Kung fu styles

[goof321]

i only know of 2 kung fu styles(wing chun and drunken fist) i would like to find one that suits me but i dont know much so if everyone could give me a perspective of youre favorite style and explain it to me a little

 

[Xue Sheng]

List of Chinese Martial Arts

And that is not all of them

 

[Flying Crane]

Maybe a better exercise would be if you did some research and find out what is available in your area. Let us know, and then we have something concrete to discuss.

There are many many many many many many many different systems of Chinese martial arts. Some are very similar to others, some are quite unique. Many of them are not very common. So what I study here in California, may not be available where you live.

Let us know what you find.

 

[7starmarc]

Perhaps you could tell us a little about what you are looking for, and a little about your interests, strengths, and background.

There are literally hundreds of styles of kung fu, and many more variations of those styles. But it is rare that a person really has more than a few styles to choose from in a given area, so it may also be more helpful to look at what you have to choose from in your area, instead of choosing a style that you cannot get trained in.

For what it's worth, I am a Seven Star Praying Mantis practitioner, coming up on three years now. It favors a blend of soft and hard components with strong stance work and fast hand techniques. Kicking techniques are usually low in application (below the waist) and used in conjunction with hand techniques the majority of the time. Sensitivity, pressure points, take downs, chin na, traditional weapons and ground fighting are also incorporated. There are a few threads in the CMA forum section on Seven Star (or Praying Mantis in general) that you might find interesting.

 

[arnisador]

Yes, it's important to know what you want out of the experience.

 

[chinto]

i only know of 2 kung fu styles(wing chun and drunken fist) i would like to find one that suits me but i dont know much so if everyone could give me a perspective of youre favorite style and explain it to me a little

I am not any kind of expert on Kung fu, but there is choy li fat, there is fukuin crane systems such as sleeping crane and flying crane and at least one other, there is also mantis systems and tiger crane system, tiger system, eagle claw system, monkey system, leopard system, dragon system and about 1000 more as I understand it.
most of them are fairly old and have been combat tested. I would say find some one who studies one of the systems and find out what is available and such.. oh by the way there are long fist systems too.. Tai Chi Chung ( grand ultimate fist ) is a very efficient and effective system of "kung fu " when taught with the combat applications and things.
So I would say look into who teaches what systems and with what applications and such in your aria.

 

[goof321]

well i would like it for self defense, to help me build my body into a helthier fighting machine, not looking for much in the spiritual side but it doesnt matter if i do, i also like it to be challenging and to be able to compete

 

[goof321]

i have practiced tae kwon do for 2 yrs im kinda overweight, but i am looking to loose weight i dont know wat else can say

 

[Flying Crane]

Have you looked into what is available in your area? Once you give us that information, we might be able to respond with some useful information...

 

[thetruth]

Find what is accessible to you first. That is more important than learning drunken sloth fist.

Cheers
Sam:asian:

 

[chinto]

well i would like it for self defense, to help me build my body into a helthier fighting machine, not looking for much in the spiritual side but it doesnt matter if i do, i also like it to be challenging and to be able to compete

many systems of Kung fu are very effective for self defense. what is available in your aria? then perhaps we can give you some ideas. look also at the Okinawan Karate systems, they are also very very efficient and effective for self defense. I would say if there is a traditional Japanese jujitsu system around list them as well, they are also good for self defense. ( this does not include BJJ as that is sport oriented and not really systematized for self defense.)
but with out knowing what is available to you in your aria.. how can we even begin to give you any advice??

 

[goof321]

there is....
shaolin, tai chi, aikido and the rest is just TKD wich i still practice, karate and MMA

 

[Flying Crane]

there is....
shaolin, tai chi, aikido and the rest is just TKD wich i still practice, karate and MMA

OK, Shaolin encompasses many different arts, there really is no simple "shaolin style", so it might be helpful if you can get a bit more info. Some of the shaolin arts can again be quite different. Long Fist, Hung Gar, Fukien White Crane, Tang Lang are all arts that trace roots to Shaolin, and they are all rather different from each other.

Overall, they tend to be rather strenuous, and have good fighting applications, but how they approach combat, and their underlying and signature techniques can be quite different.

Tai Chi Chuan also has a number of different branches, and while there are similarities, again they can be quite different. Often, tai chi is taught simply as an exercise for health, altho it was originally a very effective method of fighting. It is difficult nowadays to find a good teacher who is capable of teaching the art as a fighting method. However, for those who truly understand tai chi, it can be a fighting method without equal. But it is very difficult to reach that full potential, even with a good teacher. It is an art with many subtleties, moreso than most. Even tho it is often done at a slow speed, you will find that it still gives you a good workout, just in a different way.

Aikido is a Japanese art, and is not kung fu. It is based on old traditional Japanese jujitsu, but was modified into an internal method, which makes it similar to tai chi, altho the physical technique is rather different and is still more akin to jujitsu, but not so much of the ground wrestling method.

Anyway, I'd suggest if you are really interested in kung fu, find out more about the Shaolin school, and specifically what method they are teaching. They may also teach tai chi, this is common in schools teaching kung fu, and it is beneficial to practice tai chi along with any other art.

 

[goof321]

although i dont have that many school around, seeing my description what do u think is a good kung fu style, cuase i am going to relocate in 1-2 years so i wanna have in mind a place close to a school of a style that i want

 

[Flying Crane]

although i dont have that many school around, seeing my description what do u think is a good kung fu style, cuase i am going to relocate in 1-2 years so i wanna have in mind a place close to a school of a style that i want

It is just not as simple as that.

There are many many many different systems of Chinese martial arts. Many of them are somewhat rare and are not available just anywhere. Some may have only a handful of schools or less, in the entire United States. The teacher may or may not be good. You may or may not like the style. The only way you will know is by doing it. I would definitely NOT move somewhere just to study a system you haven't experienced, under an instructor you do not know. You are taking a big gamble and you might find yourself looking to move all over again if you can't find a job in the area, or if you don't like the teacher or can't do what is demanded.

Some areas have more available than others. In the US, hotspots for Chinese martial arts are San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, as well as some availability in other big cities such as Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta, etc. If you go to one of these areas, you will have a better liklihood of finding a good school that you enjoy training with, 'cause you will have some choices.

I like Tibetan White Crane. But it's a rare style in the US. Not many schools available, and not all of the teachers accept just anybody who walks in. It's an unusual style, and I cannot recommend that you move somewhere specifically to study it, because you might not like it. So it's difficult to just give out a recommendation to you, because not everything is the right thing for everyone.

It's safe to assume that whatever people are studying, is something that they like, so of course they would give it a good recommendation. But again, it may not be right for you.

I think you are going to need to decide where you want to move, somewhere that you can find a job and support yourself, and then see what kung fu is available. If you really reall really want to study kung fu, then move to one of the places I mentioned, and you will have a greater selection, and a better chance at finding something that works well for you. Hopefully you can also find a job and support yourself and build a life in your new home.

 

[chinto]

although i dont have that many school around, seeing my description what do u think is a good kung fu style, cuase i am going to relocate in 1-2 years so i wanna have in mind a place close to a school of a style that i want

OK first like others said there are a lot of different styles of "kung fu"
there are a lot of different styles of karate too.. so gain what styles specifically are there for you to look into?
next have you gone in and asked a few questions and watched a class?
so bring us specific names of styles please, and then we might have a better idea of how to advise you.

 

[Steel Tiger]

One thing to consider is the general difference between external and internal styles. The Shaolin styles are an example of external and taiji is an example of internal. This really comes down to how much time you are willing to commit to the style.

The external style have a steep learning curve but might be considered to plateau sooner than the internal styles which have a less steep learning curve but plateau much later. It comes down to this; two or three years in an external style will give you excellent fighting skills if you are committed, while an internal style will ask for ten years for a good level of competence.

It just a difference of approach, but it can impact on a decision if you don't have a decade available in the one location.