Dont be follish enough to look at katas and think thats going to help you in a fight. Katas in Karate are specifically for the "internal" part of Karate, aswell as increasing muscle memory and reflexes.
Martial Arts is like tea....each has its own unique taste, and whether one tastes "better" than the other, is individual.
oh btw i do Wing Chun Gung Fu :)
lol, was just kidding, but thanks anyway ;)
what kind of equipment do you have? i gather from the info that you have dumbells, but do you have a bench + barbell?