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American Kenpo- Spent 2 weeks during my first summer break at University watching old Jacky Chan movies, decided it was time to get off my arse and do SOMETHING. The Kenpo dojo was the most convenient. I was lucky I picked this place by random. The other school in the area, I later found out, had a reputation for ripping off students ("Join the Black belt club and learn secret techniques!").
Taijiquan- I started Taiji around the same time I started Kenpo. My first instructor was more interested in promoting an art for senior citizens then anything with any combative value ("this move is called 'pie in the face'"). I've since had an on-again-off-again relationship with this art, studying with several other instructors, some better than others.
Aikido/BJJ- After my kenpo school closed down (right when I was going to test for blue belt), I studied at a club where they had Aikido on one side of the mats, BJJ on the other. One of my Kenpo buddies was a senior student there. The problem was when I was doing Aikido I wanted to be with the BJJ people, and when I was doing BJJ, I wanted to be back on the aikido side.
Choi kwang do- The same buddy of mine was doing this TKD hybrid style, I did that for a while too. I found the techniques a little counter-intuitive, but the workouts were very intense - especially after the aikido!
Then I moved to Vancouver.
Kali/Silat- The first martial arts club I joined in Vancouver taught Balintawak escrima and Pencak Silat Mande Muda. I had been interested in Filipino martial arts for a long time, but I had never had much of an opportunity to study them. I had read about Mande Muda and was thrilled to study this style. Unfortunately six months in my schedule changed and I could no longer make it to the classes.
JKD- Thanks to Burton Richardson's articles and Paul Vunak's videos, I had always been interested in JKD. I found a PFS school and studied there for two years.
Then I moved to Singapore
Wing Chun Kuen - Again, Wing Chun was a style I was always interested in. I am currently studying a branch of Wing Chun that does not come from Yip Man. I've only recently started attending these classes, but so far they've been interesting.
Sorry for the long personal history (This is the short version - I'm leaving out my time in Shito-ryu karate, Arnis de mano, and Ninpo Taijustu), but I've been finding this a very interesting thread.
-Tony "Jack of all trades, but master of none (yet)"
Taijiquan- I started Taiji around the same time I started Kenpo. My first instructor was more interested in promoting an art for senior citizens then anything with any combative value ("this move is called 'pie in the face'"). I've since had an on-again-off-again relationship with this art, studying with several other instructors, some better than others.
Aikido/BJJ- After my kenpo school closed down (right when I was going to test for blue belt), I studied at a club where they had Aikido on one side of the mats, BJJ on the other. One of my Kenpo buddies was a senior student there. The problem was when I was doing Aikido I wanted to be with the BJJ people, and when I was doing BJJ, I wanted to be back on the aikido side.
Choi kwang do- The same buddy of mine was doing this TKD hybrid style, I did that for a while too. I found the techniques a little counter-intuitive, but the workouts were very intense - especially after the aikido!
Then I moved to Vancouver.
Kali/Silat- The first martial arts club I joined in Vancouver taught Balintawak escrima and Pencak Silat Mande Muda. I had been interested in Filipino martial arts for a long time, but I had never had much of an opportunity to study them. I had read about Mande Muda and was thrilled to study this style. Unfortunately six months in my schedule changed and I could no longer make it to the classes.
JKD- Thanks to Burton Richardson's articles and Paul Vunak's videos, I had always been interested in JKD. I found a PFS school and studied there for two years.
Then I moved to Singapore
Wing Chun Kuen - Again, Wing Chun was a style I was always interested in. I am currently studying a branch of Wing Chun that does not come from Yip Man. I've only recently started attending these classes, but so far they've been interesting.
Sorry for the long personal history (This is the short version - I'm leaving out my time in Shito-ryu karate, Arnis de mano, and Ninpo Taijustu), but I've been finding this a very interesting thread.
-Tony "Jack of all trades, but master of none (yet)"
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