What style to compensate for?

[dippedappe]

I'm starting Wing Tsun now. It seems like a great style. And I can use what I learn. But it's too restricted to be the only style I practice. So I will have to practice another style aswell. I used to study northern Shaolin, but now it will cost me about $40 with the train every time, so that's not possible anymore. I will sorely miss it.

So now I need to find another style that is good for training side-by-side with Wing Tsun. I don't want to end up using Wing Tsun only when in a fight. I want to fight by mixing the two styles.

So far the choices I want to choose between is Tai Chi Quan and Capoeira Angola (everything else is Japanese and Korean Styles. I don't like those).

I figured I need to train something with more stances and different high kicks to compensate for the minuses of Wing Tsun. I think both Tai Chi and Capoeira has this. Well at least high kicks. I'm not too sure of either of these are "perfect" for me. Tai Chi takes years before I can really put it into fighting techniques (or so I've heard). And Capoeira, well...I don't intend to dance around or move on the floor when in a fight. I intent to stand up strait use my fists and and feet, when fighting. I can't really see how Capoeira can work well with Wing Tsun since they are so different.

What do you think?

[ovine king]

i think you are missing the point.

[KempoTiger]

i think you are missing the point.

I second that, but I think I'll be a bit more constructive in my criticism

Train in Wing Chun/Tsun and focus on it. Don't just do it every once in a while, and take something else that completely contradicts the theories presented in you Wing Tsun class. Instead of becomming good at both, you'll merely be mediocre at best with both and will most likely frustrate yourself.

If you're training to straight up fight and want to work on everything, I'd say drop the Wing Tsun and find a JKD or MMA school. If you're training for the art, and want a deeper understanding of how to better yourself as a martial artist than the typical "I wanna brawl" MMA type guys then I'd say pick something you like and want to learn and stick with it for at least a few years.

[dippedappe]

But I can only train Wing Tsun friday. They train Tuesday aswell, but I can't that day. I have monday and wensday to train too, but there ain't no WT those days. So I can practice another style those days. And I don't train only for fighting. Mostly because of the art itself, so a mixed MA is not something I want.

[Kajukenbopr]

i think you are missing the point.

I second that, but I think I'll be a bit more constructive in my criticism

Train in Wing Chun/Tsun and focus on it. Don't just do it every once in a while, and take something else that completely contradicts the theories presented in you Wing Tsun class. Instead of becomming good at both, you'll merely be mediocre at best with both and will most likely frustrate yourself.

If you're training to straight up fight and want to work on everything, I'd say drop the Wing Tsun and find a JKD or MMA school. If you're training for the art, and want a deeper understanding of how to better yourself as a martial artist than the typical "I wanna brawl" MMA type guys then I'd say pick something you like and want to learn and stick with it for at least a few years.

I second your opinion, train only in one style to become really good at it.

or find a style to fight instead of art.

[dippedappe]

i think you are missing the point.

I second that, but I think I'll be a bit more constructive in my criticism

Train in Wing Chun/Tsun and focus on it. Don't just do it every once in a while, and take something else that completely contradicts the theories presented in you Wing Tsun class. Instead of becomming good at both, you'll merely be mediocre at best with both and will most likely frustrate yourself.

If you're training to straight up fight and want to work on everything, I'd say drop the Wing Tsun and find a JKD or MMA school. If you're training for the art, and want a deeper understanding of how to better yourself as a martial artist than the typical "I wanna brawl" MMA type guys then I'd say pick something you like and want to learn and stick with it for at least a few years.

I second your opinion, train only in one style to become really good at it.

or find a style to fight instead of art.

As I have said already. I can no matter what only train WT once a week. And I have three days where I can do what I want. Since I can't get better at WT than I already do, no matter what, I might aswell train something on the other days where there is no WT practice.

[KempoTiger]

hrmm....well if that's the case, then I'd try to find another school that you can train two days a week in and make that your primary style. I would recommend finding something then that compliments your Wing Tsun training in a way that you can incorporate techniques and theories into the other schools class.

For that matter I'd say go with a Mixed hybrid type style like perhaps JKD, Kajukenbo (or dare I say Kempo? )

Taking a primarily Japanese style would most likely leave you torn in which way you feel you're body should move so I wouldn't suggest that.

The only other thing I could think of would be to take either a regular Jujitsu class to work on grabbing and locking with Wing Tsun as your stand up fighting technique, or actually go all the way and take BJJ to work on ground fighting.

Whatever you take, just make sure the two styles are not going to greatly conflict with the theories presented in each other, else you won't develop any skills properly. Jujitsu and BJJ I would recommend only because they don't usually offer either a vast or different striking system to conflict with.

Good luck with whatever you choose though.

[ovine king]

As I have said already. I can no matter what only train WT once a week. And I have three days where I can do what I want. Since I can't get better at WT than I already do, no matter what, I might aswell train something on the other days where there is no WT practice.

that's not what you originally said.

your first post said that you wanted a style to compensate for the "minuses" in wing chun, specifically more stances and high kicks.

here's my honest advice.

if what you want is lots of stances and high kicks then don't go to the wing chun and just do something else.

if you just want something else to do when you are not in a wing chun class then I say, organise training sessions with other people are the wing chun class.

if you want to train in something else as well as the wing chun, then go for the angola capoeira.

[dippedappe]

hrmm....well if that's the case, then I'd try to find another school that you can train two days a week in and make that your primary style. I would recommend finding something then that compliments your Wing Tsun training in a way that you can incorporate techniques and theories into the other schools class.

For that matter I'd say go with a Mixed hybrid type style like perhaps JKD, Kajukenbo (or dare I say Kempo? )

Taking a primarily Japanese style would most likely leave you torn in which way you feel you're body should move so I wouldn't suggest that.

The only other thing I could think of would be to take either a regular Jujitsu class to work on grabbing and locking with Wing Tsun as your stand up fighting technique, or actually go all the way and take BJJ to work on ground fighting.

Whatever you take, just make sure the two styles are not going to greatly conflict with the theories presented in each other, else you won't develop any skills properly. Jujitsu and BJJ I would recommend only because they don't usually offer either a vast or different striking system to conflict with.

Good luck with whatever you choose though.

There ain't a WT/WC school close enough for me to consider it, other than this one. I do not want a Japanese art, nor Korean. I don't want a mixed art either. I do not know exactly how to take your advice since WT is almost a compac demo version of Shaolin. Why is Tai Chi not a good Choice?

As I have said already. I can no matter what only train WT once a week. And I have three days where I can do what I want. Since I can't get better at WT than I already do, no matter what, I might aswell train something on the other days where there is no WT practice.

that's not what you originally said.

your first post said that you wanted a style to compensate for the "minuses" in wing chun, specifically more stances and high kicks.

No I didn't say it in the first post, but I did say it in the second. Here it is:

But I can only train Wing Tsun friday. They train Tuesday aswell, but I can't that day.

here's my honest advice.

if what you want is lots of stances and high kicks then don't go to the wing chun and just do something else.

if you just want something else to do when you are not in a wing chun class then I say, organise training sessions with other people are the wing chun class.

if you want to train in something else as well as the wing chun, then go for the angola capoeira.

I already know two forms in Shaolin, aswell as many techniques, stances and kicks from it that I can train myself. But I would still like to develop those Skills from Shaolin, and I think I will need a competent teacher for that. I want to train WT because of it being so different, quickly effective, and because of Chi Sao.

Why would you say Capoeira is the better choice? Not that I disagree with you. I just wonder why.

[ovine king]

WT is almost a compac demo version of Shaolin

no it is not.

fighting the shoalin way is nothing like fighting the wing chun way. The very reasoning behind wing chun is that it is first and foremost, UNLIKE traditional shaolin styles.

I already know two forms in Shaolin, aswell as many techniques, stances and kicks from it that I can train myself.

and?

i know quite a lot of forms from other chinese styles and as much as i train them, I will never claim to know them properly beyond the form itself. Learning a style is a lot more than just doing the form. Sure you can practice the forms as much as you like but that doesn't actually equate to much.

I want to train WT because of it being so different, quickly effective, and because of Chi Sao.

chi sau isn't anything special and in my opinion, too much emphasis is put on it over the other training exercises. It is just an exercise. If what you were doing previously was a traditional shaolin style/school then you'd already have your own versions of such exercises.

Why would you say Capoeira is the better choice? Not that I disagree with you. I just wonder why.

because techniques aside, they both deal with the same issues.