Depends on who you train with. Most people who train in Shaolin Kung Fu train the exercises. The fighting part is a totally different aspect of Kung Fu even in China. Only about 10% of Kung Fu practitioners will pursue the fighting aspect. If you do not also train the fighting aspect your Kung Fu will indeed not be suitable for self defense as the exercises are only a foundation/conditioning for the fighting. They will teach you speed, agility, strength, stamina, etc. Those people who do learn the fighting aspect are very fast and agile at what they are doing.

Kung Fu the art and Kung Fu the fighting system are two different things. Most are arts have a meditation / exercise element and a practical combat element.

Take Tai Chi for example I practice it with my Grandma for exercise, It looks good but I haven't learnt many of the combat stances that makes it a effective fighting style.

My Uncle however was a trained Hong Kong police Officer and was train in a variety of Kung Fu Styles that didn't look graceful at all but were extremely effective during his career.

So is Kung Fu is effective depending what your using it for.

Well there are some good parts of the system you can use. No in modern combat It's not an complete combat system but that's true for most traditional arts. Some arts you take for the beauty, history and cultural significance.

Bruce was influenced by any system or technique that was useful. JKD was the one of the first real iteration of an MMA system.

I love the art for its grace and beauty but its not effective for combat. I studied Northern Shoalin under Sifu Al Lam, @ national treasure kung fu

And FYI we sparred all the time so that's just wrong. Sifu Lam was the Chinese national champion.

It is not what people think. I mean not everything has to be done for the purpose of self defense. You might go your entire life and never be in a fight. You can do kung fu for other reasons. You can do it for fun.

But you will not be a very good fighter. They don't spar enough. Sometimes not at all. It's just the way it is. Maybe you'll find an exception to the rule but most kung fu schools don't. You can not be a fighter without fighting.

Everyone knows bruse Lee 's first art was Gung Fu.

Is Kung Fu really worth taking? I have other styles I'm gonna take like Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do techniques (yes I know JKD isn't a style but Lee did have notes he left influenced mostly by boxing and fencing), Judo, Jujutsu, and BJJ but i wanna know your opinion of Kung Fu. I read on a forum that it's not what people think and they shouldn't practice it if they are looking for self defense.