monk64

I've rechambered for so long that I don't think I could switch. The point is to not commit yourself until you're ready to do so. For example, a typical Kenpo move is to do a kick and then plant where you would have planted had you not rechambered. Why? Because (a) you might have to change plans after then kick, and (b) the momentum of planting is used to add power to the next strike.

I think who wins in a fight depends on three things: student style circumstance I imagine a heavyweight boxing champ could beat a poor jujitsu fighter even though the boxer's style is designed for the ring and doesn't cover leg kicks, groin shots, ground combat, etc. However, if the best boxer in the world and the best judo guy in the world fought no-holds-barred, I'd favor the judoka because he his style encompasses a much broader range of techniques. That is, unless they fought in a regulation boxing match, in which case the judoka might get his clock cleaned. However, a very good judo guy would probably prevail in that same ring against an out of shape, overweight, poorly trained competitor no matter what his style. Etcetera. So much depends on student and circumstance. Muay Thai is certainly a fine art, but the problem is that people usually evaluate it in a competition context. It's like the MMA guys saying "karate is junk, look what we proved in the octagon". Take away half the strikes, put on pads, add other rules, and yes, karate may not be as effective. But that is one circumstance. Other than a few junk homebrew systems that I've seen and maybe one or two systems I've found to be questionable (just my opinion), the majority of traditional martial arts are very valid and potent in the hands of a good practitioner. Given that, how good you are is mostly up to you.

If you're really interested, go to Wikipedia and look up some styles, then search Wikipedia for those style names. I've yet to find a martial art where someone wasn't showing off on YouTube

As a point of comparison... In Kung Fu, traditionally it was "student" and "master" and there were no belts. When it came to the West, people wanted belts. My Kung Fu teacher was very traditional and the sequence was white-yellow-green-brown-black. It followed the classic (and probably apocryphal) story about a student's belt getting dirty with age. I truly wonder about the historical accuracy of the "rainbow" belt style. I suspect it was developed mostly because students want frequent rewards (no problem with that) and to add more testing fees (which is ridiculous). To-Shin Do has the most ridiculous belt system I've seen. Most levels have a "blue-white", "blue", and "blue-black" system. One school I saw had the usual rainbow with a "-black" at each level, such as "blue" and "blue-black". That is perhaps not that unusual but they actually had a "white-black" belt before yellow belt, which I'd never seen.

I always thought contracts were one of the worst parts of the martial arts experience. I know why instructors do them: people lose interest. It's the same with gyms - most want you to sign up for a year (or three!) What is fairer is a system where you can sign up for a monthly program, and then if you really like it, make a yearly commitment at a discount. Unfortunately, with martial arts studios, there's always one more little extra you have to pay for: test fees, certificate fees, new belts, uniforms, and of course the "association". I always thought those were particularly ridiculous...sure, if it's a big national federation and you compete, maybe they make sense, but mostly associations are another fee.

I've periodically read KF but decided to "get official" and get an account. I'm from Portland, Oregon and have a background in both Kenpo and Kung Fu San Soo. I've been fortunate to train under some great teachers - Dave Kebler for Kenpo before he retired, and Bill Hulsey for KFSS. I've been away from MA for a while but am getting back into it...so here I am. Only other thing to mention is that I've completed a directory of martial arts home study programs, along with some reviews and advice: BlackBeltDL.com Looking forward to some good conversation here. I happened upon this site when I read Patrick O'Keefe's book, Managing Online Forums.