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Thread: New member looking for some advice

  1. #1
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    New member looking for some advice

    Hello folks. New member here and I was looking for some advice.

    I was in martial arts when I was younger, around 7 - 12 but haven't practiced, nor learned anything new since then and I'm now 30 years old. I found a school that I believe will be a good fit, that offers several different styles to choose from. Getting back into a martial art has always been in the back of my mind but I had gained a lot of weight over the years and recently started cardio, weight lifting, and eating cleaner to lose weight. I've lost 50 lbs so far, but I'm still about 100 lbs overweight.

    The styles that the school offers are Wing Chun, Jow Ga, Judo, and Tai Chi (yang). I would love to learn all of them, but that would be biting off more than I can chew at the moment. So I need to narrow it down a bit more. So for Kung Fu at the school I'm looking at is either Wing Chun or Jow Ga. I've googled a lot about both and they seem like they would both offer a lot for some one practically new. One of those two would be my first option, and my second option would be Judo, and third option Tai Chi.

    The school I'm looking at is;

    http://www.chanskungfu.com/

    The Sifu Sam Hing Fai Chan seems pretty legit, and I'm planning to visit the school next week to watch the Jow Ga classes (they allow few spectating for prospective students). Here's a link to his biography http://www.chanskungfu.com/instructors_sifuchan.html

    So does anyone have any advice for me? Heard of this school and the Sifu? Questions I should ask when I go to visit?

    Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Go watch some classes. Maybe take one to try if available. Then decide based on you and what seems to be the right fit. Don't worry to much about legit this and that. Someone can always blow holes in someone else. If they offer what you like doing then go with your gut. If you think it is crap it will be crap.

  3. #3
    He's the real deal. I think Jow Ga's pretty athletic. His guys are sharp. Wing Chun might be a little easier on your body, but 30's not so old to take up an athletic style. Judo's a lot of fun too.

  4. #4
    Greetings and Welcome to the Forum, Edmorian,

    Congratulations on what you have achieved, so far.

    It may be even better to go back over some of the basics of what you used to do. Basic kicks, punches, bag work. Cellular memory has it's advantages when it comes to getting back in shape. Look at what you used to do (what did you do?) and develop a routine from it.

    mickey

  5. #5
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    In general, I'd suggest Jow Ga. I think it would take your further long-term than Wing Chun based on my experience.

    If you have time later on, I'd spend some time cross training with Judo and Wing Chun. Personally speaking, I'd rather main Jow Ga and take elements from the other arts than main the other arts and take elements from them. But that's just me.

    That said, if one art appeals to you more, then go with whatever it is, because then you're more likely to stick with it.
    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    like that old japanese zen monk that grabs white woman student titties to awaken them to zen, i grab titties of kung fu people to awaken them to truth.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sal Canzonieri View Post
    You can discuss discrepancies and so on in people's posts without ripping them apart. So easy to do sitting behind a computer screen anonymously, but in person I'm sure you'd be very different, unless you're a total misanthrope without any friends.

  6. #6
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    Thanks for the replies everyone! I appreciate them all.

    As far as what I used to do, it was a karate school in Hawaii called Okinawan Kenpo Karate-Kobudo. I tried looking up the school I went to but only found a site that had it's history and that the name changed to Ryukyu Hon Kenpo Kobujutsu . I was only in it for 3 years and I was young, so it might take a while for anything to come back other than my favorite aspect, walking waist deep into the ocean and trying to maintain balance against the waves.

    From what I've seen on youtube of Jow Ga, it does look like there's quite a bit of athleticism required, and while a lot of it would be especially hard for me (in terms of the jumping/spinning), hard work and diligence in training would make it possible over time. Which is something I'm looking for, not really something to just do for a few months to a year or two, but for many years to come. Which is why I'm trying to read as much about various martial arts before jumping into one.

  7. #7
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    how could you have had no time to train kung fu for over 20 years?

    Honorary African American
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  8. #8
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    We moved away. To a completely rural place with the closest schools at least 30 minutes away. I still live there and the schools are still 30 minutes away. The one I'm interested in is actually 60 minutes away. At 12 years old I could not get there on my own. By time I was old enough to drive it wasn't at the forefront of what I wanted to do, though the idea every few years would resurface that it was something I wanted to do again. I'm just now acting on it. I didn't say I had no time to do it, I just didn't do it. Pure and simple.

  9. #9
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    decisions we make in life has its consequences.

    Quote Originally Posted by Edmorian View Post
    Which is something I'm looking for, not really something to just do for a few months to a year or two, but for many years to come. Which is why I'm trying to read as much about various martial arts before jumping into one.
    there is no more time.
    Last edited by bawang; 03-06-2015 at 08:13 AM.

    Honorary African American
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  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Edmorian View Post
    We moved away. To a completely rural place with the closest schools at least 30 minutes away. I still live there and the schools are still 30 minutes away. The one I'm interested in is actually 60 minutes away. At 12 years old I could not get there on my own. By time I was old enough to drive it wasn't at the forefront of what I wanted to do, though the idea every few years would resurface that it was something I wanted to do again. I'm just now acting on it. I didn't say I had no time to do it, I just didn't do it. Pure and simple.
    I'm not sure what Bawang meant by no more time? Obviously at that time there was no real interest for you. So it would have been a waste of time to have been anyplace for this.

    Don't worry so much about what's the best, most legitimate this or that. Someone will always come along and say that school sucks.

    If you decide on a particular school. Go learn for whatever your reasons may be. It's time now.

  11. #11
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    Welcome to our forum, boxerbilly

    Quote Originally Posted by boxerbilly View Post
    I'm not sure what Bawang meant
    None of us are ever really sure what Bawang meant, but that doesn't reduce the entertainment value of his posts.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    None of us are ever really sure what Bawang meant, but that doesn't reduce the entertainment value of his posts.
    I find that I can't take Bawang seriously when he's not trolling
    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    like that old japanese zen monk that grabs white woman student titties to awaken them to zen, i grab titties of kung fu people to awaken them to truth.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sal Canzonieri View Post
    You can discuss discrepancies and so on in people's posts without ripping them apart. So easy to do sitting behind a computer screen anonymously, but in person I'm sure you'd be very different, unless you're a total misanthrope without any friends.

  13. #13
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    First of all, congratulations on your weight loss, that's a fantastic accomplishment and I wish you all the best in your future health.

    I'm going to leave my bias out of this entirely and suggest this: It appears that he teaches a few distinct things at this school. I would say exactly what you said to us to him and ask if you can observe or try each of the things he teaches with the intent of becoming a student of one of them. That's better than anything we can say. You know yourself best and how they teach something is maybe as important as what it is, so experiencing it is your best information. He may have an opinion, I'd listen to it, he's taught ... I don't know ... 1,000 people, if he has an observation based on your story, it may be valid.

    I don't want to argue with previous posters, but I wouldn't assume that you can cobble together a better system for yourself than the ones that he is offering. Pick one and go with it, look up in a few years and see if you like your choice or if you are ready to try something different.

    All the best!
    Last edited by ShortBridge; 03-06-2015 at 04:22 PM.
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by boxerbilly View Post
    I'm not sure what Bawang meant by no more time?
    when i say that to him i mean

    if a woman refuses a man for 20 years and suddenly shows interest when shes 39 would u trust her.the woman is also no longer fertile

    you are spiritually unfertile, barren. you are becoming extremely unhealthy alongside aging and feel insecure about age and body. you want to return to something you did in ur childhood to feel comfort and reassurance and validation.

    furthermore ur displaying of indecisiveness even now and nitpicking of that kung fu school means u probably will never visit that school, kung fu is not important to u.

    your mental state reflects the state of michigan. delay aimlessness rot and decay and running out of time.

    you cannot negotiate with time and laws of nature. you are aged, you are obese, you are unfit physically and mentally. you dont have years, you have 6-8 months to sort out all ur sh1t together.
    Last edited by bawang; 03-07-2015 at 09:02 AM.

    Honorary African American
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    when i say that to him i mean

    if a woman refuses a man for 20 years and suddenly shows interest when shes 39 would u trust her.the woman is also no longer fertile

    you are spiritually unfertile, barren. you are becoming extremely unhealthy alongside aging and feel insecure about age and body. you want to return to something you did in ur childhood to feel comfort and reassurance and validation.

    furthermore ur displaying of indecisiveness even now and nitpicking of that kung fu school means u probably will never visit that school, kung fu is not important to u.

    your mental state reflects the state of michigan. delay aimlessness rot and decay and running out of time.

    you cannot negotiate with time and laws of nature. you are aged, you are obese, you are unfit physically and mentally. you dont have years, you have 6-8 months to sort out all ur sh1t together.
    The dude is only 30 years old. And he's already working out and reached a third of his target goal. He's got plenty of time.

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