which would you choose?

[drummingman]

wing chung kung fu,american goju ryu karate or motobu ha shito ryu karate? im looking for real self defense that will work in real street fighting.
these are the styles that are in my area that im trying to choose between.i know that a lot of people say that no one style is better then the other but i know that each style has it's strengths and weaknesses.which one of these styles main strength is real self defense?
i have talked to all the the main teachers of each school in my area and have watched classes for both karate schools.the kung fu teacher met with me in his home and we spent a good amount of time talking.i know that he does not do any ground fighting so i would have to find a way to apply the kung fu on the ground if that is what i take.the goju ryu teacher said that he teaches ground fighting but im not sure if the shito ryu teacher does.i olny bring this up because i want to cover all ranges of fighting and self defense.
so,knowing these things that i have said here what style would you choose?

 

[Tez3]

I tend to think that if you are looking for straight street fighting skills you should forget about doing it as a martial art and go find the roughest establishment you can and ask the door people to teach you.

 

[Makalakumu]

Grab a notebook and pencil and have each teacher write down their lineage. Come back and post it on Martial Talk. Sometimes this is important in choosing and art and sometimes it isn't.

What this information can tell you, however, is which instructor is tied to which organization. When this information is known, other people can directly comment on the quality of the instruction.

I, personally, would not train with a teacher who could not list his lineage.

 

[drummingman]

check out these inks for the schools. http://www.virginiakempo.com
http://www.sanyamabushi-goju.com
http://www.shaolinkungfucenter.com
from what i can tell each website tells where each school is coming from.
and tez3,if i could find someone who would train me in the street fighting skills you are talking about i would study with them.but to my knowledge thay are not doing any teaching.
i have always approached martial arts with the reality of true street combat in mind because that is all that really matters in my opinion when it comes to any type of self defense.i know that a lot of people take the martial arts for other reasons but to my knowledge the martial arts started out as a form of what we would call today real street combat amd i try to approach it as such within the limits of the law.

 

[arnisador]

wing chung kung fu,american goju ryu karate or motobu ha shito ryu karate?

All of these are viable cjoices. I guess for self-defense I'm partial to Wing Chun from this list, but I've done Goju and found it good too. I have little experience with Shito but no reason to be concerned.

 

[Tez3]

At the risk of being shouted down I would suggest you go for MMA if you only have a choice of training one thing. If you have a club/gym near you that does it? This way you would do stand up and floor work plus it's pretty full on. I'm very lucky in that I train both TMA and MMA.

 

[Drac]

I've seen Wing Chun and Goju-Ryu used in street/bar fights and BOTH seemed pretty impressive..I have not seen Shinto so I cannot comment on it..

 

[dubljay]

Having no real experience with any of the listed arts I can't comment on their effectiveness. However I just want to put my perspective on the matter.


I'm probably going to say things that your already aware of...

Regardless of the art and how effective it is, how great the instructor is, how advanced you become... all of that is within the confines of a controlled environment, the dojo. The ability to translate effective skills from within the dojo to the street environment means more than knowing how to block, kick, and punch. The concept of self defense goes above and beyond what most schools train. Situational awareness, reading body language, little things like that make all the difference in a street situation. A key thing to remember is that the street is a fluid, unpredictable environment, ANYTHING can happen out there. The dojo is the exact opposite, you generally know what to expect (that may lessen as you advance). The sheer emotional factor of a street situation is enough to throw you off balance. The palpable hate that comes off a guy that you've inadvertently wronged some how, the adrenalin rush when it all starts to go down.

Like I said... probably heard it all before right.

Boil it down and here's what it all comes down to: YOU!

You are the one that has to be able to translate your dojo skills to a street situation, very few schools train for that, and no school can ever fully prepare you for that. I doubt LEO academes manage to fully prepare officers for that kind of thing (probably somewhat though).



Just my two cents.



-Josh

 

[MJS]

wing chung kung fu,american goju ryu karate or motobu ha shito ryu karate? im looking for real self defense that will work in real street fighting.
these are the styles that are in my area that im trying to choose between.i know that a lot of people say that no one style is better then the other but i know that each style has it's strengths and weaknesses.which one of these styles main strength is real self defense?
i have talked to all the the main teachers of each school in my area and have watched classes for both karate schools.the kung fu teacher met with me in his home and we spent a good amount of time talking.i know that he does not do any ground fighting so i would have to find a way to apply the kung fu on the ground if that is what i take.the goju ryu teacher said that he teaches ground fighting but im not sure if the shito ryu teacher does.i olny bring this up because i want to cover all ranges of fighting and self defense.
so,knowing these things that i have said here what style would you choose?

Any of them have the potential to be useful in a SD situation. However, what I'd look at is how each art is being trained. Do they spar? Is there contact? Is the training alive? Is there resistance during techniques? These are just a few things to consider.

I usually say the same thing when these types of discussions come up, so I'll say it again. I'd first decide what you're looking to get out of your training. From there, look at each school. If you have to go back 5 times, then so be it. Take a trial class, talk to the instructor and students. If you feel that a school is not going to give you what you're looking for, you're going to have to keep searching. Sometimes you may have to crosstrain if you want to expand on something further.

As I said in the beginning, they all have the potential to be good, but without seeing them in person, its hard to give an accurate decision.

Mike

 

[searcher]

I have no large amount of experience with the styles listed, but I have been around them all at varying times. Of the ones you have listed I would have to say Wing Chun. It will give you a good base for going to JKD. Someone with JKD experience correct am if I am wrong.

 

[still learning]

Hello, TRY JUDO! Do not under estimate this art! It works real well on the streets.

A good Judoka should teach besides the throws, should also be teaching chokes,locks, and striking skills. (most judo classes teach ground skills as well)

Don't take my word for it.......The only way you know how effective it can be is too train in JUDO for while! Than you know

I have been training in Shotokan karate and Kempo-Karate for a number of years....JUDO IS very different...you will love learning these new skills...!!!

Just a white belt in Judo....love it! .........Aloha

 

[Touch Of Death]

Grab a notebook and pencil and have each teacher write down their lineage. Come back and post it on Martial Talk. Sometimes this is important in choosing and art and sometimes it isn't.

What this information can tell you, however, is which instructor is tied to which organization. When this information is known, other people can directly comment on the quality of the instruction.

I, personally, would not train with a teacher who could not list his lineage.

Grumble

 

[PeaceWarrior]

What MJS said...

And as a wing chun practitioner, I am kind of biased toward it. It really is a wonderful art that when applied correctly, is very very effective in stand up fighting. I say stand up because there really isnt any ground work to speak of, unless your sifu has experience in that and is willing to teach.

My suggestion would be, find a place that feels good to you, where the instructor is experienced and you find what you were looking for. However, even experienced instructors arent worth much as instructors if they cant teach. Watch the students carefully. Do they interact well? Is there an obvious difference in skill between the juniors and the seniors? Does it seem like a good atmosphere for learning?

just some things to think about! Good luck in your journey!

Keith

 

[robertmrivers]

Drummingman

How's it. Why don't you just come by and take a class (I am the Motobu ha Dojo-cho you are asking about). You stopped by but then we never saw you again.

We teach Motobu ha Shito Ryu, Kempo (I am the guy who has brought Motobu Choki Soke's son, Motobu Chosei Soke to Virginia the past two years) Kobudo and classical Jujutsu. My Jujutsu teacher is also one of the 5 chief masters under Yip Chun of Wing Chun. I have trained under Ko Uehara of Goju Ryu in Okinawa among others. If you want to learn about the history and the tactics of all of these arts, come on by. If you want to learn how to fight...well...that's what we do! In the past I was also honored being contracted by the FBI Academy, Quantico, VA to train their instructors in our concepts. We have all walks of life at the dojo... full contact champions to active military/ law enforcement to 5 year olds. You need to come in and dress out.

You CANNOT learn everything BEFORE you get into a dojo. You have to get into the dojo first and then start the learning process. Once the credentials of the dojo are verified...jump in. It doesn't matter where. Just train. Hope to see you (and anyone else for that matter, all are welcome) soon.

Gassho

Rob


The Academy of Kempo-Karate Shin Dojo
Robert M. Rivers
5th Dan, Renshi
Dai Nippon Butokukai, Kyoto, Japan

5th Dan, Shibucho, Virginia, USA
Seishinkai Karate Union, Osaka, Japan

 

[drummingman]

hi robert.i stoped by again one night when you were not in and watched a class.i would like to talk with you again some time.
right now im waiting for my wrists to not be hurting as musch before i start training so thats why im doing all this research.
i tried to send you a message here but it said you are not taking messages.if you want to e mail me my e mail is [email protected]