About Wah Lum Kung Fu

[BBarbieri]

Hello all!

I was intending to start to study Wah Lum Kung Fu for two main reasons:

1- Increase my stamina, resistance and health in general

2- Acquire Self Defense Skills

The first one, based on what I saw in internet, it seems that they are great for doing that! They are totally fitness!

For the second I am not sure. 99% of the videos that I watched from this style were related to presentations, showing forms, etc... Almost nothing about the self defense applications...

So it makes me wonder, is this style oriented to self defense too? (As wing Chun, Hun gar, etc)
And for self defense, I mean, any technique that disables my offender long enough to allow me run away from the trouble. I don't intend to fight... Just to create a situation where I could run away, if it was not possible from the beginning...

What you guys think?

Thanks for your time!

[SoCo KungFu]

is this style oriented to self defense too? (As wing Chun, Hun gar, etc)

No (And neither are a number of schools in the others you list)

[BBarbieri]

Thanks for your reply!

I was thinking that kung fu was like tae kwondo, karatê, etc... Where you learn punchs, kicks, self defense, etc...

So it seems that kung fu is more for physical activity, get in shape... Etc.

Maybe it worth trying... At least seems great for health an fun for mind.

Thanks for you time!

[SoCo KungFu]

Thanks for your reply!

I was thinking that kung fu was like tae kwondo, karatê, etc... Where you learn punchs, kicks, self defense, etc...

So it seems that kung fu is more for physical activity, get in shape... Etc.

Maybe it worth trying... At least seems great for health an fun for mind.

Thanks for you time!

In most kwoons, yes. Many think they teach self defense. Some are correct in their attempt. And a few of those actually succeed.

Wah Lum (as a whole system) isn't one of them.

[wiz cool c]

Way way back in time I took one of their two week full time training courses at their head courters in florida. They sparred hard [or at least gave me their best guys when I attended their sparring classes] didn’t see much in the form of traditional applications though] you would be surprised in china they don’t do much of teaching applications for fighting either. It seems quite common to be show once or twice what the moves mean ,but never pairing up and practicing them. My advice would be either find a school that does teach and practice the moves from the forms with partners, or constantly ask what the movements mean for fighting and get a partner of your own and practice them, explore how they can be used in different situations

[David Jamieson]

Everything is just training until you have to use it.
Results may vary.

Train well and you will succeed.
Go for the t-shirt and you have already failed.

[SoCo KungFu]

Oh dear lord. We don't need esoterics in this thread. This topic has been beaten to death both here and other forums. Wah Lum is contemporary wushu. They don't fight. They don't train to fight. They don't teach applications. And anyone from "back in the day" that claims they did is spinning stories. Everyone here knows of the mass exodus of any talent that fled WL for greener pastures. And I'm sure this will **** some people off, but most of those names, also never taught fighting. And those that did, didn't teach it from WL material. And yes, that is insider knowledge. No, I won't be dropping names and slandering a couple men who, knowing them, probably do not even have a computer to come here and defend themselves. I might be an ass, but I'm an ass to people in person, or some **** like that.

The only reason WL is not put in the same category as Shaolin-Do is because Chan Poi has at least some semblance of a legit lineage, even if no one can figure out what the hell it actually is.

OP, if you want to be a gymnast. Sure, WL will do that fine. But if you want to learn to fight, avoid WL like the plague.

[David Jamieson]

Oh dear lord. We don't need esoterics in this thread. This topic has been beaten to death both here and other forums. Wah Lum is contemporary wushu. They don't fight. They don't train to fight. They don't teach applications. And anyone from "back in the day" that claims they did is spinning stories. Everyone here knows of the mass exodus of any talent that fled WL for greener pastures. And I'm sure this will **** some people off, but most of those names, also never taught fighting. And those that did, didn't teach it from WL material. And yes, that is insider knowledge. No, I won't be dropping names and slandering a couple men who, knowing them, probably do not even have a computer to come here and defend themselves. I might be an ass, but I'm an ass to people in person, or some **** like that.

The only reason WL is not put in the same category as Shaolin-Do is because Chan Poi has at least some semblance of a legit lineage, even if no one can figure out what the hell it actually is.

OP, if you want to be a gymnast. Sure, WL will do that fine. But if you want to learn to fight, avoid WL like the plague.

I don't think it's esoteric to state what I just did. 99% of all training is simply training.
Most of what is wanted by people training in Kung Fu, which is quite esoteric in and of itself really, are there for fitness , flexibility, some kind of understanding of cma etc.

If someone wanted to learn self defense or fighting skills, then they wouldn't even ask a question about what style to learn or what school to join. So it's safe to say that people train in cma for the sake of it really. TO actively train to fight, you have to go where active fighting is happening and for the most part, that's not going on in your average kung fu schools outside of san da classes if they have 'em.

[wiz cool c]

Oh dear lord. We don't need esoterics in this thread. This topic has been beaten to death both here and other forums. Wah Lum is contemporary wushu. They don't fight. They don't train to fight. They don't teach applications. And anyone from "back in the day" that claims they did is spinning stories. Everyone here knows of the mass exodus of any talent that fled WL for greener pastures. And I'm sure this will **** some people off, but most of those names, also never taught fighting. And those that did, didn't teach it from WL material. And yes, that is insider knowledge. No, I won't be dropping names and slandering a couple men who, knowing them, probably do not even have a computer to come here and defend themselves. I might be an ass, but I'm an ass to people in person, or some **** like that.

The only reason WL is not put in the same category as Shaolin-Do is because Chan Poi has at least some semblance of a legit lineage, even if no one can figure out what the hell it actually is.

OP, if you want to be a gymnast. Sure, WL will do that fine. But if you want to learn to fight, avoid WL like the plague.

Wah lam headquarters in Florida does spar, and I sparred and sparred hard when I was there . I have no need to lie ,I have done martial arts for 30 years last 8 living in china, I have written 6 articles for kung fu/ tai chi magazine, have a documentary film about myself coming out, no need to make up stories about wah lam pal

And they do some training for fighting, let me explain what the sparring class was like, first they run for a while outside, then they come back to the school and beat their forearms and shins with pieces of bamboo tied together, they had a taped off square on the floor for a ring, match you up with someone your own weight, and do three three minutes rounds

[BBarbieri]

Hello Thanks for the replies!

I found this rare video about self defense techniques that seems to be from wah lum...

http://www.google.com.br/url?sa=t&rc...96952980,d.cWw

Is this the sparring that you talk about?

Thanks for your time!

[wiz cool c]

That is the headquarters, same place I did the two week full time training course at, but not what I was talking about, I went to their free sparring class,[and we ran , then beat our arms and legs with pieces of bamboo, then did three three minute rounds of free sparring ,and the sparring was pretty intense

[BBarbieri]

Hello Wiz Cool,

When you say about the sparring, I was wondering:

Is it similar to the sparring of Taekwondo, Karate, etc with only punchs and kicks in general?
Its allowed to make throws as aikido/jiu jitsu /Judo?

Thanks for your time!

[wiz cool c]

It was your average kick punch type sparring. I will tell you the story cause I still remember it vividly. I think they were a little taken back cause I was only there for two weeks and came to their sparring class. I think maybe the teacher the little Chinese guy Pan is that his name?[I don’t know if he is still around but he was in the mid 90s when I went] thought I was like testing them or something. So he put me up against a tall thin Asian guy.

We wore that foam type point fighting gloves]not designed for full contact].the first round started and I immediately just taped the sparring partner in the head with a light round house kick, after that he started rushing me with full force straight punches to the face. He caught me off guard, cause I though it would be light contact friendly sparring. His reach was longer than mine ,and I didn’t have good hand techniques back than ,just good kicks, the first round he lit me up. Caught me in the face a lot. Between rounds ,I thought about the old saying never box a boxer or wrestle a wrestler. So next round I kept my hands up and started kicking his legs with side kicks, I tagged him a bunch of times then he started to try to switch to my game, and began kicking instead of punching. he couldn’t’ out kick me and I continued to tag his legs and ribs with sidekicks. at one point he got in close and I clinchéd him and rear leg reaped him and threw him on his back. At another point I caught one of his kicks and reaped him again and stomped my foot on the ground a few inches away from his groin to show him it would be over if this was real.

The next week I went back to the class again although I had two injuries from the sparring match I just described, one was my foot was swollen maybe from catching an elbow on it and I had a big scrape down the side of my shin were it was red and raw. The guy they put me up against was another Asian that was about my height but kind of buff. The guy that lived across the street full time and hung out with me in the free time said he was one of the best at the school, and good luck to me. This time the Pan guy said we will do two rounds were one guy just attacks and the other just defend ,and the third round will be free sparring., cause the week before’s class was so messy. So we did the two rounds ,then the third we were sparring free style, I wasnt having two much trouble with this guy keeping him away with my kicks, then during that round the foot inch scrap down my shin was hit somehow, and I grabbed my leg in pain and the Pan guy said ok you finished this round and brought up the next two

[Wuxia007]

I studied at Wah Lum for 4 years.
To answer your question...

- Do they teach practical self-defense? Yes. Absolutely.

- Will you be able to fight at the level of an MMA fighter or a professional
Muay Thai fighter? Probably not because that's a different realm. Wah Lum does not teach you to be a professional fighter. Remember, you said you were not looking for this level of fighting.

- Will you be able to defend yourself from a random thug on the street? Yes, absolutely. Again, you said this was all you were looking for.

- Fancy acrobatic movements at Wah Lum? Compared to most traditional kung fu styles, yes. Compared to contemporary Wushu, Wah Lum is still very traditional.

- Focus on physical fitness? Yes, absolutely.

- Focus on forms? The majority of your training at Wah Lum will be on practicing forms. There's just so many empty hand and weapons forms at Wah Lum, you'll never get bored.

- Focus on sparring? There is quite a bit of sparring practice but not quite so much as form practice. The majority of their sparring practice is typical point sparring limited to fists and kicks but every now and then they'll practice grappling sparring. Not simply just controlled takedown practice routines but actual grappling sparring.

- I have studied TCMA and modern Wushu at many schools in the US and in China. To this day, Wah Lum is one of the most disciplined TCMA schools I have ever attended. They don't let you half ass your techniques like many schools do.

- is Wah Lum a perfect system? Absolutely not.

- Is any style or system perfect? Absolutely not.

- Will it be perfect for you? Possibly, but only you can know.

[SoCo KungFu]

Wah lam headquarters in Florida does spar, and I sparred and sparred hard when I was there . I have no need to lie ,I have done martial arts for 30 years last 8 living in china, I have written 6 articles for kung fu/ tai chi magazine, have a documentary film about myself coming out, no need to make up stories about wah lam pal

Irrelevant. 99% of martial artists spend their entire lives not knowing what actual fight training is like. That doesn't mean they're lying, but it does mean most are oblivious. A sure sign is thinking what you have described is hard sparring. Any asshat can get a documentary made about them these days. They even made one about Wah Lum.

And they do some training for fighting, let me explain what the sparring class was like, first they run for a while outside, then they come back to the school and beat their forearms and shins with pieces of bamboo tied together, they had a taped off square on the floor for a ring, match you up with someone your own weight, and do three three minutes rounds

Some being the operative word, according to both your posts and their own website.