Hi,

Just wondering if anyone can recommend any good martial arts clubs nearby Nanjing Xi Lu.

No particular preference- I'd rather something that isn't just for show/requiring someone to be immensely acrobatic (eliminates a lot of Chinese ones) but also would rather like to avoid MMA and related arts as I like a bit of history to learn about. I'm quite tempted by a sword art but I don't know how common they are here?

Ninjutsu seems quite good for me but I don't know if there are others?

I would just like to educate you a little about some history of MMA.

One of the earliest well documented systems of codified full range unarmed combat was the ancient Olympic combat sport of Pankration. Various mixed style contests also took place throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. The combat sport of Vale Tudo that had developed in Brazil from the 1920s was brought to the United States by the Gracie family in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is currently the largest MMA promotion company worldwide.[1] Prior to the UFC, professional MMA events had also been held in Japan by Shooto since 1989.

While the UFC is somewhat new, the history of MMA goes back quiate a bit. Not only the history of MMA, but the related arts that can go with it. At my gym, Boxing, Muay Thai, Sanda, and BJJ. I think there is quite a bit of history with those arts. You can learn MMA without sparring, incase that is one of your hold ups.

Fighters Unite-Shanghai 329 Fenglin lu near subway line 4&7. 2nd floor in the xuhui gymnasium

I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I dislike MMA or am afraid of sparring! I understand that the disciplines within MMA have a great deal of history, I just really don't like the UFC. The people who fight in it may be good fighters but the ability to beat others in UFC style cage fights or in the boxing ring isn't what pushes me to study a martial art. Rather I wish to study for both the practical side (hence why much Wushu is not applicable) and the 'art' side of the form.

To give an example- If I wished to learn about a Japanese sword art such as Kendo or Kenjutsu I would also be pushed to study Iaido

That said I will definitely keep your gym in mind- Sanshou looks interesting and thanks for the reply!

I have a friend here who teaches ninjutsu. He trained in Japan under Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi. He knows a thing or two. PM me if you want contact info. As for location, just remember this: you don't find ninjas, ninjas find you.

CJOD123 wrote:Rather I wish to study for both the practical side (hence why much Wushu is not applicable) and the 'art' side of the form.

To give an example- If I wished to learn about a Japanese sword art such as Kendo or Kenjutsu I would also be pushed to study Iaido

Not to be a dick... but I don't know how else to ask this:

What the hell is practical about sword fighting? Are you going to walk around Duncan MacLeod like?

What makes wushu not practical but ninjutsu is?

Ninjutsu is an interesting choice for me simply because it gives a mixture of both practical and historic fighting styles, maybe practical was the wrong choice of word in my OP. Simply put the vast majority of Wushu styles apart from San shou are not arts designed for actual combat as such. I'm not planning on using a sword to defend myself but the other schools of Ninjutsu- knife defence and hand to hand for example are much more suited to modern combat that most Wushu styles.

Really tempted to head down to the park for some Tai Ji Chuan one day though!

I really don't want this to fall into the classic martial art flame war- I'm just trying to find out my available options according to personal preference. I have nothing against any particular martial art but Wushu just doesn't seem to suit me- 6ft Caucasian Male as opposed to superflexible 5ft 5 inch Chinese acrobats!

@Ramsey, thanks I'll send you a PM

OU812 wrote:

CJOD123 wrote:Rather I wish to study for both the practical side (hence why much Wushu is not applicable) and the 'art' side of the form.

To give an example- If I wished to learn about a Japanese sword art such as Kendo or Kenjutsu I would also be pushed to study Iaido

Not to be a dick... but I don't know how else to ask this:

What the hell is practical about sword fighting? Are you going to walk around Duncan MacLeod like?

What makes wushu not practical but ninjutsu is?

What's impractical about carrying a sword around in this city? All the old folks carry them around town in the early morning. You just know one of these days there's going to be an epic geriatric sword battle going down all over Shanghai, and when that day comes, won't you just look silly if you don't have your Highlander sword on you. After all, in the end, there can be only one!

Haha. I definitely did not mean to be offensive in my post, but I knew the way I was asking it would sound dickish.

Listen to Ramsey, he's the man.

Hello,

You could try capoeira: our gym is in Jing'An Temple near Nanjing Xi Lu and we have all kind of students training, big/small, tall/short flexible/rigour mortis flexible, young/old.
Classes also involve music: you'd learn how to play capoeira instruments and songs (in portuguese).
More info on http://www.capoeirashanghai.com

First class free of charge,

Thanks,

Diego