Chinese Kung Fu: Which style is worth it?

[Red Rum]

Woah woah woah.....

Hold the phone guys. What I meant was that in that show, they were looking for the super punch (ie the one that hit the hardest in one go).
As I mentioned, I prefer a wing chun punch, not for power but the reasons I stated. Firstly, it attacks the centre line so the damage area will be more confined. Secondly, it is very easy to launch a wing chun punch (ie you could do 40 punches and not feel very tired) - a hook involves a lot more effort. Thirdly, you can perform the wing chun punch from a very short range (from a clinch), whereas it is difficult with a hook (especially if you're in a good clinch). Lastly, you are driving your body through a straight line. Whilst it won't give you the blunt force trauma that a boxers punch would, it goes deep into the body and the organs (imagine a spear that you can't stop digging into you)

A big flaw in wing chun is the footwork. A lot of chunners are too rigid and it can be too slow, especially if you are trying to keep up with a boxer, MT guy, capoira guy, etc

In Kamon, we attempt to move with flexibility, waiting for the time to hit before we use arrow walk, huen bo footwork etc.

A hook is a good punch and there is no disputing that. I have been knocked out/caught out many times with tight hooks. But I have been caught out a lot more from a wing chun punch.

Medic06 - thanks for the compliment, but it is not that much of an impressive resume compared to a lot of people. I am always willing to listen to counter arguments against any of my posts, but I tend to get one liners from ThaiBri, yourself and several others, which doesn't really progress the discussion
If you guys have a point (that isn't just designed to bash wing chun!) then share it because discussion is good.

[Red Rum]

Your monthly dues are reasonable and your annual memeber ships fee is not that high even though I don't like the idea of paying an annual membership fee it should be a one time thing if at all. Are there fees for testing in your school and how much? Also you have to pay for a uniform but the uniform just looks like a t-shirt and kung fu pants if so why so much for the kung fu pants and t-shirt? Your classes look interasting.

Thanks Blue Wave. The annual membership fee is basically insurnace. It means that once you pay it, you can train with students outside of class, perform demos, etc and be covered by the insurance. It will also allow you access to the members area of the website which has a load of interesting stuff on there. It will also allow cheaper prices for seminars etc taken by Master Kevin Chan.

Unfortunately there are fees for gradings. Gradings do not happen that often.
Once you get past beginner stages (Yellow 1, Yellow 2) students attend gradings once per year if that. At higher/senior levels, only Master Chan can enter you into the gradings if he thinks you are ready.

To be honest, the grading prices are a bit bad (start off at £28 and then increase each time you grade, ending up to about £80)
I suppose when you consider that you are taking instructors precious time to grade you, it might be okay.

Uniform is cheap. It's £11 for the kamon t-shirt and the bottoms you can get yourself (just black training/tracksuit bottoms). You can buy them through Kamon for £21, but it is up to you. They are expensive because they are quite nice quality and I am sure that Master Chan wants to make a slight profit on them.

Sashes are £5, but that is the price set by 'Blitz' (company that sells them).
Footwear is just black trainers and most people have them or can get a pair pretty cheaply
When you consider that some Gi's are around £90 to buy, it isn't bad at all.

Classes are good and there are a lot more experienced instructors than myself in the federation. As you can see from the videos on the site, Kevin Chan himself trains at high level in BJJ, wing chun, boxing and MT

One of the guys he was seen doing pad work with is Dino Meringo who was to be entered into UFC last year but had an injury

The beauty of Kamon is that you can go to three different classes and be trained three different ways. Some classes concentrate on skill, some concentrate on forms, some concentrate on fitness and hard drills, some concentrate purely on fighting.

All of the instructors have been through a pressure test which is 3 hours of constant exercise (non stop and no water breaks) plus a minute of milling.

It might be worth coming down and having a look sometime

[Pork Chop]

maybe you guys in the UK do boxing hooks differently, but i promise my boxing hook definitely comes from my base- and the weight transition from front foot to back foot.
I can average 40 hooks (total punches over 100) a round on a heavybag without breathing too hard, so i don't see what you mean there either.

as far as which kung fu style have i seen that fights the best?
probably buk sing choy lay fut, lama, or shuai jiao.
buk sing doesn't rely too heavy on forms, not so many techniques, tons of pad work drills, and lots of fighting.
the lama guys i know all do san shou.
best shuai jiao folks i know can hang with the best judo folks i know.

honorable mentions have to go to: lung ying, southern praying mantis, bak mei, jow gar (hung tao choy mei), hung gar, hsing yi, taiji, tien shan pai, 7* mantis, taishing pek kwar, and fukien white crane (in that order probably); as I've met guys (and gals) from each that could really throw down. It's really REALLY important to find a teacher who's going to show you how to use your stuff though, complete with pad work drills. Be wary of schools that are 100% forms practice, overly concerned with tournaments, or anybody who tells you that it's impossible to fight with the techniques from the form.

currently in the process of getting back into TCMA after a long time in boxing & muay thai. my passion for jumping the in the ring has cooled off so I kinda want to do something different - sport arts can get a little dull if you're not planning on fighting.

[kanik]

I reckon chow gar tong long, southern praying mantis gung fu is the most effective chinese gung fu style out of every chinese style i have trained in, fought against or seen so far. It's friggen hardcore.

[jonbey]

I couldn't agree with you more!

[FrankyLau]

there is not the "one" most effective style....i dont believe in that
..its about what you make out of it how you understand the style...
its like this chineses sentence says

yat daam - yee lek - saam gung fu

first balls (courage)
second power
third kung fu

without the balls and no power your kung fu is useless...

peace

[Pork Chop]

Franky
Are you the Mark Houghton student that posts all those youtube clips?
If so, pleasure to have you around.
Curious if you guys do any padwork and fighting drills outside of the gung training on those clips?

[FrankyLau]

Franky
Are you the Mark Houghton student that posts all those youtube clips?
If so, pleasure to have you around.
Curious if you guys do any padwork and fighting drills outside of the gung training on those clips?

Yeah thats me,
we do pad drills,partner drills...
sparring without any gear...its fun.
Thats for the regular students..guests with only limited time learn drills in the chambers.

[Pork Chop]

Yeah thats me,
we do pad drills,partner drills...
sparring without any gear...its fun.
Thats for the regular students..guests with only limited time learn drills in the chambers.

awesome.

kinda planning on starting up hung ga at the end of the summer with a buddy of mine. He's chan hon chung and chiu kau lineage. Hope that doesn't mean we have to become mortal enemies. hehe I know you guys have no love for chiu chi ling; but chiu kau seems way more low key and ummmm sane?

did a minuscule amount of tang fung hung ga 3 years ago, privately, with a buddy of mine in Philly. excited to actually learn a significant amount of material this time around.

background before that was in Jow ga.

[Tom Yum]

Hey guys!

Can you start threads about your styles -- discussing the history, martial spirit, fighting methods, famous fighters/instructors, weapons etc.

We could use more of this.

[kanik]

Hey guys!

Can you start threads about your styles -- discussing the history, martial spirit, fighting methods, famous fighters/instructors, weapons etc.

We could use more of this.

Ooo! That would be interesting! I guess i'll start a thread about my style of no one else gets there before me. I'll give them some time though because i dont mind, it would just be an interesting topic to discuss.

[FrankyLau]

awesome.

kinda planning on starting up hung ga at the end of the summer with a buddy of mine. He's chan hon chung and chiu kau lineage. Hope that doesn't mean we have to become mortal enemies. hehe I know you guys have no love for chiu chi ling; but chiu kau seems way more low key and ummmm sane?

.

I have no beef with Chiu Chi Ling at all...actually hes a nice guy..
His brothers Kung fu impresses me more though..very strong Hung Gar master.
Chan Hon Chung is a legend in its own right he got my upmost respect..may he rest in peace . U got some good lineages there..and to me any hung practicioner is my brother...

[aseepish]

I am twenty five stone (fat b*stard) and I have found that wing chun gives me a very formidable edge when fighting.

25 stone = 350 pounds

With that kind of mass, it shouldn't matter what style you hit them with!

[jubaji]

Yikes! I take it there's not much in the way of cardio in WC then?

[Red Rum]

Hardly any in Kamon. We have some classes where students are doing exercise for a majority and other classes where we do none.

I used to be completely toned with no fat on my body. The trouble with martial arts here is that I don't drive, so after class it means that I don't have time to cook so eat junk.

It's interesting though as most people don't experience both ends of the spectrum in their lifetime. It is a wake up call

I have been completely fit and could do things that I couldn't do as a fat guy, and I have been (and now) overweight and again can do things that a thinner guy couldn't do.

I tend to find that weight does give an advantage in the old hitting game but it is not synonymous

There is a skinny boxer that I train with who almost breaks my hands when he hits the focus pads I hold up for him, and he must be a third of my bodyweight.

I find that fitness and martial arts do not always go hand in hand. If you are training everyday you might lose weight, but it is also important about how you train, and how you live your life

It is no good to do what I do which is to train hard and eat lots if you are hoping to lose weight!!!

I am planning to go down a few sizes this year once I have fought my last bare knuckle tournie.