Kung Fu or Aikido

[sapphire tygre]

Can I get some serious input on which style is better suited to who, and other objective comparisons?

[old jong]

There are many interpretations to Aikido and there are so many styles of Kung Fu!....
Impossible to answer! ;)

[sapphire tygre]

I was just looking for input on peoples general feeling on it. Maybe they're similar. I know that Judo and bjj are different, suited to different people.... Guess I'm trying to get some basic stuff like, Aikido's good if you're short, or clumsy, or can root well..... Deeper analysis is good too.:)

[Former castleva]

We have had these,but they are so hard to answer as previously said.
It´s up to what you like,there are no recommendations.

[Merryprankster]

Body type has no impact on success within an art. It's a myth.

[HongKongPhooey]

Hard work is what will make you good at a martial art, not your body structure

[Water Dragon]

Merry, have you ever grappled a midget with a blackbelt?

[Merryprankster]

A midget Ninja blackbelt?

[Losttrak]

Mindset CAN influence what art you choose. Aikido is typically classified as a defensive style. You will not be focusing on striking and kicking and prolly not sparring (relatively speaking) such as you would do in kung fu.

I would think if you are a naturally aggressive person... kung fu might be or you.

[Souljah]

midget ninja blackbelt.....the midget + ninja sort of cancel eachother out.... so its a midget black belt or a ninja blackbelt :D :D ;)

Yea, I agree with the point that you dont have to be of a certain body structure to do certain martial arts....through hard work I believe anything is attainable (no superhuman suggestion mockeries please)

I do think that say a older or taller, bigger person who wanted to start wushu acrobatics which is mainly dominated by smaller types would find it harder to adapt but I think then its just a question of hard work and persistence.....

[sapphire tygre]

Thanks Losttrak, I guess the question should have been "Whats your take on Aikido?", but this is a kung fu forum...:) Defensive work?... Yeah, dont know if I could handle that. Oh, and the body type thing, sorry but I'll have agree with WaterDragon on this one. Cobra strikes for me are not to stay thin.
And there are ALL kinds of black belts these days. Thats cool.

[SevenStar]

Forget about the body type thing, man. Read my reply to you in your other thread.

[Water Dragon]

I was just playing. When I used to do BJJ, there was this one armed Blue Belt that would school everybody.

[sapphire tygre]

I know. Appearances can be deceiving.

[red5angel]

I am curious about something, if body type is not applicable, is genetics? Can you be geneticaly more predisposed towards a style of art or another or just genetically more capable of doing ma in general?

[Sho]

Originally posted by HongKongPhooey
Hard work is what will make you good at a martial art, not your body structure.Not always.

[Former castleva]

That´s a question of a large scale.
Genetics have a part in what the body type is,which was already discussed.Besides that,we could discuss psychological make-up that´s a bit in depth...

[norther practitioner]

Former Castleva


shorten your **** sig....

[sapphire tygre]

The whole body type thing upsets people so I'll compromise. It's our natural personality that determines which style we'll excell at.

[red5angel]

I would like to say this, I do think taht one may find a particular style more suited to who they are both physically and mentally, but this can also be a product of the way something is taught.
For example, wing chun is a very low impact art that doesn't demand a whole lot physically from your body. However TKD atleast as it is taught now demands a lot from you!

[apoweyn]

Originally posted by sapphire tygre
The whole body type thing upsets people so I'll compromise. It's our natural personality that determines which style we'll excell at.

No. Our natural personality (physical affinity, etc.) might determine what style we're drawn to, but that's very different.

Training determines what we excel at. And most styles are big enough and diverse enough that a given person will be able to identify and train those elements that support their body type and temperment.


Stuart B.

[Former castleva]

Ever read a brief description of a martial art X or a flyer of a karate course?

"Suitable regardless of sex,age,fitness level..."

[sapphire tygre]

I think thats kind of a bad example for what were talking about. But o.k. valid points, good argument.:)

[ZIM]

Former Castleva's sig is it's own thread! :p

[Former castleva]

It is a novel.
:cool:

[No_Know]

Aikido and Kung-Fu will both probablly work with that with which you come.

Your body will change as your training changes it.

If you like leverage and interaction (physical) take Aikido.

If you like seperate movements of upperbody and lower body you might try Kung-Fu.

[Golden Arms]

I think which art really boils down to how patient you are, and how hard you are going to work/which one ignites a spark in you to work hard. That being said..you are going to kick butt way way faster going to a boxing gym for a year than an aikido school 99/100 times..but 5 years down the line or so, you are probably going to be more versatile with the aikido or kung fu than with the boxing, IF YOU WORKED AS HARD AS THE BOXERS WORK. If not, then take something with less movements and get good at them, and you will have the drop on most guys out there.

[SifuAbel]

Originally posted by No_Know

If you like seperate movements of upperbody and lower body you might try Kung-Fu.

Huh?!?!?! :confused:

[MightyB]

We got a guy that's studied a Lot of Aikido for many years who's just started training at my kung fu school. IMHO he moves kind've goofy.

[sapphire tygre]

What style kung fu do you train?

[MightyB]

7 Star Praying Mantis

[No_Know]

Before the School, Animal, drunken, Shaolin, Pa Kua..(from books)~.

But the names are so variingly understood that I could tell you exactly What Kung-Fu and you might honestly say What!?, Kung-Fu??

[kenso]

Originally posted by MightyB
We got a guy that's studied a Lot of Aikido for many years who's just started training at my kung fu school. IMHO he moves kind've goofy.

And more than likely he moves goofy in his Aikido as well. Please don't blame the art for the failings of the student. There are several people at my kwoon that are pretty goofy in their movement. I cringe at what another school would think of us if these people were the only representative they got of our school or style.