Taking Martial Arts Classes

[Righteous Master]

Hey, just curious if any of you guys who love martial arts films are currently or have taken martial arts classes. I hope to very soon start taking kung fu classes somewhere near Minneapolis, MN where I live. Perhaps some of you could offer some suggestions.

[edher_M.A.]

Hi, i've been a MA fan for long time. Got a black belt in Karate and im currently learning Kung Fu.

[Endsang]

Used to take classes in various styles when I was younger. Now I only practice on my own whenever I can. Never really cared much for the local MA communities so it's best this way. You might have some better options where you live though.

[oldeschool17]

Cuong Nhu back when I was a kid. Its a vietnamese martial arts that blends 7 styles(tai chi, vovinam, shotokan, aikido, judo, wing chun, and
boxing. They are spreadout thru the US so you can probably find a dojo near you.

Got to meet the grandmaster of this art a few years before he passed away. An incredible man with a wealth of knowledge. I had a great time learning this for years. I was in great shape back then too(not now. looks at gut).If i were to pick up another martial arts now i might try ninjitsu. Good luck and please remember the spirtual/ethics component of martial arts and dont simply take it so that you can kick somebodys ass. :)

[Chinatown Kid]

I'm currently a 2nd degree Blackbelt in Taekwondo and have been studying it for several years. If you want to be a great kicker this is the style to study. If you prefer Kung Fu then I would suggest Wing Chun which is a great close combat style that stresses in-fighting and simultanious block and strike methods, I studied this style for a short time when I was younger and it's one of the more practical KF styles imo. Although I've never studied it I've heard some good things about Choy Lee Fut and from what I saw the strikes look pretty powerful. Clfnole, one of the members on this forum, studies that style and could tell you alot more about it. There are so many Kung Fu styles and I'm sure they all have merit, it's just finding one that feels right to you and that you enjoy. I would also recommend studying a grappling art like Judo(studied this for a while as well) or Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu because knowing abit about grappling definately comes in handy. All styles and methods have something to offer, it just depends on what your looking for. :)

[AlbertV]

I took some Muay Thai kickboxing in my teens and I tried freestyle karate in college (the school was run by a friend of my brothers). Haven't really done any MA for a while, but I'm hoping to get into karate or maybe Wing Chun.

[bengs]

I previously studied Wing Chun once a week for about 4 or 5 months.
Good style, but the school that I attend seems to be getting more and more "commercial". It doesn't feel like a martial arts school; its more like a school or a college, because people only go with a casual interest in learning self defence without any real interest in martial arts, and also, this academy is always promoting that they provide 'government accredited training' and courses in self defence, meaning that yes.. you can do a certificate level or a Diploma level course and get a certificate or Diploma in Wing Chun. Maybe others disagree with my criticism but anyway, my membership has expired and I don't plan on renewing it.

Taking a break from it for a little while due to back injury, but I've found a more low key school which is in the same area that has more emphasis on teachers with great skills rather than great skills in ripping you off. There I will probably take up Karate from 2008.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

I study (as my name suggests) Tibetan white crane Kung Fu (training also encompasses some Wu Shu, Tai Chi and Qi Gong practices), and supplements with kickboxing as fitness!

I have previously trained in Taekwondo for two years and Muay Thai for one year!

Oh yeah... I also trained Wing Chun for a month, but the teacher was a dick and all of the students were criminals and psychos, so I left!

[Iron_Jinon]

it really depends what you are looking for...I guess muay thai and wing chun makes you defend yourself in not-too-long time and neither demand to be ultraflexible.Choy Lee Fut is good allaround style,plenty of different weapons and truckload of forms.
If you are interested of japanese styles Kobudo is likely most interesting,not only empty hand but weapons are practiced.

[Endsang]

I think kung fu is optimal for using your full potential because of the variety of styles and forms. You are most likely to find something that suits you best in terms of interest, ability and physique. Not that easy to find schools everywhere though.. I figure if I'm ever going to seriously take up kung fu again, I would have to go to the source, which is China. Maybe when I retire. :)

[AlbertV]

Hi guys,
I know I gave the fans here a sneak peek at the new Asian Impact Cinema website that I designed from my old High Impact site (which is now closed for good).

Tomorrow marks the official launch of the site. I have revamped some old HI stuff as well as added some new reviews for movies that my wife and I have rented like Max Havoc: Ring of Fire starring Mickey Hardt of Codename: Puma and Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker which featured some MA battles choreographed by Donnie Yen.

So check out my siggy for the link and we do have a MySpace page up, so if you want to join my friends' list, just hit up a request:
http://www.myspace.com/asianimpactcinema

Hope to hear from you guys on MySpace and hope you like the new site!!!

[Righteous Master]

Thank you, to everyone for all of your suggestions and opinions. I am going to try my best to take a Chinese MA form and not Karate. I have nothing personal against Japanese MA forms, I just love the Chinese kung fu!! The main reason for future MA classes is my son. He is a bit shy and lacks self confidence. He also has had some problems with a few kids at school. Nothing serious, but he has told us stories that make my wife a me sad. I want him to be able to take care of himself so that he does not become the kid that everyone knows will never stand up for himself. I have told him to never use violence unless someone is trying to hurt you or someone else, but that does not seem to be enough. I think he needs a little extra push. Have any of you had anything like this happen or had a similar experience?

[Iron_Jinon]

^sounds like my story when I was in about to end elementary school,I started then learning tae kwon do to get into better shape and gain self confidence(quit to blue belt I did not find art interesting enough)..however you must be aware of one thing;little knowledge is bad,your son will be bullied more when word gets around he is learning martial art.There will be guys pushing him around and telling to show what he has learned.

[Righteous Master]

I guess I never thought of that Iron_Jinon. Perhaps the best policy is to not mention that you are taking MA classes?

[Endsang]

Well it's a common philosophy in kung fu films never to reveal your skill if possible. :) There's something to it though, as some people always need to prove that they are better and stronger than others, and will try to benefit from it by messing with others. Nothing good comes out of a fight, but martial arts training will also strengthen the mind and could help people work their way through difficult times. Sometimes one just has to bear with it, as it will blow over with time. Not trying to sound like a total cliché, but standing up for oneself doesn't necessarily mean fighting back. Sadly there are alot of wankers out there, who hopefully come to better sense as they age and mature.

[Righteous Master]

Yeah, there are numbers of people out there who pick on the percieved weaker people just because they can. The hard part about this is explaning this to my son who is only 6. He was raised to be moral, kind and polite and some people just see this as a sign of weakness. He does not understand why some people are mean, while is nice to everyone. I have told him that these kids probably are mean because they have problems at home which they do not get help with and because of this, they take their problems out on others around them.

[WhiteTiger1]

Taekwondo and Judo mainly with a little Kung Fu.
For about 20 years I have been studying Tai Chi. Helps me with meditation and helps me with stress. Very relaxing!! I recommend it for anyone who deals with a lot of stress.:)

[GhostFaceKiller]

I have practiced the Tang Fong branch of Hung Ga for about 9 months. I cannot praise this style of Gung Fu enough. It is amazing. Not only do you practice internal (Qigong) and external martial arts, but it is also descended from Hung Hei Goon and Wong Fei Hung. These are the heroes of Shaolin who they made all these Shaw Brothers movies about that we watch. With time you can learn Tiger Crane techniques as well as the five animals form. It's everything a Gung Fu fan could dream of. Try Googleing Yee's Hung Ga. There are branches all over North America as well as world wide.