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Thread: Cuong Nhu Oriental Martial Arts?

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    Default Cuong Nhu Oriental Martial Arts?

    Greetings I was wondering if anyone had any information or experience in Cuong Nhu Oriental Martial Arts? I was driving and I noticed a Dojo of Cuong Nhu close to where I live at in central Florida. I'm currently out of town on business but was just wondering since I've never heard of this particular style. Any info will be greatly appreciated....
    Pablo Torres
    www.bgninpo.com
    Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
    Bowling Green, Florida

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    Quote Originally Posted by katana73
    Greetings I was wondering if anyone had any information or experience in Cuong Nhu Oriental Martial Arts? I was driving and I noticed a Dojo of Cuong Nhu close to where I live at in central Florida. I'm currently out of town on business but was just wondering since I've never heard of this particular style. Any info will be greatly appreciated....

    Cuong Nhu is a martial art that blends the basic elements of a number of different styles. Cuong Nhu has its roots in Shotokan Karate and combines aspects of Aikido, Judo, Wing Chun, Vovinam, Tai Chi Chuan, and Boxing. It is this blending of hard and soft styles from which Cuong Nhu (pronounced Kung New) derives its name, which is Vietnamese for Hard (Cuong) - Soft (Nhu).

    Cuong Nhu was brought to the United States in 1971, when Grandmaster Ngo Dong came to the University of Florida to earn his Ph.D. While there he founded the Cuong Nhu Karate Club. This club quickly grew into the largest intramural club on campus, with over two hundred students participating. Another school, the Center, was then established in Gainesville to serve people of all ages outside the university community. Many of the early students from these schools went on to establish their own Cuong Nhu dojos after leaving Gainesville, thus spreading the style all over the United States and around the world. Grandmaster Ngo Dong was succeeded by his son, Grandmaster Quynh Ngo as the Head of Cuong Nhu Oriental Martial Arts.


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    Prince Loeffler
    Shugyokan Dojo

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    Thanks Prince....although I did do a search on it...I was wondering if anyone in here ever trained in it and if so how do they break down the lessons in regards to the hard and soft styles.......I used to take Shotokan when I was younger...lol but also how long did Ngo Dong train in each art? 7 arts is alot of different training....
    Pablo Torres
    www.bgninpo.com
    Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
    Bowling Green, Florida

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    Pablo,
    I trained in Cuong Nhu from 92-97 the last rank i tested for was shodan. (just as a note when making the transition from mudansha to yudansha in Cuong Nhu you test for black belt then shodan about six months later)

    Basically speaking, before 92 there was a "hard style" and a "soft style" path.
    If you saw any of the "old timers" you would see them wearing a black belt with red rank stripes (1 = shodan, 2 = nidan) on the left and if the had also achieved a "black belt" in the "soft style" curriculum on the right would be a rainbow stripe representing all of the "soft style" ranks.
    Since 92 there is an attempt to merge the two curriculums.

    As far as Ngo Dong, he earned a yondan in Shotokan, achieved rokudan in judo under the guidance of Ernie Cates (whom he met and befriended in Vietnam).
    Vovinam and Wing Chun he learned learned from his brothers (one of then was a direct student of the founder of Vovinam). The rest I cannot say for sure.

    Ngo Dong was a fanatic when it came to learning something he wanted to know.
    Around the age of 60 he became interested in running and was soon participating in ultra-marathons, 100 mile – 24hr marathons.He knew what he was doing and how to combine the different principles. Unfortunately, being that the U.S. side of the art was founded at the University of Florida, the art is really not what it should be.

    (During my first training camp in 93 I remember his very vocal response to student protests of recently added black belt requirements “I want quality black belts not quantity..”)

    If have anymore questions feel free to PM.
    Joe Stitz

    "Black belt and white belt are the same, white belt is the beginning of technique. Black belt is the beginning of understanding. Both are beginner belts."
    - Doug Perry -Hanshi, KuDan -Shorin Ryu ShorinKan

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    Well that all sounds pretty good to me...I was looking for a good dojo to put my son in and all the people there were pretty friendly I finally got a chance to talk to the sensei and he seems to be a straight up kinda guy. They told me that the dues that they pay are only to pay for rental of a back open area of a pool cleaning business so if thats true then I know that they're not in it to make money. Also the classes with the sensei are two days out of the week and theres also classes with the sempai on two alternating days so thanks for the info guys.
    Pablo Torres
    www.bgninpo.com
    Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
    Bowling Green, Florida

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    That sounds about right.
    Cuong Nhu itself is a registered not for profit organization.
    Of all the satellite dojos very few are “for profit” schools, most are run out of rec. centers
    and testing fees and such are for rent and or equipment purchase.

    Best of luck.

    P.S.
    After re reading my last post I think I need to explain this statement.
    "Unfortunately, being that the U.S. side of the art was founded at the University of Florida, the art is really not what it should be."

    It takes about 3-4 years to achive shodan, at this point you can open your own school.
    So many of the schools are run by black belts or shodans.
    (That is already the topic of another thread)
    Last edited by JS3; 19th February 2007 at 15:04.
    Joe Stitz

    "Black belt and white belt are the same, white belt is the beginning of technique. Black belt is the beginning of understanding. Both are beginner belts."
    - Doug Perry -Hanshi, KuDan -Shorin Ryu ShorinKan

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    I had exposure to Choung Nhu people in both Atlanta and at FSU in Tallahassee. It is a very typical American karate organization. Some of the students were very skilled as point style karate fighters and could do some very athletic kata.

    What I noticed most was that there was definitely a two tiered class system, those who were chosen and those who were not. The vast majority of students fell into the latter.

    Also, those at the top of the particular club at FSU seemed to be very unfriendly to our kyokushin group, when we had never been anything but polite or friendly to them (until they laughed at us one day). I thought my friend Masaru was going to hurt them (I had never, ever seen him emotionally affected by anything before). Of course, they never wanted to come and experience our training. ;-)

    They seemed rude, arrogant, and allowed white belts to indescriminately swing dangerous weapons around.

    I can't say I was very impressed with that group. The individual I met in Atlanta in 1989 was equally arrogant and rude to our mixed martial arts club. He was willing to talk a lot of smack but not really willing to get on the mat.

    I can't speak of the club you have found, but I can say that two separate dealings with Choung Nhu people were negative.
    Glenn R. Manry

    ---Iaijutsu, don't forget the doorman.

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    Glenn,
    I'm sorry to hear about your dealings.
    Those types of people are unforunately in every organization.
    Ngo Dong would be turning in his grave if he knew about that.
    Joe Stitz

    "Black belt and white belt are the same, white belt is the beginning of technique. Black belt is the beginning of understanding. Both are beginner belts."
    - Doug Perry -Hanshi, KuDan -Shorin Ryu ShorinKan

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    It is interesting that the group at FSU was led by a man who was Eastern Asian and appeared to be highly ranked. When he was present, the group was more mannerly, but he was not always there, and when he was absent there behavior was less than ideal.
    Glenn R. Manry

    ---Iaijutsu, don't forget the doorman.

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    Here's the site for that dojo
    Bamboo Dojo

    The Dojo's been around since '79, again its a shame and their behavior is
    not typical from my experience.
    Joe Stitz

    "Black belt and white belt are the same, white belt is the beginning of technique. Black belt is the beginning of understanding. Both are beginner belts."
    - Doug Perry -Hanshi, KuDan -Shorin Ryu ShorinKan

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    Yeah I agree don't let the actions of a few (immature ones at that) to portray the rest of the organization. I myself am in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu and they learn of this when my son told them. But they really seemed interested and asked alot of questions but never did I feel that they were disrespectful or arrogant. I'm sorry that you had to experience that group's undisciplined behavior in the absence of their sensei.
    Pablo Torres
    www.bgninpo.com
    Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
    Bowling Green, Florida

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    Quote Originally Posted by gmanry
    It is interesting that the group at FSU was led by a man who was Eastern Asian and appeared to be highly ranked. When he was present, the group was more mannerly, but he was not always there, and when he was absent there behavior was less than ideal.

    That would be Vu, who is Vietnamese and a former soldier with combat experience, a gentleman and a highly skilled martial artist. I trained with him for many years before he split to form his own school on the FSU campus, while I remained with our teacher, Lap.

    I am sorry to hear of the negative comments. Master Dong was very inclusive and eager and willing to learn from other systems. In fact, he was a fanatic about this almost to a fault, and the only real criticism I have of the system is that it was often too inclusive and didn't make enough efforts, when I was involved in it (1977-1993), to intergrate the various ideas Dong brought in from other systems. In my opinion, at least.

    Unfortunately, arrogance seems to be way too prevalent in the martial arts everywhere you turn.

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    Hey Jay do you know of a Sensei Malcolm Hamilton?
    Pablo Torres
    www.bgninpo.com
    Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
    Bowling Green, Florida

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    Quote Originally Posted by katana73
    Hey Jay do you know of a Sensei Malcolm Hamilton?

    I knew a Sensei Malcolm, tall thin guy with dark hair, curly too if memory hasn't failed me, but I can't remember his last name. Sorry about that. J

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    I just came across this thread while surfing at work, bored out of my skull.
    I trained in Cuong Nhu from 94/95(?) until 98 out of Goose Creek in South Carolina at the Jade School under Jay Williams.
    To answer the OP questions, when I started we begginers, depending on the class night and who was teaching, usually worked on the karate kata applications and judo applications aspects of it as new students with a bit of the aikido thrown in once and awhile.
    As far as the wing chun and vovinam aspects, my experience was very little, although we did work on boxing quite a bit.
    The training where I was was pretty traditional and structured, over all a great atmoshere.
    I was fortunate to have met O sensei twice. Once in Goose Creek, and once while at the yearly training camp in Marquette, Michigan.
    I also am shocked to hear of the bad behavior, sorry you were exposed to it.
    From what I remember that wasn't typical in the organization, nor was it tolerated.
    If you have anyfurther questions, don't hesistate to pm me.

    ~ Rob Acox
    Tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
    that here obedient to their laws we lie.
    ..................................................

    "Come and take them!" King Leonidas' response to Xerxes' demand that the Spartans lay down their arms at the battle of Thermopylae.

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