Mixed Martial Arts vs Kung Fu

I thought this post would suit the young lads out there in the gym that are thinking of getting involved in some form of martial arts. Hope this helps . . .

So if you want my opinion, I'm more of a traditionalist . . . I'd have to go for Kung Fu. I was brought up watching countless Bruce Lee films, pure poetry in motion.

Kung Fu can translate into a few different meanings, but the one that sticks with me is 'hard working man' - the strengthening of the body and mind. It came about thousands of years ago by Buddhist monks most famously from the Shaolin Temple. It was used for killing, life & death situations. You don't win a great big shiny gold belt at the end of it!

A while back I had several private lessons at an instructors house learning Southern Praying Mantis - "Chow Gar" one of the many types of Kung Fu out there! Needless to say it was a big wake up call! It's like he's my personal trainer for the day, he pushes me to my limits physically in a way than you would find it very difficult to do on your own. Lets just say it's what I would call 'character building' :) Some of the things you're taught, you certainly wouldn't use in a streetfight, not that your supposed to go out looking for a fight, that's one of the nice things about Kung Fu . . it's purely self defence. If you get cocky and big headed you'll be told where the door is. These boys don't muck about! The fighting styles that are practiced today were developed over the centuries, after having incorporated forms that came into existence later. Some of these include Bagua, Drunken Boxing, Eagle Claw, Five Animals, Hsing I, Hung Gar, Lau Gar, Monkey, Bak Mei Pai, Praying Mantis, Fujian White Crane, Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan.Mixed Martial Arts for me is a great spectacle to watch. You can learn a lot from just watching the likes of UFC on television. The training for MMA is second to none. It doesn't get any tougher! These guys are fit as a butchers dog! The local MMA gym in Antrim has a few buckets in the corners of the gym for people to throw up during their workout, NICE!Some of the many styles involved are Brazilian ju-jitsu, Wrestling, Judo, Kick boxing.Don't get me wrong, I respect these guys, but aside from the money, it's beyond me why they want to kick the shit out of each other to win a shiny gold belt. I'd rather know that I'd only ever have to fight if it was really called for.It is not for the faint hearted though. Whether it's on t.v or you're taking a few digs to the head yourself . . . be prepared for 1 or 2 bruises and a spot of blood!!Why can't we all just be good friends . . . . . . . . . . !?!