karate=kung fu

[blackbelt]

i have been taking karate for over 20 years, got my 4th dan a month ago and wanted to try kung fu or hapkido or something else..my coworker who took kung fu says its the same as karate...is that true is there another martial art i can try? i wanted to try ninjitsu but not alot of schools in sf area

thanks

 

[EA Gold]

Lol!!!!!!!

 

[Man_CA]

Karate and Kung Fu are not the same thing. Also, there all lots of different styles of Kung Fu.

 

[SharinganUser]

Ninjutsu is crap, and you should be happy that there aren't any schools in your area.

Depending on the style of Kung fu it can be either quite similar or very different. The main difference is that kung fu tends to be more fluid than karate, and has more flowery movements. (Unless of course it's Sanda which is basically Chinese Mauy Thai)

 

[PRMoon]

"Karate?! The Dane Cook of martial arts!"

I can't wait for new episodes of Archer to air lol.

 

[squirrels]

Kung Fu is different from Karate. The motions are a lot more "flowing" and feel more like dance. Karate is more of a "hard" art.

There are plenty of martial arts out there...it all depends on what you are looking for. Are you looking more for something you can practice as an "art", more for something competitive, or are you looking more for something oriented toward "real-life" self defense?

 

[JustLurk]

taekwondo for competition/sport style.
krav m. has good functionality.
competent practice in most any martial arts should keep you fit and able to defend yourself.. jeez go to 6th dan and you could start an academy yourself.

 

[Huffman]

i have been taking karate for over 20 years, got my 4th dan a month ago and wanted to try kung fu or hapkido or something else..my coworker who took kung fu says its the same as karate...is that true is there another martial art i can try? i wanted to try ninjitsu but not alot of schools in sf area

thanks

Seriously? You've been training for 20 years and have never looked at other martial arts? You've never read a book about it? Or, hell, an internet article? You don't even know the history of your own martial art (the foundation of most karate comes from kungfu/chinese philosophy)?

 

[blackbelt]

yes i have looked into martial arts since then ive taken judo ju jitsu and kung fu im just looking for something to compliment karate so in case someone tries to do take downs i can reverse it and drop them on there head and finish the fight quickly, or new moves with my hands and feet, thank u all for your replies

 

[Alle_Gory]

Your co-worker is an idiot. They are not even remotely the same.

 

[Htienvu]

Try WingChun, it's what Bruce Lee studied and he simplified it and call it something else. WingChun is a close quarter combat type of martial art, very fast, short powerful movements. It's great for self defense and you can also take it further as an art.

 

[blackbelt]

yes i was thinking wing chun but its hard to find schools in san francisco...

and i am not a fraud i just wanted other peoples opinions bout this topic, because most of teh basic blocks punches and kicks are the same for the martial arts

 

[Huffman]

Really? I thought Wing Chun was pretty big.

How about you look on the internet, make a list of all the schools in your area and then visit each one and take a free tryout session? People on the internet are going to tell you a lot of stuff, but only you know what you like.

 

[EA Gold]

In the story of Ip man a master of wing chung, fought 10 karate masters at the same time and defeated all of them during the second sino japanese war.

What your friend was trying to say is that karate came from kung fu.

 

[Alle_Gory]

In the story of Ip man a master of wing chung, fought 10 karate masters at the same time and defeated all of them during the second sino japanese war.

That never happened and his name is Yip Man. They changed the title of the movie to avoid various copyrights and such.

Movies are not real life.

 

[Powerlifter]

I took up Karate/Kung Fu back when the series Kung Fu with the late David Carridine<spelling was on TV and the gym I took it from labelled it Karate/Kung Fu this was back when martial arts were starting to get some popularity.

I still find it hard to believe I paid $40 a month not sure what it cost today but I did manage before I couldn't afford it any longer to get to an orange belt I hated I had to drop out.

I was told I was a good student from my instructor and that I had one of the best back kicks he'd ever seen.

So yes to the OP there is a difference between the 2.

Good training.

Powerlifter

 

[Huffman]

Not to disrespect you Powerlifter, but in my opinion if take a class called "Karate/Kung Fu" it's the same as if you go to a restaurant called "Asia Wok Cafe". You get some strange mix that tastes ok, but you have no idea what you're actually eating, or where it came from.

 

[squirrels]

yes i have looked into martial arts since then ive taken judo ju jitsu and kung fu im just looking for something to compliment karate so in case someone tries to do take downs i can reverse it and drop them on there head and finish the fight quickly, or new moves with my hands and feet, thank u all for your replies

LOL wut??

You couldn't learn any take-down defense taking Judo and Jiu-Jitsu?? What, did you take like, a week of them?? If you're a legit black-belt in ANY martial art, you should know it takes more time than that.

I'm not trying to disrespect you, but it sounds like if you want to become a serious martial artist, you need to start doing some research and talking to people who know these kinds of things. Most "studio karate" dojos are babysitting clinics...parents send their kids there because they get tired of them sitting in front of the Nintendo and hope that it'll teach them discipline/initiative.

You're not playing Mortal Kombat. Martial arts is not about a "bunch of moves". It's a discipline and an attitude unto itself.

A GOOD school in judo or jiu-jitsu will teach you how to grapple and how to counter grapplers. If you want to learn it just from a self-defense perspective, aikido may be a better choice. Look for a REPUTABLE school. Ask around some...the Internets are your friend.

If you just want to "learn moves" for the artistic and fitness value, Kung Fu is a completely different style and set of "moves" from Karate.

When I hear someone say they "want to study ninjitsu", it indicates to me that they know more about martial arts from Hollywood than from any real knowledge/experience. There are very few schools that teach "ninjitsu" as an art unto itself, and any that CLAIMS to is suspect.

My advice to you would be to do some research and determine what martial art will provide you best with what you're looking for, then look for a reputable school...and stick with it for a few months before you judge it.

 

[JustLurk]

I'm not trying to disrespect you, but it sounds like if you want to become a serious martial artist, you need to start doing some research and talking to people who know these kinds of things. Most "studio karate" dojos are babysitting clinics...parents send their kids there because they get tired of them sitting in front of the Nintendo and hope that it'll teach them discipline/initiative.

It can help with that. Get kids confidence and all that. Just don't expect them to be fighters.. Your posts usually deserve 1+, squirrels, and this is no exception.

@Powerlifter: I always hated backkicks. Made me feel so damn vulnerable thinking about pulling that kick in a real fight.. Exposed back lol? It's usually a lot higher than 40$/month nowadays btw.

 

[blackbelt]

huffman: there are some im going to look into those
ea gold: yea i agree and that part wen he takes on 10 black belts is my favorite lol
squirrels: i did learn some moves, but the sensei put me in the advance class even tho i was only a white belt so i didnt learn much except how to tap out one time i got so frustrated cuz a brown belt kept running his mouth i grabbed him and did that move were u put ur foot on his stomach and throw him but other than that i didnt learn much i only no a couple of basic grapples and throws

and yes its true those that have ninjitsu schools could be full of themselves so im thinking i should steer clear of those schools

thanks again everyone