About martial arts?

iam 15, i believe in practice makes perfect...iam a great guitar and basketball player...now i wanna learn how to do kung fu...can anybody pls give me some tips or web sites?.....i would really appreciate it...i really need to learn martial arts plss..help me..iam really athletic...i ran track..iam really fit...pls help..thanks

About martial arts?
I see a lot of people already insulting systems other than the ones they prefer in their answers. This shows ignorance, and an all around bad attitude. If theirs is so great, why would they need to mention other arts anyway?





To answer your question better, you would need to specify what compels you to study martial arts, and if you plan on doing so for an extended length of time. Chinese boxing (kung fu) requires more time to grow proficient in than other systems, but the rewards are fantastic. Since you are already seemingly athletic, you should be able to pick up some basics rather quickly. Chinese boxing is great too, because you will learn a complete martial arts system: hand/kicking strikes, long-range weapons, mid-range weapons, short-range weapons, projectile weapons, in-fighting (elbows, knees, etc.), grappling, and ground fighting. Many people don't realize the basis of most other Asian martial arts have their roots in China. "Chin-na" is a very old grappling/wrestling system most choose not to acknowledge or are simply ignorant about. If you have a complete system already that includes all these things, there is no need to blend a little from different systems to be well-rounded. In fact, a lot of people pass judgment on Chinese boxing based on what they see in movies (IE "fancy kicks").





I would recommend a site that has many forums and much information: www.budoseek.net


It discusses not only Chinese boxing, but many other systems as well. As others have so eloquently warned you, beware of charlatans and pretenders: they exist in EVERY martial art.





Good luck.
Reply:being eager helps, which you are.


try the yellow pages for local clubs. avoid TaeKwon Do, they take the basics, and stick with them forever.


try Muay Thai


perhaps kung fu or karate for a starting point, but you should also consider clubs that cross train a combination of styles. like a MMA club, for some good training in a few different areas. I dont subscribe to the MMA is awesome crowd, but I do see the merits in cross training.
Reply:Kung Fu is ok if you just want to do all the pretty kicks and choreographed ****. If you want to be a good fighter you should try Muay Thai, Ju-Jitsu, and/or Krav Maga. If you join a MMA class make sure they teach grappling, striking, submissions and streetfight self- defense techniques.
Reply:you may be fit, but i'd start working on flexibilty now.





find a club with a great teacher, don't go for a specific style. look for someplace that trains basics, with a lot of hitting pads and sparring.





of course i'm talking about a striking, don't know much about wrestling.
Reply:well if i were you i would take karate or jui jitsu instead of kung fu just because i feel that it is a little more effective. and you would be much better off going to an actual dojo near your home than learning from a book or on line or video. then if your doing something wrong you will have someone their to correct and help you. since you are athletic you will love karate because it is great for cardio, mind, and spirit.
Reply:karate is always good
Reply:Muay thai its all right, but you should try to learn as many style that you can, One i recommend is the book of, The Tao of Gung Fu by bruce lee. Read it and you'll be surprised what you can really do. You never know you and I might have a match in the future if you get good.