Taekwondo or kung fu?

Question

hey, i have always wanted to learn martial arts..i am 16 this yr and female. i am from hk (not chi) so, taekwondo is very popular among girls here and i think learning kung fu is good here from chi teachers...my body is kinda week, i have asthma. i am not sure if it's suitable for my health ..my uncle suggested me not to try taekwondo.(he's a tae..teacher himself) i am confused what should i learn or if i should even learn . help me decide.. could you suggest anything else that might be better..i wanna learn one of em'..how fast would i lose weight ? do you like bruce lee??

Answer 1

what is your purpose in learning?

if your sole purpose is to lose weight then maybe a martial art is not the way to fill your excercise portion of your weight loss plan- the most important thing in weight loss is adjusting your food intake and what you eat and when.  thats another matter though. excersise is important, but secondary to that.

the asthma issue isn't a problem as you need to just work out a plan with your pulmononlogist as to what meds you should be on for prevention of attacks based on the seriousness of your condition.  also running for endurance helps, while not the optimal form of excercise for weight loss, it can help your asthma and while it might not be HIIT (high intensity interval training) it is better than nothing.

however, if you are looking to learn to fight, then BOTH cma (chinese martial arts, aka: kung fu) and tkd have bad reputations as far as realistic training goes, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist but it is harder to find.

you need to train against a fully resisiting opponent under a REALISTIC set of conditions.

ie: when sparring if your sparring looks more like tkd than a muai thai fight (the intensity and the rules) then it is NOT realistic.

your uncle has a vested interest in tkd since he is an instructor and will likely swear up and down that a ruleset that prohibits punches to the head or striking the supporting leg is realistic, sorry but common sense dictates otherwise, and you will not be able to guarnatee a one hit ko.

find a school that trains realistically, Ie: fully resiting opponents and don't worry about the asthma so long as you have it under control you should be able to participate in any activity. but thats your physician's job and stuff you might do on your own.

Answer 2

If you want to do something that is very good for street self defence then give krav maga or ju-jitsu a go but if you want competition and visualy impressive moves give Taekwondo a go. Kung Fu is also very good and emphasises on speed rather than power. Also if your unccle was a good instructor he would never turn a student away.

Answer 3

Kung Fu ( far too many styles to suggest )

Tai Chi or wing chun are my personal choices.

and I like Bruce lee :)***

Answer 4

If your trying to lose weight taekwondo is better but I'd listen to your uncle though since he is a teacher and go with kung fu and yes bruce lee is awesome.

Answer 5

Do both TKD for the kicks and kung fu for the fast punches.  However I would go for kickboxing or Thai boxing if you really want to trim up and they are much more effective fighting systems than TKD or Kung Fu (at that is what I have found, and I tried all of them after my first instructor retired).

Answer 6

Why don't you try both and see which you prefer?

I personally do taekwondo and really enjoy it, but everyone's different. No one can make that decision but you.

Answer 7

try both and pick the one that suits you.i would suggest if you want to learn self defence you try freestyle karate such as zen do kai,bushi kai or kempo.any physical excersize in conjunction with a balanced diet will help you lose weight,as for your asthma it would depend on how severe it is but if you have a low level of physical fitness and are over weight that will not be helping you.i have been an asthmatic all my life(48years)and it has never stopped me doing anything.

Answer 8

TKD is not practical in a real-world street fight and it has not become established as a core art in modern mixed martial arts competition, but it enhances flexibility, is definitely more athletic than most other arts, offers a great cardiovascular workout, and is an excellent "base" art to start with.  Anderson Silva, the current UFC middleweight champion, and arguably the finest mixed martial artist in the world today, got his start with TKD.  

Do a search under YouTube "Tae Kwon Do vs. Kung fu."  Or just put in "Kung Fu vs."  You will be amazed.  The Kung fu guys get manhandled by practitioners from virtually every other art known to man!  It is downright embarrassing.  Kung fu is the most overrated martial art in existence today.   You'd be better off learning Tae Chi!   Alternatively, I have not seen a YouTube video where a Jiu-jitsu practioner gets beaten (except by another trained in the ground-based arts).  

(2nd Degree BB TKD, Brown Belt BJJ)

Answer 9

As said previously, both martial arts (TKD and KungFu) have their strengths and their weaknesses.

Starting at the age of 7, I noticed there is always a balance.

(In such a commercial world that we currently live in), It is difficult to find Masters that teach traditionally and inits ancient form.

KungFu, known for its many styles and adaption to the individual mastering it, also has its drawbacks.  To develop power from the style or techniques requires years of practice and refining your work out.  Not to mention a little of advanced sensory response. (Usually found in kids that have done martial arts since a child).  KungFu is great for basically every aspect you can think of, but it requires nearly flawless dedication and constant self adjustment to get the response you would like.

TaeKwonDo, Known for high percentage of kicks (ratio between Kicks:Punches) and powerful adaptation for use of kicks.  As KungFu, both require great concentration and meditation. This martial art has been altered to fit 3 types of worlds or goals, Traditional, Demonstrations, and Competition.  None is better than the other, yet training for demos will probably not work in the real world.  Traditional can be used in all forms but might not be too great for competition.  Competition can be used for fighting in the real world and for working out.

I've learned both, TKD as a child.  Raised doing push-ups and fighting my way in the class room and outside.  Taught myself KungFu on my spare time.

Depending on your goal, you should decide what you want to learn.  Whether it is for defense, working out, or competition, and of course you need to consider the time and effort that you can dedicate to this art.  Of course, deciding on competing is something that is developed as you proceed in the life of Martial Arts.  

If you have asthma, you should inform your instructors.  Learning TKD or KungFu will eventually better your condition and allow your body to defend against illness a lot easier and faster.

TaeKwonDo has never failed me, and I don't regret ever being a part of such a great art.  Eventually you will develop a sixth sense of things and "see" things in a different way.

I hope all this info helps.

I have a so much more that I would like to say but I think this should be enough.

Take care and please choose wisely, you will not regret it.

Answer 10

I would start off with Kung Fu - Wing Chun is a good style - you can work on forms, balance, and strength rather than sparring.  Then as you get stronger and more healthy, you can expand your knowledge and try more athletic fighting styles, like Jun Fan Jeet Kun Do or Taekwondo.  

Make sure to tell your instructor that you have asthma, and what to do in case of an asthma attack.

The weight loss depends on your diet and exercise.  I would address both, don't expect miracle results from martial arts.  

Bruce Lee....the greatest martial artist ever.  I study Jeet Kun Do and am a huge fan of sifu Lee as well.  His philosophy completely changed martial arts for the entire world.  

Good luck with your training, whatever you decide to do.

Answer 11

yes definately wing chun kung fu it was invented by a woman

and (tao j you shouldnt say things about wing chun unless you have attended a wing chun not jeet kune do school full time bruce didnt know the correct wing chun form cause cheung who taught bruce when he got kicked out for being american was taught incorrect also cause yip man didnt like him we just about only spar practicing form and footwork for about five minutes of a two hour class the rest is learning how to beat up thugs trying to take our money and stuff like that unless its a c**p wing chun school if our partner manages to beat us the instructor takes us over to practice the form some more then theyll have us partner back up wheras cheung only taught bruce forms thats why u say it like you do)

Answer 12

It doesn't matter which one you choose. You will lose weight depending on how hard you work. Its not the style that determines this. But just watch out for scams.

Answer 13

out of the to kung fu , taekwondo is for women ! , try just karate