Good and bad of your style.

[doubletwist]

Hopefully, this is in the correct forum, since this MIGHT also fit under "Comparative Styles", but I think it is of a non-comparative enough nature that this is better....

 

There are obviously no shortage of topics regarding what styles everyone thinks are best, but I'd like to take another approach.

 

There are certainly no "perfect" styles, and one person can excel at a style that another person might not be able to figure out at all.

 

What I'd be interested in seeing, is for your preferred style(s), what are 1 or 2 things that you like best about them, and what are 1 or 2 things that you think could be improved, or that you think your style is perhaps lacking.

 

Please remember, I'm not asking why you think it's better than another style, just give a couple aspects that you think are good or that could use improvement.

 

Keep in mind of course, that other schools/dojo's might already implement some of these things, so please specify if you think it's a lack of your entire style, or perhaps just of the school you're learning from.

 

Oh, and if you think you can get away with saying there are NO shortcomings to your style, you're full of **** NONE of them are or ever will be perfect.

 

I guess it's only fair for me to start.

 

My preferred style [so far] is of course Kenpo. In my case it's American Kenpo, based on that of Ed Parker.

 

What's Good:

 

1. Fast hand-speed: Good lord the high-level guys can hit you a lot, and they all hurt.

 

2. Fairly solid focus on real-world self-defense: Perhaps not as "pure" as NHB practice, but it does focus a lot on street defense, especially at my dojo since the instructor used his Kenpo as a cop for 11 years. And as you progress in belt-level, it builds on the original "book form" techniques to encompass all the imperfections of real-world fighting.

 

What needs help:

 

1. Lack of ground-work/grappling. We do a tiny bit, but not really enough. Of course, quite a few schools to teach BJJ as a supplement [wish mine did].

 

2. Lack of recognition. Seems like more people here are familiar with esoteric stuff I've never heard of than are familiar with Kenpo, which surprises me as Mr Parker was such a huge influence [for better or for worse] on Martial Arts in the US. Between famous students such as Elvis, Darrin McGavin, George Hamilton, Warren Beatty etc. And also had influences on Chuck Norris and yes, even Bruce Lee. Mr Parker started the International Karate Tournament which is where Bruce Lee first demonstrated his abilities to a large audience.

 

Anyway, that's my take in Kenpo... I'm interested in hearing what everyone has to say about their preferred style.

 

DT

 

PS. In a previous post I stated my instructor was a cop for 20 years. That was a goof on my part, and not an aspect of me being full of **it. He's done Kenpo for 20 years, and was a cop for 11.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Oh, and if you think you can get away with saying there are NO shortcomings to your style, you're full of **** NONE of them are or ever will be perfect.

 

Well, i guess I'm full of doo-doo then. I'm not saying my chosen system is perfect, but for me, it is. It fits every aspect that I feel is important in a martial art. If I didn't think so, and found something that I felt as better, I'd do that instead.

 

So...does this make me a doo-doo head? No, just someone that has found what he considers "the perfect art" for himself.

[P.A.L]

Dear doubletwist, according to you I am full of *****. happy Festives.

[47MartialMan]

I see where you might be getting out. You find that there are pros and cons in ANY system. Perhaps, there are those that are too pig-headed (no names mentioned) to realize this.

 

Vesitility of styles and systems make a versitile martial artist.

 

Not tot mention one with a "open-mind" to further search for better understanding and different knowledge.

 

I applaud your openess.

[Master Jules]

In 30 years, I have seen and trained in many arts.....I have to be honest when I say that traditional Okinawan Goju ryu is the most complete art I have ever seen.

 

~Master Jules

[wing chun kuen man]

What are imperfections for one person, can be irrelevante to another. Example, the fact that there are no fancy high/jumping kicks in Wing Chun may be seen by some as imperfections, where as by me and many other practitioners it is regarded as irrelevant. Why try to jump kick the head when you can finish the fight with a kick to the side of the knee or the groin?

 

I like the close fighting aspects of my style and its completness - not "perfection".

 

What aspects of wing chun would I improve or add to?

 

Improve? Myself

 

Add to ? I am not qualified to answer until I have

 

learnt and understood - if not mastered

 

the complete system. Even then I doubt

 

that there is much I can add to it. A

 

better option would be then to train in

 

another kung fu style to discover areas

 

that may not be so well "covered"

 

in Wing Chun. Lets wait and see.

 

Wing Chun Kuen Man

[battousai16]

well, though it's nice to know you have 4,000 techniques and 108 weapons in your styles arsenal, it's also a pain, because you only ever get a firm grasp over a few hundred. out of the 108 weapons, i've only seen about 14 of them. and although there's so much in striking, joint locks, grappling, weapons, internal energy and what not, you kind of end up with a "jack of all trades, master of none" or "really good at one thing, competent with the others". also, the only way to learn it is through the academy, which is just so expensive... but the students all tend to be happy, and it's nice to know i'm in such a well rounded art. though the history is very sketchy, it's also neat that at any given time there are so many instructors around who specialize in different things, so someone's always there to help you.

 

there's very little to complain about with yang tai chi. and my first wing chun class is tonight. we'll see how that goes.

[italian_guy]

In 30 years, I have seen and trained in many arts.....I have to be honest when I say that traditional Okinawan Goju ryu is the most complete art I have ever seen.

 

~Master Jules

 

I'm also studing Okinawan Go ju ryu (since few months only, started end of april) and I like it a lot. I don't know if is perfect... for me is good enaugh to stick to it for long time; but maybe 47MM and doubletwist are right it may have some shortcomings but at the moment I do not see them.

 

About other styles I know better:

 

Tai chi chuan (yang) Pros.

 

1) Very healty physical activity.

 

2) Fun to learn.

 

3) Very complete style it has both striking (also with elbows) ,grappling, healing, weapons, breating exercise etc.

 

4) Can be started at any age.

 

Cons

 

1) It takes ages to be learnt in such a way it can be self defence effective.

 

2) little or no (at the beginning) free sparring.

 

Kickboxing.

 

Pros

 

1) Easy to learn. You can start light contact sparring after 2-3 months of practice.

 

2) Very good Aerobic/Anaerobic exercise.

 

3) With few additional skill it can become very self-defence effective.

 

4) Lots of sparring.

 

Cons

 

1) Purely striking style (no grappling at all)

 

2) Too much sport-oriented if you don't compete it can become boring.

 

3)Not many technique to learn and this,

 

in the medium term is a disadvantage.

 

This is my 2 eurocents

[47MartialMan]

Jack of all trades, master of none...

 

There is more in life than only one.

 

To learn is infinite and has begun.

[ninelivesarentenough]

MY school's karate (because these days it varies from place to place... a lot) they're trying their best to cover everything. obviously there are good hand and foot strikes, that's karate for you, the have grappling techniques... but some of them i would consider ineffective. it also doesn't emphasize how important footwork can be.