Should I stay or should I go ( MMA,kung fu, ect) anybody!?

Question

Heres the story. For the past 7 1/2 years Ive been studying with my current sifu. I love his curriculum. His school teaches a wide-variety of kung fu styles. Hes very open-minded and Im very lucky to have had him for my first martial arts teacher. I believe his methods are innovative. Heres the problem. THe first 4 years ive spent with him, our tranining was excellent. We would spar,do forms,do shaolin conditioning methods (wieght vest,crawl up and down stairs, do qi gong, and stretch all in one class. i LOVED IT! but for the past 3 years, we lost some students so my sifu has been slacking alot the past 3 years.Im lucky if our class is half as challenging as it used to be.

Me and my sifu are also good friends outside of class, he is only 28 im 20. I train very hard everyday on my own, but when I go to class, its not even fun any more or challenging. Ive been thinking of going to an MMA school, but last time I did, the coaches got mad because I used kung fu techs. Help!

Answer 1

This will be a hard decision for you.  You do have alot of investment in Kung Fu and your Sifu.  I would suggest trying to salvage that if possible.  Talk to your Sifu and tell him how you are feeling.  Does he not have anything else to teach you?  Is he loosing the will/want to teach?  This is a very serious issue, and you need to take it up with him ASAP!!

Answer 2

training is more about the methodology than anything else (and quality of the teacher- which is interrelated with methodology).

it sounds like this school is going downhill.

I would say one thing here though about the MMA school- why did they get pissed that you used a CMA technique that works that you picked up outside of it?

I can understand during drilling- but if it was during free-sparring I have a problem with that MMA school.

of course this is all based on IF THE TECHNIQUE WORKED.

if not then you shouldn't be using it.  

if your current cma (chinese martial arts) school has gone so downhill that they don't do what is necessary to learn to apply the techniques, then I would suggest you find a place that does teach you to apply what it teaches against a resisting opponent.

I would however maybe find another MMA school that in this case seems to be acting like many mcdojos and crappy teachers act.

I can understand the MMA school pushing you to learn thier material- that is normal and thats what you are there for and what you are paying them for,

however if it was in a "free sparring" context and not a "do this drill so you learn what we are teaching you today" context then that school is wrong- MMA is about mixing all your experiences and techniques that work to work for you. what you learned before -and works, should not be forgotten.

find another mma school if this is the case- they aren't that hard to find.

Answer 3

Go with what you feel is best but I would really go with mma.  There are no theories in mma all the styles they train in work in real life situations.  Muay thai, boxing, wrestling, jiujitsu.  Those are the main arts that are practiced.  An mma fighter is a COMPLETE fighter where as a tkd guy gets taken down to the ground and he's clueless, a wrestler gets taken down and doesn't know submissions,  in mma you get the total package.