h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Im just about to start Kung Fu again after a long gap. I used to do Lau Gar Kung Fu, but stopped when my mates did and I was distracted by a woman. Im starting Hung Kuen Kung Fu with a friend next week.

What martial arts do other researchers do?

I've trained in Karate for a while, and still do, and I've recently (this year) taken up Tai Chi. I'm finding they complement each other nicely.

I've had a bit of a play at Aikido and Judo, but didn't do either for very long. And a little Iai-jutsu - I do mean a little. Plus odd courses in this, that and the other.

Id like to try Aikido, the whole idea appeals to me...

I did Karate when I was quite young, tried to start again when I came to University but decided it still wasn't really for me. I've now been doing Tai Chi for about two years and I absolutely love it.

I used to to Hung Fut Kung Fu, until recurring hamstring injuries (mainly from football) made me stop. I did that for a little over two years, and now practice Brasilian Jiu-jitsu... well, not right *now*, because I'm injured again

Jui-jitsu for 8 years. However in a fight it's much easier to rip a table out of the floor in McDonalds and throw it at someone.

*doing his bit for anti-capitalism*

Liam.

Leaving aside the question of what you do if you are attacked when you aren't in McDonalds, I have noticed that they bolt the furniture down pretty firmly in there - I think they may have had you in mind.

But if you are in McDonalds and you want to cause distress to somebody, wouldn't it be easier and more elegant just to make your victim eat? It'll be slow, but it should do the trick in the long term - sort of a delayed death touch.

Of course if you wanted something a little faster-acting you could throw an apple pie - it would act like napalm.

Or you could just use a tray as a frisbee.

I do Capoeira. Right now, I'm debating whether to switch over to another art, but I figure it'll become big in a couple of years, and I want to be able to say I was there before it became popular.

Not the best reason to be in a martial art, I suppose, but it keeps me going.

Wampus

Id like to do Capoeira too, a very elegant technique, but I think it wouldnt stand up well in a real fight...

I think *I* wouldn't stand up in Capoeira

It's statements like that that start endless debates over how "useful" Capoeira is.

I don't do it to learn to fight; I do it for fun, and for exercise. I've been told by other martial artists that Capoeira is the most strenuous martial art around. Thus, I'll do this one now and worry about fighting later.

I've noticed some people on here talking about Gung Fu (I'm of Chinese descent, and I'll spell it any dang way I please). I'm curious; how would you describe your type of Gung Fu? What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it? Like I said, I've been considering starting it, but I'd like to be more informed before I do anything.

Wampus

Exactly, I wasnt suggesting otherwise, fitness and training are intense, and it does look a lot of fun..

I too am of chinese descent, I spell it Kung Fu, I know the alternate spelling, it confuses people. As to my style, im only just starting with this style. I can tell you that Lau Gar(the style I learnt for 2 years) is a close, fast technique. umm, but I run out of things to say quite soon.
Oh well.
I've been told Hung Kuen(my new style) is quite similar to Lau Gar. I'll tell you more when I know...

>Leaving aside the question of what you do if you are attacked when you aren't in McDonalds, I have noticed that they bolt the furniture down pretty firmly in there - I think they may have had you in mind.<

Some eejits in McDonalds (the one at Liverpool Street station) decided it would be a good idea to have a fight. One of them nearly knocked a pregnant Mrs SM off her chair. I made sure she was ok, then punched the guy in the face. The security guards (both of which were a foot shorter than me) came along to calm everything down. When the guy who tried to knock Mrs SM over wouldn't apologise (I did ask nicely the first time, then I used the 'c' word and asked again) I picked up what I thought was a chair - it was the table bolted into the floor - and threw it at him, I then picked up my 1/4 lber with cheese and left with Mrs SM
If you are visiting L'pool St it's the table on the left of the main doors - with all the cracked tiles around it

Liam.

Fair play mate, Fair play

I've been doing Bushido for about a year. It has mainly involved Karate at the moment, with a bit of Aikido and self-defense thrown in.

Got my Orange belt coming up so I am supposed to be training a lot harder than I am at the moment.

Who was it who said they were studying Brasilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Is that Hoyce Gracie's style by any chance? I once saw a video of this guy and he is brilliant.
He picked a fight with this muscle head on a beach, he pinned him down and started slapping his face, saying things like 'these could be real punches' and 'he cannot accept that his years of training are useless'.
That guy is class.

Hello

I'm a green belt in shotokan Karate but haven't been since May. I'm a bit disillusioned with it. I love the thing itself but hate the money grabbing attitude of the organisation who run it and also hate training in a scabby school dinner hall full of food. Euuww!

I may go back to kung-fu which I really enjoyed but couldn't walk very well afterward.

I'm enjoying Pilates at the moment though. Hmmmmm.

That's me doing BJJ... and yep, that's Royce Gracie (all the Gracies, in fact). It's a fantastic martial art, and by far the most effective ground-based fighting system I've come across... though I've not trained in any other. I have, however, fought Judo players, shoot-fighters, wrestlers and Sambo artists of comparable skill and experience to me and never been beaten by them - I've only ever been beaten by other BJJ artists.

That said, no style is perfect, and no style, however good you are, will dictate whether you will or won't win (or, more to the point, survive) a street-fight. Generally speaking though, I think a combination of stand-up and ground fighting is a good idea... for the period of time when I was doing both Kung-fu and BJJ, my Kung Fu instructor had me try to take down people I was sparring against. I never failed, even against people who could normally keep me at bay easily in a purely stand-up fight. Then again, if all I did was BJJ, I may not have gotten close enough... what's my point then?

Well, I think your best bet is to train in more than one martial art - but if possible concentrate on one style for a couple of years before you multi-task. I'm reserving my opinion on the schools now which purport to teach a bit of everything... sounds a bit like jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none to me...

<> - I agree with that, I think you really need to learn one martial art to a reasonable degree of competence first. Once you've done that, you can go and learn other arts to complement your original art.

I'm very suspicious of people who claim they have a complete martial art, and I don't think it's a good idea to try and study several arts at once when you are first setting out - you'd come across too many contradictions which experience would teach are not contradictions at all.

I've practised my 'main' art, karate for more than 20 years. Now when I study other arts I can relate them to what I already know, and find ways to integrate them into my fighting.

Mind you, if all you were after is fitness then it doesn't much matter... go with whatever you feel like! But if you have other motivation, you really have to check out as many different styles/schools before you settle on one... but when you *do*, stick with it...

Wahey, first night of Hung Kuen last night.
Obviously didnt get up to much interesting in 1st lesson, just going over basic punches, kicks and blocks. But I was amazed how much knowledge came back to me from the Lau Gar I did before.(Hung Kuen and Lau Gar are related styles.

If I ever heard of a club I would like to learn Southern Crane style Kung Fu. Standing on one leg all the time appeals to me!!!