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View Full Version : Schools in Portland, OR


Lice
03-18-2003, 11:27 AM
I'm moving to Portland, Oregon next month and after things settled down I think I'd like to get back in to MA. I'm still new enough to not be beholden to any particular style, but I am partial to CLF.

So, can anyone recommend any good schools in the Portland area? I tried doing a forum search, but didn't come up with much.

Thanks,
Lice

Edit: I just wanted to emphasize that I'm really looking at any style right now... CLF isn't the only style that I have more than a passing interest in and I'd just like to see as many options in the area as possible. Danke.
dwid
03-18-2003, 11:31 AM
I think the Straight Blast Gym is headquartered there you lucky dog.

Anyway, even if it's not your style of training, Matt Thornton (the guy who runs the place) could probably give you pretty solid info on sources of quality training in the area.

He posts pretty regularly on the Combative Solutions main forum:

http://www.forumco.com/bigjkd/default.asp

I would recommend going on there and asking him about this.
Fen
03-18-2003, 01:14 PM
There are some good schools in the Portland Area. But, I will warn you that there are MANY schools up there that are rather questionable, and don't really teach what they say they do. They teach a "mixture" of kung fu with other styles mixed in, and for what I've seen of the Portland schools, that's the majority of them.

If you'd like to contact me privately, so we can throroughly discuss this, feel free to email me at sifu@shaolinnorthwest.com. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

~Jason
carly
03-18-2003, 01:17 PM
Portland Oregon Branch:
SBGI Headquarters
1911 N.E. Martin Luther King
Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97212-3928
(503)-230-7924
Matt Thornton
rubthebuddha
03-18-2003, 01:39 PM
i'm surprised jason didn't say anything about this, but avoid far east fighting arts like the plague -- unless you're going to show up the owner. the school is just about the worst when it comes to yet-to-be-franchised mcdojos.
Lice
03-18-2003, 06:08 PM
dwid/carly, thanks for that. I'm going to email him and check the place out.

Jason, cool.. I'll send you an email.

rtb... for a second I was confused, then I realized that far east fighting arts was a school name and not a general term you were using for TMA. hehe. :)

Thanks everyone. And if anyone knows any others I should check out or avoid, by all means.. help yourself. :)
carly
03-18-2003, 06:31 PM
all I can say is that I'm jealous.
rubthebuddha
03-19-2003, 12:09 AM
lice,

aye, far east fighting arts as a category are fantastic. far east fighting arts as the name of a ... well, i can't call it a kwoon or a dojo ... studio is a joke. the head instructor claimed to be the reincarnation of bodhidharma. karate gis that use all the colors of the crayola box.

the best part? their statement of history. i get a kick out of it every time i read it:

"When Shaolin temples were burned and the Shaolin monks killed, a small band of monks fled into the Wu Tang Mountains. This small band of Shaolin monks were named triads and trained by Da Mo, their Da Shifu (teacher) and the creator of Law Hon Gung: the monk's martial way. Da Mo enlightened the monks with fighting movements from six animals and encouraged them to become the animals. This style was known as Sheng Hun, the animal spirit. When teaching the monks movements from these animals, he purposely chose to teach only "balanced" animals. What does "balanced" mean? The six animals chosen by Da Mo, the bear, mantis, crane, cobra, tiger, and dragon were animals with practical and effective fighting movements. Any unorthodox movements, such as those of the monkey, were not taught to the triads. The triads did not train for competition, they trained for war. Thus Sheng Hun is also called the "war art.""
Fen
03-19-2003, 12:07 PM
Well, RTB, I really wasn't going to say anything but since you did, I'm happy. You really can't forget the day PJO came, and brought light to this wonderful website. You also can't forget the day Wen got a whole bunch of emails threatening to kill her because of this thread. And you can't forget the day that PJO left....he will so be missed!!!

If you so want to laugh some more, and endure sore stomach muslces from the laughing, please feel free to go to this website and read. It's just as good. Pokemon forever.

http://www.onewithheart.com

Enjoy!

~Jason
carly
03-19-2003, 12:29 PM
Man, the 60s never really ended did they, they just ended up in Oregon apparently!
Fen
03-19-2003, 05:18 PM
Yup!!! lol
Thats y Gene need to move here!!!

~Jason:D
rubthebuddha
03-19-2003, 06:00 PM
Originally posted by carly
Man, the 60s never really ended did they, they just ended up in Oregon apparently!

it's called Eugene, OR.

eugene makes berkeley look like the center of the bible belt.
joedoe
03-19-2003, 06:04 PM
Originally posted by rubthebuddha
lice,

aye, far east fighting arts as a category are fantastic. far east fighting arts as the name of a ... well, i can't call it a kwoon or a dojo ... studio is a joke. the head instructor claimed to be the reincarnation of bodhidharma. karate gis that use all the colors of the crayola box.

the best part? their statement of history. i get a kick out of it every time i read it:

"When Shaolin temples were burned and the Shaolin monks killed, a small band of monks fled into the Wu Tang Mountains. This small band of Shaolin monks were named triads and trained by Da Mo, their Da Shifu (teacher) and the creator of Law Hon Gung: the monk's martial way. Da Mo enlightened the monks with fighting movements from six animals and encouraged them to become the animals. This style was known as Sheng Hun, the animal spirit. When teaching the monks movements from these animals, he purposely chose to teach only "balanced" animals. What does "balanced" mean? The six animals chosen by Da Mo, the bear, mantis, crane, cobra, tiger, and dragon were animals with practical and effective fighting movements. Any unorthodox movements, such as those of the monkey, were not taught to the triads. The triads did not train for competition, they trained for war. Thus Sheng Hun is also called the "war art.""

Thanks for that - I always get a chuckle when I read that history as well :D :D :D
JusticeZero
03-24-2003, 01:15 PM
I don't know many CMA types. I know how to track down a Gregory Fong, who I have yet to meet, and I can point you at two Capoeira Angola schools and a name-brand good Regional mestre. Beyond that it's just pot-luck of whatever I find posted at the college, given that I don't do CMA.

Toss me a line when you show up, though.