many questions about my training

[StarBoy]

First I'd like to tell a little about myself so you know where I'm coming from. I've just started training again after having taken a year off. When I had trained before, I was doing Shaolin Kung Fu, Yang Style Tai Chi, and Tae Kwon Do. I had only been training for a year before I had to move (which led to me taking a year off). I couldn't start training again right away because I had started grad school and it was a really busy year.

Anywhos, I'm in the Buffalo/Niagra Falls area and I'm trying to go back into training. It's pretty much the only thing I enjoy doing and I'm currently planning my career and schedule around being able to train. I found an instructor now (which I will be talking about in a bit), and am also trying to get into a yoga class and the gymnastics club at the university to work on my flexibility in balance. Also, I'm trying to figure out a way to learn Chinese (which I'm also going to ask about in a bit) figuring it couldn't hurt and it could only help.

My first question is on my instructor. He teaches a style called Shichi Toro Do. I was pretty hesitant to start because it's one of the newer mixed martial arts styles. It's a combination of Muay Thai, Praying Mantis Kung Fu, and a couple others styles I can't recall off hand. Granted, from what I saw it would be very useful in terms of self-defense, but at the same time, I think it lacks some of the qualities of the more traditional martial art styles. I figured I might as well do it because it's very reasonably priced and it'll give me something to do for the next (and last year) that I'm in Buffalo. However, I'm really not getting the same satisfaction that I was getting when learning Kung Fu. I tried finding a Kung Fu school in the area but I could only find two. One is run by a bunch of rich, white upper-classed yuppies that really don't know what they are doing, and the other is a school that was just too small. There wasn't even enough room for the instructor to demonstrate a kata for me (he hit the wall). Furthermore, this school was centered around street combat as well, while I want to have a more complete and well rounded kung fu education. Any suggestions on what I could do?

Furthermore, I'm trying to figure out a way I could learn Chinese. I could sneak into some classes at the university I'm studying at, but the only class they have is 5 days a week and it conflicts with the schedule of classes I'm actually supposed to be at. I was thinking of buying a computer program to learn it, but I have no idea of which ones are good and which are bad. I saw a couple and they didn't specify whether they were teaching you Mandarin or Cantonese (and I don't even know which one I should learn, of if I should learn both). Can anyone help here?

Lastly, like I said, I'm planning my career around my training. Part of this is going to involve planning where I'm going to live. Once I get settled (within the next couple years), I don't just want to train in just Shaolin style Kung Fu, but in other styles, along with Tai Chi. I'd like to live in a place where there are a lot of opportunities for those who want to train in the martial arts, but at the same time some place where I can actually keep a job (so China is probably out of the question). Can anyone advise me on how I'd go about planning this?

My goals in the martial arts aren't merely to become a good fighter. I enjoy performing katas, learning about the spiritual side to the style, and basically just learning all I can about Wushu.

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read all this and can offer me any advice. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks again.

[{i^(]

I was attending UB awhile back. Gotta say that Buffalo is kind of a wasteland, Kung Fu wise. There was a debacle concerning the 'golden dragon' or 'nine dragon' school- bunch of frauds. I can find the link for you, if you want, so you know what to avoid.

At UB, there is a kung fu club, but I had serious doubts about them. If you are looking for general info, people meeting, news about good schools, they might be a good resource. There is also a Qi Gong group, which is alot more secretive- they'd be very good.

Also, check out the MA store on Hertel Ave, near the theatre. They would have a clue. Avoid the school on Main and whatever, going towards downtown (something dragon, yet again) it's rumored widely not to be any good.

You could check out the Canucks! Toronto's got a great Chinatown...

Is there a particular style you're after? A particular area you're going to after Bflo? West Coast & NYC is tha shiznit for CMAs.

[StarBoy]

I believe you mean Black Dragon Kung Fu. That's the place where the instructor ran into a wall during a kata. Judging by the facility alone, I had my reservations about it. Buffalo is pretty lame for martial arts in general. It's pretty much all TKD franchises with a CMA school here and there.

As for NYC and West Coast being good for CMAs, that's what I'm trying to avoid. I want to do a more traditional style. I mean, a CMA style might work for whoever invented it, but it might not work for me. I want to stick with the roots and understand where it all really came from. I really enjoyed Shaolin, but I've seen other styles that I though looked great and want to learn too. For example, though I'll probably spell this wrong, Pu Qua looked really great.

Toronto is a bit of a trek for school. I know it would be worth it, but having to drive an hour and a half to get to kung fu lessons is a bit much considering my schedule with grad school and my job is all over the place. If I had a more compact schedule, I'd consider it, but at this point, I don't think so. I've been to Toronto a lot though, and I'm really impressed by the Chinatown (me and an ex used to get VN subs there all the time).

As for UB, the Kung Fu club is gone. All they have is a TKD club, but I have no interest in doing that. As for Qi Gong, I'd love to give it a shot, but they're so secretive that I didn't even know they existed until you mentioned them. Don't suppose you know of anyone I can contact at the school about it?

I'm pretty open to where I move after Buffalo. If I move to Connecticut, I have a lot of contacts there for employment, and once I have my master's degree, there is a university there that would like me to guest teach (which would be pretty decent pay for only 3hrs/week of work). However, if there's no good place to take Kung Fu, then there's no point in going there.

As for Connecticut, there is this school:

Kung Fu in Connecticut (http://www.malees-tai-chi-kung-fu.com/index.html)

This is the person I studied under when I took Kung Fu before. I got along well with the instructor, but I checked the web site and it doesn't say anything about Pu Qua, Wing Chung, and a lot of other styles. Furthermore, she didn't really go into the spiritual side of what we were doing all that much, and I want to have a complete understanding of what I'm doing. I used to be from the area, and with regards to martial arts, there wasn't a whole lot of Wushu in the area, a lot of is was tae kwon do and other sport MA franchises.

I figured that a lot of the good martial arts schools would revolve around the West Coast and NYC. You don't see too many Kung Fu masters hailing from Fargo. I'm kind of a country boy so I'd rather not move somewhere as urban as NYC or LA. I mean, it would take like an hour and a half just to cross the street those places are so busy. Still, if they are my only options, I would consider them. Along with everything in my first post, what I'd like to know is how would research areas that I know nothing about in order to find a good school to teach me as much Wushu as I can find?

Maybe I should move to China? :D

[{i^(]

yeh, black dragon, that's the one!

I was using CMA to mean Chinese Martial Arts. Just clarifying, so we don't misunderstand. It's cool.

There are two CMA schools in Bflo rumored as good that I know of. One is in Amherst (with another affiliated one in the southtowns) and is a 5 animals shaolin/hung gar place (in the phone book) and the other is an 8 step preying mantis one, listed (maybe) here: http://www.8step.com/schools/index.html
this may be the same guy that is a chiropractor. I don't know. If it is, I met him in his chiropractor guise, down in Lackawanna (not sure. The chiro. had a mantis school down there- it's the name that I can't place).

UB has a club that might suit, but no qi gong any more, at least by the site. check out http://sasrv2.sa.buffalo.edu/ClubDirectory/
and look at 'combined martial arts' and the aikido group. Again, these would be good people to meet if nothing else.

Dig through this site: http://www.buffalotaichi.com/dragonsong/S9D/Default.htm
for the frauds. This gives some names to avoid, and going to the main site will give someone who's been through it.

Oh! Pa Qua, BaGua, seen a lot of spellings. Go to the Hertel ave. place and ask them where to find it. Is it Wushu or Kung Fu that you're after? There's a slight technical difference there. Are you looking for a more performance-oriented thing? Acrobatics? Thats harder to find, generally.

[StarBoy]

From what my previous instructor told me, Wushu was a name for all Chinese Martial Arts. I tell people that I'm into Wushu because I don't like just one style, but many.

Thanks for those two links, I'll look into that. As for the Combined Martial Arts Club at UB, that's gone. That page is just an old one that they just haven't cleared out yet. All they have is the TKD club now.

And that's right, PA Qua, not PU Qua. I was talking to a Chinese friend of mine today (who's actually helping me figure out the language lessons thing), and she straightened me out. I'll have to go back to the place on Hertel and talk to them. I was there before checking out some shoes, and they seemed really nice there.

Yes, I am looking for a performance oriented thing. Well, not just that, but I like so many of the aspects of Wushu that I want to experience it all. I like learning sparring, I like performing katas, I like all of it.

When you were talking about the California scene, are you referring to the Southern California (specifically San Francisco) area? If so, I actually need to figure that out soon so I can make some long term plans.

Thanks again for all the information.

[{i^(]

No problem re: wushu, just trying to clarify for myself.

I haven't been to SF myself. I know that real estate is kinda up there. It's annoying no-one else is chiming in (see how popular Bflo is? ;-D) but you could maybe do a thread like: where is the KF mecca in the USA? or something.

As far as forms go, go for the preying mantis (northern) or Hung gar (southern) if you're doing it in Bflo. It's a very good start. No $ wasted, no time wasted.

And when you go to Hertel again, stop by the BAKERY!!!! Great cookies, breads, etc. etc. I always got the cream cheese pastichorti....WOOHOO! I could live on that (& coffee)!

And when I was in school, I think I did...if you get a weekend off sometime, go to rochester, this school www.rochesterwingchun.com good people! (But they're my lineage, so of course!)

Good luck man! Welcome to the forum. If you want to chat some more, thats cool by me. I really don't think I can help you much more re: Bflo training. Anyone else? Hallooo????