I want to start Kung Fu?

Question

Does anyone here study Kung Fu? What are the good and bad points?

Answer 1

Kung fu can be a great style to study if you find the right instructor. Check out some of the schools in your area and if the students there don't scare you, don't study there. If you can't find a school that does scare you, you might want to check out some other type of schools in your area.  You might not be learning Kung fu but what you will be learning will be effective.  

Answer 2

Depends on the style of Kung Fu, Kung Fu has hundreds of styles across China from the Northern Shaolin Temple to Hong Kong, I assume you want the more acrobatic version of Kung Fu like most do? Look up a Northern Shaolin style, it's consisted of the animals.

I, on the other hand take Wing Chun, a southern art of China, and it emphasizes centerline theory and going through your opponent, close quarter self defense combat and it's very useful and easy to get good at, but then again i do not know your goals and it depends on the instructor and how much effort you put into your art, NOT THE STYLE ITSELF!

Good luck.

Answer 3

Northern and southern are the two categories for the hundreds of kung fu styles in the world.  Every family had their own style, and their own name for it.  In the US, its the same kind of thing.  No two kung fu schools do things the same way, so it is harder to accept or dismiss a school just because its a kung fu school.  That can make it tough to know if the school will be a good one.

I have been in the same kung fu school for ten years and if I could go back in time, I would join the same school all over again.  Only sooner!!   I know everyone thinks their school/teacher is the best,  and so do I.   There is a strong focus on basic skills and the self defense applications.  The fluid motion of kung fu is very useful generating big power without relying on just muscle strength.

Try it out, you may love it.  If not, there are other styles out there.  Remember that any martial art will be only effective as you make them.  

Answer 4

  I took up Chinese Wu Su Kung Fu years ago, but scheduled to return after Ramadan 2008, insha'Allah.  Going for the weapons, mainly.

  I like it because you can really get into the movements.

If you're looking to learn self defense and offense a lot faster in the curriculumim, the style of Kung Fu I'm familiar with might not be for you.  Tae Kwon Do or Shotokan might be more up you alley

Answer 5

Watch Kung Fu: The Animal Within, on Animal Planet.  That will show you the various different styles of Kung Fu, so that you can figure out which style would suit you best.

This is the prologue to the show:

For thousands of years, martial artists have developed an array of sophisticated moves, postures and grips that imitate combat techniques perfected in the animal kingdom. From a panther's stalk to the waddle of a duck, animals have been an inspiration.