Kung Fu vs. Karate

“	Originally Posted By: Sammygirl That's not 100% of course. In the south you have hung gar & wing chun as great examples of short-range but then, you also have choy lay fut which has high kicking and long-range strikes.	”

CLF indeed has both southern and northern elements in it. The Founder Chan Heung had three teachers, two of which taught southern and one of which taught northern style. So both are in its foundation as a tradition.

-aaradia

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I must not fear.Fear is the mind-killer.Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.I will face my fear.I will permit it to pass over me & through me.& when it has gone I will turn to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.Only I will remain.F.Herbert

“	Originally Posted By: Green_Horn Too my knowledge in general nothern is more leg oriented, but as has been said. Chinese Martial Arts are as widely varied as you could imagine. Hun Gar is a very hard southern style. Kenichi, What is near you? What are your interests in the Martial Arts? If your just looking for a upper Body Striking Style why then choose Eastern Martial Arts as opposed to western? Do you have any experience with MAs? I ask bc if you do have experience in say an upper body only MA I would suggest a ground or lower body style, excpecially if you think you may ever want to get into any of the MMA sports.	”

The reason i asked is that the only things in my area are Wing Lam Kung Fu (which i found out teaches alot of different MA's), Shaolin Kung Fu, and Karate, and Jujitsu..i think and i was looking more into kung fu. But no i was never thinking of trying MMA's i dont really like them srry

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Hard work beats talent any day.

But you haven't tried, right?

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Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

“	Originally Posted By: Unkotare But you haven't tried, right?	”

What MA's or MMA's??? no i haven't really tried MMA j/p but i've met people who do and have seen video's it just doesn't seem like my cup of tea or something i might even enjoy doing, i just "know" what i would like i guess...

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Hard work beats talent any day.

“	Originally Posted By: Kenichi-Sensei The reason i asked is that the only things in my area are Wing Lam Kung Fu (which i found out teaches alot of different MA's), Shaolin Kung Fu, and Karate, and Jujitsu..i think and i was looking more into kung fu. But no i was never thinking of trying MMA's i dont really like them srry	”

If it's Wing Lam, then it's Hung Ga & Bak Siu Lum.

Simplest (but not entirely complete) explanation is Hung Ga is animal based, relies on overpowering & intense body conditioning. BSL is long striking with legs & arms, relies on quick feet to kick & move & moderate body conditioning with a focus on cardio.... hehehee... Watch a vid of BSL #1 or BSL #9.

Easiest thing is to go see it & feel it.

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Terrorists aren't overseas. They're at the gas pump.
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I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -- Kung Fu-tzu (Confucius)

you really can't go wrong with Wing Lam. There is a huge support system in place-many schools, online forum, people eager to help you along your way. His Hung-Ga is exceptional, as is his Bak Siu-Lum.
\What are the other schools=meaning their names? With Wing Lam, he is a reputable Sifu with an impeccable lineage, which means it's not some sort of made-up bull***.

will,from documenterys i seen over the years.that style of wushu kung fu the chinese sholin place uses (you know the place.the one with all the kids that wake up and 4 am and go do 500 pushups lined up liked a giant military) will its semiler to boxing kinda.no fancy step by step complex moves.when karate maybe more harder depending if your body is use to that type stuff.and for those who may say wushu kung fu is harder and more step by step then karate...... -refers to episode of "fight quest" wich aird on discovery channel- this i beleve is THE strongest type of martial art ther is.....but it depends on you.

Welcome aboard, chiefgeometry. Be sure to go over to the Newcomers Forum to officially introduce yourself.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

Hello, Kenichi, Sensei,

I can only speak for myself here and from my own personal experience. But Though many martial have good things to teach, I have found Chinese Gung Fu to be the most enjoyable and useful. I say this because within Chinese Gung Fu you will find so many various styles and techniques that I am sure you would find one that fit you perfectly. I suggest also finding one that has some ground fighting also, or that has answers within its form to address ground fighting situations.


Again, I by no means whatsoever am attacking any other style. I speak only from my experience and study.

I would not limit my choice by the question if there is ground-fighting in the art I learn. From my point of view that would leave out lots of very good systems, just because they maybe follow a different doctrine.

I mean... when it comes to going to the ground you have basically two options: a) train basic ground defense and get the heck up as fast as possible! b) make yourself comfortable and proficient "down there" and use the ground as your friend.

In my opinion the way you choose should depend on what you feel comfortable with. Personally I had too many bad experiences with glass shards and other nasty stuff on the floor. So, though I have quite some groundfighting training, I developed into the "scramble like hell to get on your feet" type.

A good example for a highly efficient MA without groundfighting is muay thai. I do not think anyone would doubt that muay thai is an extremely efficient MA and very good for basic self-defense and sports-matches. Yet there is no groundfighting at all.

Also I would not limit my choice to a certain country of origin. If the chinese had not been open enough to embrace foreign methods from all over asia, kung-fu would not exist in the first place.

With best regards

kwan_dao

PS: Kenichi: Nice name and nice avatar. Good to see that histories strongest disciple finally is on his way to become histories strongest sensei.

“	Personally I had too many bad experiences with glass shards and other nasty stuff on the floor.	”

I am really intrigued by this. Can you please go into more detail?

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Rock On!
Cam
"Raise up your mind....."

“	Originally Posted By: Lugaldamhara I am really intrigued by this. Can you please go into more detail?	”

Ugh, you make me go back to some of the most unpleasant memories of my life...

But well, here we go:

It was a typical "Bierfest" fight (imagine a big tent with long rows of those typical foldable benches and tables) me and two friends got into, mainly because some guys were harassing a group of girls that belonged to the same class at school as we did.

Those guys were totally drunk and to my pity had been drinking tequila instead of beer (beer tends to make people at least a bit calmer). When we just tried to escort the girls out of the tent, somehow hell broke loose. I do not remember who hit first, but well... once such a fight starts, it allways seems like everybody is hitting anyone else anyhow.

Those foldable tables are not the most stable mankind ever invented, which lead to a significant ammount of glasses on the ground, which people trampled on (nowadays it is forbidden to sell drinks in glasses at such occasions, they have to use plastic stuff instead). I guess you get a picture of the situation.

To make a long story short, a bunch of us jolly brawlers went down to the floor, not exactly technically correct and nowhere near what my father and grandfather taught me about wrestling.

I got a cut on my inner left hand (yes, I know one should never try to cushion a fall with the hands pointing straight out), a few glass splinters in my buttock and a nasty cut on my left cheek (the scar is still visible after all those years). A few inches higher and I could permanently pose as the one-eyed pirate.

Well, **** happens.

But since then I have (besides still training groundfighting of course, because if you happen to be down you should still know what to do, even if you might catch some cuts) put a bit more weight on training how to keep standing under chaotic circumstances. Not that this training would have saved me from banging my head against uncountable table-legs and other evil works of carpentry, but I allways try my best.

With best regards

kwan_dao

“	Originally Posted By: kwan_dao nowhere near what my father and grandfather taught me about wrestling.	”

What did they teach you about wrestling?

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Wolfgang says:

I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893

“	Originally Posted By: Unkotare What did they teach you about wrestling?	”

I hope everything they knew.

What I would call TEMA (traditional european martial arts) is kind of a tradition in my family.

You know, I had the kind of grandfather who took me to a knife-shop when I was about 7 years old and had just entered school, because "a boy has to have a knife of his own".

I will never forget the look on the face of that shopowner, when my grandfather asked for a "Fallschirmspringermesser" for his grandson and the guy had to tell him that such (spring operated) weapons were generally forbidden since about 15 years.

The style I have been taught originally looks a lot like the illustrations in old books (from about 13th century on) about the so called "Schlossringen". Which funny enough has a few stunning similarities with japanese Jiu Jitsu or Judo. My Grandfather spiced that up with what he learned in the military during WWII (he was in a parachuting division).

With best regards

kwan_dao