Kung Fu is CRAP?

Kung Fu is CRAP?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I fancy myself to be a pretty humble person. I like to maintain this state of mind because it keeps me hungry and never allows me to become arrogant. But.... I am confident in my skills and train constantly to maintain and further them.

Today a new student of mine (Frank) told me he had a funny story for me after class. We had a great session and while everyone was gearing up to go home he proceeded to tell me his story. It's goes a little something like this.

A friend of his has a son who is around 19 years old. This young adult has been going to a Karate school here in Syracuse called Tearny's. The father asked Frank about our Wing Chun school. Frank told him what he thought of our training open and honestly. The father told Frank that the reason the young man wants to leave Tearny's is because he keeps beating up his instructors and that he feels he hasn't learned a thing other then the fact that the school he is in now works in patterns and can't deal with unpredictable situations. He heard about the effectiveness of Wing Chun and wants to check us out. Frank told him that he was welcome.... and he is..... to come here and watch our class. Well...... the young man, obviously excited, told his instructor at Tearny's that he was looking into joining our school. The Tearny's instructor replied with this, "You don't want to do that Kung Fu..... it's CRAP!"

When I was told this story I didn't get mad..... not even slightly. It actually amused me..... and reconfirmed something that I have known for over twenty years. That the MacDonald's (fast food) like martial art studios truly live up to their reputation. This so called "master" showed his complete and total ignorance with that statement. As stated before, I myself stay humble....and never bad mouth ANY style of martial art. I honestly feel that anyone who does is compensating for something.

on another note. A few months ago a student of mine (Scott) told me something that tickled me inside. Scott has been training at another martial art school.... for about 2 1/2 years. Scott at the time had only taken 3 lessons with me. He was taught some very basic Wing Chun principles like guard the center, using two hands at the same time to deflect and strike simultaneously, not fighting force with force and fighting on the blind side. He was also taught a very VERY simple technique called Lop Da (grabbing hand punch) using a half front step. All of the White sashes (1st level) know these things and apply them in constant drills. Well to make a long story short.... Scott went to his other school on "sparring day" and proceeded to beat EVERYONE in his class.... even some of the brown and black belts using what he learned with us. Everyone in his school was shocked... and curious. They wanted to know where he learned these skills. He openly said "The Wing Chun Academy". Now you might think that his master got mad.... but he didn't. He put his hand on Scott's shoulder, gave a wink and a smile and said "Well done, very good." and continued class.

This shows two complete extremes. on one hand we have an arrogant school that teaches people to be superior and unchanging.... and the other, a school that is open and honest and accepting to new points of view.

thanks for reading,

Ami To Fo

[arnisador]

I studied Goju-Ryu in Syracuse with Vinnie Grace many years ago--fantastic and very open instructor.

I also briefly studied with the CNY Aikido group and thought very highly of them.

The majority of martial artist are very proud of their system and school and in some instances believe other arts are inferior. My brother did a bit of Jujitsu and after awhile felt it wasn't for him, he spoke to a wing chun instructor and when he mentioned he learned a bit of Jujitsu the instructor mumbled a "hmmpp" in a negative manner.

I supose the best martial arts instructors are the ones who are open minded about different arts while at the same time conscious about having a solid base system and not simply mixing and matching techniques. My Kenpo instructor was very cool when I mentioned I learned Ju JItsu before. In fact he has in the past; invited a Wing Chun instructor to demonstate Chi Sao and a FMA instructor to demonstate weapon defenses. I'd rather have an instructor who is aware of his limitations and isn't afraid to say so then one who is under the illusion he can do it all.

I think if you are honest with your students (I'm a student) you are more likely to showcase the merits of your system and school and as a result be more likely to retain students.

My oldest and dearest friend (known eachother 30 years) is the owner of a very successful Kenpo school in the Bronx NY. He has invited me many times to do seminars on Chi Sau and more. He is open minded and works hard to bring the best to his students. I have heard of Wing Chun people turning their nose up to other systems. This is arrogance and ignorance.

Here's the cool thing....... very high level and skilled masters almost 99% of the time are cool with other styles. It's the not so good, wanna be masters that resort to bad mouthing.

I personally think Ju-Jitsu is a great art. Like I always say... "It's not the Martial Art, but rather the Martial Artist that makes it great."

have agreat day

My sifu is sort of amusing with regard to other martial arts.

He makes it a point that we should never degrade another art.

Then proceeds to explain the differences between how our style would handle a particular type of attack versus how JKD would do it with the obvious implication that JKD is inferior.

I don't think he means to say this -- and would never do so outright. He's trying to show the differences between the styles and he is rightly proud of our own heritage. But it's amusing as can be when he does it right after warning a student to not disparage another art

[Tony]

Just been reading this post and found it very interesting! If I had more time I would love to learn more Martial Arts just to get and all round knowledge!
What good is it to say one Martial Art is better than other, if it were true we would all be learning the same Art and there would be no need for any others!
There are always limits to each Art, but then again Martial Arts is more than just fighting! I would love to study Wing Chun myself, although in my system we have touched upon some of the basic principles! But at this present moment I don't want to confuse myself! We do from time to time practice Chi sau and other sensitivity training!
My Sifu has told us never told us never to underestimate anyone or any Art for that matter!

Yeah, My instructor is open to any Martial Art. I think it's all a matter of whether you can use the style in self-defense. I'm open to just about any Martial Art. We teach at my ATA school the full TKD cirriculum, then on the side we teach Judo/Jujitsu/Grappling, Aikido, some Hapkido, a little Kick-boxing, and maybe something else every once in a while. Tai chi chuan is available at some of the other schools, but my instructors don't use it, well not yet.

We have seminars at the tournaments and at the school for alot of different types of weapons, even outside of ATA weapons. ATA is not just TKD but a few other arts for external use.

The only time I'll say Kung Fu is crap when they try to tell me about their anti grappling manuevers. I always get a good laugh about that stuff.

[Zepp]

Originally Posted by Mwolfe

The only time I'll say Kung Fu is crap when they try to tell me about their anti grappling manuevers. I always get a good laugh about that stuff.

Doesn't that depend on the particular style of Kung Fu?

Doesn't matter what style. There is no anti-grappling manuevers. It's stupid to say that to combat the grappler phenomenon.

Every demo I've seen (I've seen a few), they always show these techniques. They do not work. Anway, I don't want to take the thread more off topic than it has been.

[KennethKu]

Originally Posted by Mwolfe

Doesn't matter what style. There is no anti-grappling manuevers. It's stupid to say that to combat the grappler phenomenon.

Every demo I've seen (I've seen a few), they always show these techniques. They do not work. Anway, I don't want to take the thread more off topic than it has been.

That only shows what you have witnessed may be ineffective. However, it does not prove your statement,"There is no anti-grappling manuevers. It's stupid to say that to combat the grappler phenomenon." is valid.

FYI, the Gracies do teach anti-grappling manuevers. Of course, one may simply argue that is BJJ and not KungFu. Oh well....

[bart]

Originally Posted by Mwolfe
The only time I'll say Kung Fu is crap when they try to tell me about their anti grappling manuevers. I always get a good laugh about that stuff.
....Doesn't matter what style. There is no anti-grappling manuevers. It's stupid to say that to combat the grappler phenomenon.
...Every demo I've seen (I've seen a few), they always show these techniques. They do not work.


Hmmm...interesting thought. I would have to say that statement is wrong. There are a lot of good moves to counter grappling, mostly they have to do with controlling distance and then doing vital strikes to vulnerable areas on the approach. Another method is to change venue to an area that environmentally is not good for grappling.

Some of the stuff you've seen probably is hokey, a lot is. I've seen some real stinkers myself. I think the biggest mistake that non-grapplers do when dealing with grapplers is they attempt to grapple as well. When that's not your specialty, you're not going to outperform somebody who works on that almost exclusively. If you're not a grappler, don't play the grappling game. Play the game that you're good at. Most likely that's exactly what the kung fu types you saw did NOT do, and thus in your opinion, the technique didn't work and made you "laugh".

Dealing with grapplers is not easy, but then again it's never easy to fight a skilled person.

[loki09789]

The original post reminds me of a quote my friend is fond of:

Skills are like tools, if all you have is a hammer, you can only drive nails. Martial artist system/art arrogance is petty, and counter to any successful combatives tradition. Pride, self confidence are good, arrogance is deadly.

Paul M

[7starmantis]

People tend to write off as useless or ineffective, those things they truly do not understand. It happens outside of MA as much as it does inside. Its a small minded human tendency that I believe we all have a tendency towards. The difference being that with an open mind you stop yourself from falling into that trap and learn a little about it before writing it off. In kung fu this happens alot because people don't truly understand it at all. Thats ok though, kung fu is not for everyone.


7sm

[loki09789]

I think, too, the territorialism/combatives nature of martial training can feed this self inflated status of 'your art' in the small minded person if the personal/spiritual goals of training are not clearly stated along with the competetive/combative goals.

I read in a website for sports that confidence was respect without fear. I like the sound of that because it allows the person to have a level of belief in himself and his art/training BUT a healthy view of other arts as well.