What makes KungFu unique?

[Cataphract]

I'm curious, what (if anything) makes KungFu unique? What is in your opinion the essence of KungFu?
Why has it been disseminated world wide?

[MarathonTmatt]

I'm curious, what (if anything) makes KungFu unique? What is in your opinion the essence of KungFu?
Why has it been disseminated world wide?

Many different styles. People can train for various reasons.
1) Self defense/ Martial Body Mechanics: learning kicks, throws, punches, take-downs, chin-na joint locks.
2)Some may want to even do some amateur kickboxing or MMA (or spar with people of various styles. in other words testing the kung fu)
3)learning the material of a style for it's own sake. for instance someone may want to learn all the material of a Cha Quan or Hua Quan style, 7 Star Praying Mantis, etc. That gets into the realm of forms training. That gets into the mindset of "this makes sense to me for what I choose as an exercise."
4) It is an exercise regimen that can help in other areas and aspects of one's life- the practitioner should be more alert, heal faster, hard working etc. A little worn out after building a stone wall all day? Guess what: you have your kung fu training to correct that!
5) Flexibility training
6) Any one or all of the above.

[rett2]

I'm curious, what (if anything) makes KungFu unique? What is in your opinion the essence of KungFu?
Why has it been disseminated world wide?

My take would be what makes it unique is the specific elements of Chinese culture associated with it.

It spread worldwide because of popular films and tv shows – successful cultural marketing – coupled with Asian immigration to the US and other countries.

I can only guess what the essence of genuine Chinese kung fu is. My coach in China told me several times "You just don't understand Chinese Kung Fu". From things he and other real practitioners have said, perhaps it’s essentially about learning through a huge amount of repetitive practice; absorbing by osmosis through direct contact with a teacher and more advanced students; persevering through hardship while skill and craftsmanship slowly develop.

[bawang]

wombat combat is unique because you do not require hard bitter training to become a good fighter. you just have to wave your arms around.

[David Jamieson]

It's unique in that there are very few who have grasped what it is, practice what it is and cultivate Kung Fu within themselves.

Sure, there's loads of martial artists. Even loads of people who study, learn, practice Kung Fu.

But still, it is of such merit and caliber that it is difficult at best to be a real Kung Fu man (person).

As a person who has been practicing for decades, that's my perspective. :)

[MarathonTmatt]

wombat combat is unique because you do not require hard bitter training to become a good fighter. you just have to wave your arms around.

:) A lot of American students do just that-- wave their arms around without the proper root or core body mechanics. The power does not come from the full body transfer in their case, they might as well be dancing. I am lucky that I started CMA with a legitimate Tai Chi teacher, who was a student, among other teachers, of GM Feng Zhi Qiang of the Chen style. My first push-hands class my legs felt that they went through the wringer (and as a long distance runner I knew that was the real thing), plus I started picking up applications from the silk-reeling and the form I was learning such as joint locks/ take-downs, which I have spontaneously applied while sparring (in other environments).

When I trained LongFist. (I still train but am not in class, there is no longer a location in my area and transportation became an un-expected issue.) The material was great. Great training and great teachers. Proper stances, and good material- nice classic longfist forms. There was sparring too and plenty of partner work with bags. Things like Snake Turn-Overs/ etc. were also in the curriculum. But the problem was that it was up to each student how good they would be-- some weren't good at all yet they kept advancing right through the curriculum. Many other students were good and I did bond with. The Vietnamese students were usually pretty good at it. "Everyone is on their own journey at different levels" kind of a thing. The material was good and the teachers sincerely care about their school. But--

I would rather retain core principles than learn many forms without the proper principles, the wombat combat wave your arms around (which I have seen first-hand). I still train forms, I have retained them (Ba Bu Lian Hua Quan, Shi Ba Shou aka Sher Ba Quan, Siu Se Lo, Bok Lin Fa, Bok Pai Quan, a Pao Quan set, as well as some weapons sets, etc.) but from my more strict principal-based Tai Chi experience, my standards of what proper kung fu mechanics is, is higher than some other people's. For example, there was a student at that school who recently opened up a school, a new branch of the school if you will. He offers Tai Chi yet in my opinion his Tai Chi is terrible- I have pushed hands with him and he has no skill in the art, he folds up like a chair, does not properly tuck his kua in, etc. I am glad that my Tai Chi teacher, when I trained with her (Aihan Kuhn) was low-key and did not attract many students yet her standards and skill level were excellent she was a Chinese doctor as well. In my longfist classes, some of the students had zero flexibility- they should be doing another style or something. Some could not do a full split after YEARS of training at the school, and splits as warm up exercises in just about every class- I could do splits in a matter of weeks and still can even though I am not currently taking lessons anywhere. Anyway, the school was a mixed bag of nuts as far as talent went. The Sifu's were great, some of the other student's were great and the material was great- I am not complaining I had a great experience and the material I learned I was able to make my own and excel at. For that I am grateful.

But bawang's wombat-combat phenomenon does exist. There are many American student's who do not have proper kung fu body mechanics, they just wave their arms around, their forms are empty and lack-luster. Of course someone can go into some kung fu schools and laugh-- this is why. Many American student's have never trained under the tutelage of a highly skilled master, one that can transmit the knowledge from osmosis as rett2 has put it (above in this thread). As it stands right now I am grateful for my experience, I got some proper training and some proper skills. But I am probably better off right now at this moment, building my stone walls/enclosures/etc. and continuing to self-train, until eventually I may find another teacher. Whether it will be more TCMA, or an MMA gym I do not know-- nothing wrong in training both anyway. That is my 2 cents on the wave-your-arms-in-the-air phenomenon. I agree.

[GeneChing]

First I was going to say it's all the cool weapons (http://www.martialartsmart.com/weapons-chinese-weapons.html) that make Kung Fu unique.

Then I was going to say it's our cool threads (http://www.martialartsmart.com/uniforms-kung-fu.html).

Then I thought it was our extensive film archive (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?15-Martial-Media-and-Popular-Culture).

But the truth for me personally is simpler than this: we got all the sword hotties (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41007-Sword-hotties). :cool:

[MarathonTmatt]

Another point to further drive home what I was talking about from my spiel above. Many American students may go to a more commercialized school and never understand the benefits that a small group of people have from a teacher with excellent standards. What is a commercialized school? If you have more than one location, teach kid's classes, student's must wear school uniforms (logos), and call people "sir" and "ma'am" when being addressed, have colored sash promotions, that is elements it is commercialized. The Longfist school I went to now has 3 locations, not too "commercialized" but is expanding let's say. The school in MA. that just opened up is opened up I have to wonder about. Like I said the student who opened the new school location (at least he has "sihing" status and not "sifu" status now in that school) offers Tai Chi but the last time I checked, his Tai Chi was terrible. He, and many student's from that school, do not even do the Tai Chi forms properly. His push hands is lousy too, the kind of guy I was able to fold up like a chair and push half way across the room. The Sifu of the main school in MA. at least, his Tai Chi is solid, or average. I wouldn't call it great or astounding but it is not bad. And there are some skilled student's in the Longfist curriculum there.

I had trained with a small group that had splintered from the main school in MA. although I did train at the main location sometimes too. Our Sihing, who was also formerly a Hung Gar practitioner, was very stringent about standards. I lucked out there, and than later I did train under the main Sifu in MA., etc. Great people I get along with them. Don't get me wrong. But I would talk about my Tai Chi teacher, who was a Chinese doctor and master of the art. They knew who she was because the splinter group I trained with actually rented the floor space from her- I was already her student and than found out about the Longfist group that way. The student's said, "oh, if I want to train Tai Chi then I would want to learn from the Sifu in the main location." (the thought being here that he is more of a martial artist). Well I have pushed hands with that Sifu too, his skill was only average, in the same general realm as my own skill, and I was only a so-so (not that great!) student who had been training for a few years at the time. You see, the students figured that this lady, my Taiji teacher, was a Chinese doctor and that she must approach it strictly for health. At that time Dr. Aihan Kuhn's larger classes were mainly for health, the ones that attracted the bigger crowds, but her Chen style, push hands and sword classes drew only a few people, more dedicated to the art who I fell in with. Some of her teachers in China included GM Feng Zhi Qiang, one of the five top heads of the Chen style before he passed away, Prof. Li De Yin (vice chairman of the national martial arts committee, PRC), among other big names. And that is the problem with many American students-- they do not know enough about Chinese culture to know who is a good teacher/ etc. "Oh she is a doctor so it must all be health stuff." True on one level, but she has skill as a martial artist as well, in some respects greater than that of the Sifu's from the Longfist school. The Chin-Na and joint locks I learned from the Chen style and Push Hands classes from Dr. Kuhn are 10 times more practical and efficient than some of the Chin-Na I learned in the LongFist classes, although there are many good techniques from the Longfist as well.

Also, the approach to training in both schools is different. A lot of the students, even the adult students, of the LongFist school will get "star struck" by new material the Sifu's show them. They will get giddy, etc. The low-key training at the Tai Chi school was much more down to earth, a much more mature and serious approach to training. In the long-fist school, after a sash promotion, the whole group may go out to eat at an Americanized Chinese restaurant. Reminds me of being 6 years old again and going to Chuck E. Cheeses for a birthday party. I would rather learn an authentic Chinese-inspired vegetarian dish that my Taiji Sifu, Aihan, had prepared. So there you go. A big spiel. I hope this makes sense to some people- again, I LIKED the longfist school, I trained hard and STILL train hard the material I learned, it is some good classic longfist forms and material some of which I outlined in my above post. But the art can get watered down- people can open a school and teach some of the arts, like simplified Yang Tai Chi and have no skill in it. That is too bad.

[bawang]

But bawang's wombat-combat phenomenon does exist. There are many American student's who do not have proper kung fu body mechanics, they just wave their arms around, their forms are empty and lack-luster. Of course someone can go into some kung fu schools and laugh-- this is why. Many American student's have never trained under the tutelage of a highly skilled master, one that can transmit the knowledge from osmosis as rett2 has put it (above in this thread). As it stands right now I am grateful for my experience, I got some proper training and some proper skills. But I am probably better off right now at this moment, building my stone walls/enclosures/etc. and continuing to self-train, until eventually I may find another teacher. Whether it will be more TCMA, or an MMA gym I do not know-- nothing wrong in training both anyway. That is my 2 cents on the wave-your-arms-in-the-air phenomenon. I agree.


i have met 4 Chinese instructors who started teaching in the 80s were well meaning and skilled, and they all sooner or later attracted predators that learned as much as they can in a quick amount of time and left to open their own schools. 1 has now 0 students and was working in a Chinese restaurant, he might be dead now. numer 2 has 1 student left after 30 years. number 3 stopped teaching real deal in 1988 and developed a medium group of semi cultists who every few years pay him about 4k to go on trips to Tibet. single at 50 years old. number 4 heavily invested into scammer sh1t teaching and now has 100+ students.

[Jimbo]

One thing I've noticed that seems more prevalent in CMA than other MA categories is the tendency towards cliquishness. I've encountered a number of snooty kung fu people over the years. Not everyone in CMA, mind you, but more snooty people in general than I ever met in JMA, KMA, FMA, kickboxing, etc., combined. There's something about *certain* kung fu people that makes them think they're more special or elite than anyone else; that they're the only ones with the 'real secrets' and 'F' everybody else. I've encountered this type both in Taiwan and the States, but their attitudes make them all the same. And the most arrogant usually have mediocre ability at best. There's also a level of dishonesty about them. It's frickin' annoying.

The fact is, I love kung fu, but I don't love all of the baggage that comes with it. But since I haven't attended any MA functions/gatherings in years, I haven't encountered that in a long time.

[MarathonTmatt]

The fact is, I love kung fu, but I don't love all of the baggage that comes with it. But since I haven't attended any MA functions/gatherings in years, I haven't encountered that in a long time.

God bless. Hope I didn't come across as a snood. Maybe I shouldn't even bring these things up, after all, what for. Doesn't affect me in the long run. The Longfist school I trained in was more marketed. What Bawang would call a "hobby lobby." But if you have serious attitude towards the training, they will train you proper. There was a guy there who got a black sash who couldn't even do a split after years of training, and we train the splits as a warm up every class-- yet he showed up, payed his tuition and got promoted to black sash-- his sparring was no good either, etc. Its kind of like, "ok..." IMO there were enough students like that to be off-putting (at least at the main school location, the smaller splinter group I mainly trained with were more dedicated/ hard-working.) Also a lot of teenagers whose parents pay tuition, but the kids don't really know what it is, their horse stances always look "off" or not right, why is that so.

On the other hand, one of the Sifu's daughter was an ICMAC forms champion for her Hua Quan. Good for her, she was cool, her whole family was great, I miss her dad, the Sifu, what a great and interesting guy.

On the other hand again. The student that opened the new school location. I am serious that his Tai Chi is lousy. I am not saying I have the great Tai Chi secret and he doesn't; but his Tai Chi isn't good, he hyper-extends, doesn't shift/turn right, has no push hands skill, which makes me wonder why is he teaching it, (other than milking money for the school) because he is going to be teaching people wrong & that is no understatement. For instance my other teacher, the Tai Chi master from China, would probably scratch her head wondering what he is even trying to do if she saw this guy's Tai Chi. He would need to start all over again with the basics. Or I imagine she might say "oh, okay, I can see what's wrong" and try to help the poor fellow. Sorry but it is not snoody for me to say that this guy has poor/ low level Tai Chi. He is a smarter business person than I am perhaps.

[rett2]

Just an opinion... seems like people with high standards often get called snooty by people with low standards. On the other hand, cultish orgs serving up woo and collective self-deception have all the snootiness without the high standards. A halfway healthy crápola radar usually makes it easy to sort out the difference. 2¢, ymmv

for fun maybe test your radar on this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUIX8mCX7vw

[Jimbo]

Matt:
I wasn't referring to you as being snooty. You're OK with me.


rett2:
I'm talking about snooty people, not because their standards are higher, but because they practice X-lineage of X-style under X-teacher. Even if the teacher is not snooty him/herself. It's a weird type of insecure, passive-aggressive arrogance that seems unusually common among a percentage of kung fu people. Note that I didn't say ALL kung fu people. I've been in and around MA for awhile now, and have been around the block enough times. I know exactly the type I'm talking about. The arrogance I'm talking about is NOT the same type of 'confident arrogance' carried by many pro fighters, which is necessary for many fighters (to some degree) in their profession; nor is it the type of confident aloofness that some highly experienced MAists project.

I have very high standards; for myself, and when I taught, for my students. But I also taught them to try to look for the positive they can take away by observing or interacting with others' MA, because you can learn a lot about yourself.

[boxerbilly]

Just an opinion... seems like people with high standards often get called snooty by people with low standards. On the other hand, cultish orgs serving up woo and collective self-deception have all the snootiness without the high standards. A halfway healthy crápola radar usually makes it easy to sort out the difference. 2¢, ymmv

for fun maybe test your radar on this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUIX8mCX7vw

What is that ? Proof of chemical reaction ?

[boxerbilly]

First I was going to say it's all the cool weapons (http://www.martialartsmart.com/weapons-chinese-weapons.html) that make Kung Fu unique.

Then I was going to say it's our cool threads (http://www.martialartsmart.com/uniforms-kung-fu.html).

Then I thought it was our extensive film archive (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?15-Martial-Media-and-Popular-Culture).

But the truth for me personally is simpler than this: we got all the sword hotties (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41007-Sword-hotties). :cool:

LOL. I was going to say the people like Bawang. But according to another source in this thread. It is more common than I believed. So yeah, Sword Hotties.
I like Japanese based system Sword Hotties and Rika Usami is totally hot.

[rett2]

What is that ? Proof of chemical reaction ?

The question (to me) is how did he hide it from the live audience. For us there are so many edits the substance could have been slipped in at any time. The audience seem like such cooperative enablers that they won't protest.

There's another great one where that guy "burns a hole in a piece of paper" with qi.

His assistant is sitting behind him in an office chair. My guess... a little hand held laser.

But who knows? Maybe he's completely for real. Who am I to say :o scuze me if I'm being a snood. A few beers and whiskeys and i just say what it think.

[boxerbilly]

The question (to me) is how did he hide it from the live audience. For us there are so many edits the substance could have been slipped in at any time. The audience seem like such cooperative enablers that they won't protest.

There's another great one where that guy "burns a hole in a piece of paper" with qi.

His assistant is sitting behind him in an office chair. My guess... a little hand held laser.

But who knows? Maybe he's completely for real. Who am I to say :o scuze me if I'm being a snood. A few beers and whiskeys and i just say what it think.

I saw a vid explaining how some of the dudes create the fire. Separate chemicals on either hand. When the hands crumble the paper the chems mix on it. About 30 seconds later , after some hand waving and body tension. PUFF.

Have no idea about the water deal and what was used.

Hey, Id love it to be for real. If so, tell everyone so we too can exhausts ourselves making a little foam top. Until then, buy beer.

I actually don't drink or so rarely it does not count. I will use pain killers if the docs will prescribe them. Its is very hard to get those today thanks to the junkies.
Im usually sort of mean when I post while under that influence. But no where near the stupid shot I could be if on booze. For the most part I always say what I think. Makes some great friends and lots of guys that want to punch you out.

[Jimbo]

I'm curious, what (if anything) makes KungFu unique?

As to what makes CMA unique, in a technical sense, to me it's the use of the entire body as a single unit. You can say that other MA do that too, but many (most?) CMA systems have a distinctive way of doing it that sets them apart from other types of MA, even if the various KF systems differ from each other. 'Single unit' to me means, for example, not just adopting a strategy of standing back and kicking at someone, or only being obsessed with punching an opponent's face in with your fist; but that each aspect is part of a greater, whole-body strategy. Including using striking surfaces that are uncommon in other MA. Also, there is less distinction or separation between kick/strike/throw/grasp/etc. Obviously, this is not an easy concept for many to apply in action, otherwise everyone in CMA would be doing it. But it's there in the art, or at least in a good number of them.

[boxerbilly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pH1CRAlXck

[rett2]

Danger Will Robinson!

(that dummy around 0:30)

[boxerbilly]

Danger Will Robinson!

(that dummy around 0:30)

Can you CLF fellows critique that dummy video ? I have no reference to compare to personally. All I can say is run for him and get a gun. That dudes a spaz.
He looks really good to me. I guess some may call things like some strike was not perfect form and crap but all in all. WOW.

[Jimbo]

Can you CLF fellows critique that dummy video ? I have no reference to compare to personally. All I can say is run for him and get a gun. That dudes a spaz.
He looks really good to me. I guess some may call things like some strike was not perfect form and crap but all in all. WOW.

Very good dummy work. I believe that's Chan Family CLF.

[RenDaHai]

What actual technical difference is there in Kung fu as opposed to other martial arts? What makes it special in this practical sense?

Emotion, spirit, faith and virtue. Acceptance of human nature.

Please, team, suspend your ridicule for just a moment while I have my say;

The great fallacy of modern martial arts is this; Theoretical courage.

MA instructors assume anyone can just strike their opponent full-power without any mental hesitation. Without any psychological barriers.

All most MA teach is the most aggressive techniques, the techniques which, when objectively assessed, cause the most damage. But this is MAD. It is mad because we are psychological beings. You want to HARM another human being? Fine, but do you have the psychological capacity to do so? Ahahah, in my experience 9/10 people do not, not even when in danger. What about them, the forgotten majority? What should they practice? How should they defend themselves?

Fights are won by MOTIVATION.

In order to cause HARM to another human being, we REQUIRE violent motivation. It is not an option. If you TRY to hurt another person and you do NOT possess violent motivation then you will fail, moreover you will actively hurt yourself. What if you don't have it? All of those techniques that require violent motivation are not merely useless, they will actively endanger you. You will be unable to carry through your technique but not before you reveal your design to your opponent. You will FEED his Motivation all the while sapping your own. Can you summon murderous intent from nowhere? Certainly sometimes you will have it, but can it be relied upon?

Kung fu has this power. It has the ability to DIFFUSE strength, not just physical strength but emotional strength. Violent momentum. That is its power. That is its strategy.

Many MA's assume the path to victory is to DOMINATE your opponent. And in 'the ring' this is true. But in reality? Not at all! You 'win' simply by denying your opponent victory. And there are 10,000 ways to do that, while there is only one way to dominate him. Kung fu does not rely on domination. It is unromantic but practical.

Through acceptance of human nature Kung fu has unique strategy, its just that this strategy is unimpressive, and when it succeeds you will not notice that it has done anything at all. It is not good for competitive combat, but for the ordinary civilian trying to lead the good-life, it is indispensable.

[boxerbilly]

RenDaHai . that was a great post.

I agree with everything you wrote. But I suggest that many and maybe all can be found in many MMA gyms. Boxing Gyms. Etc. Most will never be champions. They train it for other reasons. Most coaches are genuinely great people. Worthy of the title of Master because they often impart far more than just fighting. They share life wisdom too. Teach victory in life. Most people miss that part. Most people are young and there for one reason. Later they learn they are not ever going to be good enough. In a world where everyone is a winner. These places teach you that that is not always true. Accept it and find the battles you can over come outside the gym to be a winner.

[Jimbo]

I like your post, RDH.

Regarding theoretical courage, I will say you never know how you will react, nor how much motivation you're capable of, until or unless you're in an actual, life-threatening situation involving an attacker(s). People can surprise you. Sometimes the person you'd least expect will react like a tiger, while a big, athletic person might panic. It all depends on context.

CMA is not just about flexibility of action technique-wise, but also mental flexibility. This includes the ability to recognize potential dangers before they occur and avoid them. Trusting your instincts and acting accordingly, instead of just marching headfirst into a bad situation because you think your initial intuition is too 'silly' and 'woo-woo' to trust. This also works for things not involving fighting or self-defense. Finding alternate ways to your goal if one way isn't working, as opposed to doggedly doing the same thing over and over without getting results. Just like good kung fu technique.

These are not necessarily unique to kung fu, though. Many street people have these types of instincts. But in most people, these things must be practiced and developed.

[bawang]

rendahai where can I meet some of those gentle rabbit like Europeans that cannot bring themselves to hurt other humans, plz introduce me

[RenDaHai]

@Bawang
Oh you won't find any, Kung fu is a Chinese martial art.

@Boxer
Certainly those things, faith and virtue etc. can be found in every gym, that is what people are necessarily like. But Kung fu actually technically contains specific strategies to use when in the 'receptive' mindset. Strategies, techniques and principles of retreat and reaction which a lot of MA do not go so deeply into, and I think that is partly where it is unique.

@Jimbo
Absolutely, I agree. You never know how you will react. But you also can't entirely rely on how you have reacted previously. The same person will react differently in different situations and in different seasons. If you fight protecting your children you will be capable of things that you won't when you fight because someone has stolen your parking space. If you fight when you are depressed you will fight differently than when your angry. If you fight when you have done something wrong you will fight differently than when you are righteous. The difference is the context as you say. The psychological content.

@All,
Let me add I am not suggesting one should DELIBERATELY enter this mindset. Or that Kung fu is always passive. If you DO have violent motivation, by all means use it, and all Kung fu styles have plenty of techniques for that too. All I mean is that it cannot be RELIED upon. And a lot of MA training assumes it as though there is no other way.

People will tell you when you fight you enter a 'fight or flight' mode of instinct. But in my experience this is not entirely true. There is no 'or'. You experience both in the course of a single fight, sometimes alternating several times. Anger and fear manifest back and forth like breathing in and out. Why try to control them? Both have equal use.

Strength defeats what is not its equal, when it encounters its equal it is neutralized. Pliability defeats what exceeds itself and so its power cannot be measured

[Subitai]

What actual technical difference is there in Kung fu as opposed to other martial arts? What makes it special in this practical sense?

Emotion, spirit, faith and virtue. Acceptance of human nature.

Please, team, suspend your ridicule for just a moment while I have my say;

The great fallacy of modern martial arts is this; Theoretical courage.

MA instructors assume anyone can just strike their opponent full-power without any mental hesitation. Without any psychological barriers.

All most MA teach is the most aggressive techniques, the techniques which, when objectively assessed, cause the most damage. But this is MAD. It is mad because we are psychological beings. You want to HARM another human being? Fine, but do you have the psychological capacity to do so? Ahahah, in my experience 9/10 people do not, not even when in danger. What about them, the forgotten majority? What should they practice? How should they defend themselves?

Fights are won by MOTIVATION.

In order to cause HARM to another human being, we REQUIRE violent motivation. It is not an option. If you TRY to hurt another person and you do NOT possess violent motivation then you will fail, moreover you will actively hurt yourself. What if you don't have it? All of those techniques that require violent motivation are not merely useless, they will actively endanger you. You will be unable to carry through your technique but not before you reveal your design to your opponent. You will FEED his Motivation all the while sapping your own. Can you summon murderous intent from nowhere? Certainly sometimes you will have it, but can it be relied upon?

Kung fu has this power. It has the ability to DIFFUSE strength, not just physical strength but emotional strength. Violent momentum. That is its power. That is its strategy.

Many MA's assume the path to victory is to DOMINATE your opponent. And in 'the ring' this is true. But in reality? Not at all! You 'win' simply by denying your opponent victory. And there are 10,000 ways to do that, while there is only one way to dominate him. Kung fu does not rely on domination. It is unromantic but practical.

Through acceptance of human nature Kung fu has unique strategy, its just that this strategy is unimpressive, and when it succeeds you will not notice that it has done anything at all. It is not good for competitive combat, but for the ordinary civilian trying to lead the good-life, it is indispensable.

Ok, yes I can see the rationale behind this post and furthermore; AHEM (as I adjust my shirt collar and tie), in reference to the section of enlarged text, my 1st quote for the last 10 yrs has had this sentiment.

Where have y'all been?;) 10256

[sanjuro_ronin]

The various Kung's make it unique.

[mrshungkuen]

I'm curious, what (if anything) makes KungFu unique? What is in your opinion the essence of KungFu?
Why has it been disseminated world wide?

Many different styles and systems of Kungfu, in China you can find real strange kungfu systems or family styles. But you have Shaolin north and south and many lineages born out of that. Southern Kungfu: Wing Chun, Choy Li Fut, Hung Gar Kungfu, Ng Ying Kungfu , Pak Mee Pai, Pai Lum Kungfu and others