Another wake up for Chinese Martial Arts

drop bear

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This isn't a wake up for Chinese Martial Arts.

This is a wake up for Crappy Chinese Martial Artists.

If you listen to me playing the piano, you'd say the piano is a terrible instrument.

If you listen to Mozart playing the piano, you'd say it's a beautiful instrument.

If you watch someone who's terrible at Gong Fu fight, you'd say Gong Fu is terrible for fighting.

If you watch someone who is amazing at Gong Fu fight, you'd say Gong Fu is amazing for fighting.

There are terrible pianos though.

Just because the individual and the training is a factor does not mean the system isn't a factor.

If I train the wrong technique diligently. That does not make it the right technique.
 
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JowGaWolf

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If I train the wrong technique diligently. That does not make it the right technique.
To add to this. If I train the system for entertainment then it longer becomes a fighting system. Extreme Martial arts and TKD tricking are perfect examples of how a fighting system morphed into a none-fighting system as the result of how people were training the techniques. As a result, the new systems that born are useless for fighting.
 

Midnight-shadow

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Jow, I've seen thousands of Gong Fu people, and I truly believe, based on your videos, that you are one of the remaining few who can actually use Gong Fu in a fight. It's sad, but it's true. Traditional Gong Fu is dying. It's up to the few of us who stay true to our techniques to keep it alive.

The fighting aspect of traditional gong fu is dieing. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of perspective. My question is, do we need the fighting aspect anymore?
 

DanT

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The fighting aspect of traditional gong fu is dieing. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of perspective. My question is, do we need the fighting aspect anymore?
Yes, depending on your lifestyle, and where you live, and what you do.
 

Headhunter

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The fighting aspect of traditional gong fu is dieing. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of perspective. My question is, do we need the fighting aspect anymore?
Some will some wont. Lets be honest here most smart adults won't ever be needing to know how to fight.
 

Paul_D

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Women certainly don't need to know how to fight, as
Yes, depending on your lifestyle, and where you live, and what you do.
And your sex, as apparently SD consists exclusively of men getting into street fights with each other. So women are safe ;)
 
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JowGaWolf

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The fighting aspect of traditional gong fu is dieing. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of perspective. My question is, do we need the fighting aspect anymore?
Yes you need it, because without it you aren't understanding Martial arts. You just can't understand kung fu without the fighting aspect. You might as well just read a book a book about a martial art and join an exercise gym, because you'll get that same level of understanding that you'll get by not training the fighting aspect.
 

DanT

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Women certainly don't need to know how to fight, as

And your sex, as apparently SD consists exclusively of men getting into street fights with each other. So women are safe ;)
What? I didn't say women didn't need to.
 
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JowGaWolf

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Some will some wont. Lets be honest here most smart adults won't ever be needing to know how to fight.
Lets be honest. Most healthy adults here won't ever be needing open heart surgery so lets just tell the medical profession that there's no need to to bother with learning how to do it. Tell them to just read the book and and not to practice what is in the book.
 

Martial D

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The fighting aspect of traditional gong fu is dieing. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of perspective. My question is, do we need the fighting aspect anymore?

If it's dying, it is this sort of thinking is that is killing it.

It's like a cook, stirring a pot of random ingredients, never understanding that it's all useless if you can't eat it.
 

Midnight-shadow

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Yes you need it, because without it you aren't understanding Martial arts. You just can't understand kung fu without the fighting aspect. You might as well just read a book a book about a martial art and join an exercise gym, because you'll get that same level of understanding that you'll get by not training the fighting aspect.

So, the follow-up question to that is, if we need the fighting aspect of kungfu what needs to happen to get it back? Should we abolish points sparring and only do full contact?
 

Headhunter

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So, the follow-up question to that is, if we need the fighting aspect of kungfu what needs to happen to get it back? Should we abolish points sparring and only do full contact?
Absolutely not if you do that that'll make it die even quicker because it will only attract people who want to fight as opposed to some who don't want to do that and will be put off by full contact
 

Martial D

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So, the follow-up question to that is, if we need the fighting aspect of kungfu what needs to happen to get it back? Should we abolish points sparring and only do full contact?
No. I don't think so.

Point fighting is more of a sporting aspect, and there's nothing wrong with that on it's face. People like sports.

If there is a problem, it's one of self honestly. Many schools act as if, and of those many honestly believe, that they are teaching a combat ready system when their training does not reflect that at all.

If you are training to point fight, point fight.

If you are training to do katas, do katas.

If you are training for fitness or mental wellness, fine. Great. I think Tai chi is fantastic for both of those reasons.(I'm seriously thinking of signing up for a beginner class myself) *take it easy TC guys, I'm not saying you can't train tc for combat too

If you are training to alive combat, then and only then can you be prepared for alive combat.
 

Flying Crane

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So, the follow-up question to that is, if we need the fighting aspect of kungfu what needs to happen to get it back? Should we abolish points sparring and only do full contact?
Don't worry about it. It isn't lost. But not everyone is good at it. This is no surprise. This is simply life.
 

Xue Sheng

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Just for clarification purposes..... and the fact I like posting this every now and then..... when one says Chinese Martial arts, Kung Fu or Wushu they are talking about a cultural container of multiple styles and this is a partial list of what that terminology covers

Bafaquan
Baguazhang
Bajiquan
Bak Mei
Black Tiger Kung Fu
Chaquan
Changquan
Chuo Jiao
Choy Gar
Choy Li Fut
Dachengquan
Ditangquan
Do Pi
Lung Ying
Duan Quan
Emeiquan
Fanziquan
Five Ancestors
Five Animals
Fujian White Crane
Fu Jow Pai
Fut Gar
Gouquan
Hakka Kuen
Hong Cha
Hop Gar
Houquan
Drunken Monkey
Heihuquan:
Huaquan
Hung Fut
Hung Gar
Jing Wu Men
Jing Quan Do
Jow-Ga
Kuntao
Lau Gar
Lai Tung Pai
Lama Pai
Leopard Kung Fu
Li Gar
Liuhebafa Chuan
Luohan Quan
Mei Hua Quan
Mian Quan
Mizongyi
Mok Gar
Nam Pai Chuan
Nan Quan
Ng Mui Pai
Northern Praying Mantis
Northern Shaolin
Pai Long
Paochui
Piguaquan
Praying Mantis(??) - Free Fighting
Shaolin Quan
Shequan
Shuaijiao
Southern Praying Mantis
Chow Gar
Taijiquan
Tantui
Tibetan White Crane
Tien Shan Pai
Tongbeiquan
White Crane:
Wing Chun
Wudangquan
Xingyiquan
Yau Kung Mun
Yingzhaoquan
Yuejiaquan
Yiquan
Zi Ran Men


And with in these styles there can be multiple styles. Taijiquan: Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu/Hao, Sun, etc. Xingyiquan: Shanxi, Hebei, Hunan, etc, Baguazhang: Cheng, Yin, Gao, Jiang, etc. Wing Chun: also has variations, Yip Man being only one of those.
 

Steve

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If it's dying, it is this sort of thinking is that is killing it.

It's like a cook, stirring a pot of random ingredients, never understanding that it's all useless if you can't eat it.
Useless is relative. It's a change of intent. It's like using food to power your flux capacitor vs using food to eat.

Martial arts that aren't great at producing effective fighters isn't a big deal, IMO. If you want to train for other reasons, go for it. If you're looking to lose weight, and you do, awesome. If you're looking for flexibility and get that, great.

the problem is when you think you're learning to fight, but are not. That's a problem.
 

Midnight-shadow

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No. I don't think so.

Point fighting is more of a sporting aspect, and there's nothing wrong with that on it's face. People like sports.

If there is a problem, it's one of self honestly. Many schools act as if, and of those many honestly believe, that they are teaching a combat ready system when their training does not reflect that at all.

If you are training to point fight, point fight.

If you are training to do katas, do katas.

If you are training for fitness or mental wellness, fine. Great. I think Tai chi is fantastic for both of those reasons.(I'm seriously thinking of signing up for a beginner class myself) *take it easy TC guys, I'm not saying you can't train tc for combat too

If you are training to alive combat, then and only then can you be prepared for alive combat.

So how does a person train for "alive combat"? This is the biggest problem, in that no matter the training, there will always be a difference between sparring and a "real fight". We can close the gap but there is still a big difference. We have a similar problem when it comes to training first aid. You can practice CPR on a dummy all you like but you will never know what it's truly like to do CPR properly until you do it on a real person.
 

Martial D

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So how does a person train for "alive combat"? This is the biggest problem, in that no matter the training, there will always be a difference between sparring and a "real fight". We can close the gap but there is still a big difference. We have a similar problem when it comes to training first aid. You can practice CPR on a dummy all you like but you will never know what it's truly like to do CPR properly until you do it on a real person.
By doing it on a real person. Look at mma, those guys train to fight, so they are good at fighting. Sure, the level of risk of personal injury elevates as the training approaches realistic, but nothing in life comes without sacrifice.
 

Midnight-shadow

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By doing it on a real person. Look at mma, those guys train to fight, so they are good at fighting. Sure, the level of risk of personal injury elevates as the training approaches realistic, but nothing in life comes without sacrifice.

As close as MMA comes to a real fight, there is still a gap. MMA doesn't train you to fight multiple opponents, or getting jumped on from behind, or being faced with weapons. You think someone on the street isn't going to kick you in the balls or gouge your eyes just because you're an MMA fighter? You think they aren't going to kick your head in when you're on the ground?
 

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