Searching for a kwoon

[ironmantis3]

Hello,
I am hoping I might find some info on possible Kung Fu schools in Sumter, SC. I will be moving there in a few months. I've tried searching the internet but haven't found anything so far. At this point any particular system would be fine, though my background is in mantis.

Well thanks in advance.

-CJ-

[BruceSteveRoy]

sorry i don't know any but i have a question maybe you can help me with. in a couple years my wife and i are considering getting stationed in okinawa. it says on your profile thats where you are and i was wondering if there are any good kung fu schools there. i am trying to decide if we should seriously consider going to japan or not as it would be hard for me to go on a 3 year hiatus from kung fu. any advice you can give would be great thanks.

[ironmantis3]

sorry i don't know any but i have a question maybe you can help me with. in a couple years my wife and i are considering getting stationed in okinawa. it says on your profile thats where you are and i was wondering if there are any good kung fu schools there. i am trying to decide if we should seriously consider going to japan or not as it would be hard for me to go on a 3 year hiatus from kung fu. any advice you can give would be great thanks.
None really. I guess you may be able to find someone on one of the bases. Though I have not found any. There aren't any Okinawan schools teaching Kung Fu, at least none advertising. Mostly its kenpo and K-1 style kickboxing.

The only thing advertising kung fu I saw was on Kadena Air Base. But it wasn't really kung fu it was Shaolin-Do. Well the instructor said it was Seiei Kan Shaolin Kung Fu or something like that. I took a few classes and realized the teacher wasn't really adequate. A friend of mine who studied SD for about 6 years went in and took a few classes as well and varified to me that it was in-fact SD (in fact they have the same story for the history). Not that I have anything agains SD, but the guy was misadvertising. That and his blackbelts had only been studying about a year and half.

There is one system here of kenpo. Its called Shohei Ryu if I remember the spelling right. It is kenpo but it still retains a lot of the old Kung Fu influence. But I never found the school, just the instructor was in a big public master's demo type event. He did a set and showed some apps that went along with some of the things I learned in mantis kung fu.

But yeah, there really isn't anything along the lines of Traditional Chinese Martial arts here. The best you could probably do is try to makes some friends with another TCMArtist and see if you can work out/trade knowledge.

[Dale Dugas]

Sho Hei Ryu is one of the brances of Uechi Ryu Karate.

It is a close in fighting system very much similar to South Mantis, Bak Mei and other souther kung fu systems.

I studied it in my youth and would recommend it to anyone for a great base for infighting.

[ironmantis3]

Sho Hei Ryu is one of the brances of Uechi Ryu Karate.

It is a close in fighting system very much similar to South Mantis, Bak Mei and other souther kung fu systems.

I studied it in my youth and would recommend it to anyone for a great base for infighting.


Well there ya go. Yeah the instructor really seemed to know his stuff. I really wish I could have found the school but unfortunately my Kanji just really isn't that great.

There are some great martial artists here though, just not kung fu. There is a really great Jiujutsu school. And on one of the Navy installations here there is a really awesome Aikido instructor. And his master is freakish (in a good way). Really I never thought the human body could bend in so many ways. I did learn a lot from my short time in Aikido here. Technique which is very strong as a stand alone but also some very good principle that has opened my eyes to some things in my Tai Chi as well.

So yeah if you come here, I would definitely suggest you look up Sho Hei Ryu as well as the Aikido if that perks your interest.

On another note, if you have never studied martial arts in asia, let me tell you, you will be in for some surprises. But they are all good. Its definitely an experience to remember.

[BruceSteveRoy]

hmmm. i studied aikido for a bunch of years. thats a fun style. i like throwing ppl with a minimal amount of effort. i also did judo for a while. complete opposite in that regard. i actually broke a rib from throwing a guy with too much effort. both fun for the opposite reasons.

i am also trying to find anything i can about yokosuka. i think its going to be hard to find a chinese school in japan just bc of all the japanese schools and the sense of national pride and whatnot. but then again the taiwanese police use tae kwan do so you never know. thanks for the information.

[Pork Chop]

I went to high school on Oki.

Sifu Norm Burland was the standard bearer for kung fu on Okinawa for a good 10~13 years, but he's gone now (rip).

Norm trained with Master Hokama Masamitsu in Shuri Park in Naha Sunday mornings at around 8 or 9, he teaches/taught mostly Hsing Yi with some chen tai chi and bagua basics. You might want to look him up.

Gordie Brayette (sp?) was the guy to go to for Uechi Ryu back when I was there.

The Seidokan's supposed to be real good there too.

Andy Hug (K1 legend) trained in some of the off-base Okinawa boxing/kickboxing gyms occasionally when he was still around.

Wouldn't pass up anything in Oki actually- Japanese styles or sport fighting; give everything a shot and see what you like best.