Kung Fu

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I moved to America a year ago and it took a while to get settled. Anywho, now that I have found my feet I want to take up a hobby. I used to do jiu jitsu and tae kwon do as a teenager for a couple of years but it is safe to say I've forgotten most if not all of it so I would consider myself a complete newbie.

I've been looking around my area and I found two places that teach Kung Fu. Kung Fu is always something I have wanted to try out, and I was pretty upset as a teen because there was nowhere near me to try it.

This is the place I'm thinking of going to: http://www.shaolinadaptingfistkungfu.com/

8 classes per month is $90 which is a brilliant price if you ask me. I was boxing back home before I moved here and that used to cost me 25 euro per session.

Have any of you tried Kung Fu? Do you have any advice for a noob such as myself?

Thanks everyone.

Khannie

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I was boxing back home before I moved here and that used to cost me 25 euro per session.

That was for private tuition though, right?

Niall Keane

Just looking at the link you posted OP, and their tai chi syllabus is very basic and modern wushu, not traditional. The 24 form is bejing wushu lots of hyperextended knees and elbows to highlight moves in a performance art, the antithesis to correct martial technique that demands you do not leve yourself wide open to be locked.
Shaolin was a ruin in 1984 when my Sifu - The internationally recognised tai chi fighter Dan Docherty visited, all he found on Wudang likewise QS a single 80 year old practicIng "Tai he Chuan", nowadays there are hundreds of wushu schools in Shaolin, I think the area has 20,000 registered martial art students!!!
So take with a pinch of salt such claims, but what are you after? If its a bit of culture, some fittness, then what's the problem, if you're looking for the real deal, go to "rum soaked fist" forum and ask for advice, it's a primarily US king fu forum but with good "police" there to lay it on the line!

Good luck!

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Khannie wrote: »

That was for private tuition though, right?

Yep it was.

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Niall Keane wrote: »

Just looking at the link you posted OP, and their tai chi syllabus is very basic and modern wushu, not traditional. The 24 form is bejing wushu lots of hyperextended knees and elbows to highlight moves in a performance art, the antithesis to correct martial technique that demands you do not leve yourself wide open to be locked.
Shaolin was a ruin in 1984 when my Sifu - The internationally recognised tai chi fighter Dan Docherty visited, all he found on Wudang likewise QS a single 80 year old practicIng "Tai he Chuan", nowadays there are hundreds of wushu schools in Shaolin, I think the area has 20,000 registered martial art students!!!
So take with a pinch of salt such claims, but what are you after? If its a bit of culture, some fittness, then what's the problem, if you're looking for the real deal, go to "rum soaked fist" forum and ask for advice, it's a primarily US king fu forum but with good "police" there to lay it on the line!

Good luck!

Cheers Niall, I'll join that forum and see how I get on over there.

I'm just after some fitness primarily but I would like the real deal too, especially if I'm going to be paying for it.

There was another place here that did Kung Fu as well... http://www.academy-martialarts.com/Chinese_Kung_Fu.aspx

Niall Keane

If it was me, I'd probably go with the first place, the 2nd is "kempo-Shaolin" which sounds like someone trying to market their karate? They have coaches who describe themselves as "wellness instructors" and "life coaches", Shaolin is the centre of "Chan" buddhism so I don't know why they then refer to "Daoism"

The first place looks like they do some gung methods (holding bricks, adopting low stances etc.) so you might get something from that.

But really you should try to look for a school that also competes in Sanshou, Kaoshu, shuai jiao etc. you won't have to compete if you're not interested, but you can bet theyll have more of an idea about the forms etc too, as they'll know what they're doing and not just "waving hands in clouds" ;-)

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Great advice, thanks again!

da mo

I'd agree with most comments made, and there's some good pointers in them. Take time, shop around a bit. It's mostly about finding a school that you feel comfortable in and a teacher that inspires you. In the long run it is also about the standard of teaching, and the style, so do some research before you fully commit yourself. Personally I'd also advocate for the more traditional schools over modern wushu, but that's entirely up to yourself!