kung fu or wushu?

[nickV]

what do you guys like more,wushu or kung fu??

[Crushing Fist]

pretty general terms there buddy...



I'm guessing you mean by "Wu Shu" the modern standardized version and not the general term.

Kung Fu is even more general, it's not even a martial term specifically.

maybe you mean "Modern Performance Wu Shu" vs "Traditional Chinese Combat Arts"


I prefer Combat to Performance

[PangQuan]

assuming your refering to modern performance wushu, you likely wont get any claiming to like that more.

pretty much everyone on here is more interesed in combat than flower and show.

reality bites, learn to bite back.

[EarthDragon]

I love Mu-shu pancakes !:D

[Shaolinlueb]

I love all good wushu, old and new.

wushu and kung fu = same thing.

kung fu = hard work

wushu = martial art.

;)

yeah mushu pancakes for adam!

[PangQuan]

i think we need a standardized method of reference on this forum by which to base our conversations off of.

literal, common, modern, traditional.

it gets all so confusing...

[EarthDragon]

Panquan .. dont you like mushu pancakes too?

me like Mushu pancakes..

mmmmmm wushu not bad either. can be chewy sometimes though

[SPJ]

I love Mu-shu pancakes !:D

Me like Peking duck with Chinese pancakes.

There are skin parts and meats parts. You just roll them up with the pancake.

I dun like the sauce, though. But you may always ask for plum sauce or sweet and sour.

:D

[EarthDragon]

LOL SPJ, dont some of these threads just make you hungry?????

[Ben Gash]

Many years ago I suggested having a set of standardised terms as part of an FAQ or something to avoid confusion about such things, but I was badly shot down :(
Oh Yeah, and I'd rather see good TCMA than sport Wushu anyday, but some of the good stuff is enjoyable in it's own right. It just really annoys me when all these Wushu fanboys rave about someone who can barely punch because he can do a 720 :rolleyes:

[5Animals1Path]

I'd guess an almost overwhelming majority of the people here like kungfu(fighting) more then wushu (gymnastics/forms).




It's just that there's large differences between what everyone classifies as usefull for fighting and pretty but otherwise useless.

[BlueTravesty]

I would rather watch a traditional form with a little bit of "flash and panache" than a modern wushu "run across the floor so I can pull off an unnecessary extra 180 degrees on that jump spin kick." Wushu guys and gals have VERY good conditioning and forms, and the Nanchuan, and Chaquan forms are awesome, since they feature less of the dreaded, mood-killing running. Sometimes less is more.

[B-Rad]

I love some modern forms/schools, and I love some traditional forms schools. There's also a lot in both modern and traditional that I really can't stand. Modern has gone through so many changes since it's creation decades ago, and there's so many branches of traditional wushu that it's really impossible for me to say one is awesome and another is crap.

[mantis108]

For Nth to the Nth time, Modern Wushu is not Kung Fu. Most of the Kung Fu and traditional Wushu systems if not all of them has what we called Quan Fa (pugilistic thesis). It's not just anything thesis. It has to be based on Chinese worldview (ie Yin-yang, Five Phases, 8 Trigrams, etc) which is expounded in the Yijing (classic of change). Formulation of Kung Fu is based on the Yijing, Huangdi Neijing (internal classsic of Yellow Emperor) and actual combat experiences of martial tradesmen (ie. soliders, teachers, guards, escorts, and bandits)

Please check the following link to the White Crane pugilistic thesis for an example.

White Crane Quan Fa (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41874)

Each legit and traditional Kung Fu system has own but similar thesis. You will never see that type of work/Kung Fu in Wushu.

Now modern Wushu is at best a charlatan "martial" sport (I personally think it's better for it to be in a dancing or gymnastic skill competition category) . It is hollow and superficial. It is drawfed by comparison to real traditional Kung Fu. So please don't equate modern Wushu with Kung Fu. It is never in the same league.

Mantis108

[Golden Arms]

Agreed with Mantis, it makes me sick to even see modern Wushu, and sicker still to know that people "appreciate it". Arguing that Wushu has ANY fighting merit is like decorating a stealth fighter plane with pink paint, and huge Christmas ornaments. It can still fly, but it has lost focus of its use and is going to be shot down if used. Fighting systems are about finding the most efficient way to cause the most damage. Watch Wushu with that in mind and tell me where the efficiency went.

[jindonovan]

Of course a lot of wushu doesnt have practical combat application, its competitive for show, rehearsed and performed. Its not practiced for combat purposes (the type i am talking, nanquan/changquan/zuiquan etc). There are other benefits besides being able to fight such as agility, flexibility, coordination etc. Its to be appreciated in of itself and for what it is, people practicing it dont claim to be able to fight anyone. Its like acrobatics or dance, you cant look down on it for lack of combat application.