Need an Illinois gym

[obsessed]

I live in northern Illinois (about 45 minutes west of chicago) and am currently attending school in Wisconsin. I am not able to take any type of MA classes while in school (everything is so far away!) so I'll do so when I come home for the summer.

If anyone has any recommendations about any gyms of any style, please let me know. I did some Muay Thai for about 3 months but then couldn't continue because of my class scheduling. I liked it because it was so realistic. Is it this way with all the other martial arts? It seemed like skill played a part in this, rather than just size and speed, because if you didn't know what you were doing you'd get rocked.

How do things like kempo, ninjutsu, and shotokan compare to this. And what about the chinese arts? It seems to me that Muay Thai is more about conditioning and toughness than learning techniques. However is that the tradeoff? Are chinese martial arts good because they have so many skills, or are they shit compared to a real muay thai fighter?

ob

[simplestudent]

I live in northern Illinois (about 45 minutes west of chicago) and am currently attending school in Wisconsin. I am not able to take any type of MA classes while in school (everything is so far away!) so I'll do so when I come home for the summer.

If anyone has any recommendations about any gyms of any style, please let me know. I did some Muay Thai for about 3 months but then couldn't continue because of my class scheduling. I liked it because it was so realistic. Is it this way with all the other martial arts? It seemed like skill played a part in this, rather than just size and speed, because if you didn't know what you were doing you'd get rocked.

How do things like kempo, ninjutsu, and shotokan compare to this. And what about the chinese arts? It seems to me that Muay Thai is more about conditioning and toughness than learning techniques. However is that the tradeoff? Are chinese martial arts good because they have so many skills, or are they shit compared to a real muay thai fighter?

ob

The answer... No absolutely not. Muy Thai is excellent. But so is Kung Fu and Karate. The key is to find a good school. I cannot speak for the suburbs, but I know that in chicago, there are some very reputable schools, and some extremely crappy schools.

What people fail to realize about why styles like Muy Thai, traditional boxing, BJJ, and even MMA are likes and seem to work so well. Unlike many martial arts schools of today, that often are afraid of the unfortunate real reality of lawsuits by weak students, (which absolutely appauls me because I don't understand how you think you will get good at any martial art without a few bumps and bruises here and there...) MMA, boxing, and Muy Thai are taken with the full understanding that you have to get into great shape through drills and conditioning as well as get in the ring and fight in order to get any good.

In Chicago, there are some Martial Arts schools that still do this. There is The Kung Fu Academy of Chicago, headed by Sifu Kwan Kortez. On the south side there is Sensei Larry Tankson and Sifu Wilbert Rimes who teaches Southern Praying mantis. All three of these gentlemen are legends in their own right, and have incredible programs. If you don't know what you are doing there, you will get rocked at first, then as you get better, you will slowly be able to dish out some pain as well. Another amazing Sensei is Sensei Tim Deberry. He is a brilliant self defense practitioner, and the school he comes form produces excellent fighters as well.

This is not to say there aren't other schools that are excellent because I am sure that there are, but these guys are the ones I know about. Start with them, and I am sure you will not be dissappointed.
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[obsessed]

Thanks simplestudent. I'll most definitely check those out. Quick question though: you talked about getting rocked at first when doing the kung fu stuff. How does this compare to getting rocked in Muay Thai?

The reason I ask is because Muay Thai, to me at least, seems more straight forward. You're going in and you know you're going to get hit/kicked/whatever. Kung fu seems almost more sneaky, in which you don't think of it as boxing but more of a entire body type of art.

I can't really describe this. I guess what I mean is that how do kung fu masters compare to Muay Thai fighters? I don't want to beat around the bush with questions about what arts are better than the other, but seriously, how do they compare?

[jeff5]

I don't know how close to Wisconsin you are so this may be a bit too far east for you, but Curran Martial Arts in Crystal Lake is an excellent Muay Thai & BJJ gym. Here's their site.

http://www.teamcurran.com/teamcurran/

[simplestudent]

The reason I ask is because Muay Thai, to me at least, seems more straight forward. You're going in and you know you're going to get hit/kicked/whatever. Kung fu seems almost more sneaky, in which you don't think of it as boxing but more of a entire body type of art.

I can't really describe this. I guess what I mean is that how do kung fu masters compare to Muay Thai fighters? I don't want to beat around the bush with questions about what arts are better than the other, but seriously, how do they compare?

I think that there is a big misconception about Kung Fu, and how it works. Firstly, there are many styles of Kung Fu as there are many styles of Karate. There is only one style of Muay Thai, if I am not mistaken.

At any good school, you should expect to get hit or kicked by the students when you first enter the ring to fight. It will happen! If all the students are no match for you, then the school is probably not what you are looking for. As for style, all I can say is that the systems are different, but each is extremely strong. If you want to see Kung Fu at work, look at San Shou videos vs Muay Thai. In some instances San Shou Wins hands down. In other instances, Muay Thai wins hands down. It's not the style, it's the fighter, the quality of the school, and the quality of the instructor.

If you want the raw facts, here is all I can tell you.

I hale from another martial art, as do my two brothers. We studied with Sifu Kwan's disciple over the summer, to round off our current training. On our first day there, he beat all three of us with ease using northern mantis. Ask Sifu Kwan to tell you the story about how he got the big trophy in his school. he may tell you, and his older students can all attest to it. After just one summer, and I am not a bragger, but let's just say, I went back to my current school and did more than hold my own weight in the fighting circles.

Sensei Larry Tankson's school is one of the most formidible schools on the south side. His students' and school's reputations holds weight in both the competition department and on the streets. If you want to know how good he is, ask anyone in the major martial arts circuit, and they will tell you that he's no joke.

Sifu Wilbert Rimes is an incredibly amazing teacher whose credibility is terrifying. He started his studies in Wing Chun at a very young age, and went on to study with some of the best masters in Southern Praying Mantis in the world. In fact, I think he is the only Southern Praying Mantis school in Chicago. He is extremely excellent and no joke. From last I heard his teaching style was "old school" and he takes no stuff off of his students.

Sensei Tim Deberry is a personal friend and brilliant Martial Arts practitioner. I still sparr with him over the summer to see how good I have gotten. Again, sparring with Sensei Deberry has greatly improved my skill level in ways no other school would have.

These four instructors I personally can vouch for. Other than these guys, I can't tell you of any other schools that I know of that measure up-- not to say that there aren't any that do because there are tons of schools in Chicago that I have never visited. Again, I don't know of any Muay Thai schools, but the ones I have told you about are really very good.

If you do not believe me, visit their schools, you can easily find them by googling their names on the net. The Chicago Kung Fu Academy is probably the closest to you since you are in the northern suburbs. I think they all offer free trials so that you can see if the class is on your level. Take advantage of it, and let me know how you faired (lol)

Good Luck!!
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[obsessed]

Thanks simplestudent, I'll definitely check those out.

I do have a question for you regarding skill. I'm a perfectionist at whatever I do, and often am frustrated when I can't grasp something as fast as I want to.

My problem lies in martial arts training. How long does it take to get moderately good? My deal is that I expect myself to perform on such a high level in under a month, and when that happens I am usually kicking myself for not trying harder. I always think I suck, and that drives me to push forward, but I am in a constant state of thinking I’m failing.

How do I fix this?

[Tom Yum]

My problem lies in martial arts training. How long does it take to get moderately good? My deal is that I expect myself to perform on such a high level in under a month, and when that happens I am usually kicking myself for not trying harder. I always think I suck, and that drives me to push forward, but I am in a constant state of thinking I’m failing.

How do I fix this?

Its good to push forward and to try your best, bro. Take it easy now and then so you don't beat yourself up too hard and you'll be fine.

To get moderately good? Keep training and working at it and you'll know when you get there.

If you're training in a combat sport like boxing, kickboxing or wrestling you can get functional in 3-6 months if you train like the way you say you do.

You'll be fine, bro.

[superfob]

muay thai or kickboxing gyms near palatine or schaumburg?

does anyone know any good muay thai or kickboxing gyms near palatine or schaumburg area?

[obsessed]

How about in a traditional art, like karate or kung fu?

I hate asking these questions because it varies, but if it takes people 5 years or so to get pretty decent then I won't feel as though I'm failing.

I agree with the boxing/kickboxing statement too. They seem like they would.

[simplestudent]

You have to look at the long -term and short-term arts. When you first start at any martial art it is going to be hard if the school is worth its weight. In a good Kung Fu school or Karate school they will start you off with the basics. You will learn stances (horse stance, mantis, tiger, or in karate kiba, etc.) You will learn punches kicks chops blocks elbows, etc. You will probably also learn some beginning fight combinations and forms as well. Some schools insist on you really mastering the basics before they even let you in the ring. Some schools, like Kwan and Tankson will let you in the ring whenever you fell you are ready.

In any art. It's going to take some time before you can really master the essence. Even in Kickboxing or boxing, you don't become a Muhammad Ali or a Tony Jaa over night, it takes years of training before you get that good.

I think the key is not to beat yourself over the head. If you're at a good school, it is going to take a while to be able to stand toe to toe with people who have been training for years at the same facility. However, little by little you will see improvements, but you will be improving more than you know.

Again, when I was training with one of Master Kwan's disciples, I was never able to beat him. He rocked me every time. The same was true with Sensei Deberry, man did I ever get rocked. However, when I went back to spar people form other schools who had been training as long and in many cases longer than I had, I had no trouble handling myself in the ring. That isn't to say that I am excellent, by no means :-). I still have a TON of work to do before I think I can even call mayself good, at leat another 4-5 years. However, I know for an absolute fact that I can handle myself a lot better now than I could when I first started. I proved that in the ring with my fellow martial arts classmates.

If kickboxing is you forte, you should start there. I personally love to train in styles like kung fo, viet vo dao, and karate. I love the discipline, I love the workout, and I love the history. Muay Thai is also a traditional martial art, but since so many people have seen it used successfully in the octagon.

Now, if you are looking for the equivalent of that in Chines Kung Fu, I would recommend looking for a school that also does San Shou fighting. There are a few schools in Chicago that have them. The three I know of are the extreme kung fu and wushu training center in evanston, the chinese gong fu institute on the north side of chicago and Ng family chinese martial arts association located in china town (I have heard good things about these guys). I personally have not been to any of these schools, so again, I cannot vouch for them, but if you want San Shou, they might be a good place to start.

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[GeorgeK]

Hey, check out this place. I trained there. Good stuff.

http://www.oyamamtc.com/