Switch or stay?

[2000zac]

A few months ago I joined a kung-fu school teaching "nature fist style." The instructors are good and the classes are relatively fun but I'm concerned because I've only been learning forms, they are interesting and of course look cool and unique but I don't feel like I'm any more capable of defending myself than when I started. We don't spar either, the closest we got to doing that were choreographed techniques for a show and even then we used kickboxing. I wasn't bothered by this until my friend sent me a video of him sparring with someone and I thought to myself could i even hold my own in a friendly sparring match? Even if what I'm learning is legitimate kung-fu it doesn't seem like we are being taught how to use or apply it. I have actually seen people spar using kung-fu before (no not in movies, actual sparring). There is another place nearby that teaches taekwondo and I'm wondering if it would be better to join there because they do more training with bags and with sparring and it seems like I could get more out of their classes. Because of where I live I can't afford to be picky about what style I want to train in, but I want some sort of legitimate martial arts and combat experience and I honestly feel like I'm wasting my time and money at these classes. Any advice on this?

 

[wingchun100]

Try to bring this up with the head instructor. You are paying good money; you should get what you want out of the class.

 

[JowGaWolf]

A few months ago I joined a kung-fu school teaching "nature fist style."

I've never heard of nature fist style.

I will say this much though. You can't learn how to use kung fu without sparring.

To put Kung Fu in perspective. You can't learn how to play tennis just by hitting a tennis ball against the wall. You can't learn how to play the piano just by looking and knowing the notes, you can't learn how to box, just by hitting a bag, you can't learn how to play basket ball just by bouncing the ball, and you can't learn how to cook just by memorizing recipes. All of these have the same thing in common. You have to use the skills that you are training / learning during the activity that you are actually training to do.

It doesn't matter if your style isn't legit or not if you aren't taking your skills out for a "test drive" via sparring.

 

[Buka]

Welcome to MartialTalk, zac.

Kind of simple, really, if you don't like what you're doing, try whatever else is available to you, then decide which one you're willing to spend a long road on.

While a couple of months might not be long enough to determine if an art suits you or provides what it is that you're looking for, you're obviously unhappy. Give the others a whirl, then go wherever it is that makes your heart sing, your brow sweat and your muscles ache.

 

[Ironbear24]

Bring it up with your instructor, also people put a bit too much into sparring, first of all, yes you must spar. You do not have to spar all of the time though, do you at least do drills with resistance? Those are probably more beneficial than sparring as you can do those more often than you can full contact sparring due to healing time and all.

The key is resistance and contact. Without those you won't really know how to apply what you are learning at all. I would not leave right away, simply express your concerns with your instructor before you make any choice.

 

[Headhunter]

Forget about other clubs or styles fir now.first answer this do you enjoy your training if the answer is yes then stay it doesn't matter about anything else I mean the taekwondo may be more sparring but you may not enjoy it as much. Plus dont think sparring is the be all and end all anyone can put on gloves and throw your hands at each other I can put gloves on my 5 year old grandkids and they can do that. I very rarely sparred through my entire fight career the best thing is pads to work on your combinations and your timing and drills sparring is fun but it's not necessary. Now days a lot of mma fighters are stopping sparring because they realise it's not as useful as they first thought

 

[drop bear]

Forget about other clubs or styles fir now.first answer this do you enjoy your training if the answer is yes then stay it doesn't matter about anything else I mean the taekwondo may be more sparring but you may not enjoy it as much. Plus dont think sparring is the be all and end all anyone can put on gloves and throw your hands at each other I can put gloves on my 5 year old grandkids and they can do that. I very rarely sparred through my entire fight career the best thing is pads to work on your combinations and your timing and drills sparring is fun but it's not necessary. Now days a lot of mma fighters are stopping sparring because they realise it's not as useful as they first thought

Would you feel comfortable entering a guy into his first MMA fight if he had never sparred before?

 

[Dinkydoo]

What matters to you?

If it's being able to use your martial art in a fight, then you need some kind of sparring. If you don't care about that and enjoy what you do, don't pay attention to what other people are doing and just continue to enjoy what you do because you love doing it.

I disagree with Headhunter even though it sounds like they have much more experience than myself. I can go from feeling like a badass, smashing pads and getting combos away clean to walking right into punches in a really short space of time!

For me, sparring is great, but I need to keep reminding myself that I should be working on something specific more often than not. Otherwise I go up against someone quicker or with much longer reach and bam, I'm taking loads of shots and not learning again.

 

[Tames D]

I've never heard of nature fist style.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Any advice on this?

When I was 11, my brother in law taught me an open hand form and a pole form. One day I got into fight and I didn't know how to use my MA skill. I complained to my brother in law. He stopped teaching me any more forms. Instead, he forced me to drill "1 step 3 punches" for the next 3 years. IMO, that was the best investment that I had for my MA training.

If you want to learn how to fight, you should fight. Before you do that, you will need to have some tools in your toolbox. You don't need to have 100 tools. You may just need few good tools.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

When I was 11, my brother in law taught me an open hand form and a pole form. One day I got into fight and I didn't know how to use my MA skill. I complained to my brother in law. He stopped teaching me any more forms. Instead, he forced me to drill "1 step 3 punches" for the next 3 years. IMO, that was the best investment that I had for my MA training.

If you want to learn how to fight, you should fight. Before you do that, you will need to have some tools in your toolbox. You don't need to have 100 tools. You may just need few good tools.

What is the 1 step 3 punches drill? Is it 3 specific punches that you drilled over and over, or was it the concept of getting into distance (or responding to an attack) and landing at least 3 punches before finishing?

 

[Tames D]

What is the 1 step 3 punches drill? Is it 3 specific punches that you drilled over and over, or was it the concept of getting into distance (or responding to an attack) and landing at least 3 punches before finishing?

He may be referring to the Straight Blast.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

What is the 1 step 3 punches drill? Is it 3 specific punches that you drilled over and over, or was it the concept of getting into distance (or responding to an attack) and landing at least 3 punches before finishing?

It's 3 punches combo such as:

- jab, cross, jab,
- jab, cross, hook,
- jab, cross, uppercut,
- jab, hook, uppercut,
- hook, hook, hook,
- hook, uppercut, hook,
- uppercut, hook, hook,
- ...

Whether you may train it in 1 step, 2 steps, 3 steps, ... it doesn't matter. Some "running punch" may require 3 steps for just 1 punch.

It trains how to use the 1st punch to set up the 2nd punch, use the 2nd punch to set up the 3rd punch. IMO, this is the best way to train your punching skill.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

He may be referring to the Straight Blast.

Okay, now what is the straight blast?

 

[Tames D]

Okay, now what is the straight blast?

 

[JR 137]

You need to address your concerns with your instructor. Many styles don't have students free-spar in the beginning. Choreographed sparring, one steps, etc. are sparring. They're designed to teach students how to move, block, kick, punch, targets, etc. Usually once a student has shown proficiency and control in technique, the student is introduced to free-sparring. The teacher needs to trust that you won't get hurt nor accidentally hurt your classmates.

I started out in a school that did bare knuckle free-sparring my first night. I was a glorified punching bag for the senior students for a good half hour straight. Needless to say, it wasn't productive to me at all.

As with everything, there's a balance. Talk to your instructor.

 

[Danny T]

Is the school teaching a martial art, self-defense, or fighting? They are quite different.
Many Kung Fu systems/styles take a long time to develop the attributes required for use in fighting.
Speak with your instructor about your concerns and as to what your goal/s are for training as well as the time frame.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Okay, now what is the straight blast?

This is the best "chain punches".

 

[BuckerooBonzai]

Holy SMOKES! Now THAT is a flurry of punches!

 

[Headhunter]

Would you feel comfortable entering a guy into his first MMA fight if he had never sparred before?

Absolutely I've seen it plenty of times and the guys have won more than they've lost I never sparred before my first mma fight just pads and drills and I'd been out for about 3 years before that fight so I know it's not essential