New martial art

[CQC]

Okay, so here's the deal. I may potentially be moving out of province for school within a few months to a much smaller town. I've been looking around that town for different martial arts, however it's considerably smaller in size and there isn't many to choose from.

For those that don't know, I practice Hung Gar Kung Fu, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, Japanese Jujitsu, American boxing, and Filipino stick and knife fighting.

Here's a short list of various martial arts within the town:

- 2-3 TWD clubs

- A Karate Kyoskushinkai club, as well as another karate club, but I'm unsure of the style.

- A Canadian Haidong Gumdo Association club (which I'm guessing is just weapons).

- A Win Chun Kung-Fu club.

- And a high classed American boxing club.

If I were to take any of these, I could most likely only take one due to lack of free time, etc.

Any suggestions based on the different arts I've taken in the past? I'm leaning towards boxing more than anything else due to hand work, power, and conditioning. I'm good on the ground and can get up quick, so that's not really an issue - I'd rather not go to the ground anyway.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

[ranger1100ky]

Hmm...

Simple and sweet...

Wing Chun Kung Fu might be 'right up your alley'...

Much depends solely on your interest... and.. one more important thing...

"How you and the instruction 'match up' at the school you'd choose.'

It's impossible, in my mind, to decide on a martial arts school, WITHOUT having MET the instructor(s) personally, and observed classes within the 'candidate school'...

You not only need to shop for a reputable school... you also need to choose WISELY the instructor that you're putting your trust in.

Instructors and Students are PEOPLE... and... as such... we often find that instructors and students DO need to be 'compatible' with each other... or they're both gonna suffer.

It can be as simple as a personality matter... that causes a student and 'capable instructor' to NOT 'hit it off'.

So... if I were you... I'd wait until I got there... and then I'd go VISIT each school...

Heck... visit twice or three times... TAKE NOTES...

Then... you'll be in far better shape, not only to pick a style you'd like...

BUT ALSO, in far better shape, for picking an instructor you are VERY comfortable putting your full faith into.

All my best,

Paul

[CQC]

Thanks for the reply, and I'm definately going to check out all the schools I'm interested in. I'd like to train a minimum 4 days a week in the club, so that's a major factor for whichever I'd be choosing.

Also, I don't know a great deal about Wing Chun, but perhaps you or someone else does.

I do know that it's a Southern Shaolin style like Hung Gar, and because of which, the movements are guarded, close, direct, and unexaggerated. At least this has been my understanding, and this is why I would choose Wing Chun as my 2nd art if I had to pick a Kung Fu style other than Hung Gar.

Is there any more ways that Wing Chun and Hung Gar are similar? I know Hung Gar focuses a lot on leg training and is well known for it's intense training.

Anything anyone else could tell me about Wing Chun would be appreciated.

[ranger1100ky]

Wing chun, is an art that was created by a woman... and it's also the art that Bruce Lee first studied and gained proficiency at, through the teachings of a man named Yip Man.

I can best describe the art (as an OUTSIDER who wouldn't know wing chun if you dropped it on my head) as a very close quarters art... with remarkable hand techniques...

(Check out some of the old Bruce Lee books at your Barnes and Noble book stores... I think you'd get a better idea of the art to hear it 'in Bruce's words'... than for someone like me, who's never taken that art, to try to descibe it to you.