Different types of kung-fu! Which should I choose?

[Horus Ra]

I want to learn kung-fu but I have no idea of what kind I want to learn and what the differences are. I'm a little guy with very little muscle.

I'm also interested in learning ju jitsu, tae kwon do, and wu shu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...e_martial_arts

Bafaquan (八法拳) - Eight Methods
Baguazhang (八卦掌; Pa Kua Chang) - Eight Trigrams Palm
Bajiquan (八極拳) - Eight Extremes Fist
Bak Mei (白眉拳) - White Eyebrow
Black Tiger Kung Fu (黑虎拳)
Chaquan (查拳) - Cha Fist
Changquan (長拳) - Long Fist
Chuo Jiao (戳腳) - Poking Feet
Chow Gar - a form of Southern Praying Mantis
Chi Hsuan Men - White Jade Fan
Choy Gar (蔡家) - also known as Rat Kung Fu
Choy Lee Fut (蔡李佛; C?ilǐf?)
Dachengquan (大成拳) - Great Achievement Boxing (Yiquan)
Ditangquan (地躺拳) - Ground-Prone Fist, Ground Tumbling Boxing
Do Pi Kung Fu (道派)
Dragon Kung Fu (Lung Ying) (龍形拳)
Duan Quan (短拳) - Short Range Boxing
Emeiquan (峨嵋拳)
Fanziquan (翻子拳) - Overturning Fist, Tumbling Boxing
Feng Shou - Hand of the Wind
Five Ancestors (五祖拳) - Wuzuquan or Ngo Cho Kun
Five Animals (五形)
Five Petal Plum Blossom Qigong
Fujian White Crane (白鶴拳)
Fu Jow Pai (虎爪派) - Tiger Claw System (also titled Black Tiger Kung Fu or Hark Fu Moon)
Fut Gar - Buddhist Palm
Gouquan (狗拳) - Dog Fist
Hong Cha
Hop Gar (俠家)
Houquan (猴拳) - Monkey Fist
Drunken Monkey (醉猴)
Hsing-i Ch'uan: see Xingyiquan (形意拳)
Huaquan (華拳) - China Fist
Hung Fut (洪佛) - Hung and Buddha style kung fu
Hung Gar (洪家拳; also known as Hung Ga or Hung Kuen) Shaolin Style and ancestor to many southern styles
I Liq Chuan (意力拳) - Mind-Body Art, founded by Chin Lik Keong of Malaysia
Jeet Kune Do (截拳道) - Way of The Intercepting Fist
Jing Wu Men (精武門) - Jing Wu, a famous school founded in Shanghai that teaches several different styles.
Jing Quan Do (精拳道) - a modern synthetic style
Jow-Ga Kung Fu (周家) - Jow family style
Kuntao - Way of the Fist
Kuen-Do (拳道) - Way of The Fist
Lau Gar (刘家) - Lau family style
Lai-Ga-Sau - A recently created separate branch based in the United Kingdom.
Lai Tung Pai- Shaolin Style that mixes long and short fist
Leopard Kung Fu (豹拳)
Li (Lee) Family (李家) - Li Family or Lee Family style
Liu Seong Kuntao (also Liu Seong Gung Fu, Liu Seong Chuan Fa) - A Chinese art with Indonesian influence, practiced primarily in the United States.
Liuhe Bafa (六合八法; Liu He Pa Fa, Lok Hup Ba Fa) - Six Harmonies, Eight Methods or Water Boxing
Luohan Quan (羅漢拳) Arhat Boxing, Law Horn Kuen
Mei Hua Quan (梅花拳 Plum Blossom Fist)
Mizongyi (迷蹤羅漢拳; M?zōngqu?n) - Lost Track Fist (also known as My Jong Law Horn)
Mok Gar (莫家拳) Mok family style
Nam Pai Chuan (南派拳)
Nan Quan (南拳) - Southern Fist
Northern Praying Mantis (北派螳螂拳)
Northern Shaolin (北少林) - Bak Siu Lum
Pai lum (白龍) - White Dragon, Pai Family Method, a modern style based on Kenpo with Chinese influences found mainly in the US and Canada.
Paochui (炮捶) - Cannon Fist, Sanhaung Paochui
Piguaquan (劈掛拳) - Chop-Hitch Fist, Axe-hitch boxing
Praying Mantis: see either Northern or Southern Praying Mantis.
Sanda (散打) or Sanshou (散手) - Free Fighting
San Soo (散手)
Shaolin Nam Pai Chuan (少林南派拳)
Shaolin Quan (少林拳)
Shen Lung Kung Fu (神龍功夫) - Modern variations of Southern style Chinese martial arts based in the United States.
Shuai Chiao (摔跤; Shuaijiao) - Chinese Wrestling
Shequan (蛇拳) - Snake Fist
Shou Shu
Southern Praying Mantis (南派螳螂拳)
Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳 T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Taijiquan) - Taiji Fist
Tantui (彈腿/譚腿) - Spring Leg style
Tibetan White Crane (白鶴派)
Tien Shan Pai (天山派)
Tongbeiquan (通背拳) - Through-the-Back Fist
Twelve Fists of Tamo
White Crane: see either Fujian White Crane or Tibetan White Crane
Wing Chun (詠春) - Forever Spring(永春)
Wing Tsun (詠春)
Wudangquan (武當拳)
Xingyiquan (形意拳; Hsing-i Ch'uan) - Form-Intent Fist
Yau Kung Mun (软功門) - Flexible-Power Style
Yingzhaoquan (鷹爪拳) - Eagle Claw Fist
Yuejiaquan (岳家槍) - Yue family Fist/Boxing
Yiquan (意拳; I Ch'uan) - Mind Boxing
Zhuan Shu Kuan - A modern composite style containing elements of Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai and Changquan. It is based in the United Kingdom.
Zi Ran Men (自然门) - Natural Boxing or "fist of nature"
Zui Quan (醉拳) - Drunken Fist

[TheStuddMuffin]

Wow how about you search for a place near you. And then break it down from there.

Good luck with wushu.

[Imperfection]

Originally Posted by TheStuddMuffin

Wow how about you search for a place near you. And then break it down from there.

Good luck with wushu.

dance fighting FTW

[nuttybl]

1. what do the schools around you teach?
2. what do you want to gain from learning martial arts? i.e. do you want to kick ass or look cool?

[Ichez]

Tiger Style!

[REBELZZ]

try to learn as many as u can

[Popsicle52]

I used a video of Dragon Kung Fu in my how is this considered a martial art thread.

[HandOfFate]

The only Kung Fu that I'd consider taking is Win Chun or however it's spelled. And JKD, but I'm not sure if that's Kung Fu or not.

[bjjbadboy]

its going to be realllly hard to find any school that teaches any of those styles that are legit, w/o going to china, japan, etc... see whats around you.. also alot of the styles are worthless on the street till your at a very advanced level... all that spin jump kicking stuff does not work in real life... what are you looking to get out of MA, set your goal then find whats around you, how legit they are, and take it from there...
in my opionon, muay thai is the way to go, prob the most efficient quickest to learn and teaches you to destroy a person from head to toe.

also JKD is a philosophy not an art..a great philosophy at that

[Piper2]

Originally Posted by bjjbadboy

its going to be realllly hard to find any school that teaches any of those styles that are legit, w/o going to china, japan, etc... see whats around you.. also alot of the styles are worthless on the street till your at a very advanced level... all that spin jump kicking stuff does not work in real life... what are you looking to get out of MA, set your goal then find whats around you, how legit they are, and take it from there...
in my opionon, muay thai is the way to go, prob the most efficient quickest to learn and teaches you to destroy a person from head to toe.

also JKD is a philosophy not an art..a great philosophy at that

I have to agree with this. Really, why do you want to study Kung Fu? I have had many ex-Kung Fu practioners train with me in BJJ/MMA, some had trained a very long time with reputable Kung Fu schools, BUT they all said Kung Fu was next to worthless against BJJ/MMA or on the street.

You might want to look for something more realistic in a martial art, and save yourself a lot of time, money, and embarrassment if you ever need something more reality-based.

[REBELZZ]

thats what bruce lee did he broke threw the bull **** got rid of the tradtion took what good in wing chun and gung fu boxing and something else and made a damn good phliosphy/art

[thekaydense]

wing chun, totally different than the rest of the other "kung fu's" and i wouldnt even call it that.

[thecut]

Well, in my humble opinion, i train in Hun Gar, and im going to go out on a limb and say that most non grappling martials arts teach alot of the same concepts (drilling kicks, puches, sparring) but the biggest differences would be in the individual schools and the teachers, go to a few classes and find out what the school is all about and if you enjoy it.

[Project_BelAir]

Do you expect me to choose from that novel? I doubt all does are in your area anyway. NUMBER IT DOWN!

[Kozma]

None.

[REBELZZ]

jkd go the way that is not a way practice the formless form

[Storms of War]

San Shou if you can find it. It's not traditional Kung Fu, but rather a combination of Chinese striking styles, along with Chinese wrestling. It looks something like freestyle kickboxing combined with judo. If not, I'd personally look into the southern fist style. I personally feel punching is far more important than kicking.

[ussjtrunks]

For real fighting, wing chun and iron monkey. For focus and steadiness, flexibility and awareness, Tai chi quan, Wu, Sun, or Yang long form.

[ussjtrunks]

Who on here knows the secrets 6th animal style?

[Maximum]

Originally Posted by Piper2

I have to agree with this. Really, why do you want to study Kung Fu? I have had many ex-Kung Fu practioners train with me in BJJ/MMA, some had trained a very long time with reputable Kung Fu schools, BUT they all said Kung Fu was next to worthless against BJJ/MMA or on the street.

You might want to look for something more realistic in a martial art, and save yourself a lot of time, money, and embarrassment if you ever need something more reality-based.

I'm sure Cung Le would beg to differ about the embarrassment and reality based part. My first choice would be Wing Chun as far as streetfighting goes, and then San Shou.

[Horus Ra]

what do i want out of it?
the ability to defend myself and others, not to offend.
also i would like to have something that is entertaining to watch someone do.

i'm a little guy, no real muscle, have tried to save a couple dansel in distress many times before and usually ended up in the hospital.

my uncle just recently got into MMA and is now on a team for fighting, he's using it as a stress reliever due to his temper and bipolar disorder.

btw, i have a hung-gar instructional video that is complete crap, can't learn anything from it and it looks like the most retarded, useless, wussy martial art i've ever seen.

[Horus Ra]

bump for my post above this one

[MainFrameSolja]

Originally Posted by Maximum

I'm sure Cung Le would beg to differ about the embarrassment and reality based part. My first choice would be Wing Chun as far as streetfighting goes, and then San Shou.

Cung Lee is nothing special.

[Govithoy]

For the love of christ, there's some bad advice in here. Wing Chun for streetfights? Yeah, k.

If you want to honestly take a real look into Martial Arts, check out www.bullshido.net and see what people are saying around there. They've also got a health and fitness forum where people discuss weight training and such for practical MA purposes.

[Cindy2]

I think there are great advices in the thread such as checking the option offered in the school next to your house and trying to figure out what do you want to gain from the martial arts training. Such thought processes are important if you know what you want and know how much effort you can invest in it then you are better able to achieve your goals. see for example the discussion on the issue of open hand vs. sword techniques here
http://www.bushidocodeclub.com/sword...niques-59.html

[anthrofighter]

take the one that will help you from not getting your ass beat.

[latverian]

you have the best resource available to researh each style (the internet) but you will find usually people that study a certain style claim that is the best.

My recomendation to you is wing chun and some style such as ju jitsu.

Wing chun to become a master with your hands and jitsu so you can learn what to do if you ever fall with someone to the ground.

You NEED to know both cause one minute you may be standing the next you may be on the floor.

jeet kune do is also as good as wing chun as it borrows heavily from it..as well as boxing and many other styles that make street sense science.

[viiictor]

I reckon most people here would suggest either Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do (doubt they have an official teacher, but its just a concept anyway), Or Sanda/San Shou. Also Wushu is more like a sport/performance not as much a martial art.

[cgc]

I'm betting since this post is almost a year old, he's either found something....or has given up.


.

[Mrs Grudge]

Originally Posted by viiictor

I reckon most people here would suggest either Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do (doubt they have an official teacher, but its just a concept anyway), Or Sanda/San Shou. Also Wushu is more like a sport/performance not as much a martial art.

Yes there are official JKD teachers.