Kung Fu effective?

[mantis053]

I think so. Like some of the other posts said, it depends on the teacher and the individual.

The ONLY true test of a fighter is what he or she can do and no more. Form practice, sparring, self-defence practice and brick breaking are meaningless if the individual cannot withstand the burden of the REAL THING.

In a fight it is not just about dishing it out you have to able to withstand a blow too. On the street there ars no rules. An individual must be taught courage, fearlessness, and tenacity because on the street there are no second chances. It's either you or him. You must be ready mentally and phisically for any situation. That being said.

THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS !

SIGNING OFF NOBBY

[shaolin_allan]

You have to look into the individual school and see what it is they tend to focus on. Like Bruce Lee said "fighting is alive and dynamic." The only way to be truely effective in fighting is to practice all different real fight scenarios. If you concentrate on forms and more showmanship type of kung fu ofcourse it won't be effective. It also depends on other things such as the number of opponents, their skill level, and yours. Also strength training is a very important aspect of any martial art to be effective, but it is also one of the most neglected aspects of many martial arts today. Without the power behind the techniques you're wasting your time.

[Banjos_dad]

Bruce Lee said a lot of things, including "Don't mistake the pointing finger for the moon"

[SevenStar]

The only way to be truely effective in fighting is to practice all different real fight scenarios.

I would disagree with that. judoka, thai boxers, capoeristas, boxers, wrestlers...none of them do scenario training, yet all can be devastatingly effective in a fight. The key is the training methods you use, not how much scenario training you do.

[SevenStar]

Xingyi, Mantis, Shaolin, Hung Gar, Eagle Claw, Tai Chi, Bagua and Wing Chun are all tried and tested street fighting arts.

I hate the "battle tested" theory people always use. Battle tested by whom? if not by the individual in question, then the statement is regardless. Just because my coach's coach used his thai boxing in several streetfights and won, that doesn't mean that I can make it work; He is not me. TKD has worked in fights for many people; It has also failed many people miserably. Why? It was battle tested, right?

[Cobra Commander]

No matter what you learn, if a sucker punch/kick/tackle/whatever happens, you've been had. Those are things hard to recover from in time to save your @ss. So, what ever you learn, be aware that there is no art is 100%effective ...no matter what it is.

Right but, if you are still able to fight and fend yourself after being hit, shouldn't you?
The only time i think you are unable to fight after being hit is if you face a guy like Mike Tyson who will probably leave you in a coma after one solid hit to the head. If Tyson hits you in the body, that would most likely stop you too. Of course there are those fighters who aim for your eyes, throat, balls who can stop you for a bit also.

Like one of the post above I agree that it often depends on your instructor/Sifu too. However, it also comes down to the student and his/her dedication, seriousness, determination, experience, and growth.

Good martial science/good Teacher/good student
=
Great progress.

[SevenStar]

Right but, if you are still able to fight and fend yourself after being hit, shouldn't you?
The only time i think you are unable to fight after being hit is if you face a guy like Mike Tyson who will probably leave you in a coma after one solid hit to the head. If Tyson hits you in the body, that would most likely stop you too. Of course there are those fighters who aim for your eyes, throat, balls who can stop you for a bit also.

Like one of the post above I agree that it often depends on your instructor/Sifu too. However, it also comes down to the student and his/her dedication, seriousness, determination, experience, and growth.

Good martial science/good Teacher/good student
=
Great progress.

It sounds like you've never been sucker punched. When you get blindsided, you will think you DID get hit by tyson. Because you weren't prepared to get hit. And while you are dazed, he will keep throwing punches at you, and you will be helpless. This is what btl is referring to.

[viper]

sevenstar is right a unprepared king hit will put you down no matter who you are you only learn by seeing it or having it done to you.

[CaptinPickAxe]

Xingyi, Mantis, Shaolin, Hung Gar, Eagle Claw, Tai Chi, Bagua and Wing Chun are all tried and tested street fighting arts.

I'm also 18, I've been in martial arts since I was 13 and I can say that Kung Fu has saved me on numerous occasions!

Tai Chi? Wing Chun? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Almost ALL Tai Chi is the neo-yoga for the middle aged/geriatric population. If you're lucky enough to find a good Sifu who teaches it's applications, he'll tell you that it isn't really effective unless coupled with an external art. It's the Yin and Yang. And Wing Chun...don't get me started on wing chun. Center Line attacking is BS! The knocked-knee stance is a push over stance and begging to be thrown by a good player.

If you want to be a good fighter, train in something that based on applications and applying those applications in sparring. You have to have the snot beat out of you if you want to learn. I, personally, enjoy losing fights. I learn more when I get pounded than when I'm owning.

Sorry, for the bad attitude...
I've been surly as of late

[Samurai Jack]

Cap' I'd love to hear an explanation as to why you think centerline theory is "BS". I've experienced otherwise.

[viper]

Captain pick axe I do wing chun id happly take you up on a friendly spar to show we are not all push overs i assure you. I also highly agree about losing for some reason when i fight spar alot of people im always improving or askig for crituque as in loss we grow to succeed but alot of people who win neva avctually look at why they are winning.just happy they win. I think atacking centre line def has its place and i use it alot.
The centrte line theory doesnt just relate to the absolute centre its as far as the two hands crossed can reach so theres alot to play with. One thing though is alot of peps dont atack the centre they just fight and go for whats there not that i dont think it works just make my life easier to know whats doin in there head. I think its not the system its the user and the teacher "exp is growth" So the only martial art I joke bout is tkd seems to b a joke now app.

[CaptinPickAxe]

WC, in all the cases I've encoutered, is garbage. It's notorious, and I mean NOTORIOUS, for teaching the craptastic anti-grapple. Which will only work against an untrained attacker...if you're lucky. The center-line punches are just asking to have your arms tied up and doesn't produce enough power. It seems WCers rely on speed of hands, but that is only half the battle when it comes to punching. You need power, timing, and speed. Not just one of the elements. The knock-kneed stance is unstable an begging to be thrown by a good Player of a throwing art. Also, from all the WCers I've touched hands with, the stance isn't effective. Why square up on an opponent when that stance severely increases your chances of being grounded with a single/double leg shoot? Then what? Will your chain punching work when your on your back on the ground? (if you say yes, expect me not to respond to ANYTHING you have to say from that point on)

Fact is, the art died with Yip Man as he never found a succesor. All the bickering from the masters is from people who only learned a portion of the art (be it big or small, it still isn't the complete art).

Train in an alive art without the mystical mumbo-jumbo of the traditional arts that the Chop Socky geeks love so much. Once you get past the mysticism, then you can get down to the nuts and bolts of the fighting side of you art and find out if what you're learning isn't a bunch of Dim Mak malarky.

[CaptinPickAxe]

Captain pick axe I do wing chun id happly take you up on a friendly spar to show we are not all push overs i assure you. I also highly agree about losing for some reason when i fight spar alot of people im always improving or askig for crituque as in loss we grow to succeed but alot of people who win neva avctually look at why they are winning.just happy they win. I think atacking centre line def has its place and i use it alot.
The centrte line theory doesnt just relate to the absolute centre its as far as the two hands crossed can reach so theres alot to play with. One thing though is alot of peps dont atack the centre they just fight and go for whats there not that i dont think it works just make my life easier to know whats doin in there head. I think its not the system its the user and the teacher "exp is growth" So the only martial art I joke bout is tkd seems to b a joke now app.

You bring up some good points. When you take the art and put it to a real situation, then you make that a living art. It's not just a bunch of suggestions of what might work if your in a fight. Most of the TMA's applications I've encountered and studied are far too scripted to work.

[MasterKiller]

judoka, thai boxers, capoeristas, boxers, wrestlers..

Um...which one of these is not like the others?

[PangQuan]

my favorite thing is when people will take somthing that they personally dont like, or may not understand, and pose as an expert and make claims based on thier personal beliefs.

if anyone has any questions as to whether kung fu "works" you either need to:

a: get a new teacher

b: get your head out of your ass

or

c: just give up now, cause you will never get it.