Hi - I second the recommendation for Enshin karate. The forms are a lot more like sparring. Most traditional MA will have forms of some kind but you get out of forms what you put into it. I love the bunkai and can only really perform the form correctly when I've studied it enough to visualise my attacker. If forms aren't going to be your thing, hop along and find another MA . No harm done.
thanks for the feedback guys Since my last post I went to a couple more sessions, but think I'm going to leave it at that as far as TKD is concerned. I liked the classes, especially the padwork/sparring sessions, but one of my goals is to grade in a MA and earn a black belt, eventually, but I can't get on with the patterns, that's just me I guess. As if by luck, I did find a kung fu/kickboxing gym in my area (it's new) and think this may be the art I'm looking for; they grade in kickboxing, compete in tournies and the kung fu aspect is more of a bolt-on to the end of the classes which can be substituted for sparring if preferred. I think the art is better suited to my own style as well; I've had quite a bit of training in western boxing (was always urged to compete in Uni but never got around to it) and I'm very keen on the mix of boxing strikes/movement with the kung fu/karate style kicks thanks for the advice chaps
The style they teach is Lau Gar, which I know next to nothing about. I think they do teach the forms but from what I've seen so far it's all application based, drills with partners etc. and only forms a small part of the class, and even then sparring can be chosen instead if preferred. The actual grading at the club is in Kickboxing.
Have a look at Enshin karate kata. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeaEfgzeeE4 That's how kata / forms should look!
Wait, I don't get it: You want to go to a Kung Fu school. Where they teach Kung Fu --> so you learn Kung Fu. And then they test and grade you in Kickboxing? Which they/ you don't actually do, because they teach/ you learn Kung Fu?
LG I belive teach and grade in Kung fu and kickboxing, so if you like kickboxing, you can just train and grade in that.
I read the OP and I certainly don't disagree to a class you might like. I just don't understand, how they can grade you in Kickboxing, when you learn Kung Fu. (Dumb example that doesn't work due to not being tests there but: Like when you were to play Soccer and suddenly they'd grade you in Tennis) Ah, so you'd train both, but only in Kickboxing would be grades? Or the other way around, if you were to train both but wanted to grade in Kung Fu?