is there a real school in San Francisco??

[Syre]

I looked at Tat Mau Wong's school, and there are a few warning flags:

- They wear special uniforms.
- They have a "black belt" program
- They have a "masters program"

Maybe I'm deluded, but I feel as if a genuine school would be more traditional-chinese in style: no special uniforms, no belts, no special levels, etc.

Is anyone familiar with this school?

[Abstract]

- They wear special uniforms.

- They have a "black belt" program

- They have a "masters program"

hmmm..okay...didn't know all that, i'd be alil' apprehensive too.

[Paul]

I tried checking out the White Dragon Kung Fu Academy's web site... it's gone. I then tried calling them at a number I found through a web search... the number is an answering machine with a young woman's voice saying "I can't get to the phone right now".

Dude, if you really want to check the school out, PM me and let me know. I think I can probably help to arrange that for you. The school has recently moved.

[anton]

forearm conditioning only hurts for the first month... and its not that bad anyway. You gradually hit harder and harder, after a month it hardly hurts at all - after two months your forearms are hard as steel - definitely worth doing if its not part of your training. Besides -as one sihing used to tell me- "its only pain - it never hurt anyone!"

[Water Dragon]

Fong Ha is in San Francisco

[Anon]

http://www.hungfayi.com

[Syre]

Fong Ha, judging from his website: http://www.fongha.com/ici.htm doesn't emphasize the fighting aspects of his art... seems to focus on chi gung and tai chi as meditation... he does mention self defense but it seems more of an afterthought. Or maybe I'm wrong about that?

http://www.hungfayi.com teaches wing chun, which I hear isn't one of the more effective styles of Kung Fu... again, am I wrong about that?

Thanks again everyone... any more suggestions?

[anton]

I'd say wing chun is one of the more easily-applicable styles around, I suppose this depends on the teacher... but I'd say definitely worth a look - watch a couple of training sessions. The style of training/teaching is just as important as the style, when you're looking for a MA.

[Anon]

Syre,
You hear and you know little...

[Syre]

Hey, I want to learn. I'm not saying I know anything.

What I heard was that Wing Chun has only 3 sets and lacks many of the useful techniques of other styles.

I also heard that one reason for this is that there were many breaks in the Wing Chun lineage, during which certain parts of it were lost.

Is it true? I don't know. I don't want this thread to turn into an argument about Wing Chun... I'm still just looking for a genuine school in SF which teaches an effective style and has some sparring where helpful.

[Anon]

Yea, i think you are better off with a flowery style...like choy li fut...
or 8 step mantis...they have tons of sets and forms for you.
forget i mentioned wing chun.

[brothernumber9]

i do not study choy lay fut or under Sifu Tat Mau Wong but I will attest that they are a good traditional chinese martial arts school at least by the limited experience i've had meeting some of them and watching some of them. Sifu Tat Mau Wong was a high ranking student under Sifu Lee Koon Hung whose name and repute are known world wide, so thier root is impeccable. Uniforms wether required or not should be no indication of anything at least as far as "warning" flags are concerned. There's hype both positive and negative for probably any public martial arts school/program/family that has a large number of students. Don't believe the hype, go try a class anywhere that a trial is offered, make your decision from there.

[Syre]

Anon:

I am sorry if I offended you, but it may merely be ignorance on my part. Muay Thai is said to have very few techniques, yet is known to be effective. Perhaps this is true for Wing Chun as well. I have also heard the saying "I don't fear the man with a million techniques, I fear the man with a technique he has practiced a million times".

Perhaps I should ask elsewhere about styles, if it turns out there actually are a few good schools to choose from.

Thanks again, and if anyone else has any more suggestions I'll appreciate getting them.

[anton]

Originally posted by Anon
Yea, i think you are better off with a flowery style...like choy li fut...
or 8 step mantis...they have tons of sets and forms for you.
forget i mentioned wing chun.

Where did you get the idea that CLF is "flowery" ?