the learning of life v.s the learning of fighting

sorri for beening unclear for my topic, didn't have enough space to type.. so anyway yea i have been in kung fu for about year and a half.. and all i am doing in class is going over forms after forms.. I don't think this method of teaching isn't going to help me learn how to fight in a short peroid of time. i am deciding of quiting , but my sifu taught me so many things that not only in the club, but outside in the society too.. so plz give me some opinions, if i realli quit , what will be a good art to learn how to fight ? and whould you prefer a martial art school that teach you just fighting or tips in life?

Well I do kung fu alongside kick boxing and find that kung fu is very good for blocking, which helps out to be very useful in kickboxing. But then again, I have a brilliant teacher. He doesnt just go over forms because imo that is a little pointless. From what you are saying it seems there are better teachers out there.

thanx
CKS

Yeah its not kung fu that is at fault but your teacher, it sounds like he teaches a more visual forms based kung fu like shaolin is becoming. What style is it you study? If its fighting you want you may have to look somewhere else.

There is no quick fix unfortunately. Some teachers have different methods of teaching, doesnt make them necessarily wrong, you just have to find what suits you. For some people a McDojo suits them (not saying you are one of them). Ask him how he sees the progression and what he will advance to or if you are just going to be doing forms all the time. If you are not satisfied with the answer then you can find a new school that concentrates more on application.

Well you got to think why are you quiting? If you don't want to go to any of the classes any more, don't. Martial arts is a never ending process, you can learn so much from that school, even though you learn so much from your sifu. Just think whats best for you.

Hope this helps.............

Just wanted to add that your experience in this school won't be in vain. At least you learn some basics, and body mechanics that will make the learning of other arts a lot smoother and faster. Learning forms can be pretty fun and useful.

I am, however, suprised that you don't get technique training or sparring even after a year and a half. It'd help to know what style you train in. Most kung fu styles do emphasize at least technique training.

actually at the begining of class , stretching first , then we have punches in a horse stance. then kicks , it include roundhouse ribs kick, inside/outside kick, side kick ..double jump kick ect then we'll move on the sets.. after that it's last part where we do the push up and more final stretching... oh by the way i am learning choy lee fut

You have to develop a strong foundation before you can fully use it. But you should at least learn applications, how to generate power, etc., even if its just theoretical. For example, I haven't even gone to Taiji in a long time, nor for a long time (I've been busy), but the rooting and knowledge stays with you, even if you didn't really "fight." Its all about being mentally clear and going with it rather than against it.

Without knowing your Sifu or his teaching style, it is hard to provide direction. One thing I have found is that there are different goals for different instructors. Some concentrate on SD concepts and applications and others want to teach the Art itself. By learning the full Art, you will learn to fight eventually but the focus is more on making sure the integrity of the system stays in tact and that it is passed on as a whole, not just fragmented into fighting techniques wth no sense of history or tradition to it.

If you study kick boxing, shoot fighting, or another MMA, you will learn to fight more quickly because that is what those systems are designed for but if you wish to learn a complete Art, it will take more time.

If you wanted to know how to replace the engine in your car, although it is an involved process, you could learn how to do that one act a lot faster than you could learn how to be a good mechanic. If you actually wanted to be a good mechanic though, it would take a considerable amount of more time to become one. It is a matter of learning a single concept versus learning an entire system. To me, it is more important to learn the entire Art than just one aspect of it.

If your only goal is to learn how to fight, then you may have more success with a different school that is set up for that purpose. It sounds like your current Sifu is interested in teaching his Art, not just fighting. Eventually, you will be able to apply his teachings to fighting but it will take more time.

I guess you need to decide what is most important to you. It sound like practical SD or the fighting aspect of it is most important. If that is the case, you may be best served by moving on but only you can decide that.

Oh boy... Personally I take kung fu to learn to fight.The "larning of life" I leave to life.If you want tips on how to live ,watch reruns of "kung fu".If you want to learn to fight find a club that teaches all ranges of fighting based on a style or mind set (or both) that is agreeable to you.

I am going to make some predictions.

You will probably move to another school where combat applications is emphasized. Then a few years down the road, you will find that just doing fight-training all the time is getting pointless and that you will wish there is more 'depth' to all this martial arts thing and say to yourself, if only I have been more patient, take the time to do the forms (armed / unarmed), get 'immersed' in the entire system (which in CLF's case will get you to the fighting part later as the syllabus is so large -- 1 1/2 years in CLF is still kindergarten) then look back and be proud that your kung fu training is "complete" and you have inherited a system and not just learned some fighting techniques.

Its like playing classical flamenco pieces on your guitar or just strumming a few chords in a family singalong.

The reason why alot of people relate learning of how to live with the learning of gong fu, is because every barrier, bottle neck, and lesson learned in gong fu, is found in your real personal life too. If you can overcome it in martial arts, then you can over come it in life. Also, gong fu is about perfecting certain aspects of yourself, that never ceases, so is life (to some). How effective gong fu is, is totally up to you, and not the style nor techniques. With the right outlook, you can make anything work.

If you learn who you are, and what you are capable of, and are not bound by thoughts of "what should be" or "how-to," then you should have the ability to use your tools to overcome adversity. Fighting skill is a direct reflection of your spiritual and mental progression, good technique and fancy form, while necessary, is superficial alone, there must be substance. Learn for every action you make a direct reaction of your enviornment/opponent, nothing more, nothing less.

Hang in there Wonton most of the Choy-Li-fut practictioners that I know, at junior Instructor or Instructor level are powerful fighters, from that sneaky leg blocking technique that flips back to grion kick. To that powerful uppper cut that I've seen drop people on the street like a side kick!!!

All systems have their strengths, your system was born to rumble.