sparring in hung-gar kung-fu is it a good idea?

[KF Dude]

GTF- I can only comment on my experience, to get good at using Hung-Ga you need to practice using Hung-Ga. I think you are making a mistake thinking another art will help you learn it well enough to use in a real situation.

It's true sparring is not 'real' fighting but it simulates it closer than any other training method. As others have stated in this thread: timing, distance, creating openings for attack, & balance are just a few attributes developed by sparring. All have direct cross over into a real fight.

[Adonis]

elbows and knee's. I agree they don't take the place of sparring, but they are also all good training tools, more tools you use to tune your body up better off you are. sparring alone won't develop your power as a heavy bag wood, neither would a heavy bag help you deal persay with a moving opponent trying to hit you. I do agree with you you need sparring. Just not to have it replace using other training methods as well.

[BLueDevil]

Since I learned 2 styles ,one of which Hung ga, I tend to use my hung ga techniques and use them quite effectively. many of the holds i dont use because they are pretty dangerous but i pick and choose what works best for the situation

[Infrazael]

Please don't kid around. I absolutely despise the argument that "kung is too d34dly to spar with."

This is absolute nonsense and complete bullcrap.

Your kung fu is meant for fighting. Not everything has to be 100%.

I practice Choy Lay Fut kung fu, and I can say it is similar enough to Hung Gar for me to KNOW that both arts can be applied in sparring fully.

And btw, who says you're going bareknuckle? Use some gloves, head gear, groin guard, etc. Protect yourself.

Otherwise, if you DON'T SPAR, YOU WILL FAIL AT BEING ABLE TO APPLY YOUR KUNG FU.

Period. There are the forms and dancers in kung fu, and there are the fighters. They are the ones who fight with what they know.

[BLueDevil]

There are the forms and dancers in kung fu, and there are the fighters. They are the ones who fight with what they know.

Well said

[WudangDragon]

I spar all the time with one of my pals (we both do hung gar).

If you think that Hung-Gar is too dangerous to spar with then you do not have control of yourself. If you know what you are doing, and keep your head in a spar its not dangeous.

However, if you do not know what you are doing then odds on, someone will hurt.

[sdargie]

I don't see how any one art is more dangerous to spar with than another.

You control the art not the other way around.

Hung gar is part of our art so I can say that we spar with it as much as we use the TKD part or the aikido part or the Ninjutsu part and somehow we all survive. We use tiger strikes as atemi in the middle of a sankyo for example. The only rule we have is that you shouldn't break your partner but other than that go %100.

[GTF]

my sifu mentioned something about getting some body armour sorted out and testing our skills so i asume that he was talking about sparring. could have some thing to do with changing the man he trains with. i probably wont get to participate though because i dont even have half a years training yet.