[Submariner]

Hi Andrew,

I missed the whole kung fu debate, but perhaps my experience might help with your decision making process. I started martial arts when I was in the 3rd grade. I started with Judo, then moved on to Jujitsu. I received a black belt in both. The style of Jujitsu I learned was Wushu-ryu. My Judo style was Kodokan. My Judo instructor was the highest ranked Judoka outside of Japan, and I was offered training for the US Olympic team which I turned down in favor of college. Later, I took up Karate. My karate instructor was the highest ranked Karateka in the world, the founder and head of the International Karate Association, and the founder of the Gosoku-Ryu style. You've probably seen him in some movies as well which he likes to do for fun. In any case, that's my background against which you can measure my opinions below.

My personal belief is that you cannot compare martial arts disciplines in terms of combat effectiveness. Depending on your body, your opponent's body, the terrain, the number of opponents, any weapons present, your objective, etc... different arts will be prove to be effective in different situations. However, if I had to choose one for combat purposes, it would be Jujitsu. It incorporates strikes, grapples, nerve points, weapons, weapon defense, chokes, etc.

In terms of exercise, it really depends on your instructor. You can certainly get a good work out from any art depending on the teaching style. Jujitsu is probably the least strenuous of those with which I'm familiar as it tends to incorporate alot of mental learning as well as muscle memory. Karate can offer a good work out as well, mostly in the form of striking and lunging drills. However, I believe that Judo is one of the best forms of exercise. The drills are tough, but even tougher are the sparring matches. If your instructor is like mine and believes in a lot of sparring, then this option would be best in terms of a workout. I knew life-long jocks in college whom I introduced to Judo, and after one lesson, they were entirely spent with barely enough energy to walk; they'd tell me that it was the most intensive work-out they've ever experienced.

What style is best for you? Again, it depends on a number of factors. For me, it's probably Judo. While anyone can kick and punch, very few people know how to 1) fight in close quarters and 2) take a fall. 3) I don't like to hit people because it might cause long-term or permanent damage and you might also hurt yourself. 4) I have short legs which gives me a lower center of gravity, an advantage in Judo (you'll never see me in a tae kwon do class - HAHA), and 5) It doesnt matter how tough your opponent is ... you can't fight if you can't breathe.

Generally speaking, I prefer the Japanese arts over the Chinese. I find them to be more practical, more direct, less artistic, and more focused. This is just my perspective, not a definitive statement of one being better than the other. In fact, I firmly believe that bickering over styles is pointless. Kind of like digital cameras. You'll see people arguing heatedly and incessantly over which cameras are better. While some are certainly better than others, what matters more is the photographer. 99.9% of photographers will fail to reach the full potential of his camera. Same with martial arts. Unless you reach the highest level of expertise (a lifelong commitment) it really doesnt matter which style you choose as far as combat purposes go.

Hope this provides a useful perspective.

PS. Have you considered Kendo? I'm dying to learn. My mother was proficient with the sword, and she tells me that it also provides quite a work out. Also, you get to hit things (which you might enjoy), and you learn a true art (samurai swordsmanship).

[Pekkerhead]

i did ITF style tae kwon do for 8 years and even got an instructors certificate in it. I did wing chun for 1 year (would like to start again and need to find a club in NT) and learnt more practical self defence from wing chun in 1 year than I ever did with TKD.

If you want good aerobic fitness and flexibility then TKD is a lot of fun. But if you want to learn someting practical for self defence then it (and other similar styles like the various forms of karate) isn't the best option.

Wing Chun may not get you super fit but it teaches you to feel your opponents movements and react in response. It is well known for being very practical in close range situations. Having said that, my arms would burn like fire during my classes and there was a lot of emphasis on arm training and strength (loads of weird push ups etc).

[Andrew W Scott]

Thanks a lot for these responses. Any more would be appreciated. I'm going to think about it for a day or two and then get back to you properly with my thoughts.

[GrahamR]

Andrew, regarding your last question, both BJJ and Muay Thai generally involve a lot of intense, full-speed, full-force application. That's why I did it - anything less just isn't useful for MMA. BJJ is totally safe to practice, Muay Thai can get rough.

Personally, I found BJJ to be one of the most fascinating things I've ever studied. It's like learning a *physical* language. It is very challenging and totally results-based: not what you can do in theory, but what you actually do. Try rolling around with someone who's been training for a year and you'll know exactly what I mean.

Of course, as submariner said, bickering over styles is pointless, especially because it really depends on who's teaching it and how you practice. I also agree that self-defense doesn't have to be a big consideration, especially in such a safe place like HK.

[Sunfire]

There is a plethora of traditional martial arts and combat sports available. If you're looking for one of those, there really is no other option but to try and see for yourself. Only you will know what exactly you'll enjoy. In this case, I say good luck and hope you find something you enjoy. Before I proceed, I'll mention I have tremendous respect for all the martial arts and combat sports as such.

However, if you're looking for something extremely practical as far as self defense and combat capability is concerned, I'm willing to offer Krav Maga for you to consider. It's a combat system developed for the israeli military. The guiding principle is basically doing whatever you have to do to ensure a maximum chance of surviving a dangerous confrontation. To achieve that goal, it employs very simple techniques based on natural reflexes and gross motor skills. The idea is to go from defending to counter-attacking as soon as possible and continuing until the threat is neutralized and you can escape safely. It includes situational awareness, defense against single and multiple, armed and unarmed attackers, using objects in the environment as weapons, stress and aggressiveness drills, pre-emptive attacks and many other things.

Unfortunately, there aren't any schools in HK yet, so I can only offer to teach you personally. I don't charge anything, but I also don't have a fancy gym, so training would have to take place in a park or other public place. One-on-one training also obviously excludes multiple attacker scenarios. I don't have to be called master or anything silly like that, I've just trained in it for several years and offer it to anyone who might find it useful.

Now, it was mentioned that self defense might not be a major consideration in as safe a place as Hong Kong, but I believe you never know when or where you'll find yourself in a situation where you need to defend yourself. It might not take more than one occasion of being in the wrong place at the wrong time to end up in a morgue. Might sound melodramatic, but it's just reality.

[BigDon]

Currently, I've been training in the Martial Arts for over 24 years and in a number of different styles.

Personally, I don't believe in the "this style is better than that style" type of debate as I think that all styles have something great to offer. What I see that it comes down to is the individual person who is doing the training; What are they looking for? What makes them happy? Does it work for them? What suits them? So, in that case, what style of Martial Art someone decides to practice depends on what best suits the individual.

Sometimes that may take some looking around at various styles to see, and perhaps try first-hand for a while, of what might be of most interest for someone seeking a style to dedicate long term practice in.

I offer Martial Art lessons based on a traditional Japanese Jujitsu system, as well as including some MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) techniques. Of what the Martial Art system I teach is like, to briefly explain think of it as something like a combination of Karate, Judo, Aikido and Weapons & Weapons Defence. Anyone interested to try it are always welcome to come and participate in a free trial lesson. (Currently I only teach Adults). For more information on my Jujitsu lessons (when and where), please visit my website at: www.jujitsu.taichi.easyurl.org

Best wishes with your training in the Martial Arts.

[discobay]

BigDon your website's not responding.

[BigDon]

Discobay: Strange, it seems to be working fine on my end. Anyways, try an alternate link that should work for you if you still can't connect to the original link I posted:
http://www.bushidokai.ca/taichi/
Hope that helps.

[KnowItAll]

BigDon, while we appreciate your helpful posts, please do note that we do not allow commercials in our forums.

(Why do I feel scared to warn any of you lot about anything .... )

[BigDon]

KnowItAll: Thanks for the head's up. I never meant to sound like a "commercial". I'm a bit new to the forums here, and I figured it would be okay to post my info as I thought it relevent to the HK Sports forum here. I noticed several other threads in which people were asking / inquiring about Martial Arts and places to train at, and also I seen several replies from various members suggesting places for training and sometimes providing website links as well.

So, in future, is it okay if I reply, with my information about my Martial Art classes & website link, to other member's posts in which they are requesting info about Martial Art training / schools in HK?
Best regards.

PS: Feel welcome to come by for a workout sometime KnowItAll. Heheh.