Practicality of learning Kung Fu

[marbas]

Does anybody here go to a good kung fu school? One where they teach you application or where they let you spar? The reason why I ask is because it seems like there aren't any out there. There's a school by where I live that's run by a Shaolin Monk, or at least a former one who trained under Shi De Yang. I joined for a few months but the entire time he taught forms and no applications to anything. He also taught a very weird form of "beginners fist" which I've never seen before, where nothing was usable; it was all punches in horse stance with a few kicks. I was stuck doing the beginners fist form for four months, I quit before they taught me anything else.

Before that I took BJJ for six months. At those classes they taught the theory behind the move, let you practice it on a guy, let him practice it on you so you would know how it worked, then let you spar for 10 minutes. And even though that was over a year ago I can still remember and know how to execute all the moves.

I was wondering whether anyone here has actually found a use for kung fu. I know there's a million topics on whether it has real world applications or it can be used in MMA. But what I'm curious about is if it's actually useful from a fighting perspective. It seems like many kung fu teachers either don't know or don't teach the applications, which seems to make the forms useless. Sure, you learn the movements but if you don't know when to use them or have never used them before then what use are they? In my BJJ class it seemed like knowing the movements and applying them were two very different things. Is there any practicality in taking a kung fu class? I mean, if a Shaolin warrior monk who has trained his whole life isn't going to teach important concepts how can one rely on someone else?

[Violent Designs]

Real teachers are hard to come by? That's all I can tell you.

My sifu has a weird thing for asking me what I think of all these random ancient Chinese martial art quotes.

His usual reply is...

"COMPLETELY BULL****"

Go figure.

[EarthDragon]

you didnt give it a chance, 120 days is not long enough to judge something or someone. it really depneds what you are looking for... are you looking to get right into combat? then kung fu is not for you, its an art and hard work, trouble is you must learn how to move your body in a mannor that will allow you to perform the applications correctly. as a MA you must know the individual techniqes inside and out before you can apply them on somebody and make them work.

this is disturbing to me and the problem in america, ppl want instant results. kung fu is not instant, and if you try somethign for 3 months your gonna suck at it so its not really fair to judge a monk or complete style that has ben around for 1000's of years over this drop in the bucket of time.

some teachers want you to condition and train your legs in stances for at least 3 months before they teach you any applications much less fighting.
that or they like to weed out the peopel who are going to quit anyways. I dont teach anything to newbies for this reason. I dont want to waste my time teaching to someone whos going to just give it up. my time is too vaulable and I have full classes 5 days a week.

learn drum lessons and in 3 months you will only be doing paradiddles does that mean your teacher or all drumming schoold suck?

[David Jamieson]

*snip*

; it was all punches in horse stance with a few kicks. I was stuck doing the beginners fist form for four months,

I quit before they taught me anything else.

*snip*

But what I'm curious about is if it's actually useful from a fighting perspective.

It seems like many kung fu teachers either don't know or don't teach the applications, which seems to make the forms useless*snip*

I mean, if a Shaolin warrior monk who has trained his whole life isn't going to teach important concepts how can one rely on someone else?

1) basics basics

2. you quit and then cast judgment?

3) you couldn't be that curious, you quit.

4) you went to one teacher and it seems like "many" kung fu teachers are like that one that you quit from and didn't really learn anything?

5) If he spent his whole life, why do you expect to learn something with depth with 4 months in and quitting after that?

Did you quit bjj too? you read like you're enamoured with it. Why didn't you stick with that? Too boring? No striking? What was it that had you leave there as well?


Are we to take anything more from this than you are a troll?

[ironclaw1981]

Tsai family chuan fa is the lineage I study and its very combat oriented, their website is tsaikungfu.net and my sifu which is in the suberbs of chicago has fought mma, and put miguel torres on his ass a few times, go to youtube and search charles wilson vs miquel torres, great fight he also beat joe pearson

[ironclaw1981]

My sifus name is sifu charles wilson

[Syn7]

Does anybody here go to a good kung fu school? One where they teach you application or where they let you spar?

yes i do... yes we do... and yes they do...


you seem like someone who just doesnt see anything thru... you arent gonna learn how to kill people from a shaolin monk, disciple or anyone else who is genuinely involved and affiliated with the temple... you will get hard, get strong... but you wont learn any sort of fighting for awhile... they use a lifetime approach man, you have to understand that these are developed to create the desired effect over long periods of time... its very gradual... its all just hard work... the flash comes after the hard work... if you get there at all...

but there are many combat ready family and military styles that have very realistic applications and bordferline brutal training methods... its the opposite of the shaolin approach, in this case its get as hard and strong as fast as possible and get out into the fight... it will create a good fighter sooner... but if you look at the monk, what he has gained is far far diffferent than what the soldier will have gained... now when a soldier trains for life, for many years, and hasnt wrecked his body, theres your ultimate killer... if thats what you want...


the main difference here is that a monk learns to fight while getting strong... a soldier gets strong from learning to fight... one cultivates his mind, strives to know himself, fighting never was and never will be the primary goal... the other learns to fight out of necessity and probably throws his phyche out of whack... most soldiers have some form of pts... just imagine what it was like for them to go hand to hand... to look into the eyes of an enemy standing two feet away from you, him or you....
although monks have been used as soldiers before, all that mystical they are the best killing machines ever is absolute bull****... most of them are horrified at the very thought of violence... very few take the martial path... most just do the basic exercises... do tong zi gong forever...

[IronWeasel]

1) basics basics

2. you quit and then cast judgment?

3) you couldn't be that curious, you quit.

4) you went to one teacher and it seems like "many" kung fu teachers are like that one that you quit from and didn't really learn anything?

5) If he spent his whole life, why do you expect to learn something with depth with 4 months in and quitting after that?

Did you quit bjj too? you read like you're enamoured with it. Why didn't you stick with that? Too boring? No striking? What was it that had you leave there as well?


Are we to take anything more from this than you are a troll?

People just don't train hard enough. By the time I was in my third month of training, I was already 20th level!

[V.O.R.]

He also taught a very weird form of "beginners fist" which I've never seen before, where nothing was usable; it was all punches in horse stance with a few kicks. I was stuck doing the beginners fist form for four months, I quit before they taught me anything else.

Greetings,

I would have to agree with the others here on this forum. you're a quitter. It's traditional for a new student to go through a trial period. some teachers use this time to see what you're made of. the sad thing is you were proven to be like these fly-by-nite guys who wants it all without putting in the time the others have to to get it. You, are the kind of guys teachers are looking out for because just as fast as you've come, you're gone. Look, you left in only four months. Some people in traditional arts only learn a few hands and horse stance training in this period.

I think you should stick to your BJJ and leave the Chinese traditional arts to those who appreciate them more than you do.

No disrespect, just saying.

[bawang]

u got milked by fake monk, but ur a martial art window shopper in the first place so u deserved it.

[hskwarrior]

where do these guys keep coming from?

I was wondering whether anyone here has actually found a use for kung fu.

You know, it used to take 6 months in the old days before moving on to something different. I don't regret taking that long to fully get to understand what i was being shown. And i never questioned whether my sifu knew what he was doing. IT WAS CLEAR HE DID.

As a stand up martial art, Kung Fu or Gung Fu as some will say, is very good if you train right.

It seems like many kung fu teachers either don't know or don't teach the applications, which seems to make the forms useless.

This is true. But in many cases, teachers had to be careful with what they were teaching because if anyone got hurt in class the possibility of the student coming back to sue to teacher was pretty high. and teachers don't want to be sue or lose their schools.

On top of this, many teachers were only good within the studio. Sure, inside the school they were fast, strong, and even fierce. but, would crumble in a real fighting situation cause they never fought before or never trained to FIGHT...BUT, not all teachers are useless (combat wise). Some teachers have actually used in it real life situations and even killed with it.

I mean, if a Shaolin warrior monk who has trained his whole life isn't going to teach important concepts how can one rely on someone else?

It's clear you've never really trained in TCMA or you'd know that kung fu teachers don't usually give up all their hard earned knowledge in one 7 course meal.

[bawang]

i disagre wit u mang . its important to ask and question ur kung fu teacher. why suspend ur american mind and spirit during kung fu class?

americans always question authority especially liberals and hippies, so why these people always get milked in kung fu for years and years?

[hskwarrior]

i disagre wit u mang . its important to ask and question ur kung fu teacher. why suspend ur american mind and spirit during kung fu class?

americans always question authority especially liberals and hippies, so why these people always get milked in kung fu for years and years?

that's because they're dumb dumbs. it's their own faults for only hanging out with their own kind. when you hang out with mix ethnic groups you learn to leave your "I'M AMERICAN" at the door and just be normal human beings.

[Yung Apprentice]

Sanda/ San Shou is all about combat. You might not consider it tradition, but it is based off Kung Fu.

[bawang]

sanda was part of the westernizing effort in chinese military. its non chinese