is this combination wise?

[krazynayba]

hi, i am new to this forum and i am interested in beginning a combination of martial arts which i think may be useful. I currently have very little knowledge of any martial arts except for watching movies and a bruce lee documentary or two. I have read many forums, watched many online clips and i know that if you use most chinese martial arts alone, eg. wing chun, if you are pinned to the ground it is kinda hard to work your way out of locks and stuff. I was thinking maybe a combo of learning wing chun (for standing combat) and some jujitsu (for those fights where people are aware that if they get you on the ground, your screwed). I am quite a big fellow weighing in at 115kg (about 230 pounds) but i think that alot of it is muscle and i am 183cm tall and neraly 15 yrs old. Im not really a fatty im more of a tank and i can move around easily. I think that wing chun would probably be better to learn first for both fitness, weight loss and for combat. I have watched many wing chun videos and i think it looks like its good. I think i should probably use jujitsu after wing chun so i will be fitter and stronger. Watching the bruce lee documentary did make me want to take up JKD but unfortunately, here in Australia i cannot find a place that teaches it. The JKD philosophy did confuse me a litte too, hehe.

anyway please submit any response you may have to my idea and feel free to make any suggestions. TY

[Kenpodog]

Hi krazynayba,
Take a step back, clear your mind and forget everything you've seen on TV.
Martial Arts training is very personal, so only you can decide.
Visit as many different schools as possible and watch the classes. If it looks interesting then talk to an instructor (they will answer any questions you have).
After that I'm sure you will have your answer.
Good Luck!!!

If you still can't decide, then you haven't been to an "American Kenpo" school!! (just kidding)

[Oraenor]

Your an aussie as well? What a small world! Where abouts are you located and maybe through contacts you may be lucky to be linked up with the right people.

[Innocence]

haha yeah, if you're in sydney, i think you could try out the ngor chor school they have there. It's a great workout~

[krazynayba]

Im in Adelaide (not actually in the city but about 20 mins away).

[bbbb]

?

hi, i am new to this forum and i am interested in beginning a combination of martial arts which i think may be useful. I currently have very little knowledge of any martial arts except for watching movies and a bruce lee documentary or two. I have read many forums, watched many online clips and i know that if you use most chinese martial arts alone, eg. wing chun, if you are pinned to the ground it is kinda hard to work your way out of locks and stuff. I was thinking maybe a combo of learning wing chun (for standing combat) and some jujitsu (for those fights where people are aware that if they get you on the ground, your screwed). I am quite a big fellow weighing in at 115kg (about 230 pounds) but i think that alot of it is muscle and i am 183cm tall and neraly 15 yrs old. Im not really a fatty im more of a tank and i can move around easily. I think that wing chun would probably be better to learn first for both fitness, weight loss and for combat. I have watched many wing chun videos and i think it looks like its good. I think i should probably use jujitsu after wing chun so i will be fitter and stronger. Watching the bruce lee documentary did make me want to take up JKD but unfortunately, here in Australia i cannot find a place that teaches it. The JKD philosophy did confuse me a litte too, hehe.

anyway please submit any response you may have to my idea and feel free to make any suggestions. TY

>>you want to be a street fighter do ya!!

...what was the Jeet Kune Do philosophy you are thinking of!

[krazynayba]

umm.. there are a lot of sayings and stuff they use like "be formless" "be water" and stuff like discard what is useless and use what is useful something like that. I dont really wanna be a street fighter, i hate the way street fighters fight i just wanna learn martial arts to help me get fitter, and something that is effective against street fighting (boxing) and also very effective against people that know martial arts (most common martial arts that people know around my area are things like karate and taekwondo). I also want it to look at least a bit flashy :P (to show off a bit). Anyway thanks for your replies.

[djcaldwell]

FIRST - forget about looking flashy. That should be the last thing on your mind. Worry about the knowledge you are going to be obtaining and trust me when I say that whatever style you pick - your fighting ability will depend entirely up to you.

As a person who studied Wing Chun the whole if you're on the ground thing is a misconception. ANY Kung Fu style has its particular strengths and weaknesses but any that you learn should encompass any situation be it standing up or what to do if you end up on the ground. As Wing Chun also employs grappling and joint locking I don't see the fight being over if you end up on the floor.

As was stated previously...the decision on what to study has to be yours. Forget what you have read because the most important thing is to have understanding of the techiniques you will learn. The only advise I can offer is pick one style FIRST and should you feel you want to explore later it will be easier if you have a good foundation to work with. I have studied over the course of 15 years Wusu (not the dancing pretty Wusu - Alan Lee Wusu Norther longfist, Five Animals etc.), Wing Chun, Muay Thai, Tai Chi and now am immersing myself in Choi Lay Fut. But I studied the Wusu for many years before I looked at other styles.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

[shaolin-warrior]

After many years in kung fu, if i could do it again, i would look for a mixed martial arts (mma) or jeet kun do (jkd.)
A wise man once said:
"I hope martial artists are more interested in the root of martial arts and not the different decorative branches, flowers, or leaves. It is futile to argue as to wich leaf, wich design of branches, or wich attractive flower you like; when you understand the root, you understand all its blossoms." Bruce Lee

[Kenpodog]

After many years in kung fu, if i could do it again, i would look for a mixed martial arts (mma) or jeet kun do (jkd.)
A wise man once said:
"I hope martial artists are more interested in the root of martial arts and not the different decorative branches, flowers, or leaves. It is futile to argue as to wich leaf, wich design of branches, or wich attractive flower you like; when you understand the root, you understand all its blossoms." Bruce Lee

Read your post and then the Bruce Lee quote you posted??

[HtTKar]

"I hope martial artists are more interested in the root of martial arts and not the different decorative branches, flowers, or leaves. It is futile to argue as to wich leaf, wich design of branches, or wich attractive flower you like; when you understand the root, you understand all its blossoms."

Doesn't the flower produce seeds, which drop and form their own roots?
That is how plants evolved to what they are today. If plants did not evolve from what they were in prehistoric times, they'd all be extinct right? Evolution allowed the plants to evolve with the changing times and only those suited for the climate at the time survived to produce their own flowers, seeds, fruit, and future generations.

I know, I know. I've been wanting to ask BL that question for years.

[shaolin-warrior]

Read your post and then the Bruce Lee quote you posted??

I know, I'm only human.

[krazynayba]

thanks for the help guys, i never even knew wing chun had any grappling at all, that must mean stuff that ive seen is a little misleading. I would do jkd but as i said earlier, Australians are limited to the different types of martial arts we have so im quite sure, that in South Australia we dont have jkd but im not sure about mma. Another thing, the tai chi that is learned (the movements and stuff that people do outside) is that the only component of using tai chi for self defense? or would an instructor tell you how to use it for combat?. thx

[gong fu]

just dont stick to one thing, always explore new styles methods and fuse them so it becomes your instinct to fight, not having to think what to do, just doing it.

alot of people stick to one style if your just starting martial arts, dont develop any bad habbits that many schools get drilled into you.