Addendum: My styles of martial arts

Briefly, as per requested off-blog, my experience w/ styles of martial arts.

Please note that I don't claim any martial arts competence: Most of these I've only done for an academic quarter (or semester). Just like taking one semester of French, one of Italian, one of Japanese -- I'm hardly "conversational." And I'm grossly out of whatever "practice" I once was in.


Chinese styles:

Shoalin five-animals (Tiger, Crane, Mantis, Snake, Dragon) (about 3/4 of a year)

Hun-Gar Gung Fu (a Tiger-Crane style) (about two years, maybe three)

Mantis (one month)


Japanese styles:

Aikido (throws via joint locks) (about a year)

Judo (throws via leg sweeps and hip throws) (one academic quarter)

Karate (I forget the style) (one academic quarter)


Korean styles:

Tae Kwon Do (one summer)



Observed a session of

Misc. Aikido

Some Gung Fu style (focuses on twirling out of the way of attackers)

Capoeira

Arnis/Kali/Escrima

Kendo

European Fencing


In general, I like the Chinese styles better: the movements are more fluid and less "blocky" or mechanical-looking than that Korean or Japanese styles -- at least in terms of the punchy-kicky styles. Also, Chinese styles tend to be practiced with shoes on, whereas Jp. and Korean styles are barefoot; seems more applicable to have yer shoes on. But I really enjoyed Aikido; I just wish I could find a good, yet local, teacher of it.

Someday I'd like to try Hapkido (does joint locks and throws like Aikido, but also punches and kicks); Kali/Arnis/Escrima (Fillipino stick fighting; as seen in "The Bourne Identity"); Capoeira (Brazillian; done to music, lots of kicks and acrobatics; many think it's the origin of breakdancing); Savate (French kickboxing, plus cane/stick work); Ju Jitsu (joint locks, with some punches and kicks); Ba Gua (circular Gung Fu style, as seen in Jet Li's "The One" movie); Jeet Kune Do (the "Bruce Lee" style); and Wing Chun (from which Bruce Lee derived Jeet Kune Do).


--GG