU,or 3rd degree black belt I like to mix with JUDOKAN
Reply:I'm still really in the beginning of my evolution, but here's what I plan on doing.

Tae Kwon Do is my base art. I've been taking it on and off for 8 years. I just stopped taking my second style of it to start two new styles:

Hapkido- A good complement to Tae Kwon Do with it's joint-locking/manipulation, throws, and defensive kicking.

Kyukido- This art begins with Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido concepts, and moves into Judo/Jujutsu with more time.

After that?

I'm probably going to take Judo, Jujutsu, or BJJ. Hapkido and Judo share many throws, but I haven't learned much ground fighting (Or close grappling for that matter [I'm still a beginner in Hapkido and Kyukido), and a little more throwing practice wouldn't hurt. :p

Wing Chun looks great too. It has some good theories, and I know if I find a good school (Hopefully with sparring :P): It will help out my hand techniques. I can throw some decent attacks, but I know that if I took that style, I would become fluid with whatever hand techniques I have learned. I mean, Jeet Kune Do conceptual hand techniques are "Western Boxing, Wing Chun, and Fencing." ^_^

I would love to take Capoeira again. More fludity to my moves, and crazy reflexes: I like. :)

I'm also interested in Kyokushin Karate, Muay Thai, and Kung Fu, but I don't have time to take all of those styles. I guess it's going to really depend on what I have available to me.

You have a great mix I would say though. Those styles would cover you in all fighting ranges. I think you picked a great set, and the first poster did as well.

Good luck with your training.

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Martial arts in street fight?

2010-05-15T02:46:00.001-07:00

Just curious as to what moves you martial artist have (successfully) used in a real fight, I tried using tecniques I learned at the dojo, but just ended up scappy :( any input/thoughts/experiences would be appreciated, cheers

btw- my expereince includes mui thai,tkd, wing chun, a little bjj...

Martial arts in street fight?
The only real altercation i was in, i was hammederd drunk, and a guy was running at me throwing a punch, as a white belt in tkd i learned 8 movements to block and counter a punch, learned it on my second day, and the first movement is what i did, side block and punch and the guy was out like a light, should have stopped after two days of classes, the next 6 years of my life was a waste (only a joke)
Reply:BJJ is the best. start of with a kick to the leg if you have good kicking techniques. Those will hurt the person. Next drop them go full mount and whail away..
Reply:i prefer the 1 hit ko techniques

i dont know if you know my style

my favorite is a roundhouse to the face at full speed(no need for control if they are attacking you)

they wont get up from that

just for clarification i believe the best way to ensure a successful hit is to be so fast they cant even tell you are attacking before they get hit
Reply:Fake side kick to the leg (knee or even ankle)... and when he lowers his hands instinctively to block or catch your leg you side-kick him in the head. It only will work if executed really fast because the energy that will go into the final kick must start generating from the fake kick... Practice with partner many times before trying that in street fight!
Reply:If you truly want to learn a martial art for self defense and street fighting, then look at combat styles taught to special forces like krav maga or kung fu san soo. You will be taught skills to end a fight and disable your attacker in under 5 seconds. You won't learn to dance around and be an acrobat, you will learn to be a fighter and warrior. There will no tournaments or competitions, only survival fighting, but you will have to study and work very hard to become a master.

In a real street fight or mugging you must learn to strike as a coiled rattlesnake, without thinking, in a nanosecond to leave the thug as disabled as possible so you can escape in one piece and the thug in agony waiting for an ambulance to take him to the hospital with broken bones and joints. There are no rules to follow in a real confrontation.

I decided to get combat training from 2 street fighter masters after I was attacked several times . One time me and a friend and his girlfriend were out at a pizza bar drinking and came out to the parking lot, got in the car and it wouldn't start. All of a sudden this drunk punk appears holding one of the battery cables, laughing and scaring us and said he was gonna beat us all up. I was in the back seat and he told me to roll down the window, which I did because he intimidated us. He started pushing my face and putting his finger, snapping my cheek. At that time, I was a 17 year old kid afraid with no combat training. luckily he had no guns or knives and finally he let us go.

But now after the training if that same incident occured, I realized that because he was in my strike zone, which is within an arms length, I would have had the advantage. In a nano second, I would have grabbed his finger in my face, broken it to disable and to distract and then with my other hand in an other nanosecond, I would have struck his throat or windpipe, strike a full blow to break his nose, thrust my 2 front fingers in his eye socket or attempted to rip off his ear, whatever it took to get away. I didn't know how life threatening this dude was or if he had weapons to kill us or what. Also he was drunk but mean and sadistic, so there would be no mercy. Now I know this sounds brutal, but that's what you have to learn if you are attacked in the street. There is no time to spar or dance around with fancy kicks and forms and moves. If the attacker is in your strike zone, with the proper training, you will have the advantage and will strike in a nanosecond as a reflex as the coiled rattler does, the lynx or grizzly bear. In less than 3 seconds you must disable and leave the attacker in painful agony and knocked down so you can run ASAP. That's the kind of martial art to learn, krav maga or kunk fu san soo, combat training. You must learn as a barbarian. You will bite, scratch, pull hair, cream some dudes testicles if necessary, break a knee cap or jaw, whatever it takes to get away alive

Hope this helps, because that is the real world out there and the next thing is awareness. Learn not to be a victim and study where you are, where you go and when
Reply:I've used both judo throws and kung fu blocks and strikes in real fights, both being extremely effective for me and leading to the incapacitation of my attackers. Of course it depends on the practitioner, but all martial arts can be useful in a real fight. You just have to know how to apply it.
Reply:I think part of the problem is that people today expect to go into a class and learn something in an hour or two that they can use to beat up everyone on the street.

Remember that these arts were used for real life and death fighting, they were kids when they started learning and they trained hard every day. They practiced techniques thousands of times with increasing resistance and in different environments. Then, maybe after 5-10 years, they were ready to go to battle.
Reply:Martial arts are a way to do things, a blueprint.... Nothing will ever look or feel that clean in a real life or death situation.
Reply:The last fight I was in I used a comination of Aikido, Boxing and grappling. You can't go into a fight and say"this is what I am going to do". Instead you have to react to what ever they throw at you. Because the attacker could also be trained in fighting so you might walk into a punch or kick or even a takedown. Be ready for everything and use what you need.
Reply:You have to spar often in the dojo to make it work....If you spar often and do your road work regularly, you should have an edge in endurance and nerve in most situation.
Reply:all the boxing i learned and elbows i learned from karate nothing else i tried some wrist locks but i stopped cause it was clear they where going to hurt the guy and im not a dick (its strange you cant do locks without hurting people it sucks)
Reply:Fortunately I've neve had to defend myself too seriously recently - or since beginning my formal study of martial arts. Also fortunately, only a few of my students over the years have had to ( say 5 or 7 or so ).

Quick, effective, simple, and clean are the watchwords. You need to assess each situation individually and determine what will make most sense. All my students used their TaeKwon-Do skills for defense, and all reported simple techniques executed only one or two times were sufficient. Straight line, simple, attacks with hard weapons to soft targets that impacted the aggressor signficantly without causing permanent damage. Front snap kick, a palm heel strike to the jaw, and elbow to the ribs were some I remember.

Never something anyone WANTS to do - hopefully.

Ken C

9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do

8th Dan TaeKwon-Do

7th Dan YongChul-Do

Do you think MMA fighters/ UFC destroy the beauty of martial arts?

2010-05-15T02:46:00.000-07:00

It is good that people practice mixed martial arts wich is better than beeing limited by one type. But when you think of martial arts fighting, you think of 2 guys in their style uniform fighting swiftly, ( not exactly like the old movies but kinda like it) I mea arts like wing chun, karate, espacially kung fu etc. But then u watch an mma fight/ufc and you see 2 half naked guys just wearing shorts and pounding at each other like 2 beast in a bar fight. I repeat i am not hating, i am just saying that for mee seeing them makes me think as martial arts getting ugly, not appealing. It is good thing tho, just makes ma look ugly, like i dont even wanna watch it and learn it. and its not just the shorts, its also the ugly way they fight and the fact that they almost all look the same.

Do you think MMA fighters/ UFC destroy the beauty of martial arts?
I don't think that MMA fighters make MAs look bad at all. If anything, MMAs makes it look real and aplicable. It's beautiful in it's own right. And you're right, it doesn't look exactally like it does in movies, but that's what those are, movies. In movie the fights are coreographed like a musical coreographs a song and dance routine in the movie or on stage. The reason why in a MMA fight, the fighters are hald naked, is that it allows a more even playing field and less things for an opponent to grab on to. What do you think MA arts were originally? do you think the just got together to dance? I'm sure it would look just as pretty as a MMA fight with it's own respectable differences. It wouldn't be like your pretty movie dancing. That's why there are different schools that focus on different aspects of MAs. People have different tasts. you see to guys rolling around on the ground beating each other. I see a martial arsts trying to obtain a mount by bypassing his opponents guard and obtain a dominant possition. At the same time, trying not to allow the guy on the bottom sweep him and take his possition on top. You see a couple guys on the ground holding hands. I see a fighter trying for an armbar or a kumorah while the other is trying to counter and get a rear nake choke. You see to guys hgging on the fence. I see 2 martail artist in the clinch trying for a take down while giving knee and elbow strikes to eachother. Just like point fighting, just like in the movies, etc there is an art to fighting and it's just as beautiful as any other application of martail arts. Just like watching Chuck Liddell give a left to Rampages ribs while Rampage counters with a heavy right to Chuck's left jaw. I'm sorry it happend to Chuck, but to me....that was beautiful.
Reply:Not really.

I view MMA fighters and UFC as something entirely different and seperate from traditional martial arts.
Reply:I understand your point, but it is more realistic then point fighting.
Reply:To be quite honest - yes. When watching UFC and MMA fights, that's what they look like, fights. There is no "style" to speak of. I'd rather watch karate vs. tkd, or judo, or whatever, like UFC was in the beginning.
Reply:I do not think it destroys the beauty, I think it actually makes you appeciate different styles and beauty involved in other martial arts. I understand your point but I just feel like once you watch the UFC and then you watch someone doing karate you appreciate the beauty more because you can see how complex, wide ranging and diverse martial arts really are and what its all about. I think someone who truly cares about martial arts will look at both and see beauty in all aspects of ma. I love to watch MMA, I am a huge fan and watch as much as possible but I also get great pleasure out of watching traditional martial arts in practice as well, their is beauty in all aspects of the game.
Reply:Well my friend, you will get varied opinions about all this, but here is what it comes down to.

Aside from a few Martial Arts (mainly forms of Shaolin Kung Fu), Martial Arts weren't meant for beauty or their aesthetic value. They were meant for fighting.

Most of the outfits you associate Martial Arts with came as a tradition (the Gi, as originally based off the Kimono) or traditional dress at the time of the Art's foundation.

Many forms of Kung Fu were meant as a means towards spiritual enlightenment, focus, effeciency of motion and breath, and tuning your body for oneness. Even those were not meant to be beautiful, but were meant to draw in and center yourself while disciplining yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically.

While maintaining the tradition of these arts is something I think needs to occur. (Someone needs to maintain this culture, as it was wonderous and fascinating) I again feel the need to stress that Martial Arts were meant for fighting. Which in itself is not beautiful.

Sadly, when people think of Martial Arts fighting (especially outsiders) they think of the movies. Choreographed movements that are not only ineffecient but done so to look better. (Honestly, martial arts fight choreography is an artform in itself).

Martial Arts were based in violence, ugly, brutal violence. The ugly way you think of MMA fighters, is good in some ways. Because that is what fighting is, damn ugly.

Most athletes in some sense look the same, (i.e. in shape).

Fighting is ugly.

I think that is something you are seeing, Martial Arts aren't meant for aesthetics, it just so happens many of the traditional Martial Arts appear that way. The Katas and Forms and the like. (Keep in mind, Kata and Forms are not meant for fighting, they are meant to prepare and condition your body for those movements in a fight) So yes, kicking the air looks beautiful as someone does it with grace and balance. Kicking someone in the head usually isn't quite a pretty.

As I said, I don't think the culture of these traditional martial arts should be lost. (Much the same as there are still katas, and even JJ based Katas in Judo, that one learns at the highest levels). However effectiveness in combat requires ugly brutality, and blood, sweat, and tears. Martial Arts are meant to be combat effective, not aesthetic.

I think there are traditional schools that are in the strictest sense traditional (i.e. hard sparring, hard body conditioning, actually fighting).

Then there are traditional schools that embrace a different side of what they feel is traditional, and adhere to the more friendly aesthetically pleasing, kid friendly, money making way. And try to further sell the mysticism sometimes associated with martial arts.

The public perception, and even the perception of many Martial Artists who embraced this mentality of Asianophile mystic type of tradition is that Martial Arts are the key to unlocking some great inner energy and power. That it's point is in betterment of yourself and while they will claim that they are even more effective than professional fighter in terms of street combat, due to their spiritual oneness and discipline, they are in fact, incredibly ineffective due to absolutely no experience in adrenaline based situations or actual combat.

The old masters fought people constantly, including having to fight for their lives many times. That was their secret to effectiveness, their movements and training methods were tremendous helps (katas, forms, conditioning) but it was their constant experience in fighting that truly made them deadly and respected, and garnered them disciples.

True Martial Arts fighting (look at Wing Chun master Emin Bozetep taking on William Cheung. (videos of it all over youtube) two self proclaimed true Wing Chun masters. Watch what it actually looks like.

Look at the early UFC and what it actually looked like when Martial Arts masters took on each other. There have been plenty of no holds mixed martial arts (Open) tournaments going on way before then. Again it looked more like kickboxing and wrestling then what you think Martial Arts based fighting would look like.

Unfortunately the perception of Martial Arts fighting comes from Choreography, and old point fighting Karate tournaments. Actual fighting even between two Martial Arts masters looks much differently, (and more often like an untrained brawl).

I think there is something to be said about the beauty and aesthetic aspect to many traditional Martial Arts, and I am glad that some embrace that and keep that part of the culture alive. Some places are great and blending both, the traditional hard training, hard sparring, actual combat oriented, combined with forms, traditions, etc.

I think MMA is the closest embodiement to what Martial Arts actually used to be. (aside from uniform) Many Martial Arts were based on fighting with weapons, or in armor, etc. The shorts in MMA are just a means of advantage for the fighters against each other.

Older tournaments simply wore the garb of the day. Though some did indeed feature less uniforms than the others. (The Olympics in ancient time were done in the nude)

So in my opinion the beauty (aesthetic, ineffective) aspect of Martial Arts is not diminished as that caters to a different ideology, one of cultural preservation, whereas the UFC/MMA caters to unarmed combat effectiveness.

It is infact more complex and strategic than most single Martial Arts.

It all depends on your definition of Martial Arts and what they mean. To some it is the preservation of a culture, spiritual enlightenment, and adhering to certain principles of tradition. To others Martial Arts is about bettering yourself and your ability to fight, and through that you gain enlightenment of self, as well as discipline and confidence.

I think both sides have their pluses and minuses, and neither really diminish each other. But perhaps shows each side where they are lacking.

MMA/UFC types shows many other arts what they are lacking combat wise.

Traditional MA shows what the UFC/MMA types are lacking in Spiritually, Centered, and Calmness side.

Some people are lucky enough to have both.

*edit* Sorry I know I already wrote a book. Yupagee will probably get best answer for agreeing with you, but he is a traditionalist. Disregard below, as it is strictly for Yupagee's answer.

There is a hundred times more discipline and respect in the average MMA fighter than there is in 90 percent of traditional Martial Artists in America.

These guys wake up at the crack of dawn, and train until after dark. The eat a regimented diet, live a regimented lifestyle. And aside from a few pros, do it for very little money. They run, lift weights, work on technique, work on technique some more, work with a variety of disciplines and coaches. (Almost all of them are cross training with a boxing coach, a muay thai coach, a brazilian jujitsu coach, etc) They are cramming in two or three times the discipline, not to mention the respect they have for each other and coaches.

Can't tell you how many power hungry disrespectful 14 year old black belts I have seen in Traditional Arts. Or how many damn disrespectful punk kids I have seen in tournaments. For that matter, I have seen and see in great abundance here in Yahoo answers, 30 and 40 year old black belt traditional Martial Artists that are disrespectful to any other art than their own. Or any art that actually engages in combat.

Saying MMA lacks discipline or respect is ignorant of the fighters, the sport, and what it actually encompasses. You train one art, 3 days a week. They train 3 or 4 arts six or seven times a week. They bow to many Senseis, and treat each other with respect. Not to mention the average McDojo traditional teacher probably makes more than 80 percent of the MMA fighters. Aside from a few big names, most pull in maybe 20 grand from fighting,(10 grand for a UFC pro undercard fight, and get to do that maybe twice a year) and they have to beg for sponsorship.

One thing a MMA fighter does have in truckloads in discipline and respect. Something I see lacking in many traditional schools full of fat white "Masters" who insist on being called Sensei, Sempai, or Master even outside of the dojo. Who demand respect but do little to earn it.

I always respect your opinion Yupagee, but saying they lack discipline and respect is pretty damn ignorant.
Reply:Beauty, if you mean traditional bs that dosen't work. IF that is how you define beauty then yes.

MMA has show all the "traditional" martial artist how ineffective there styles are in real combat. That upsets most and they defend it by crying about how mma isn't a martial art or how it lacks spiritualness or what ever. In reality it has show you that tradition is weak and worthless in the streets, plain and simple.
Reply:I agree 110%. MMA lacks the discipline %26amp; respect of any true Martial Art.
Reply:No it just points out weaknesses of differnet martial arts.

Traning at home help?

2010-05-15T02:45:00.002-07:00

I used to train evryday for at least 2-3 hours in my backyard and it was really good. Now my parents moved to a damn apartment where ther is no backyard. I use to practice lots of bagua/Xin yi , meditation, Sil Lum tao a wing chun form that was good for balance and body structure. As well as strectching, punching, kicking and push ups. Now that im the apartment, I cant really do all these things, all I do now is external exercise, leg raises for abs and push ups, thats it, i have no more will to do all the others epacialy the internal arts because it doesnt look ghood doing it at home on the carpet. What can i do to regain will to train at home? Or is it all useless? because i used to do it outdoor near the trees and stuff. Is it useless to practice internal arts indoor at home? because my cousin told me about doin meditation outdoor on real grass helps you develop more strenght because you bring up power from the ground. Briefly what can i do that works equally indoor/outdoor? behones

Traning at home help?
Ok I will give this a shot for you.

Sometime when you are forced to train yourself in an environment that is hostile to what you normally need I can think of a few things that may help sooth the transition.

First MUSIC: Use music, esp sounds of the outdoors and nature or what you are used to hearing when you work out, that sound setting can help your mind get into the imaginary setting that you will need to obtain to succeed.

Second Images: Cover your walls with images of a locale or setting that is friendly rather than negative to your training. That is what is unique about human beings over other animals. We can adapt our surrounding to us and our needs.

That is what you need to do, best duplicate the sight, sound and smell of your former atmosphere and when you can esp in good weather, go to a wooded area if their is one and train there alone, or find one or two others whom have a geat training place and work with them.

good luck hope this helps some.
Reply:well...you cans till dreaw strength from the Earth, although this may take more willpower than going outside.

For training indoors, it helps to clear some of the furniture and arrange things in a way that make you feel comfortable.

Other things that can contribute to an increase in your comfort is music, decorations, scented oils, etc. (practice Fueng Shui)

The only thing that may hinder your indoor practice is the people that live with you or in the smae building.

I myself had hell trying to practice meditation and energy techniques for shaolin and ki-aikido because of the lifestyles of family/room mates.

If this is an issue, that scout out a location in or near your building that would contribute positively to your practice. Sometimes going to the roof or basement helps, or a nearby park.

This is assuming, of course, that you are allowed the freedom to do such. It is still possible to practice the internal arts with dedication, even if the environment works against your development.

Good luck. I hope this helps you

PS It helps if you don't attract attention to yourself while you practice.
Reply:I know the feeling that you are having. I think that it has more to do with not feeling like the area that you have to train in is a training area any more. Also you may find that you are forcing yourself to train when you are not really in the mood which is going to attach a negative feeling to your training and make you want to train even less.

My advice is if you prefer training in the outdoors then go find yourself a park or if that's too public then you'll have to modify your surroundings at home.

For Ba Gua I recomend getting a big mat with a Yin Yang symbol on it to practice walking the circle, this is how it is supposed to be done to an extent anyway and it makes it feel cool whilst you do it, if this works then flow from that straight into other forms and flow into harder workouts, this will ease you into the right train of though and eventually you will associate the mat as your new training space and this has the benefit of being portable so you won't ever have to go through this again.... Next problem, getting a mat lol... I have one, my mum made it lol, you can't have mine though ;-)

Another great Ba Gua training idea is to get bricks and practice walking the circle on these, check out this pic http://www.egreenway.com/vsjournal/image...

Realistically with internal forms it shouldn't matter where you are, it will be harder for you to focus but in turn this can potentially help your focus.

Good luck dude.
Reply:Why oh why are you limiting yourself?

If you are serious about practicing then don't let yourself be influenced by issues as mundane as available space. Of course you can practice... Your state of mind makes it so - or not!

Accept the decision of your parents in their move to an apartment, clarify your circumstance and get on with it - stop dilli-dallying!

To all you Bruce Lee nut-huggers: Lets take a quiz about him.?

2010-05-15T02:45:00.001-07:00

It has come to my attention that there are a number of people on Yahoo Answers with thier fingers and mouths firmly clenched around bruce lee's balls, as such I have devised a little quiz for you to test your knowledge on your so called "martial arts god's" life. You may cheat, but remember, if you do, you are only proving to yourself how little you know about the man you act like you perform oral sex on on a regular basis. I am not looking for a "bruce lee rules" or a bruce lee bashing thread, just give factual answers to the questions.

1- Who was bruce lee's ACTUAL Wing Chun teacher?

(the man who actually taught him techniques)

2- How long did he train under him?

3- What was the first movie he appeared in?

4- what was the first martial art bruce lee learned

5- what is bruce lee's professional or amateur fight record?

6- who did bruce lee admit would kick his butt?

7- who did he admit it to?

To all you Bruce Lee nut-huggers: Lets take a quiz about him.?
Bluto you are too damn funny. If I change my name to bruce, can I have nut huggers to??
Reply:1.Yippie

2.3-4 yrs.

3.when he was a baby playing a female role.

4.Wing Chun then Cha Cha

5.dont any cuz he'd never fought inside da ring

6.not sure

7.not sure

8.G.O.D

9.philosphy

10.Jack Wong Report It

Reply:bottomline,bruce lee was the greatest ACTOR because he'd decieved all ya for believing that he was the greatest fighter who had never fought a professional bout. Report It

Reply:Im glad someone is challenging people to understand the person that they idolize. Bruce never fought in a professional ring, but that doesnt mean he wasnt a real fighter. As a teenager, He used to carry a toilet chain and get into fights often! He was also the1958 hong kong Cha cha champion Report It

Reply:nycposer everywhere i've seen you is like you always tryin to diss bruce lee. don't hate the man because hes better then u are. Report It

Reply:1- Who was bruce lee's ACTUAL Wing Chun teacher?

Yip Man

2- How long did he train under him?

1.5 years

3- What was the first movie he appeared in?

little boy called Chang

4- what was the first martial art bruce lee learned

tai chi from his father, the boxing from his PE teacher

5- what is bruce lee's professional or amateur fight record?

not understand your question

6- who did bruce lee admit would kick his butt?

not understand your question

7- who did he admit it to?

not understand your question
Reply:dude i dont know the answer to any of these but i thought it was TOOOOOOO funny with the whole "It has come to my attention that there are a number of people on Yahoo Answers with thier fingers and mouths firmly clenched around bruce lee's balls," and the

"You may cheat, but remember, if you do, you are only proving to yourself how little you know about the man you act like you perform oral sex on on a regular basis"

i dont care man thets funny
Reply:ok so um... if you have respect for bruce lee suddenly you give him oral sex. From all your posts you seem like a very angry person

O ya and I only new like one or two of these
Reply:1- Who was bruce lee's ACTUAL Wing Chun teacher?

(the man who actually taught him techniques)

-Chuck Norris. Since he invented martial arts and actually the air we all breathe... that was a simple question.

2- How long did he train under him?

-Not long. Chuck Norris doesn't allow anyone to train under him for very long. Do you know how heavy he is? Could you imagine trying to train directly under Chuck Norris.... he is at least 200lbs.... have you ever tried to train with 200lbs on top of you?

3- What was the first movie he appeared in?

- His first movie was To Wan Fu thanks for everything Julie Newmar. Where he along the other cross dressers, fixed a town from being controlled by thugs. It was his finest work. Patrick Swazie took the job as soon as he knew Bruce was on board.

4- what was the first martial art bruce lee learned

- The first martial art Bruce learned was Original Traditional Taekwondo, which we all know is over 4,000 years old and was an ORIGINAL ART... not a bastardization of karate that has been around for no more than 60 years, and originated in Japan but Korea claims its their own.... no.... not that one...

5- what is bruce lee's professional or amateur fight record?

- He has never lost a fight. Some say he lost to Chuck Norris, but in actuality, Chuck gave up because they were friends and Chuck didnt want to destroy him with the balls of furry move.

6- who did bruce lee admit would kick his butt?

- Sanjia from the current season of American Idol. He knew of the power in his voice and his charm! He knew that he could stand no chance against an american idol contestant.

7- who did he admit it to?

- Me... the brother and I do lunch from time to time. Down at this crazy taco join in Philly.
Reply:LMAO! I love the fact how all of those Bruce Lee nuts huggers aren't coming out to defend him. I guess they're afraid they'd look like a sheep if they dare to try defend him without knowing a thing.
Reply:1- William Cheung

2- 18 months approximately.

3- Golden Gate Girl (1940)

4- Tai chi

5- No pro record / "amateur" record is 2 wins 1 draw 0 losses.

6- Muhammed Ali.

7- The producer of enter the dragon. ( not too sure )

8- Game of Death

9- Philosophy

10- I don't remember his name. Both claimed to have won though.

I'm just a fan, not a testicle clamp. hahahahaha !!!

Good point about how some people idolize him.

flowers funeral

San Soo kung fu?

2010-05-15T02:45:00.000-07:00

I have been training in San Soo kung fu for quite a while.

I know that it is a style, but i dont consider it beein a style.

For me it is the best/natural way to fight.

All the moves and technique has a proper way to do it, using the strenghts and weaknesees of the human body, proper hip/body movement etc. It is a pure thinking art, there is also a little bit of wing chun in it, but it has more.

It is not limited at all.

What I am about to say will offend alot of people, and they will start posting insults, but i dont care, to me this art is THE Best art *at least for stand up fighting* that there is around, there is nothing missing to this art.

I wish that people would stop thinking that beeing able to break 10 briks or kick super high is what makes you a good martial artist, that is why people lacks alot of technique and smarts when fighting.

If there is San Soo practicioners viewing this, do you agree with this statement?

San Soo kung fu?
Where do you get that being able to break 10 bricks or kick super high is what most people think makes a good martial artist and that "that is why people lacks alot of technique and smarts when fighting"? It seems to me that you have a good lot more presuppositions than you think and what you think of your martial art is not unique.
Reply:It depends on what you are refering to when you say that it is "the best/natural way to fight". If you are talking about from a Martial Arts perspective I would have to argue that no martial arts is better than the next.

If you are talking about for a street altercation I would have to question how practical San Soo Kung Fu is for the streets since I do not know much about San Soo Kung Fu.

How good is San Soo when involved in a self-defense situation?
Reply:If you consider your style to be the BEST, then lucky for you that you're doing it ;-)

You'll tend to find that everyone thinks that their own style is the best, and it is... Whatever you have trained the most in is going to work the best for you.

The only thing that really concerns me is that you say it is the best for stand up fighting, implying that it is no good at grappling range. I submit to you that if you're style can not counter a grappler on the ground then it is incomplete or you need to look closer at your techniques to figure out how to apply them on the ground. All good systems will teach ground fighting it's not a new thing. I train Wing Chun Kung Fu and it has ground fighting in it, both in the traditional sense where one uses kicks to keep the opponent at bay and regain your feet and a more anti wrestling thing where you use your chi sao skills which are totally transferrable to the ground and work quite well.
Reply:I do not practice san soo but I have watched its practitioners.

To me it seems to be a very practical art, without all the flashy moves of other kung fu styles. I've watched the san soo matches also, I can say they are very exciting. It reminds me of muay thai, except that it has better hand techniques, in my opinion.
Reply:lol Arrogance. There is no one best martial art. Mine is not better than yours, and yours isn't better from that guy's style down the street.

And you'll notice I never put San Soo down once.

From what I've seen of San Soo it looks good, but I'm just wondering where you got the thinking about the 10 bricks and kicking really high?

But no matter, you have much to learn in humility. Thanks for the 2 points.
Reply:Everyone thinks there martial art is the best. I think mine is!
Reply:What's interesting is that the school closest to me focus more on grappling then anything else. It is a San Soo Kung Fu school but they enter grappling tournaments and their fighters are very good on the ground. The instructor from what I'm told actually was trained in Jujitsu then earned his black belt in San soo Kung Fu. I believe it is a style that uses all things.

Sounds really cool from what I've heard.

Oh one last thing I don't buy into people trying to say all styles are equal. There is a best way to punch and either a style teaches it or not. If a style doesn't teach the best way to do soemething it isn't the best. I don't know enough about San Soo to say if they teach the best method but there is a best method out there.
Reply:Hmmm, I would spar you to see how versital this is and how good it works. If it works better than it just works better. that's life. But, never really know until you try.

(Relationship Q) Is this true...?

2010-05-15T02:44:00.003-07:00

Let me 1st tell u...

I am single and i want a girlfriend but is it true that i should start being happy on my own 1st and then i'll be ready for a relationship?

Because i think when i go out i start to act or feel desperate and i'm sure thats sending out the wrong vibe!

Plus i think once i'm happy on the inside especially when i start doing the things thats gonna make me happy i will then most probably attract a girl and would'nt act all needy!

I've probably answered this myself but i would like to know your opinons!

Just incase u was wondering about the things i plan on doing,well they are...

Wing Chun (Chinese martial arts) and Art (I'm a pretty good drawer!)

(Relationship Q) Is this true...?
Yes - you have to be able to stand on your own two feet and know that your happiness is not reliant on another person to find true and lasting happiness. How can anyone love you if you don't love yourself?

Someone who truly loves you helps you to be a better person and is someone you can share your life and happiness with - they don't complete you, they don't make you happy, you do.

You sound like a lovely and sensitive person. Try investigating a little deeper into some Chinese philosophy, I think it might help you both in your Martial arts and your search for happiness. Then I can see a day when a fit, sensitive, centered and cultured young man (you) is inundated with admirers.
Reply:seems to me you got the right idea
Reply:For sure. My boyfriend used to always be sad without actually saying anything. He always depended on me to be happy enough for the both of us, and would get almost mad when I wasn't.

Personal happieness is the most importatn part of any relationship. But it's not possible to be happy all the time, and remember that she will get sad too!
Reply:yeah i think you should first be happy and content with yourself before trying to get into a relationship, you cant make someone else happy if you're unhappy
Reply:you may not have to be happy on your own as such.....just confident!!! the classes you are starting will help you with this......but generally the rule is ul find sum1 when you stop looking!! good luck!
Reply:become confident in yourself and people will be drawn towards your confidence.
Reply:dude i think you answered your own question
Reply:Hey you just be yourself, if the girl is worth your time and affection , she has to love you for you. Dont get hung up on feeling needy, as you say get out there and enjoy yourself!You should feel comfortable with yourself, and when you do people will get to see a good person that you are!:D Dont pass each day worrying bout attracting women, enjoy single life until it changes and you do find someone you like, until then take it easy!have fun! Hope that helped good luck!xxx
Reply:Good idea to feel happy with yourself first, before you bring someone else into the picture.
Reply:yes build up your friendships and social life and you will attract the right girl
Reply:Danny if you think your not giving of good vibes well the best way to make sure you are is smile.

when you see some one smile it makes you feel good and want to smile back, trust me mate it never fails when your out get ur teeth out and smile
Reply:it is right,you have to love yourself before you can love someone else or your insecurities could cause alot of damaging issues in the relationship.

woman will also find you more attractive if you have interests of your own.

it certainly isnt healthy to NEED a partner coz you dont like being alone

good luck
Reply:I think you are on the right track. If you find fulfillment and happiness yourself first while developing your hobbies, you will most likely meet people and make friends (including women) while you're at it. Pursuing your own interests is a great way to meet and get to know well-adjusted people, or at least people who want stability and fulfillment in their lives, like you seem to. Good luck!
Reply:Mate that's the way it will always be, when you're miserable and single you can go out and not get a single look the whole day, then as soon as you've got a bird you'll get hundreds more giving you the eye. It sounds like you need to take it slowly and get to know some nice girls, then when it's right you'll know... if you're worried about being negative then you will be negative and probably not get too far
Reply:Hi Danny,

Iv just read some of the responses to your question and first of all i wanna say that 'jizzmop' is a real sap!!!!!! Your attitude to life and relationships is brilliant. A guy that actually thinks in your way will have real luck when you meet the right girl and she will be just as lucky. You sound like a top guy putting thoughts and feelings before sex and stupidness. I hope it all works out for you.
Reply:I was single for 3 years from aged 28, I had more sex in those 3 years than i have had in the 4 i've been with my girlfriend. The reason? I put it down to not giving a toss whether i trapped or not( and yes non-believers, i wasn't remotely interested ) because i wass happy to be myself and go do what i had to do and the confidence showed and for some reason thats a turn on. I'm an average looking guy and i'm no arrogant tosser but i even had 3 in one day(all lookers)! But it was never about how much where or when. Just have fun doing what you want, being who you want to be and some lucky lady will turn up when the time is right, usually when you least expect it speaking from experience. Seems like your a decent mature guy.
Reply:Yep you are on the right track... If you look too desperate when you are out and about it is a real turn off.... It is better to be cool and calm... and clean! Hope you don't smoke.... or get too drunk as that just looks so immature... you will meet someone, I know its a cliche but probably when you least expect to! Good luck!

What is the best martial art for blocking punches?

2010-05-15T02:44:00.002-07:00

Would it be Wing Chun?

What is the best martial art for blocking punches?
I am a black belt in Shotokan and Hapkido. I hold 6th Degree Black belts in Tae Kwon Do and in Wonjutsu. I have taken Brazilian Juijitsu, Ninjitsu, Aikido, Boxing, Wing Chun, and Kung Fu.

Each style had its own good and bad points. However, the best for actual blocking skills is Wing Chun. I don't know much more about it other than what I took to improve my blocking skills. Tae Kwon Do and Karate have very rigid blocking styles and blocking teaches about evading. Wing Chun has very fluid and fast hand techniques and blocks. When I took it, my blocking skills skyrocketed. As a result, I am almost untouchable in the ring or in the bar I bounce at part time. My old blocking style was jumping back out of the way before I got hit. Now I stay right there and lay it down.

I wish I could have the chance to learn more Wing Chun. My friend moved away though who opened my eyes to it.

Whatever you decide, just make sure you check out the school and instructor first.

Good luck in your journey!
Reply:Anytime. Good luck with your journey! Report It

Reply:i prefer kick-boxing, but thats me, try experimenting thats what i did
Reply:boxing, or kick boxing will be the best at blocking punches. Thats all they focus on!
Reply:This will be unpopular... the best I have encountered is Preying Mantis style. Of course, that is just my experience, more so than the boxers I know. This might just happen to be the two guys I met that studied it... they just might be that good.

Just my opinion, but Wing Chun isn't good for all ranges unless modified (like any good martial art or style needs to be).
Reply:any weapon system.

would you try to punch someone with a knife or kali stick?

depends. On average I would say the best for dealing with hands would be boxing, as hands are what boxers focus on most, however boxers don't "block" punches (with the exception of parries which is not a large focus of most boxers) in modern boxing. Therefore I would have to say any art that teaches you realistically and trains that way.

It sounds like a generic non-comittal answer but its true. a theory is good- but if you don't put it into practice so YOU can use it realistically- then you will not do well no matter what you study.
Reply:all martial arts should make you adept at blocking punches.it would be wing chun if the other person was trying to bitchslap you.lol.
Reply:this one is the easiest answer i did today,aikido or iron fist im in both but i would say aikido if you prefer grappes if not then iron fist
Reply:"Blocking" is, as a rule, a bad strategy for dealing with an attack in general and punches specifically. Blocking stops the energy of one punch but allows for the rebound and follow up punches.

Best options: Stay outside the punching range OR move in with an evasive movement and "deflection" with a counter similtaneously.

And yes, Wing Chun can train for that second option. So can forms of Silat and other systems.
Reply:The one in which you learn how not to be hit. Become good at one and adapt what you can from others. In my opinion, Wing Chung/Ving Tsun is very good for blocks and parries
Reply:Wing Chun offers fast counters to punches, for the right person it is the right block.

Some combat arts teach how to shoot in on an opponent, I prefer this form of blocking most as I hate to get hit alot.

Western Boxing without a doubt is one of the most complete anti-boxing styles available.
Reply:Why do you want to block a punch in the first place?

Blocking a punch is for people who like getting their butts kicked in a fight.

You do not ever block a punch, you attack the target with a circular strike (up windmill hammer, if you prefer) if your strike misses, it hits the punch somewhere around the radial nerve of the attacker's arm.

What do people think about during meditation?

2010-05-15T02:44:00.001-07:00

wing chun

What do people think about during meditation?
I'm new so I'm mostly thinking CLEAR YOUR HEAD, QUIET, CALM BLUE OCEAN. Sometimes I get into a slight trance and think nothing.
Reply:medicine mmmmmmmmmm medicine
Reply:Must be hard, think I'd fall asleep.
Reply:you mostly cause you're such a great guy
Reply:uh nothing! thats the point!
Reply:Anything that will bring inner balance and peace...
Reply:All meditation I have done I think of a nice place I want to be and if you listen to meditation tapes they tell you to think of a nice warm place
Reply:The idea is to empty the mind of all worldly thoughts and to concentrate on ones inner self.try imaging yourself standing on the inside of a ping-pong ball
Reply:Inner-peace
Reply:I focus on an imaginary energy ball forming on the chakra on my forehead. My focus is to try to create and then maintain the size of this ball. I try to make it about the size of a tennis ball. Meanwhile, all the extra thoughts that come to my head, I try to let them run their course and leave. This is very difficult for me to do. I have, once, actually felt as if my spirit was floating away from my body. This kind of scared me, so I immediately opened my eyes and brought myself back to reality. I have not been able to attain that since. I think everyone should have a different path though, since our individual martial arts will take us down different paths. Over all though, I think that the destination is the same. That is ultimately some kind of enlightenment, whether that be personal or spiritual.
Reply:Emptiness, total emptiness, I keep trying but them thoughts drift in and I let them drift over the Field of consciousness. All that must be there is emptiness. Imagine a jar full of water, empty it no thing in the jar, no jar, no air, no vacuum, no thing whatsoever. Spooky eh? But profound and then not so.
Reply:being on a beach on a island away form everything.
Reply:Nothing!
Reply:nothing... and inner peace.... which is like nothing... because nothing is like peaceful... in way...
Reply:It depends. Sometimes during my meditations I mentally run techniques in my mind. Sometime I focus on my own energy and the sensation it causes as it moves through my body. Sometimes, I simply focus on my breathing. It depends on what seems most necessary for that session.
Reply:lots of different thoughts
Reply:Waking-Up...!!!
Reply:the whole point of meditation is to get away from rational thought and enter a part of you that gives you peace from everyday worrys and concerns.if you like the autonomic side which operates on a totally different level.bottom line there is no thinking . everyone will have a different interpretation, for me its entering the void, nothingness, total peace .
Reply:sex sex sex cuz its the cloest thing to inner peace

java

Are these good kung fu styles?

2010-05-15T02:44:00.000-07:00

I want to learn kung fu but the only places I can find teach 7 star praying mantis, mu dong, wing chun, and wushu. Which one would you prefer? What are the differences? If you know of another kung fu place in Rochester, New york tell me.

Are these good kung fu styles?
The discipline you may wind up studying DOESN'T MATTER because there is NO discipline that is better than another, because they ALL have their strengths AND weaknesses, just as only YOU can make the choice as to what discipline you study, it also depends on your training ethics to determine how good of a Martial Artist that you're going to become.

What matters is that you feel comfortable in the classes (and like the classes) and feel comfortable that the instructor (and the instructor's TEACHING style and not the discipline itself) can properly teach you self defense without the "smoke and mirrors" .

What many people fail to realize about Martial Arts is that there isn't a particular "brand" that is a "best fit".

There IS NOT a Martial Art that works for people with SPECIFIC body characteristics (height, weight, body type, gender, etc.)

Because the fact is that when people ask "what's a good Martial Art for me to learn?" or “what’s the “best” Martial Art to learn” has 2 major problems:

1st: these questions just beg for the majority of people here to start blurting out names of disciplines that are probably not even available in your area.

2nd: Just because they recommend a Martial Art that they may (or worse MAY NOT) have studied and it just happened to become THEIR favorite Martial Art because they’re interested in studying it or it worked for them** doesn't mean that it's going to work for you or that you’ll find it interesting.

There's not much difference except the way the discipline's are taught, but it's really up to you as to which one YOU want to study, no one else can tell you what discipline is going to fit or work for you best. So all I can reccomend for you to do is this:

if you can pick at least 3 schools that interest you, watch a few classes at each one and decide which one out of those 3 schools that interested you the most.

The next thing you should do is find out if they have some trial classes in the one school you picked (up to a weeks worth to help you make a decision, hopefully without being hassled to join or sign a contract to join the class), and if you find that you like the school, then enroll in the class.

You just need to find a Martial Arts School that will provide a safe, "family like" environment for you and that the instructor(s) are going to help you become the best Martial Artist that you can become.

The instructor should also like to do it more for the teaching aspect rather than the "making money" which it is a business to make money after all; but it should not be the only reason for teaching the discipline.

The biggest problem you should worry about in finding a school is being aware of schools that're a "McDojo's" or "belt factory" type of school.

These schools usually do a lot of boasting; particularly about how soon their students make their 1st degree black belts. A prime example of this: having several "young black belts" that're usually 9 or 10 yr old kids, which should be a rare thing to see unless the child started learning the discipline when they were 4 yrs old, or promising that as a student you’ll be making your black belt in about a year’s time (the average should be between 4 to 5 years or better) which often means that they have a high student turnout rate. This is a Red Flag

They may also try to get you to commit to (by signing) a contract, usually one that's 6 months long or more or try to get you to pay down a large sum of money for that kind of time period. This is a BIG red flag

And don’t be fooled by these schools telling you about how many tournaments or competitions their students have entered and placed in or won a trophy, which is NOT a necessity in Martial Arts. Tournaments/competitions can be good to test your own skills at point sparring but again, it’s not necessary because they are the LEAST important aspect to concern yourself with in Martial Arts.

Long story short, these schools will basically "give" you your belt ranks every few months as long as you are paying the outrageous fees per month, and you won't really learn self defense.

Good Luck in finding a school and good training.
Reply:i wouldn't take kung fu at all. i took kung fu/wu shu for 6 months and its a rip off, its just a bunch of gay slow movements, and meditation, and requires patience. if i were you i would find out were you can train in brazilian ju jitsu, or jeet kun do. a real popular one now is krav maga. i've studied/practiced, karate, kung fu, muay thai kick boxing, and little bit of jeet kun do, and i'm currently trying to learn brazilian ju jitsu and krav maga. now with that being said, if you want to look cool like jackie chan in the movies, which them kind of moves won't win real fight, or protect anyone, then take some kung fu, but if you really want to learn how to better defend yourself or fight for sport, get around some brazilian ju jitsu, muay thai kickboxing or krav maga, better yet if you got time do all three. i currently wrestle, box and practice brazilian ju jitsu and krav maga. i hope this helps you out.
Reply:Here is some web info for Wing Chun, read up before you make your choice, learn about the origins of the different arts, and what not, so you will get a feel for the style and where it came from, most importantly does it interest you, and will it keep you coming to class.

Peace,

lr

http://www.pacificwingchunassociation.co...

check the links for Kwoons (schools) within this website you'll find what you need...
Reply:Ignore any suggestions based on others personal opinions. QuickSilver is correct, your style is your own, and martial arts really isn't about becoming an ultimate fighter. Its about finding your self in many ways. Go to the studios and see what you like. I will emphasize however that wushu is not a style, it is the Chinese word for Kung Fu, and is both a noun and an adjective. In anycase see what you want to take. As to descriptions of the styles, I can't advise you on any of those, as I o not have detailed knowledge of them. You may be able to findaccurate information about them online, but also go and see, find what fits you, and if you really want to, don't be afraid to study multiple styles, for they all play off each other. Enjoy man.
Reply:I would definetly choose wushu, it's insane.

Ninedemonsgods and philip you give ma a very bad name.?

2009-11-16T18:12:00.003-08:00

the truth about ma isn't about beating someone up. thats narrow minded. ma is self discovery , exercise ,self defence, among others. Shaolin martial arts should be givin proper respect. aswell as japanese, korean, thai ,isreali, brazil. but shaolin is and has deep roots. if not for people like them noone would know ma. the thing about range i said, for a wing chun man that is his range and you got chi sau all wrong. its an exercise that does increase sensitivity, but also works on footwork and mastering the centerline. the center is what is important to him. but thats besides the point ufc fighters are great fighters but in real life sitaution they won't have rules. then nature is to take its corse. but skill over strength should't be just tossed to the side. the point was you shoutn't call your self a m.artist and bash a style. Martial arts meant to stop fighting. respect one another. and the place we live, not argue about pointless opinions. I respect you but not what you said

Ninedemonsgods and philip you give ma a very bad name.?
I have to agree that people with such mindsets haven't learned the true meaning of Martial Arts, and this is truly sad.

But there's always gonna be a few of those bad apples who think that Martial Arts is more than defending yourself, your family, or those who cannot defend themselves.

these're always the kinds of people who're just mad at the world (it's just my opinion guys) and think they've gotta prove to someone; possibly themselves more than anyone else that they can pound someone's face into a bloody pulp.

I mentioned it before in another posting, that these types of people remind me of the John Kreese character in the Karate Kid movies, always emphasizing the physical side of Martial Arts, when it often has a spritual side to it as well, because if the physical side fails, what do you have to fall back on? They view Martial Arts as an offensive sport rather than a defensive art. and if it doesn't involve anything that the discipline's they've studied, they trash it by saying it's useless or an inferior discipline and boasting how the disciplines they've studied are the "best". when even their OWN disciplines have their weaknesses.

unfortunately the attitude that rests in the fist alone IS a fact of life, a stupid fact yes, but a fact nonetheless.

So yeah I wish these guys would have more respect for ALL Martial Arts instead of just fanning their own egos. because they do make good points (while they are few and far between I'm afraid, again it's my opinion) I don't always agree with their WHOLE answer because it seems to come from a bad attitude standpoint

and illiria, just because someones talking s**t to you, just means that it's all their doin' talkin s**t out their a**, and by thinkin' you gotta beat them senseless doesn't make YOU any better than them because your bringin' yourself down to their 6yr old mindset.

You DON'T have to let them beat you down in a fight, but you gotta be smarter than them, but and have the right to fight back.

but flying off the handle and kickin' their a** just because their talkin' s**t to you makes you look just as bad or worse when you should be above that mentality.
Reply:I regret that you morons are so narrow minded yourself that to you MA means eastern religious practices with kata Report It

Reply:Self defense is beating someone up. Also if people do not respect you and walk all over you, stab you in the back a few hundred times you are saying they should get away with that? What about verbal abuse is that OK for you too? No one respects anyone anymore. What cave have you been hiding in. If someone ***** with me I will kick their ***. That is why I trained. I will NOT tolerate *ssholes anymore.
Reply:What?! You may want to read this first:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

In this situtation I could have pound the guy's face until it's size of basketball ball then snap his arm into two with that arm lock. In second situtation I could have turn the knife against the man and kill him or hurt him more after he pass out. but I choose to not to do it! Do you really think I'm a bully and violent? Most people, even MAist would have go crazy and beat the hell out of guys in both situtation. I didn't because I have self control and respect for other living thing!

So are you saying Shaolin martial arts are perfect no matter what? When did I say anything bad about them? I simply say what make it so special compare to other? Are we suppose to worship Shaolin martial arts like as if it's holy of martial art? sorry but I don't bow to anyone but my Muay Thai instructor because he's one who train me and give me the skill.

WOW I answer one question wrong, go ahead and give me a "F" on my report card.

About UFC fighter. Well... Have you heard of Angelo Antuna? He was a wrestler... A VERY good wrestler. One time he got in a fight with this one guy. He totally destroy that guy. How? Simply by using his wrestling technique to his advantage. Let me show you the article:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2...

Wrestling is a very rule oriented sport but Angelo manage to use it with great success. I've seen the video. So what do that tell you?

UFC and fight sport may be a sport but do you honestly think you can take on those guys? If so why don't you go to your local boxing gym or Muay thai gym and ask to spar and see what happen?

martial arts was develope for warfare fight! why would you learn martial arts if you are all about peace? That's like as arming yourself with a rifle and run around and preach about peace. You will look like a fool.

I and Philip are more of a Martial Artists than you will ever be! Why? because we actually train and test the technique out and learn what work and what don't work and compete against others with skill. by doing this we're bringing martial arts up to other level. Why would you keep your martial arts so not updated? That's like as using a horse when you can be driving a car.

So do yourself a favor before you say something stupid, go visit Muay Thai gym or a MMA gym and see what those guys are like and what they have to offer. Like as I say many time they're very nice people, not some caveman.
Reply:Many people use the term "martial arts" for any thing that resembles combat. Frequently, they are talking about fighting systems, or even specific fighting techniques. This is mostly due to ignorance. Don't be angry with them, rather you should pity them for their ignorance %26amp; for what they are missing by not participating in a true martial art.

Which one is the best martial art?

2009-11-16T18:12:00.002-08:00

I am refering only to these following: hapkido,aikido,karate,taekwondo,wing chun,jiu jitsu,jeet kune do,muay thai,kempo.

Which one is the best martial art?
Quickest to learn for Self Defense – Judo

In 6 weeks to 6 months you can learn to defend yourself. Highly recommended for females. The bigger your opponent is - the harder they fall. After two / three years of Karate you're still a danger to yourself, it’s not easy to fight with your feet.

Best for sports education – Judo and Tae Kwon Do

You are likely to find Judo and Tae Kwon Do offered in College and of course they are Olympic sports.

In general Korean Karate is 60/40 - feet / hands and Japanese Karate is 40/60 - feet / hands. A young man already taught boxing would find Japanese Karate easier to learn for this reason.

There are many soft styles of Martial Arts (i.e. Aikido) that are effective but by design take a very long time to master.

There is no “Best” style. The individual athlete is more important than the style.

What to avoid –

American created Martial Arts, often with a Kung Fu type name. Such as - Jim’s Kung Fu and Karate’. (There is authentic Kung Fu, but Americans often plagiarize the name).

Good Luck and Have Fun!
Reply:the one you are good at.
Reply:None of the ones you listed are the best. If you're looking for the best in a limited focus, you'll never find it.
Reply:There is no "best". I favor the traditional arts that teach philsophy %26amp; values along with fighting shills. That eliminates Ju Jitsu %26amp; Muay Thai. Of the rest, it's more important to find a good instructor.
Reply:Another one of these questions. Each has it's pluses and minuses. There is no clear cut winner.
Reply:The best for doing what? The ones you listed all have strengths and weaknesses. and the fact is that the better fighter will win regardless of his style.
Reply:There is no such thing as a "best" martial art; never has been and never will be. Especially if you are asking which one is superior when tested against another in combat, for that is always determined by the individual and not by any style. I have met some teachers/masters of taijiquan, a style that most people do not think of as capable of being a truly 'martial' art, that I would bet on against the most competent of 'fighter' I have ever seen on television; you know, the MMA brawlers of the UFC that claimed that only their 'style' is superior in combat.

The bottom line is that style isn't important. In fact, it carries so little importance that you should study multiple styles that focus on different approaches. However, all true martial arts have the same goal in mind; the unification of mind, body, and spirit and seeking enlightenment through a physical, mental and spiritual discipline. Anything that doesn't focus on these goals is merely training in fighting and has little to do with what the martial arts are really about.

It is time for us to stop asking questions such as "which is the best style" and time to start asking questions such as "how can I learn and grow, find peace and harmony, and develop myself in mind, body and spirit within the path of the martial arts?" Then we can all let go of this egotistical search for the "best" and return to what this is all really about.
Reply:The type of martial arts you chose should depend on your current skills.Different styles of martial arts are fought from different place for example if you wanted to fight a guy someone close you could chose aikido and if you wanted to fight someone further away you would chose a different style. Besides martial arts is a form of self defense and way of life to many people so studying it should be for that reason to enlighten ones self, Grasshopper
Reply:None of those, take up Origami instead ;-)
Reply:JITSU
Reply:There is always someone whom wonders which is best when they should wonder how to make myself the best.

Martial arts training is only 10% of the fight.

lr

http://www.pacificwingchunassociation.co...
Reply:Dude it's a personal choice of which discipline YOU want to study there isn't a "best" Martial Art. Only YOU can Make the decision about which one is best for YOU and what you want to get out of studying Martial arts for your personal benefit.

The problem with asking "what's a good Martial Art for me to learn?" or “what’s the “best” Martial Art to learn” has 2 major problems:

1st: these questions just beg for the majority of people here to start blurting out names of disciplines that are probably not even available in your area.

2nd: Just because they recommend a Martial Art that they may (or worse MAY NOT) have studied and it just happened to become THEIR favorite Martial Art because they’re interested in studying it or it worked for them** doesn't mean that it's going to work for you or that you’ll find it interesting.

The discipline you may wind up studying DOESN'T MATTER because there is NO discipline that is better than another, because they ALL have their strengths AND weaknesses.

so hears a couple of tips you may want to consider about choosing a discipline that YOU think is right or "best" for you:

First of all, what YOU need to do is research local schools by looking in the phone book or internet search engine to find out if there ARE any Martial Arts schools in your area (which apparently you've already done considering you have a sizeable list here.)

Second, if you can find at least 3 schools that interest you the most out of this list then you're on the right track, watch a few classes at each one and decide which one out of those 3 schools that interested you the most.

Third, the next thing you should do is find out if your final pick has trial classes (up to a weeks worth to help you make a decision, hopefully without being hassled to join or sign a contract to join the class), and if you find that you like the school, then enroll in the class. if you don't go to your next pick and start again with trial classes to see if you like it.

You just need to find a Martial Arts School that will provide a safe, "family like" environment for you and that the instructor(s) are going to help you become the best Martial Artist that you can become.

What matters is that you feel comfortable in the classes (and like the classes) and feel comfortable that the instructor (and the instructor's TEACHING style and not the discipline itself) can properly teach you self defense without the "smoke and mirrors" .

The instructor should also like to do it more for the teaching aspect rather than the "making money" which it is a business to make money after all; but it should not be the only reason for teaching the discipline.

The biggest problem you should worry about in finding a school is being aware of schools that're a "McDojo's" or "belt factory" type of school.

These schools usually do a lot of boasting; particularly about how soon their students make their 1st degree black belts. A prime example of this: having several "young black belts" that're usually 9 or 10 yr old kids, which should be a rare thing to see unless the child started learning the discipline when they were 4 yrs old, or promising that as a student you’ll be making your black belt in about a year’s time (the average should be between 4 to 5 years or better) which often means that they have a high student turnout rate. This is a Red Flag

They may also try to get you to commit to (by signing) a contract, usually one that's 6 months long or more or try to get you to pay down a large sum of money for that kind of time period. This is a BIG red flag

And don’t be fooled by these schools telling you about how many tournaments or competitions their students have entered and placed in or won a trophy, which is NOT a necessity in Martial Arts. Tournaments/competitions can be good to test your own skills at point sparring but again, it’s not necessary because they are the LEAST important aspect to concern yourself with in Martial Arts.

Long story short, these schools will basically "give" you your belt ranks every few months as long as you are paying the outrageous fees per month, and you won't really learn self defense.
Reply:I would try them all to see which one chooses you. All body types and mind sets are different. Find the one that compliments yours.
Reply:there all the best if your tall muay tai is for you, if your athletic choose karate or take won do , if your not strong and have very little striking skill choose aikido.( jeet kune do is not a style its a system that martial art can adopt to fill up the caps it take the punching of boxing the kicks of kung fu but you can do it by it self .)wing Chung and jiu jitsu is for every one.

choosing the best type of martial art is like choose your dream car some might choose fast one ,some big ,on looks it depends on the person just like martial arts that why there is so much argument which one is the best a short person might argue that bjj is better than muay tai because he cant kick as good as the tall people in muay tai and a tall person will get grappled easy in bjj because hes got alot of limbs and bones sticking out . no one can tell you the best martial art they would just tell what there good at.
Reply:None of them can be considered as the best. It is the application that matters; the self-discipline, the concentration and focus.
Reply:It is hard to pick one discipline above all the others, because each one has their pros and cons. I would advise someone to become proficient in wrestling, brazilian ju-jitsu, kickboxing, and submission fighting. The more disciplines you're good at, the better all around fighter you'll become.
Reply:While technically not a martial art in itself, of the ones listed, Jeet Kune Do might be the "best" only because it's not actually a style of fighting. You just use whatever technique works to come out victorious in a given situation. Example: If a person is very aggressive in punching, Aikido moves would be appropriate as it is defensive, but if your opponent switches to trying to kicking, Aikido is no longer as effective, and Muay Thai blocking would be better. Some one who "studies" in Jeet Kune Do incorporates all different styles of fighting into their own technique, so when the situation changes, they can adapt easily.
Reply:The one that works for you..it may take some time before you fine an Art that fits your personality, I have studied some 6 different Arts over the past 30 years and today...its Kenpo. In other styles I felt like I was being programed like a robot, do just what my instructor told me to do without question. kenpo is not like that at all nor are the instructors.

Go on-line and check out some Kenpo video self defense clips and enjoy. I started my Kenpo training 10 years ago. I wish you the best in your Martial Art endeavors.
Reply:they did a special on this on the history channel i believe if memory serves me correctly it was kung fu followed by karate .im not sure of no1 but no2 was definately karate.going by the list you have presented it is not that simple since you have styles that fall under kung fu and karate.understand that kung fu is an chinese martial art form so any style with chinese roots is a form of kung fu.karate is japanese.tae kwon do is korean.what you would have to do is see which style fits you.if you are small and flexible i would recomend a chinese art form (kung fu)if you are all about power i would recomend karate.but like i said it is not that simple .i for one study karate but i do like the jeet kune do philosophy of using the best technics from other styles to enhance my own
Reply:Hapkido.

Conducting a poll...Which MA is best suited for YOU? Out of the following?

2009-11-16T18:12:00.001-08:00

All terms are generic (shotokan and bushidokan karate just fall under karate...all styles of kung-fu just use kung-fu)

Choose from the following:

1. Karate

2. Judo

3. Tae Kwon Do

4. Aikido

5. Jiu-Jutsu

6. Muay Thai

7. Krav Maga

8. Wing Chun

9. Kung-Fu(any variation)

10. Kempo

Please choose only one of the listed above...sorry if your fav isnt up there..AND REMEMBER this isnt to find out which is the best or anything like that..Its to see what you think would BEST SUIT YOU..

Conducting a poll...Which MA is best suited for YOU? Out of the following?
I am a Correctional Officer for a state prison. Most situations I encounter involve close fighting.

There are two styles that fit my needs best.

Wing Chun. It's perfect for fighting close to your opponent. Moves are direct and to the point. It's perfect for fighting multiple opponents. (It lacks ground fighting techniques and submissions)

Aikido. This is best suited for my line of work, although it's rather weak on striking and kicking.

The two combined are perfect for me.
Reply:9. Kung-Fu (any variation)
Reply:Krav Maga but I would also like 2 learn Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Reply:5. Jiu-Jutsu
Reply:#8 Wing Chun. It's very simplistic in nature. There are no extended motions, Very Fluid not rigid, You can control your opponent even if they try to take you down. The hits you can deliver waste no energy. Many strikes should take your opponent down on the 1st hit. Of course you won't see Wing Chun in UFC because most of the strikes would be considered illegal. Also it(Wing Chun) was developed for Mutliple attackers.
Reply:Karate, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Kempo, and Kung Fu, because I'm in Kajukembo, which is all of those styles combined. This is the first real mixed martial arts.
Reply:Muay Thai - very efficient and effective.
Reply:Judo would probabaly best suit me personally, but I'd like to learn Brazillian Jujitsu and Muay Thai also
Reply:And where is ninjutsu? Shame on you.... hehehehehe.

You left out the X-Kans.
Reply:Muay Thai - I have been studying that for about 4 years now and really enjoy it. Very effective as far as self defense goes. But the reason I got into it is it is a great cardio and strength workout. It also isn't very 'fancy' like some of the other ones which works for me since I have never been the most graceful person.
Reply:kung fu %26amp; ningitsu combined were the first
Reply:wing Chung and kung fuu but why didn't u put in tai chi its a very good Martel art especially wudang style but good poll anyways
Reply:#8 Wing Chun

I have trained in many styles of martial arts and have truly benefited from the trapping, in-fighting, and striking that is taught in Wing Chun.

flowers baby

Martial Arts help?

2009-11-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

i want to take martial arts but im still choosing between Southern Shaolin, Wing Chun or Ninjutsu. Which one should i take?

Martial Arts help?
A small bit of advice, most schools using the Shaolin name are not actually affiliated with shaolin temple in any way. Not saying that their kung fu doesn't work, it's just most likely not really from Shoalin. Wing chun is a good style if you find a good teacher. Ninjitsu is a good style if you can find a school that actually trains in ninjitsu. Many schools that claim to are fakes. If you need help researching a school, feel free to contact me.
Reply:These arts are all available in your area? Wow!!! If you get the chance try the Wing Chun or Southern Shaolin. There is a lot less of a chance that your going to be scammed. Anything with "Ninja" in the title makes me a little nervous about the authenticity. Of course I could be wrong and you could have a real Ninjutsu school in your area.

Look out for the scam artists.

Good Luck
Reply:I might be wrong, but Ninjutsu is not a particular art per se, it is more of a school which incorporates things such as taijutsu (empty hand) bo/jojutsu (the 6 foot and 4 foot staff), kenjutsu (sword), stealth, hojojutsu (restraint) etc. etc. From memory there are about 18 disciplines. Some of these (such as Kusarigamajutsu or even Naginatajutsu) would be very rare in Japan, let alone anywhere else. As above, I would tend to think that any school claiming to teach Ninjutsu is a scam.
Reply:Try Dekti Tirsia Siradas.

Is NightWing (Dick Greyson the greatest hero? You decide.?

2009-11-16T18:11:00.002-08:00

Dick Grayson is 5'10 and 175 pounds

Skills and Abilities

He is a master of a half dozen martial arts disciplines that include Judo, Jeet Kune Do, Taekwondo, Aikido, Wing Chun, and Escrima, Hapkido, Jiu-jitsu, Karate, Savate, Kendo, Ninjitsu, Tai Chi and Fencing. He was also Trained in escapology, criminology, stealth, disguise, and numerous other combat/non-combat disciplines. He is the only person on Earth who can do the quadruple somersault, speaks with fluency in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese and has some knowledge of Romany and the alien language of Tamaran He is also a brilliant and experienced strategist with superlative leadership skills, having served as leader to the Titans, the Outsiders, and even the Justice League. Additionally, Dick's interpersonal skills and efforts to remain in contact with other heroes makes him a master at rallying, unifying, and inspiring the superhero community, a skill in which he has surpassed his mentor

Is NightWing (Dick Greyson the greatest hero? You decide.?
In some ways he did surpass Batman, but there's also still a lot of room for him to improve, and a lot of things that he cannot (as of yet) be called in the same league as batman. First, he doesn't have the same lateral-thinking and deductive skills as batman, as well as the technological expertise, nor does he have the resources available in the same way batman has. I don't think he can be called the greatest hero (that term is usually reserved for superman) since there is still a lot of things that he is yet to achieve, at least in comparison to superman or batman. He is however, one of the potential great heroes of the next generation, but as long as the "trinity" (superman/batman/wonderwoman) is up and about, he cannot yet claim the title "greatest."
Reply:if you see him in that way he is but in some ways hes not, i like him because he became nightwing
Reply:I would agree, but to an extent though. Remember, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, has years of experiace over Greyson not only in combat, but in detective skills, and in mental skills. So don't count Bats out just yet.

But yeah, Dick was the best Robin and I like his transaction to Nightwing. How ever, I don't really like his 80's costume, I like the newer one that he wears, you know, the black and blue one.
Reply:For a person with no real super powers, he does well
Reply:While I'm totally biased in saying Nightwings' the coolest character in DC(alright, I said I was biased), and he's become a great character in his own right I'm not sure he will ever totally surpass Batman in total skills. Mainly because Bruce has had years more experiance but he did surpass the expectations of many, including Batman I think. By becoming Nightwing and doing all that he has done, on his own or with the Titans or Outsiders, Dick has proven that he's more than Batman's first sidekick and he certainly surpassed any of the other Robins. I do eventually feel that once he accepts it that he will step into the mantle of his mentor once Bruce steps down.

Oh, an I totally agree that his costume in the 80's was horrible. This one is much better.
Reply:You're pathetic
Reply:I'd say Dick Grayson is the greatest of the original Teen Titans. While on paper he may be more skilled than Batman, he doesn't strike fear into the villians the way Bats does.

He's not as likely in a crisis (no pun intended) as Bruce Wayne or Hal Jordan in to pull everyone else's fat out of the fire. I think Batman sees in Dick greater potential than anyone else, but it remains just that- potential. For all he's accomplished, that intangible element just isn't quite as strong as in the first-generation JLA'ers.

And while he's quite a strategist, his mentor is a notch above him at thinking on his feet. Dick's humanity makes him stronger in some ways, but his thought processes just don't go to the dark extremes quite as quickly.

I agree that he's the best at maintaining relationships with former teammates and has surpassed Bats at inspiring and rallying other heroes, but he's 2nd fiddle to Big Blue in that regard.

Still, he does fill a niche that no one else can- in that regard, Dick Grayson is somewhat like Oliver Queen... very much underappreciated. His impact upon everyone around him is profound, but beneath the surface. The fact that Batman's decision not to help reset the universe during the infinite crisis boiled down to Dick Grayson, says something.

Going back to the start begginning, would you have chosen another art to start in?

2009-11-16T18:11:00.001-08:00

Going back to when we first started our martial arts training, lets say we had the opportunity when we we're 3 or 4 to start in any art we could have chosen, what would it have been? Would you keep the art you already started in? Or prefer to be proficient in another one?

If it we're up to me. I would have chosen to started in Folkstyle wrestling, so I would perform better in high school right now.

If I never got into sports. I think I wouldn't change then. Tang Soo Do is a great art for me and I undoubtedly would have picked up for what it lacks in later on in life, by studying Wing Chun and Judo.

Going back to the start begginning, would you have chosen another art to start in?
i don't think i would have changed my martial art, because then that would mean i would never have been taught by my instructor. he is the best teacher i have ever had and it is a great honor for him to teach me. not only that, but because he does multiple martial arts but is mainly a tae kwon do-ist, his style is quite effective because he shows us multiple ways to do things based on what your style is. yes, i know, i'm basically describing either jeet kune do or mma but still. thats ok. i still couldn't have asked for a better teacher even if i had started with a grandmaster (although that would've been really good too).
Reply:I started out in traditional Shotokan, before moving to PaSaRyu TKD, Aikido, and eventually JyuWazaTe (no, you never heard of it).

The only thing I would have changed is dropping the PaSaRyu, or, as I now call it, "Hollywood Ballet" (to be fair, it might have been the instructor); Shotokan was, to me, the perfect base for martial arts study; I only wish I could have stayed with it longer than I did.
Reply:What reason would a human have for regreting their martial arts experience? My own goal and ambition is not to MASTER a martial arts style, but to PRACTICE and UNDERSTAND many. A person who has mastered one style is respectable, but a person who is educated in many is just as respctable, and in reality, has a wider range of movements and abilities. A person who studies and does well inTai Chi, Aikido, and Kung Fu, for instance, would be just as or more better off that a person who mastered one. Tai Chi uses internal power, Aikido uses redirection and the opponants own power against them, and Kung Fu uses many techniques and works to improve mind, body, and spirit. A man who knows many is respectable to a mn who has mastered one.

I am happy to simply have started martial arts, and if I choose there is a style that intrigues me that I would bennefit from spiritually, physically, or mentally, I will add such a style to my skills. I wouldn't change my begining style because I know that what I have said above it absolutely true.

Whats your favorite stance for combat/sparring?

2009-11-16T18:11:00.000-08:00

I have two.

The stand-up Snake stance, where the feet are in the usual position similar to a boxers but the arms and hands are both extended out in a "knife-hand" style with one higher then the other. This to me is superior for defending the upper body as the hands are already extended out and can reach the opponents forearms to redirect force in less time.

The second is the Wing Chun Charachter Two Abduction stance, creating a stability resembling that of the Eiffel tower. The hand position also makes it harder to telegraph moves and makes protecting the centerline easier.

Whats your favorite stance for combat/sparring?
NONE

I prefer no stance and to be open and stanceless. I vary from opponent to opponent and go with the flow and rythym of things. I try to make myself one with what is transpiring and not allow myself to be held down by a technique that dedicates myself and allows myself to be possibly open to anothers counter attack because I gave my move away by being predictable.

Dont get me wrong there is nothing wrong with stances, I am only saying i do not stick to just one, my stances vary all the time and I am always moving on my feet never staying still for an object in motion tends to stay in motion hence allows me to react faster to something than if i was in a set stance and dedicated to that posture now. I would lose the ability to adapt to my surroundings and overcome them as they changed if in a fixed position.

So I choose all stances and none at the same time. I believe you should stay on the balls of your toes and never stop moving making you a harder target too and take control of the ring if it is a match!
Reply:Same as your first one, only closed fists
Reply:muay thai will kick any fighting style's butt
Reply:you would get the holly crap beat outa you if u pull that jackie chan crap with mma dudes.
Reply:something from none other then ralph gracie himself http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2991/... good set up for take down and good defense becauseo f the low stance, but watch out for those knees,

the only thing i would change about this stance is putting the arms up for defense, and position your strikes.
Reply:My favorite stance is the kick your *** stance. You don't win fights with bunny-foo-foo animal stances, you win with technique and prior training.
Reply:Back-stance. Period. Doesn't matter about hand placement or actual foot placement. Just body-weight slightly back of center. All moves flow from there.

Your wing-chun stance, though, telegraphs everything and will get you knocked out before you even get into position.
Reply:Kajukenbo / boxing stance.
Reply:capital c how can you say that? with wrong foot placement youre going to get leg kicked into oblivion. with your hands down youre just going to get knocked out.. fast.

look you only want to use 1 stance otherwise youre going to get KOd

its pretty much a muay thai stance in mma, just be alert for takedowns .
Reply:bagua stance
Reply:walking stance or neutral stance the one you do boxing in hehe
Reply:I prefer my opponent in an idiotic horse stance.

wall flower

Horseback vs Character 2 Abduction stance?

2009-11-16T18:10:00.003-08:00

Which one is more stable? For those who don't know, the character 2 abduction stance is the Wing Chun stance and the horseback is a basic Shaolin Kung Fu stance.

Horseback vs Character 2 Abduction stance?
The YJKYM (the wing chun stance) is not made for stability, but is actually a structure that will support your own strikes fully while able to break up into another stance (the turning stance) without losing structure. It is also almost equally strong in all directions.The point here is mobility and versatility.

The basic horse, father of all low stances is very strong against frontal, but will give in against diagonal force easily.

While the basic horse guards the lower body just by the position of the frontal leg, the YJKYM structure also gives a little more protection.

If you are sure you can stop the incoming momentum, the basic horse is your choice. If in doubt, the character 2 is.

I'm 1.90m 110kgs (yeah, plump, but big nonetheless) and I'd only choose the deep stances to push a car or in similar situations, not in fights.
Reply:Which gives you the most mobility?

Many styles have a beginning kata, (form) or kata series, which is the best? Why?

2009-11-16T18:10:00.002-08:00

Many styles of Kung Fu and Karate have a beginning form, like Siu Nim Tao in Wing Chun, Goju-ryu's Sanchin, Isshinryu's Seisan, Shorinryu and Shotokan's Pinan series, and some styles use Naihanchi Kata. In Isshinryu, which I study, it seems the founder was moving toward "charts" which are sets of exercises. Many more non-traditional/eastern styles like boxing, MMA, and Ed Parker's Kenpo are formated with series of techniques. I think the primary kata of any system plays a big role in what the entire system looks like.

Many styles have a beginning kata, (form) or kata series, which is the best? Why?
I love doing the heian kata's for a lot of the deep stances and strong movements it shows off the traditional side of karate. The advanced forms are more in depth and vary in difficulty with the side to side movements of the teki forms to the most advanced formes like hangetsu and empi to name a couple.
Reply:While it is not my primary style, I have always liked the heian / pinan katas of shotokan and the other Okinawan karate styles.
Reply:SANCHIN is rarely taught as a begginers kata geki sai ich and ni are the usual begginer katas in goju and fukiyu for some styles of shorin.

You are right about basic kata get them right the rest is easy.
Reply:I can tell you about Okinawan Karate that the Pinan kata and the Gekisai/Fukyugata were created for school aged kids as a physical ed curriculum.

However, the techniques were all taken from the advanced kata, which is obvious. Knowing this, what do you think? You are learning advanced techniques that have been modified, and in some cases not.

In the Goju Ryu Kata, which are of the Naha-Te styles, there is no "Jodan Uke" or Upper level receive, commonly misnamed "high block". Miyagi Sensei adapted it from the Shuri-Te styles. He wanted to bring variety and completeness.

So, if you studied the Pinan kata and the Gekisai kata, you would have advanced techniques from both styles.

Concerning Sanchin, it is an advanced level kata but it's taught prtty early because it is actually the first form you learn in the Old Naha-Te arts, before the creation of Gekisai. It is the foundation training for Naha-te and develops "iron body". It is Hard Internal. It comes from the White Crane Fist developed in Fujian China.

What are your favorite martial arts?

2009-11-16T18:10:00.001-08:00

For me:

1. Jeet Kun Do (the philosophy at least)

2. Wing Chun

3. Tang Soo Do

4. Chin Na

5. Greco Roman Wrestling

6. Judo

7. Tai Chi Chuan

8. Northern/Southern Praying Mantis

9. Capoeira (for fun)

10. Okinawan Karate

What are your favorite martial arts?
1. Gracie jiu jitsu

2. judo

3. muay thai

4. greco roman wrestling

sri I only have 4 favorites I believe all the other martial arts are kinda obsolete
Reply:I like alot of the ones you listed, definately JKD. But you might also look more into Krav Maga from Israel
Reply:Muy Thai

Escrima

Silat

Tang Soo Do

Zi Ran Men (Natural Boxing)
Reply:Kyokushin - full contact - OUS (Mas Oyama)
Reply:Jiu Jitsu(Brazil)

Greco Wrestling

Gracie Jiu Jitsu
Reply:jeet kune do is good as long as you don't copu bruce lee's hairstyle.....

tae kwon do is good too but the stance looks kinda stupid cause you have to keep jumping around but very powerful kicks and very minimal concentration on the fists...

aikido is great but no offense, extremely powerful defense but most of the senseis look out of shape. you can throw or grab people 3 times your size!!!

judo is good, too. really strong throws. but slighty same principle as aikido. some throws require using your opponents weight or momentum

wu shu has really cool weapons like kwon daos(kinda like a spear and sword hybrid) but i don't like the other weapons like the staffs and swords.

capoeira was developed by brazillian slaves before and pretended they were just dancing and looks cool, too

oh and my all time favorite!!! VALE TUDO!! translated in english: anything goes!! you can even bite your opponent's ear off i think and this is also brazillian
Reply:1. TKD

2. Jeet Kune Do

3. Kali

4. Bujinkan

5. Taekkyon

6. Capoeira

7. Iaido

8. different Karate styles

wtf is wrong with bruce lee's hairstyle
Reply:I believe they are all good .I believe you should have a core method a central idea to work with .You discard techniques that dont work for you and replace them with technique from other methods but you stick with your original training adapting new technique to suit it.

Some techniques of JUDO JUJUTSU AIKIDO are excellent additions to OKINAWAN JAPANESE arts and many locks and throws are hidden in the kata.

No art stands alone as all are influenced by the past and what has gone before.
Reply:capoeira for sure..it is complete and you develop speed making the Roda goes.. it is a combat, it is a conversation..you play in the air, face to face..upsidedown..becareful with some of the kicks, they come really fast, think your next movement..make the strategy..respect the rules..so you don't hurt your camarada..just make him fall down and continue with the game...

The practicality of martial arts in general today?

2009-11-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

As I read this forum and I reflect on my own training and the effort I put into it for self defense. I wonder, is it all that useful?

Wing Chun upper body movement, High School Wrestling for ground, Tang Soo Do for lower body movement, all great arts for me. But how useful is it against someone in the streets of Detroit with a gun or knife?

Grappling is argued to be one of the most effective ways to defeat your opponent on a 1 on 1 basis. But being a close range ground art and having an opponent 15 feet away with a gun, how are you gonna cover the distance before getting sport?

Striking, namely fast hard kicks, have been spoken of to defeat many opponents at one time and would be a better option to pick then. However, there's still distance to cover and my even the longest of legs do not exceed 4 and a half feet. How else are you to cover the distance?

What I'm saying is, with the availability of guns/knives, combined with their ease of use. How useful truly martial arts today?

The practicality of martial arts in general today?
Guns are only dangerous when they are loaded and if it is in the hands of an expert other than that it is useless I saw people who used to carry guns and still got beaten up by some thugs who are REALLY eager to jump him, and really did jump him, those thugs waited for the "he will reload" minute and acted upon it quickly, and about knives I thought Wing Chun was supposed to teach you how to disarm??? Anyway Martial arts is still useful now and forever, the discipline alone could help us everyday in different situations

soldiers even practice Martial arts too, despite the fact that we could only push a button and the opponent is dead, BUT hey Martial arts still IMPORTANT

oh and a real Martial artist will walk away from trouble, and if you have multiple opponents trust me, the chances that you would win is very, very slim so Martial arts will help to give you time to escape or call the cops
Reply:They serve much in the way they always did, as a last resort if you didn't have or had lost your weapon on the battlefeild(with the exception of things such as kendo) they were never meant as the primary means of fighting in any society and they aren't today either, we have tanks, planes, missiles, guns etc. for that. today they are still a last resort, if you are unarmed and cannot run away its better to know something(provided its a useful martial art and not say tae bo) than nothing, that will increase your chances of survival even if only 5% or something
Reply:Well if someone has a gun close to you, martial art usually teaches you how to disarm and defend. Same with a knife. However I would personally prefer to have someone up close with a gun than with a knife because there is a greater chance of getting cut than shot up close...control the barrel of the gun.

If someone has a weapon with an apparent advantage, best bet is to run =D AAAHHHH
Reply:Training and study of the martial arts is about much more than simply learning how to defend yourself. It is about overall balance, fitness, mental agility, physical awareness, increased sensitivity, and much more besides.

The truest self-defense technique may be the one that is the hardest to "teach" and the technique that sneaks up on one before you realize it - self-confidence. Most criminals and bullies look for easy targets. Competent martial artists don't "appear" to be easy targets on the whole. In all the years I've been involved in the martial arts it is very rare to hear of a story of a black belt master or grand master being forced to physically defend themselves. Undoubtedly it happens on occassion, but I personally believe the training and preparation allows them to avoid problems, de-escalate trouble, and evade the need to defend physically.

With regard to defense against any weapon, I would always bet on someone who is in tune with their body and whose reactions should be faster and more controlled that a lay person to survive against almost any weapon you may meet on the streets. Martial arts training specifically prepares you for the unexpected, and trains your own weapon - your body - to react instictively, in the most appropriate way possible for the given circumstances. That provides an advantage someone untrained will not posses. It doesn't guarantee anytthing, but it may provide the fraction of an inch or fraction of a second that makes the difference between living and dying.

As to someone with a firearm. As an ex military policemen and VIP protection officer, only a few people out there are trained properly to use a handgun effectively at anything beyond five feet when their target may be moving and when their own adrenalin may be flowing. Most police officers are not very good marksmen when the target is moving and beyond 10 feet. Very few thugs that may confront you on the street will be any better. The quicker you react, the faster you run away, the greater the distance you put between you and the weapon - the greater your chances of surviving the incident. I would argue martial arts training may just give you the critical response timing and physical ability that may just make the difference.

I personally believe martial arts training today is as absolutely necessary for everyone in our society as they have been for thousands of years, but perhaps for somewhat different reasons in the modern era.

Ken C

9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do

8th Dan TaeKwon-Do

7th Dan YongChul-Do
Reply:yeah forget going to class and working out.... just buy a gun and sit on your couch and eat potato chips? for some people its a way of life, for others its exercise, for others it is for self esteem... i could ask the same ? about religion... but some people want it and others need it. Usefulness... how about my daughter gets attacked by a dog, or an unarmed (or armed I'd still kill him) pedophile (yeah I'm going to jail and he is gonna die)... Maybe my time in martial arts taught me to respect people... sure what good is that... Maybe it taught me how to be a better man and to be a better father... to instill discipline and values into my children... but your right, a machine gun could wipe us all out and it would have all been for nothing.
Reply:Martial arts is useful for keeping a healthy mind and body. Think of it as a sport.

As for practicality, i think it is best to ask the instructors
Reply:You are correct in that a gun in the hands of a person 15-20 feet away has a huge advantage and they can get off two shots with just a revolver before you close the distance. Over half the gun shootings in this country take place at a much lesser distance according to the Department of Justice crime statistics. Most people are stabbed at close range. Knifes usually are not balanced and when thrown have much chance of hitting their target. Either weapon though is a serious risk to a person and so that is why you avoid those situations whenever possible but practice dealing with them for years in the event that you are confronted with a weapon and have no way of avoiding it.

If you are confronted with a weapon then usually it is a combination of strikes, knees, elbows, punches, and kicks along with some joint lock type maneuvers that will enable you to gain control of the weapon rather than just one particular type of counter or technique.
Reply:You raise a good question and the best answer is people do indeed expect too much from martial arts.

The modern martial arts philosophy of 'self defence' is beating the bad guy, who in theory is always bigger, nastier and better armed than you, and finding some way to do it.

In fact the art of war is all about siezing the initiative. If you are being attacked for any reason, you have already lost half the battle before you even start. Someone in your intelligence section has fallen asleep and allowed you to get into this mess before you realised it.

The simple fact is if you turn it around into 'attack' and you are the bad guy with the knife or the gun, or who is stronger or who hits first, you have won already.

Now I'm not saying you can go round shooting people! It may be that the 'inititiave' is you don;t near bad areas, or become rich enough to hire bodyguards or get a permit to carry whatever.

It is more about mentality of always having the initiative right from the start, where you don't try and create martial arts as some magical formula to lifes bad problems.

In other words don't be afraid to say "As good as I am my martial arts are almost useless in this scenario" and feel good about thinking of other ways to get around it.
Reply:You ask an excellent question, and the answer is, all your training may not work. You seem to be trained in 3 excellent systems, and you are smart enough to realize it won't help you stop bullets. What you have is wisdom. The benefits of martial arts though are that in a situation, you'll at least have a chance. Look at the Virginia Tech massacre last year. If a few of those students were martial artists, perhaps something could have been done. The gunman wouldn't have known who the martial artist was, and where the attack was coming from before it did. Other situations, like drive-by shootings, can't be fixed by martial arts.
Reply:You are right that guns are dangerous, but I think you are forgetting one of the most important things that you must have learned in all of your training. You learned to read and out think your opponent.

Most guys with guns and knives like to intimidate and will wave it in your face before they will pull the trigger. They get off on any fear that their intended victim might show.

Believe it or not...

As a martial artist you have been taught to recognize possible dangers and to analyze risk even if you are not conscious of it.

Who says that you have to sit still and be a victim... The statistics show; that unless trained in how to shoot, that your assailant has only a 10% chance of actually hitting a moving target. So distract your attacker and run away. Better to be smart and live another day than go home in a "hero's" body bag.

peach fruit

Burning muscle in my leg. I know what sore muscles feel like, and this is different. What could it be?

2009-11-16T18:09:00.003-08:00

I've been doing Wing Chun for awhile now, and for the past year or so my upper thigh on my right leg has been burning. It's the worst when I'm stretching and I lean backwards. But it also bugs me when we do stance training. It's not just a sore muscle, this is more of a sharp pain. And it will hurt sometimes when I'm not even using it. I don't use steroids or anything, but I've heard of some steroid using body builders who put too much strain on their muscles and cause them to rip. Could it be something like that? Our stance training can be pretty intense. Any ideas would be appreciated. I don't know what this is.

Burning muscle in my leg. I know what sore muscles feel like, and this is different. What could it be?
Sigh....

I love the pseduo scientists here..

It is not lactic acid, it is not a cramp.

Burning means severe strain. It is unlikely you tore it because it wouldn't stop hurting.

Sharp burning means severe strain, any type of sharp burning denotes an injury, not a common cramp, and certainly not lactic acid.

That is a warning sign you need to look at. You need to rest that muscle for a little while, also anti inflammotories will help (Ibuprofen is a good one). But rest it, take it as a warning sign. Good athletes and Martial Artists know their bodies, and two things to watch out for are sharp burning (again denotes strain, can be tears but usually you REALLY know when you tear something) or any kind of tingling nerve feeling (like when you hit your funny bone).

What you have my friend is a severe strain, it will only get worst and could eventually tear. It is probably just a small strand of muscle fiber that is doing it, give yourself two weeks off and take some Advil. Then go light on any exercises that heavily utlize that leg for a month or so. (I would avoid excessive stance training for at least two weeks after your recovery period).

The fact that it has been going on so long means you are continually reinjuring it. Take some time off, let it heal up, be cognicent of it, and in a month or so you won't have that problem anymore.

In the meantime make sure you are getting enough potassium and protein. During your rest phase I would kill the protein.

In the future ensure you are hydrated, eat a banana or two before practice, and listen to your body. Sharp burning is bad.

Good luck!
Reply:'s not cramp is it
Reply:I would say one of your muscle strands have ripped
Reply:That burning in your legs is coming from an excess of lactic acid, common in runners. Have someone rub you down after each time you do your Wing Chun this will get that acid out of your legs.
Reply:no, its not like the steroid users. you probably just overworked yourself and pulled a muscle. give it some rest for a couple days or just do some really easy workouts. whenever you feel that sharp pain again, just stop workout out right there. if it hurts, dont do it for a while. everyone says no pain no gain, but thats not true. if you feel real pain then u need to stop immediately.
Reply:Sometimes, and I am not saying it is your case, but when you exercise alot, the cells in the part of your body use up all their normal "fuel" I will try to explain easily instead of using biological words because many people would not know what I was talking about. Anyway, when the normal fuel for your muscles are "used up" your cells start creating another "fuel" to use, and a side effect of this is burning and pain. If you are "thin" and exercise alot, you should make sure you are getting enough "sugar" to fuel your cells so that they do not have to switch to this alternate fuel source. Eat a power bar or drink one of those high calorie drinks before you work out and see if that helps.
Reply:When a muscle is injured and constantly put under strain it will move from it's correct position in relation to the nerves and ligaments surrounding the tissue and cause a pinching or squeezing effect which causes sporadic blood flow and sometimes leads to a burning sensation. Sometimes the sensation is a tingle, other times it takes the form of an itch on another part of the body, like the bottom of the feet(which is common)

What you need is a REMEDIAL Massage therapist who uses eastern massage techniques like Shiat- Tzu(pardon the spelling). I have found these to be the most effective by far.

If the injury is a year old, you can expect a 2 month lay-off while you get this fixed. The good news is, your hands can never be too fast-work on them while you can't kick.

When training, not all pain is good. Learn to listen to your body-you're putting too much work into it to ruin it. Would you keep driving a car with a buckled wheel?Or would you get it straightened and re-aligned?

Bourne Ultimatium: What Martial Arts is he Matt Damon using?

2009-11-16T18:09:00.002-08:00

The previews look good, but I'm wondering what Martial Arts is Matt using? Looks like some sort of Wing chun or Mauy Thai

Bourne Ultimatium: What Martial Arts is he Matt Damon using?
in the extras to one of the bourne movies he said he learned kali/escrima it does also look like krav maga which involves quick devastating blows and weapon defense and is an art used by some military branches

however like i said matt damon himself said kali.

kali is taught with sticks and knives however the same techniques with those weapons can still used without. along with strikes and weapons grappling/joint locks are also learned in kali. and is taught to the military in the philippines.

krav maga is a hybrid mix martial art using different techniques from different styles for self-defense and is taught no rules anything to survive(eye gouge, nut kicks etc) also focus on defending from guns, knives, and sticks and also using improvised weapons

now like most martial arts in hollywood its probably a mix of many different arts(hollywood fu) but mainly rooted with escrima

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escrima

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?conte...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_maga

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?conte...
Reply:Bourne-Ku-Do
Reply:Its not Muay thai for sure... I took it before. My guess is he is using a good mixture of martial arts and not one pure form.
Reply:dunno... i watched the movie today... i don't know much about martial arts, but there's a mix of everything, it's a more defensive type of fight, not offensive, like yudo
Reply:I think it's Kali (or Eskrima). It's a Filipino fighting style which evolved from stick or knife fighting for which the practicioners learn to fight either with sword (or stick) or with bare hands. I based my theory on the observation that Bourne hits his opponent with either the back of his hand or the 'heel' of his hand.... as opposed to hitting your opponent with knuckles like a boxer's punch. His hands were also held up close for defense and effecient on extremely closed quarter hand-to-hand combat with emphasis on strikes using the hands rather than feet. Check out the link below as it also featured a video clip of the style. You will notice that the fighting style is very identical to Jason Bourne's

Just my humble opinion as I could be wrong
Reply:Hollywood version
Reply:Its kick *** that's what it is.

Muscle memory?

2009-11-16T18:09:00.001-08:00

All right lets cut to the chase. I'm into martials, but my parents don't have extra money to send me anywhere and I don't have a job, so I'm wondering when muscle memory gets considerably stubborn. I know the older you get, it becomes harder to learn new things so I want to know when it will get very stubborn so I know when start. I'm almost 15 and the style I'm intending to learn is wing chun or jeet kune do. So when does the muscle get stubborn?

Muscle memory?
You will be fine at your age and have plenty of time, no worries
Reply:It starts right away. Muscle memory is: when your muscle gets use to doing something. Like if you only stretch to a certain point over and over. Then later you try to go further, it is very difficult. Another good example of that is with push-ups. If you do 100 everyday for a year, then one day you decide you want to see how many you can do. Once you hit 100 your muscles are pretty much done. So this starts right away.

Good luck with your studies!
Reply:Stubborn muscles? Interesting concept. Never heard of it, and I've been in the fitness and martial arts industries for more than 20 years.

If it helps any, I have more than 50 students over the age of 35, and none of them have complained about "stubborn muscles." Their muscle memory has developed at the right pace, just as expected. The only problem is that these students tend to think too much, not trusting their muscle memory. I have to continually tell them to listen to their bodies, to let their arms/legs do what they're trying to do instead of stopping them and thinking over what the next move should be.

So if you are asking when is too old to develop muscle memory, I've yet to see someone of that age. I don't have any students over the age of 60 though, so there's always that possibility.
Reply:It is true what the othes are saying: muscle memory has no age limit. Muscle strength and flexibility do however, If you don't keep yourself fit and exercised then your muscles will begin to weaken as early as 25, however, at that age, you would still have plenty of time to fix them. I would have to say late 40s early 50s, if you are already out of shape, would be the absolutely worst time to begin exercise/martial arts, because many of those muscles will just never be as healthy as they could be. But then again, I'm 22, so I am only hazarding an educated guess (my father is 46 and at least as fit as I am, but has trained since he was 13).

Now, as for learning martial arts with little to no money I can help you, for I was there myself once: if you get an allowance, save it! Or if no allowance, knock on your neighbors doors and ask them if they have any chores they'd be willing to pay you to do for them, like mowing the lawn, etc. ( I did this one a lot, you can make really good money depending on how far you go. 4 blocks away? They're still neighbors!) Just save until you have 50 bucks (or more if you want to get several videos. I also recommend buying at least one punching bag at some point, to have something "solid" to practice your techniques on). That is enough to buy a single (sometimes 2) martial arts training dvd online and cover shipping and all. Buy the first video in a set of videos teaching Wing Chun (which I am currently learning both in studio and on video, good choice BTW). Watch this video over and over again and listen carefully to the instructions, and if there are no instructions,(sometimes these videos just have a teacher performing the techniques) then you can still mimic the teacher. Practice in front of a mirror until you do the moves identical to the person on the tape, it helps if you buy a dvd and slow-mo the video to take your time in learning the techniques. When you are just starting do the moves slowly to ensure you aren't making any mistakes (this also helps your muscles to remember the motions better), and then speed up as you memorize them. Wing Chun is a great martial art to learn from video because it is direct and structured, the more "flowing" and "graceful" martial arts (like wushu kung fu) are very difficult to learn from video. A good video training set is taught buy a guy called "Randy Williams," he has something like 15 videos all on every aspect of Wing Chun, which is rare. Often you will find sets of like 3 or 4 by one teacher, this one instructor has 15! (dvd too) And he knows his stuff. Go to www.superfoots.com, or do a google search for Unique Publications, (they're the guys that sell his videos). Wing Chun was the first martial art Bruce Lee trained in (outside of his home anyway) adn he used it in all of his Jeet Kune Do classes, up until the day he died. On a side note, if you decide to learn Jeet Kune Do, research the names of Bruce Lee's original students and either learn from a video made by one of those original students, or learn at a studio taught by one of those original student's protege's, because there is a lot of SH*T out there with the words "Jeet Kune Do" slapped onto it. People claiming to have met Bruce Lee, or to be distant relatives of Bruce Lee, etc. Just be careful, and good luck.
Reply:You have nothing to worry about. Muscle memory has nothing to do with strength. By practicing the same movements over a period of time you begin to think about the movements less and the brain sends its signals to the muscles without you having to think about the action you want the body to do. For example, babies concentrate on how to move their legs and balance correctly to be able to walk. After a while the baby doesn't need to spend as much energy on walking because the brain has memorized how to walk and takes over.
Reply:You should be fine.
Reply:What I would suggest is to go and speak to a Wing Chun or JKD school and talk to them, say that you are really keen to learn but that you don't have much money, if you have an allowence tell them how much you can afford to pay and that you are willing to work for them to pay for the rest of your training. They may or may not be willing to help you or might recomend a student of theirs that might be willing to help you learn for a reduced amount or maybe even free if you're super lucky.

One thing that you must be though is diligent, if they do help you out then you must train hard and stick with it to repay them for their faith in you.
Reply:Unless you experience a major injury, what they call "muscle memory" will never go away.

Now. as far as training with no money, many of us went through this and you already have some suggestions. I did this myself. My first classes at the YMCA were free. Eventually my teacher gave me an old GI that he picked up somewhere.

Approach the schools in your area in person. Tell it like it is. You have no money but would very much like to learn. You are willing to be the janitor, wash cars, or any other work in exchange for your training.

I have been in the gym business for more than 20 years now and we always have someone like this working for us. Expect to get some really crappy jobs at first, but this is just to test your commitment. We would start you out cleaning the hair and other nasties from the drain in the locker room, scrubbing the steam room and sauna, and washing towels. I also remember sweeping a gigantic parking lot when I was your age in the same situation.

You might get 9 "No" answers, but stick with it. You only need one "Yes". As you progress the chores set out for you will get easier. For me it lead to a career in the business.

Good Luck.

wallflower

Whats the Best Martial Arts School In New YOrk?

2009-11-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

I want to go to one that uses Bruce Lee Fighting techniques. Like wing chun, Jeet Kune Do and all that stuff.

Whats the Best Martial Arts School In New YOrk?
the best martial art is you're martial art don't listen to instructors they just want you're money honestly get some martial arts books and mix the moves up and honestly express yourself it'll be interesting.
Reply:If it must be that style, here's a webpage with a Sifu...

http://www.yipwingchun.com/sifu.html

But, were I in NY, I'd be at this Sensei's Dojo. He was quite the Martial Arts Master when I met him.

http://www.isshinryu.net/dojo/huntingt.h...
Reply:Do your homework and check out schools listed in Martial Arts directories. Determine for yourself if that school is right for you. You'll have to do some legwork on your part.
Reply:write or e - mail curtis wong editor and publisher of inside kung - fu and black belt magazines and author of many books and a authority of martial arts schools and the authenticity of the schools and their sifus / sensais...give him a holler
Reply:Intrested in JKD go to INOSANTO academy of martial arts website.Look on the list of certified instructors in NY(there are quite few through out the 5 boroughs) near you nad go check it out.Anyone coming through Dan Inosanto is the closest thing to Bruce Lee as you can get.Hope this helps.

What Martial Arts XP have you got?

2009-11-16T18:08:00.003-08:00

Karate - 5years

Tae Kwon Do - 3 years

Hap Ki Do - 3 years

Boxing - 2 weeks :p

MMA (thai boxing wing chun) - 2 weeks :p

MMA (ju jitsu, judo, akido, karate, boxing thai boxing, stick fighting) - 2 weeks :p

What Martial Arts XP have you got?
Traditional Styles:

-Shotokan Karate - 12 years

-Japanese Ju-Jutsu - 3 years

-Brazilian Ju-Jutsu - 1.5 years

Modern military fighting styles:

-SCARS, Defendo, Krav Maga, and (currently) Systema - 12 years.

Used all styles at one point or another in actual combat.
Reply:Tae Kwon Do - 3 years

Freesyle Wrestling - 5 years

Street Fighting - 20 years

Edit: I would love to study Jujitsu

Everybody Wang Chung tonight!
Reply:I hesitate to answer this question out of false modesty: though i believe i have a reasonable grounding in a variety of different systems i don't want to appear a braggart or claim i know it all - because i don't.

But then, by answering, it my lend some credibilty to any answers i have given or intend to give. So here goes:

Started formal training QLD Police Academy 1974

Ceased (for now) formal training 2004.

Karate-do - 2yrs

Judo - 3yrs

Taekwondo - 3yrs

Amateur Boxing - 6 mnths

Army Unarmed Combat exponents course - 6 wks full time

Army " " instructors course - " " time

Military Police Defensive Tactics course - 1 wk

Budo jitsu - Sempai (assistant instructor ) - 1 yr

Aikido (aikikai %26amp; Yoshinkan) - 18 mnths total

Jujutsu - 2 yrs

MMA training ( incl. JKD, Muay Thai, etc,etc) usually having other soldiers as training partners at different bases all over Australia and S.E. Asia during a 22 year Army career.

Over last 4 yrs have been conducting one-on-one instruction to "training partners". At 50 yrs of age I am considering going back to Aikido.
Reply:I've trained in one thing or another since I was 12, now 40. I really don't think I need to give spec. years of training because I tend to be eclectic and gather what i want from things and move on. With that I could list 4 that I remain training in to this day. Aikido, BJJ, Escrima/Kali, MMA. Those four span for around 16 of those years, total.
Reply:Tae kwon do = June 2004 - August 2006

Muay Thai = August 2006 - current..(and plan to do it for aslong as possible)

interested in learning a grappling art to compliment my standing skills..
Reply:I train in my head mostly.

Shaolin-do, 4 years and counting

ki-aikido, 1 year and counting

Capoeira, 1 year and counting

For people who know how to use their chi only?

2009-11-16T18:08:00.002-08:00

In shaoling eagle claw kung fu we are taught to sink are chi. While I am able to minipulate my chi well I cant quite make my chi " longer" for a move that I want to do from wing chun style. Anyone have any ideas on how I could make my chi longer?

For people who know how to use their chi only?
Practice...patience and focus. Chi moves and is stored according to the time of day as your aware. Visualize your taget, be calm and passive and your chi will get "longer"

PS. interesting choice of wording....LOL

best wishes
Reply:Practice, at first you might chi real quick but eventually you got her chi going multiple times before you unload on her face.

Sink your chi and come back to reality. There is no mystical energy eminating from your body that you channel. Power and speed. Martial arts + religion = BS.

I live in Glendale, Arizona do you know any places nearby that are not mcdojos?

2009-11-16T18:08:00.001-08:00

i want to look for either tae kwon do, jeet kune do, or wing chun. if possible please list the place's website

thanks for your help

I live in Glendale, Arizona do you know any places nearby that are not mcdojos?
If you are looking into Taekwon-Do, look for a dojo associated with:

ITF - The International Taekwon-Do Federation.

The ITF has the strictest quality standards for school certification.

ITF certification is probably in the ad in the yellow pages!

.
Reply:try the tae kwon do center
Reply:623!!!!!!!!....sorry, cant help you, but its nice to hear from someone from Glendale! Go Jordin Sparks!

Yeah, I didnt answer the question, so what?

Furniture