I have recently been going along to my local Bujnkan School in london. I normally don't like Japanese styles that much having developed a loathing for Shokatan Karate in my youth.
I had found my interest in Wing Chun waining as in this association you are only allowed to progress through various gradings that are held once a year, and to learn new material you have to wait until you take this grading, which in my case would not be until September. Which initially I was ok with and concentrated on training hard for it, but after months of going over the same material week in, week out I found myself loosing interest and finding excuses not to train.
I also missed weapons training, when I trained in Yin Style bagua, the thing I liked was that you have weapons taught alongside the empty hand forms, as both can help you in the other. So initally I was looking around for a weapons art to supliment my Wing Chun, I went along to a very good school called Boar's Tooth in London which trains western martial arts such as the long sword and the rapier. I really enjoyed this, but as time went on I would have to my protective clothing and armour (not unlike Kendo) which really would increase the cost beyond my budget, so with a pledge to return one day I left in search of something else.
Next I tried Iaido at a school called Hagakure in london, which I did not like at all I was not impressed with the teachers all the students except a few. So I tried another sword school and enjoyed this but this was around the time I was loosing interest in wing chun, so I was starting to look for a school that would include weapons and empty hand training for both monetary and time considereations.
Years ago I bought a book on ninjitsu by Masaaki Hatsumi, and although I never had that much interest ninja's themselves I found the techniques interesting as well as the attitude and philosphy. Its purely for self defence, nothing else matters, no contest no point scoring, do anything to survive. I liked this as this what I feel is missing in a lot of modern martial arts.
So I went along to the class of Bujinkan London (http://www.bujinkanlondon.org/home.html) which is very near to where I live I enjoyed the lesson and thought the instructors excellent. So I shall keep going here for the moment and see how I progress.
