Best style of self defense kung fu? (Read on)?

Question

I used to take kunf fu about 2 years ago, but it was wushu, and I needed to be extremly flexible and it was more traditional. I wanted to learn actual self defense kung fu,

But the thing is, I'm not sure which style incorperates more self defense on the street, etc. Basically what I'm saying is, does anyone know a kung fu style where I actually learn how to defend myself in a fight?

I've taken many other martial arts and I'm interested in the defense part, not the traditional stuff.

SERIOUS answers please!

I've already done tae kwon do, and Im not going to do karate

Answer 1

As far as kung fu systems...You could try Wing Chun, Hung Gar, or Choy Lay Fut, they are about the three most common after Shao Lin. While they are traditional styles, they are also highly effective for defense...the least traditional of the the three being Choy Lay Fut (also Choy Lee Fut, Choi Li fut ) as it was intended to be a practical fighting are by its founder Chan Hung in the late 1800's. Of the kung fu styles, shao LIn is still at the top for defense, but finding anyone that teaches it is difficult as they are few and far between.

I myself have used Choy Lay Fut, Wing Chun, Hung Gar, Shao LIn and several other chinese styles effective,y for many years, as well as a number of other styles of martial arts from all over Asia. One thng that I can sy is that it all come down to training. In 33 years of training, teaching and figthing I have found that it is a matter of having an instructor that is willing to teach the proactical applications of the techniques. Too many instructors are so focused on getting as many students through as they can, or on winning tournaments that they ignore the practical combat applications of the techniques.

All the styles incorporate considerable defense as well as offensive techniques, but most instructors just arent willing to take the time to teach it, at least no here in the US. I have ALWAYS made certain that my students were fully capable of using EVERY technique I taught them, in practical combat situations and against a varitey of tehcniques and weapons. That is what the duty of an instructor is, and it is the fault of the instructor if the student is ill prepared either physically or mentally to use thier skills when necessary.

If you were in the area of Fresno, Ca. I could teach you....

Answer 2

Special Ed (above) has made the most sense so far. muay thai would be my first choice, for the ease of finding a gym and the fact that you can tell a good trainer from a bad one, as the results start to come fast. but boxing and JJ are also excellent additions worthy of learning. CQC would be the better, but due to shady con artists, I would steer clear unless you knew the guy had real experience in the military and was a trainer of CQC. not everyone from the army is the shizzle.

If you wanted a kung-fu styled martial art, I suggest Kempo. it is a mongrel breed which has over time taken all the good parts from other styles. so this is good. not a puritan style, but such is the way we live now. why learn many when one can offer many insights.

do not take TKD (tae kwon do). it is a sport art, and suitable only for children in real life.

most traditional arts go through the motions for the sake of the art, without real foundation in the 21st century.

as for Jet Li in the movies, give me money and I will show you on film how I can walk on water!

the bottom line though, is shop around and try them out. what is good for one is not good for another. experience is the best answer here my friend. enjoy the journey.

Answer 3

Which part of tradition do you not want? Traditional martial arts are for self defense but include self discipline, respect & other spiritual components. Are you saying that you don't want to treat others with respect? That you are opposed to self control?
You say that you have taken many martial arts. 1 thing you seem to lack is perserverance. Maybe some time in a good traditional MA school is just what you need.

Answer 4

Saint G and Special Ed got it correct.

90% of Kung Fu are totally out of date, so you're better stick with other style.

If you MUST do kung fu, go for San Shou or San Da.

Answer 5

basically "kung-fu" is a generic term not specific that refers to the martial arts. Literally it means "hard work".

By "kung-fu" I'm going to assume that you mean a chinese martial art or CMA school.

On Kung Fu:
One of the major problems many CMA's face, is the lack of resistance training in thier schools and the hang up on "tradition" and "forms". Depending where you are located, it might indeed be very difficult to find a good CMA school that actually teaches you how to apply techniques to a resisting opponent, and how to apply techniques and effectively use them in an "anything goes" (sparring) type of environment. I would suggest you first find yourself a good teacher of any style and study with the best teacher you can find. Even the "best" system taught unrealistically is going suck compared to the "worst" system taught realistically.

On Self-Defence:
The term "self-defence" is not really accurate when used with the unarmed martial arts. What are you defending yourself against that you cannot walk/run away from? Any fight you can take care of with a one-on-one hand to hand fighting approach, is not generally going to be a situation where you are in any real danger to your life as most of the time you can just walk or run away. Real world modern day self-defence would inevitably involve a weapon or firearm. Yes, there are limitations, but odds are, in places you will need it you will make sure you have it and fill in your other "gaps" with unarmed fighting systems. Martial artists don't like to hear that thier 10+ years of training is almost worthless when it comes down to one psyco with a knife or gun. But the simple fact is, that weapons were designed to even the odds for the little guy and make killing more efficient. Real Self-Defence takes this into account as any situation you can't walk away from will involve the other person bieng armed, or multiple attackers, which a knife or gun drastically improves your chances. However there are legal consequenses for carring and legal limitations on use. Ask yourself what you mean by "self-defence"?

Does it mean: "I want to kick some ***"? then look for an unarmed martial art and train with resistance.

or

Does it mean "I want to protect myself when I need to in a real world situation"?
That probably means you should focus primarily on a weapon training or look into a carry permit for a gun and fill in the gaps with some unarmed self-defence.

For a further discussion you could check out www.bullshido.net

Answer 6

If you specifically want a kung-fu style, why not wing-chun? Seems very practical to me.

Answer 7

Take up Boxing, Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. In street fights, anything goes. There are no rules. And there is no discipline. Boxing and Muay Thai, mainly, will give you an offensive threat.

Jiu Jitsu, i think, is more defensive, but it will give you the offensive attack that you'll need when you can't throw a punch or a kick.

Answer 8

in my personal experience, the best defense is two parted.... one watch yourself so you dont get into a situation where you need to defend yourself, two, always wear running shoes! in truth all of that martial arts are only as effective as the person who uses it. some perple are destined to be top fighters and others are destined to pick themselves up odd the ground. But seriously, if you find yourself in actual personal compat situations frequently, you might want to reexamine your lifestyle. I hope this helped.

Answer 9

shaolin kung fu. wing chun. Not many. I am a 3rd degree tkd master.

Answer 10

Try karate or tae-kwan-do. but basically all martial arts practice self control. means although you know the stuff but you don't actually use it unless it's a real case. if you watch some Jet Li movies, he even uses tai-chi as self defense!