Which Kung fu style should I choose?

OK theres a Chinese kung fu center that I'm going to but I'm not sure which style to choose. This is the list: Shaolin Ch'uan, tai chi ch'uan, Baguazhang, Hsing yi ch'uan, Pakuazhang ( zhang might be a typo because Baguazhang and Pakuachang are the same thing, but on the webpage it says pakuazhang so....... yeah), and Shuai chiao





I want to know which one is the rarest and or most useful in real life, thank you.|||I would go with shaolin chuan or tai chi chuan. I would go with tai chi cause i watch tai chi master and it looked awesome.|||hello,





hmmmm. good list. really good list. you should try them all. if you make a serious study of the internal arts, you will eventually train in all of them anyway. there are PLENTY of combat applications in these systems. iron hand, iron body, iron wire... oh yeah...





rarest? hsing i. most fun? all of them! try any one of them! you will love it! just make sure you give yourself time to develop. it will take a couple years, but it is time well spent.





have fun with them!





thanks|||watch each class, and see what is most interesting to you.








some points to consider:








does the class workout look like something you are interested in?





how long has each instructor trained in his individual art before becoming teacher?





how disciplined is the class?(do you think your self-defense training is effective if you are on the street and remember a joke instead of remembering a block?)





is the class offered at times convenient to your schedule?





how are the students? they will be the best reflection of the teacher you can gain from simply watching one class. - are they disciplined? - do they look coordinated in their movements and focused? are they willing to talk about the art and teacher?





dont be shy about asking "stupid" questions to the teachers. remember they were in your shoes at one point.|||From what I understand Hsing Yi and Ba Gua are very similar and could be related styles. I've even heard of reommendations for student to take both style concurrrently. If only one style is an option Hsing Yi would be the first style to learn. Hsing Yi was thought to be created by Yue Fei, a most renound general of the Song Dynasty.





Good luck in your training.|||And why did you not ask them while you were there? That would give you the best ability to make a decision for yourself which is what you need to do.|||"chuan" and "zhang" are generic words used to signify a particular style of martial art.





Taichi-chuan, Baguazhang and Hsingyi-chuan are internal (soft) styles of Chinese martial art. The approach to martial art between hard/soft (or external/internal) are different. For historical reasons, Bagua and Hsingyi masters can teach both arts. That is, a Bagua master can teach you Xingyi and vice versa. Taichi has many styles, and depending on which one they teach, they may or may not teach the martial application within Taichi -- most people study it for health benefits as oppose to self-defense/combat. Bagua/Xingyi on the otherhand is very martial and combat oriented.





Shaolin Chuan is a generic name for Shaolin kungfu which has many styles and they are members of the hard or external style of Chinese martial art.





Shuai jiao is Chinese martial art that emphasizes ground work - wrestling, throws, and some joint locking.





Which one is rarest depends on where you live. In most part of the US aside from the large cities with a sizeable Chinatown, Bagua/Xingyi and shaui jiao masters are hard to find.





Which one is useful, depends on what you mean. For self-defense, everything you listed is useful IF you find a qualified instructor. Remember it is more important to learn from a good teacher than just attend a certain style of martial art school. If you are looking just for something for health benefits, then look into Taichi.|||All of these arts are good, but Hsingyi (xingyi) is the best for self-defense.|||Shuai chiao. is a real combat art that is way better than the other choices. the other styles are too out dated for todays combat .