San soo vs. Choy Lee Fut

[alintamer]

Hey everybody,

I traveled back home last week so I wasn't able to read your replies and comment. Like a pancake, something came up that's making me now flip flop and lean more towards san soo. A sudden grapple fest with my brother (who is into MMA) kind of pushed me the other way towards San Soo. It seems like a style that is more useful for present day, especially in self defense. Just when I was about to close on CLF, I'm back in limbo between San Soo and CLF. The pros from each style are all good, so I don't compare them. The only cons I have with each is the following:

San Soo: Not as much punching and kicking technique, more Chin Na takedowns and a bit of grappling (although that might be more useful in present day self defense)

CLF: The speed at which learning the techniques and the method of teaching is still unappealling. I don't want to learn "a thousand moves in one day," but a move every 2-3 weeks is something I can work with, not a move (form) every few months if I'm not getting it right. Also, using CLF for self-defense doesn't seem that efficient in present day society.

I'm probably going to end up flipping a coin to make my decision. Any last comments or advice from anyone to help in the decision making? I really want to start soon.

[CLFNole]

I don't think most CLF schools teach a 1,000 moves in a day or even a form for that matter. We teach a few moves each class that is dedicated to forms practice (other class are pure fighting and bagwork). Learning new moves is heavily dependant on whether or not the student practices or understands the moves they learned previously. If I see a student that can't do what I showed him or her the previous week I won't teach them anything new but rather continue to fix what they learned previously.

Don't get too caught up in the number of forms CLF has because that can be misleading. Forms tend to have many of the same combos but in different orders and variations. Yes each form might have a signature move but the meat and potatoes if you will are the same (10 seeds of CLF, gwa, sow, chop...)

In terms of self-defense it comes down to how each school teaches as CLF is very good for self-defense as it is a no nonsense type of art. You can take a few of the seeds and learn how to use them rather quickly, of course as with anything some practice and conditioning are needed.

[hskwarrior]

a thousand moves in one day

who teaches like that? Sh1t sifu used to give me 3 moves for a month or two!!!

Also, using CLF for self-defense doesn't seem that efficient in present day society.

thats ENTIRELY false. Most of my students have used their CLF in actual real life combat and prevailed. One of the attacked by a bunch of guys with screw drivers and knives. I didn't ask him what he used to protect himself, i asked witnesses what my student was doing when this was happening. they demonstrated the Sow Choy, and the Cup Choy and i never taught that to them.

I think it depends on what kind of fighting experience background your teacher has. if its been all competition, then he's lacking real life combat out on the streets.

Don't get too caught up in the number of forms CLF has because that can be misleading. Forms tend to have many of the same combos but in different orders and variations. Yes each form might have a signature move but the meat and potatoes if you will are the same (10 seeds of CLF, gwa, sow, chop...)

This is true. People who haven't had any real fights don't know how to dissect the meat and potatoes.

[Violent Designs]

Hey buddy I sent ya a PM. Hope I can help.

[gwa sow]

if ya wanna do grappling stuff go fo jiu jitsu. and a lot of schools have some boxing or kickboxing guys to help with stand up. if you wanna learn stand up fighting go for CLF. it does have some chin na grappling stuff in it. If you can learn ad master the techniques from the first few forms in clf you are better off the most peopl you'll ever run into on the street. the rest is just fancy stuff to add on.

[alintamer]

Hey buddy I sent ya a PM. Hope I can help.

a PM? What's that?

[gwa sow]

private message. look under your name at the top of page. should see one there

[Violent Designs]

yes private message. i sent you one.