Kung Fu

[Scand]

Sorry for the worst topic title. Couldn't come up with anything good.

 

The thing is, I'm really into martial arts, and did (supposedly Korean?) Hoi Jeon Moo Sool for four years in the past. I had to let it go, for reasons expanding from a bad teacher (18 years old chap with obviously a little too much pee in his head) into bad health (which I had thanks for astma).

 

Now, there are no other martial arts clubs in my little town, but I'm moving off for studying in a couple of years. A friend, who is already studying mechanics at a larger city came back for holidays, and then he started talking about martial arts. I don't quite know the exact name of the style he goes in, but if memory serves it it Wing Chun Kung Fu. Or at least in was a kung fu style.

 

I became greatly interested in his hobby and actually had a search for martial arts available in some potential studying cities. Mainly I found martial arts like Thieu Lam, Choy Lee Fut and various Wushu clubs.

 

Now I'd love to hear some advice of these... sports (missing words here).

 

Do some of these styles require or improve different things like speed and strenght? I know that there are different martial arts focusing on techniques varying from brutal crushing to monkey-like acrobatics depending on style.

 

Other information I find useful is the time required for Kung Fu. HJMS was relatively easy to get into - meaning, that it didn't interfere with my school - but I have no slightest idea of Kung Fu, or any other martial arts. Is it possible, that I learn a good amount of techniques well in four - five years? After such time, can I sincerely say that I know more Kung Fu than I knew before I actually were there?

 

And most importantly; is Kung Fu "fun to do"?

 

Anything other according to overall Kung Fu, it's nature and it's usefullness would be well appreciated.

[Hudson]

Well, most of it depends on a good instructor - things like "Will I get better, and know kung fu".

 

As for requirements such as speed and strength, you should be able to build this through training to meet whatever standards required. This more or less depends on you and your convictions.

 

The style or school of kung fu will vary depending on what you want, but almost all of them are effective if trained for self defense, and not for sport. There are certainly more direct styles but this doesn't make them any better.

 

For example, Wing Chun is always thought of as the "practical" kung fu - but any of the southern styles usually take this direct approach.

 

The northern styles will give you more footwork and higher kicking, but don't for a second believe them to be inefficient or too flashy - the nice thing about learning kung fu is most of the tried and true methods have survived with the weaker styles dying off.

 

I think Hung Gar would do you good, it's a good combination of soft and hard, perhaps the only way to compliment it is with a northern style with more footwork.

[Nick_UKWC]

I've been learning Wing Chun for just over a year and I love it. It's challenging, rewarding and great fun. The attributes you use will develope as you train and you can take this out of the kwoon as well if you have the time or inclination.

 

I can't say Wing Chun is acrobatic or particularly 'showy' but then this wasn't really what I was looking for.

[Scand]

 

Thanks for info. And Hudson, I don't doubt your words about Hung Gar but you can't practice such in my country. It's been like twenty-thirty years now that "outlander" martial arts have become in question. Before that it's been mainly punching and kicking and biting and scratching as hard as you possibly can.

 

I don't know why exactly but the martial arts you could see around here are mainly Korean TKD, ITF and WTF style, Karate and quite naturally wrestling in swimming suit. Not a Kung Fu land, you could tell. There is KF around, but they mainly concentrate in three cities, the capital included. Luckily, you could practice Wing Chun in all of these, northern styles in two and southern styles in one. At this moment the city I've been planning to study in has Wing Chun and Choy Lee Fut. The other city of potential on the other hand has it all, being a real KF monster of Finland.

 

So, I have a funny feeling, that Wing Chun it is. Besides, I believe that I should be in a pretty good shape by then, after army that is.

 

More near-future plans include applying for a Shaolinquan class in neighbour town. If they still organise those I mean. If I have got this correct; Shaolinquan would be one of the northern styles, but it would combinate the benefits of both styles?

 

I can't really rely on non-internet sources here, as they tend to be wrong or extremely interpretable, and the class itself would next be available for beginners in September 2005.

[pineapple]

Is it possible, that I learn a good amount of techniques well in four - five years? After such time, can I sincerely say that I know more Kung Fu than I knew before I actually were there?

 

You should know MORE kung fu after your first lesson. You should have learned a good AMOUNT of techniques after a few months.

 

Quality of the techniques is a different question. The quality of your techniques should always improve and the quest to improve your techniques should never end no matter how many years that you train. If you have selected the art that is right for you, make a decision to dedicate a lifetime to it and continually seek to improve it.

 

Proficency in a technique is not a matter of years. If I practiced hours, everyday on a technique would it be the same as a person who practiced it 1 hour, twice a week? If you find a particular technique that you like, you must do 3 things. #1 practice #2 practice and #3 practice.

[Drunken Monkey]

i'm not sure about the first lesson......

 

pretty much most schools will try to get you to begin to move in a different way to waht you might be used to but not many will jump right in and teach you correct form yet.

 

one of the hardest things to do is break you out of any old 'bad' habits (or get you into new ones)

 

eg. in wing chun, they would prefer you to 'get' the elbow in movement before trying to get you to do a perfect tan sau.

 

y'know, one small step at a time.....

 

there's a chinese phrase that roughly translates into:

 

keep taking those small steps and soon you'll have walked the great wall.

[pineapple]

Yes, you won't learn anything that you can use after the first day, however if I learned that I have to move differently, then I know a little more about kung fu than prior to that lesson and in that sense, I know more kungfu after one lesson than before it.

 

Drunken Monkey, In all respect, I believe that you just misunderstood what I meant. What I meant is that you'll learn something about kungfu after the first lesson but not that you'll have a technique that you can apply.

[Hudson]

Shaolinquan - As in Shaolin Fist/Boxing?

 

Will they be teaching a contemporary wushu set or traditional kung fu?

 

Shaolin arts are all over the place, from low stances and quick strikes to high balance and long fisted sets.