Hey.... I've been looking around for kung-fu for myself and my g/f...we wanna take traditional kung-fu..there's one by our home..and it seems really good considering they actually wear kung fu uniform..not karate gi's to teach kung-fu..but anywayz...the price isn't that bad either....but the big problem for me..is that his school doesn't do competitions...but to me that's very important..i'm a fighter...i love to fight..sparring... do u guys think it's worth it?? or should I just do TKD??? i like TKD..but i've always been fascinated by kung-fu...there's no other school for kung-fu around me..that's pretty good that i've seen.. dj hunny thanks
TKD = 90% McDojos. In kung fu, there are McDojos but less (not that many people use the name "kung-fu"). Can you give us the style, teacher, website of the school? Some kung fu schools are farily isolationist. However, that doesn't mean they can't produce quality fighters. If you want, mabye you can talk the Sifu into going into a competition. Where do you live btw? We may help you find another Kwoon. Peace
There's some schools that are good in OC. Check out Westminster. And UCI has some Kung Fu clubs, you could probably email them for help (I'll try to find the address for you)
he teaches southern style..i believe..from talking to him.but i have selective hearing and after hearing bout comps..i got lost in the world..lol...j/k but it is an isolated schools which is why i fell in love with it..because it's more personal..and he doesn't care bout stupid contracts..and he seems to really care bout his students...I live in Long BEAch ..CA.. tell me wut u think..i think this is the right one..i actually stumbled on his page.after i already checked out his school dj hunny I'M AN IDIOT..WRONG SCHOOL...HAHA.. let me try to find the right one..i knew he taught..southern style.
Traditional is not usually mentioned in the same breath as competitions. I guess you could enter comps privately outside of class... Rgds, David
thanks drunken miss...oc has some niiice looking ones..i gotta check them out..juss hope der not too expensive.. dj hunny
Competitions and kung fu............the two don't mix! I know there are San Shou competitions but that is Chinese kickboxing and a separate discipline to traditional kung fu. Or at least it should be taught as such. If you want competitions then go for boxing/kickboxing/TKD/MMA/Thai etc etc. If you want to learn kung fu(which cannot be used in the ring, or not without substantial alterations) then go to the school you visited. Better still, do both!
Actually san shou is and has been part of kung fu for sometime. Literally translated free or unbound fist. It's recently gaining more acclaim then it used to. It's one of those things like chin na and shuai jiao that have been there all along but no one really notices.
but in the schools that i visited he spars in class and stuff... so ur saying..there's no way i could really learn traditional kung fu and compete in sparring either??? unless i take san sou..sorry bout the spelling.. dat sux..
People really need to research before they talk. Sorry so many people here confused you hunnysan. OK -- here's the deal. San Shou, is a form of CMA sparring. Anyone can become a San Shou fighter, although being an efficient one probably means learning the clinch, various takedowns and throws and alot of traditional kung fu styles neglect. There are alot of Choy Lay Fut San Shou fighters -- and they still call themselves Choy Lay Fut practitioners -- San Shou is their playground. About competitions in general -- there are MANY kung fu schools that compete at in-style tournaments, open-style tournaments, forms competitions, full-contact sparring, etc. However, there are isolationist kung fu schools. But there will always be lots of kung fu schools which goes to alot of competitions.
The point I was making (quite badly lol) was that it is not essential for a good kung fu school to take part in competitions. I would say that this sets kung fu apart from kick boxing and other sport themed martial arts. My school enters quite alot of San Shou comptitions but I think it is a very different discipline compared to traditional kung fu. We teach it in separate classes and training in it does not effect the gradings. Why do I maintain it is a separate discipline? Well on a very basic level take the fact that gloves are warn in San Shou competitions. For a Mantis practicioner how much difference do gloves make? Or in Southern White Crane how does this affect the chi na aspect? Can you make an Eagle, Tiger or Leapard claw in gloves? The best thing is to go with your instincts Hunny. If you get a good feeling about a place then that can mean alot
you can secretly compete, if you know he doesn't usually go there. or you can try asking him why can't you compete.
Good Kung-fu can't be used in tournaments ... people tend to get killed, not that this means the school you are look at is good, but it might.
Or a flame war about to begin. Back on track... Good Kung Fu can be used in a tourney, you just have to use common sense. Yes, a lot of schools don't compete, and a lot do. Also keep in mind where you train. One thing I've noticed here in Lancaster, PA is that there aren't a lot of opportunities for me to compete. There are not a lot of open tourneys, everything is Tang Soo Do around here. So I CAN'T compete. Perhaps it's different where other students are located. And if competition is a huge sticking point, even though you feel you may be learning traditional Kung Fu, then you have to decide what you want more.
I some styles of kungfu its not so difficult to put it into a sanshou context. I understand that somethings you can't do with gloves on - but in shaolin kungfu we learn to punch and that can be done with gloves on. Like it was nicely put earlier - sanshou is the playground if you are so keen on being able to compete and you can't find somewhere that does then maybe you should go with this club you're interested in, then when you have learnt to a stage that you feel confident to compete ask the teacher about it. They may not openly compete, some places do it by invitation of the teacher.
