Infrazael

Well, Karate originated from White Crane kung fu I believe, but it has evolved into something completely different from ANY kung fu style, Southern or Northern.

Or, take Muay Thai and start beating people up the 3rd day.

Actually Hung Kuen is alot like CLF, but in the opposite way.

Really??? Mabye there are just crappy kung fu schools in your area who don't train their students properly. Here, I'd bet the exact opposite, because I KNOW the kung fu schools in the vicinity, including mine, all produce top fighters. We have several ex-Wushu students here, and they all tell us the training here is much harder. BTW, this is my training drills A and B A 1. Stretches 2. Stances 3. Heavy conditioning (bang-arms, push-hands, isometrics, wooden dummy, shin conditioning, etc) 4. Shadowboxing with weights 5. Shadowboxing without weights 6. Technique drills 7. Combination drills 8. Forms 9. Full-contact sparring 10. Heavy bagwork 11. Lifting weights, 2-knuckle pushups, dumbells, all the good stuff. 12. Usually more full-contact sparring 13. More sparring 14. After several black eyes and bloody noses are recieved, the sparring stops.

Who's with me??? If I ever become rich or famous (I will actually work very hard towards it), I want to put out all of those crappy McDojos, watered-down, useless beliefs and crap out of business, one by one. They are truly a disgrace to real Martial Arts.

Muay Thai rocks so much more.

Wrong. Alot of times, the real applications are taken and changed for aesthetic purposes. Wushu has overextended kicks, useless rotations, stances that are too high, low, wide, or short, extended to extremes for artistic purposes. Jumps are flashy and does no good in a street fight. Hyperextended stances and stance transitions DO NOT provide for maximum stability. Sure, they may LOOK similar to real Kung Fu, by the end result is vastly different. Hip movements are often also distorted, with footwork also bent for aesthetic purposes. Overtly showy blocks, strikes, and jumps are easily countered. Wu Shu, while in Mandarin may MEAN "martial arts" (I speak mandarin), but when people refer to Wu Shu they are talking about the gymnastic, artsy style that the Chinese Government put in place, becasue they were fearful of real kung fu. Also, the weapon forms are completely horrible for real life fighting. Yes, I would know. I grew up in Northern China, I have seen TONs of Wu Shu, I have researched into this subject and spoken with practitioners who do both styles. Now, Wu Shu looks awesome and is great for movies, but sorry, it doesn't work in a real street fight.

Wrong. Alot of times, the real applications are taken and changed for aesthetic purposes. Wushu has overextended kicks, useless rotations, stances that are too high, low, wide, or short, extended to extremes for artistic purposes. Jumps are flashy and does no good in a street fight. Hyperextended stances and stance transitions DO NOT provide for maximum stability. Sure, they may LOOK similar to real Kung Fu, by the end result is vastly different. Hip movements are often also distorted, with footwork also bent for aesthetic purposes. Overtly showy blocks, strikes, and jumps are easily countered. Wu Shu, while in Mandarin may MEAN "martial arts" (I speak mandarin), but when people refer to Wu Shu they are talking about the gymnastic, artsy style that the Chinese Government put in place, becasue they were fearful of real kung fu. Also, the weapon forms are completely horrible for real life fighting. Yes, I would know. I grew up in Northern China, I have seen TONs of Wu Shu, I have researched into this subject and spoken with practitioners who do both styles. Now, Wu Shu looks awesome and is great for movies, but sorry, it doesn't work in a real street fight.

Low Horse Stance in Karate??? And you take Hung Gar!!! C'mon dude, we Southern stylists have like some of the lowest stanes in the world. . . . . . .

In Wushu, everything is done for LOOKS instead of power, stability, etc. Their stances are overtly wide, their footwork is wrong, their techniques just PLAIN SUCK. All the power and destructiveness of real Kung Fu is taken away in Wushu, leaving only the artistic side.

Dude, there's always Raves and parties you can go to to get chicks. It's not that hard. It's the relationship part that puts me off. WAAAAYYYYY too much time and energy spent. Better spend perfection my Kung Fu.

What is the most deadly CMA weapon??? Pick one please. For me, twin 9-linked Whip Chains are my favorite.

Wushu is a disgrace to SOME hardcore Kung Fu people (me included). However, some of my advanced CLF friends take comtemporary Wushu tho. As a fighting art. . . . . . ballet is prolly better.

I hope you take up CLF - it's a VERY complete and powerful style. The stances are identical in depth and rooting to Hung Gar's, while transitions are (IMO) faster, along with more Northern kicks. So, IMO, the style is more rounded for a Southern style.

I won't date a chick from my Kung Fu school, not because I am morally against it or I think it's wrong, nor am I worried about internal politics. I just simply dislike relationships. I'm 17 for Christ's sake!!! I should be hitting lots of different girls, not sticking to just one. That's for when I'm about 26. Also, I want to SERIOUSLY focus upon my training. I want to be the best, and that takes dedication. You don't fool around if you want to be the best, at least at your school. I spend all my time conditioning, sparring, shadowboxing, weightlifting, doing forms, etc. Besides that, work, school, and homework. I barely even have time for movies anymore. It's the focus and my intention that keeps my going, because I know that with effort comes success.

Tell that to a Kyokushin guy and you're asking for it.

Normal Karateka vs. Boxer. --Boxer would win, hands down. Kyokushin Karateka vs. Boxer Now THAT would be interesting, as Kyokushin is pretty brutal.

You're prolly used to brutality from your football experience. OK, I've got the PERFECT COMBO for you. If you wanna learn something practical, efficient, and just plain sweet, consider the following. Muay Thai (Thai boxing) + Brazilian Jujutsu. One of the deadliest combos out there, VERY frequently used by UFC/K1/Pride fighters. Why? Because it works, and you learn to knock peoples' brains out. Muay Thai is basically boxing punches, coupled with headbutts (sometimes), elbows, knees, kicks, grabs, etc. Brazilian Jujutsu is submission wrestling, where you learn how to break bones and choke them to death. Fun stuff.

Here are two, by my SiGong (Grandmaster) Lee Koon Hung. Scroll down about the middle of the page are 2 videos you can watch. The quality isn't the best, but it's better than paying. http://www.floridakungfu.com/choylayfut.htm

Although both NPM and SPM are based on the praying mantis, both are drastically different. I prefer SPM myself, but then again I'm all for Southern Shaolin, but Northern kicks aren't back either lol. Anyways, the differences. Northern is more "flashy" but not in the same way as Wushu. It has extremely practical moves and such, and is very direct in its approach. I don't know too much about it, so I can't comment. SPM, on the other hand, is very short-range oriented. The Southern Mantis Fist is used to the maximum, focusing on the destruction of various vital spots such as neck, solar plexus, ribs, etc. All kicks are power-oriented and used from the waist and below.

My SiGong (Grandmaster), the late Lee Koon Hung for Choy Lay Fut kung fu.

You mean watered-down, Americanized kickboxing? That stuff? Allright in a real fight, although I would not depend on it. A boxer typically has alot more powerful punches. A Thai boxer can cause hell of alot more damage. However, kickboxing has its merits. It's damned good fun!!! If I just wanna have a little fun with my non-MAist friends, we'd just strap on some gloves and I'll try not to do any kung-fu or elbows/knees to them. Plus, it's a good workout, it gets you into shape, and you don't get smashed by Sao Choys, bruised ribs by accidental Leopard Fist strikes, or elbows smashed into your face. It's just an exercise really, that teaches you "some" fighting, but is not well rounded at all methinks.

Short-term learning. . . . no neck-breaking (no fun!!! jk jk). . . . good manners. . . . BTW people - for all of you who thinks that "MA is NOT for beating up the attacker bla bla bla, let me tell you something." It IS meant to be able to beat of the attacker. In a brawl, a street fight, there IS NOT any "backing up." You either run, survive, or die (both metaphorically and/or literally). It's NOT about winning, either. It's about SURVIVING. Teaching a kid how to survive in today's mean streets, in today's schools. That's why I LOATH Karate and TKD schools that take such a freaking unrealistic approach to their fanatastical version of "self-defense." Teaching kid's notions such as "never throw the first punch, never initiate an attack, violence is NEVER the answer etc, etc." I hate schools that teach their children "violence is NEVER the answer." I'd like to throw the principle in a street corner pressed by a thug and what he does. Talk his way out? About "throwing the first punch." In a REAL confrontation, SPEED is the KEY. My Sifu, who grew up in the mean streets of Hong Kong and nearby towns where lawlessness and brutality was omnipresent, ALWAYS said that the one to throw the first punch is typically the one that walks away. Think about his. If you're SURE a bully is going to hurt you, you have A RIGHT to hit him. DO NOT WAIT if you think there's going to be an inevitable confrontation. DO NOT JEOPARDIZE YOUR OWN HEALTH, for getting suspended and such. Alot of people seem to think that "OMG if you even THINK self-defense is for beating up people, how HORRILBE!!!" The sad fact is, that's the TRUTH. It IS about being able to kick *. It IS about being able to end the fight AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. It IS about finishing the confrontation with as little damage to you as possible. IT IS ABOUT TAKING THE OTHER GUY OUT. Think "Budo" from Ninjutsu. Survival. . . . . . In a REAL fight, you must be quick. You must be brutal. You must be ruthless. You must not hesitate, and you must have survival on your mind. Now, DO NOT think I'm preaching people to be violent. Violent is ALWAYS THE ANSWER in a real confrontation when it takes place, but still try to avoid it if possible. Fighting isn't good, it never was good, and never will be. People get hurt. You can get hurt. ALWAYS try to talk it out first. However, my message is this: If you KNOW nothing will work. . . . tear him apart. ASAP. DO NOT HESITATE, UNLESS YOU WANNA BE K-Oed. ================= Phew. Now, onto your kid's style. . . . . Krav Maga is awesome. You should tell the guys tho, NOT to teach your kid how to break necks. Just the striking aspect. I think Jujutsu/BJJ is a little too brutal for him at the moment, lest his sparring partner is also 7. I think the best is either some "light" Krav Maga or Muay Thai. Muay Thai is extremely brutal, yet safe to a point. He won't be killing anybody with it, yet he will know brutality and know how to fight. He will know how to punch, kick, knee, elbow, and utilitize a number of good techniques. I don't suggest any traditional martial arts if you're looking for quick results, because of all the forms and stuff involved. However, if you're looking for something deeper, takes longer to master and such, I'd suggest any of the Chinese Martial Arts or full-contact Karate like Kyokushin (the only karate I actually like. . . ). NOT WUSHU. WUSHU IS CRAP IN A REAL FIGHT. IT'S FLASHY, USELESS MOVES. A DISGRACE TO REAL KUNG-FU. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE FULL-CONTACT. FORMS ARE GREAT FOR THEORIES AND TECHNIQUE POLISHING, BUT FAIL IN A FIGHT. I don't care what style, Hung Gah, Wing Chun, Shotokan if they DON'T OFFER full-contact sparring, DO NOT GO THERE. I hope that helped.

Choy Lay Fut is all I have to say. And let's not reawaken the century-old feud between Wing Chun and Choy Lay Fut now please. . . . . . .

There's only 1 girl at my school right now, a few at the branch schools run by my SiHings. But it's always great to see girls go for Kung Fu or any MA tho. However, I personally think Northern styles fit with their physiology more. If south, then Wing Chun yeah. Do you think Hung Gah is well suited for the typical female bodytype? That kind of rigidness, I think, only limits the flexibility and usefulness of the female anatomy.