Thread: Kung Fu ?

Not every style suits everyone. If there are any local schools near you, then I would suggest trying them out, maybe give at least a months trial in each. As one class will not give you a clear enought view of what the school is about.

What do you want from a 'Kung fu' school?

not from a book. a beginner needs a teacher...books cannot give feedback or resistance, two critical things for martial arts. there are many places you can misinterpet an idea and go off completly off course so to speak...

Although its very hard to learn anything, if you are not in a school. One thing I would recommend to any beginner or pre'joining a MA club'er to eat healthy, exercise and stretch dynamically and statically (I would spend a lot of time on stretching)

Another thing which may sound stupid is to practise correct posture. A lot of people in the modern world have have jobs, hobbies etc... which may effect their posture e.g. sitting at a computer for hours, watching TV etc... IMO one thing you'll find is the need for a good strong posture in CMA. I would suggest getting a proffessional to check your posture and ask for advice to correct it if need be.

One common reason for bad posture, would be to over exercise your abs (usually via sit-ups) and then not stretch them, thus resulting in over tense abs which bring your shoulder forward and give you that slight hunch back effect, as your back is curled forward.

Depends on what you like me i practice Hung Gar which emphasize low low stances and powerfull blocks to make your opponent stop attacking, but there is also very devastating blows to take them out fast.

And if your lucky you can find a 5 animals school which i enthusiasticly say go for and depending on what you instructor teaches the animal differ my school "Southern Chinese Boxing academy" teaches Snake, Tiger, Panther, Monkey, Dragon, Crane. and as you see my instructor through in Monkey which makes 6 animals but this is my oppinion on what to take but its all up to what you like in the end.

I'm not sure what you mean by not interested in a school. I hope you mean your not interested in any particular school. Anyways just try the few closest to you, like the previous person said, try each one for a month or two to get a good feel.

At The Same time, be wary of fake "kung fu" Schools. Or mc Dojos. A good way to tell is mc dojo is by the name. Something like: Ultimate tiger kung fu is likely to be a pot head teaching crap.

Well for a beginners, might i recommend Chang Quan? In English it means Long fist/ Long boxing. Very basic moves. Move of its strikes use the advantage of range. Encompasses most if not all the basic strikes and stances. It will give you a feel of what Kung fu is going to be like.

Trust me, you do not want to do anything from a book. If you want to learn Shaolin properly, get a competent teacher. Do not go looking for video tapes on animal forms or what ever. With out a physical Guide, you will not progress very far, or you may not progress at all.

Cool. Your first steps into CMA. Just remember a book will not teach you much of what you need to know.
It can help you understand concepts and ideas behind the moves, forms and styles but ultimately, you will need a teacher to guide you through the right steps. Trust me, learning to fight from a book isn't the way to go.

"There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."