What in your opinion is the best of a "bad" bunch?

[seanyseanybean]

Hi

I have recently been blessed with some more free time which will enable me to train in another art. I already study Tang Soo Do. I have had many conversations over the effectiveness of TMA's and a lot of things have been exposed. I really am quite set on learning a CMA no matter if its not as effective as BJJ or MMA, as i like the tradition and history and the training methods, and i wont just be going to learn how to fight.

So i wanted to know peoples unbiased opinions (hence posting the thread here) on what CMA's are worthwhile learning? I basically dont want to start a school and be told "ultimate" techniques and that our style shits on all other styles. I want a down to earth approach to training. which doesnt lie (or is dillusional) about the effectiveness of techniques, like i would be fine if they said "using 'X' is really just for show, dont use it in real life" and would be interested in learning it for tradition purposes, i just dont want "do this and the guys neck will instantly break"

Sorry im rubbish at keeping these things short. Anywho fire away

[danfaggella]

It depends on how they train and who teaches it, any CMA can work out if it is trained properly. Granted, most CMA are trained traditionally and won't be sportive (there will be many techniques you wont be able to use in a ring), but if you really look around you will find a legit teachers with a good philosophy and emphisis on effectiveness.

It took me a while to find a decent TMA to dabble in. I'm currently training in some old fellow's yard, and we do it year round, any weather, no equipment. Sure we learn forms here and there, but most of our time in class is on drilling and sparring. The contact is not full whn hitting to the face (no equipment) but people get into it pretty hard over there, and its so nice to fight with no gloves, I can'tgrapple with nhb gloves very well.

Also, its a good atmosphere, there are no tattooed up though guys who wanna learn how to "kick ass", because the nstructor will just tell them to get the **** out.

Sometimes I'll learn things in CMA that I find strange and impractical, and I really hate forms as well, but I DO them, because I want to pull something from this specrum of the martial arts. I have not only learned dirty techniques i would never learn in BJJ/MT, but I have learned principals that I have carried over into my sportive martial arts base. Grappling is still my forte' and my passion, but I figured I should see it all and become a martial artist, not just a sport grappler, this is my choice and it is not intrinsically better or nobler than being just a sport grappler.

Look around, check things out, talk to instructors, talk to students, try things, good luck!

[aseepish]

Taijiquan - from somebody who teaches it as a martial art, not as low-impact exercise for senior citizens. If possible, in combination with Xingyiquan and Bagua. I trained at one of those places for a couple of months. I was the youngest person training in the class by about 25 years. My own training in Taiji is rather limited - I took lessons for about six months (with a variety of instructors, the best one was a Taiwanese master who taught Yang, Chen, and Xingyi ("once you westerners learn to relax," he said). Unfortunately I was only able to study with him for about a month before I moved) when I was in my early 20s. It's something I'd like to get back into when I have a little more free time.

Wing Chun is a lot of fun. I trained in a somewhat exotic variety of non-Yip Man lineage Wing Chun while I was living in Singapore - "Malaysian Wing Chun" or "Cho-Family Wing Chun". The highlight of that experience was doing a couple of semi-privates with Master Ku Choi-Wah, semi-private because the man spoke no English and I needed an interpreter (he spoke Cantonese, I speak Mandarin).

I'm personally interested in Choy Lay Fut and Ngo Cho Kuen (Baziquan), but I've never trained in those styles.

Whether or not these are "worthwhile" to study depends on what exactly you want to get out of them. If you're simply interested in tradition and history (very worthy reasons in my opinion) it doesn't really matter what style you choose, as long as you're not being taught some bastardized version of the art or Modern Wushu.

A big problem in CMAs is politics. Style vs. Style, lineage vs. lineage, instructor vs. instructor... it never ends. This kind of crap goes on in almost every martial art, but CMAs are notorious for this.

[seanyseanybean]

Cool thats good to know.

I found a place near me that teaches taiji and bagua.

http://www.nama.co.uk/MainFrame.htm it looks a bit lame from the site, what do you think?

I have always liked the look of wing chun. Which varients should i avoid and which should i look for as there are a few different ones near me.

There is also a southern mantis class whick looks good.

[danfaggella]

Bagua site looks lame, but go there anyways and check it out and meet the people.

Definitely try southern mantis, that stuff is really interesting.

[aseepish]

Originally Posted by seanyseanybean

http://www.nama.co.uk/MainFrame.htm it looks a bit lame from the site, what do you think?

Agreed. But it could just mean that Mr. and Mrs. Fermor suck at web design. I agree with Danfaggella - go check out the school and make your decision based on that.

As far as Wing Chun is concerned, my personal bias (!) is to stay away from anyone who spells it as "Ving Tsun" (i.e. Leung Ting's branch of the family). See? I told you there was a lot of politics in WT/VT! Again, visit some schools and talk to the people there. You'll find a lot of people convinced of the absolute superiority of their system/branch, but hopefully a few that are humble and sincere.

[jubaji]

Originally Posted by aseepish

Taijiquan - from somebody who teaches it as a martial art, not as low-impact exercise for senior citizens. .

Good choice.