mantis7
12-01-2001, 04:43 AM
Hi All I thought I would stir up the pot today…
I was having a discussion with a few friends about the state of the gung fu world of today. As the old generation grows older and dies out it seems through miscommunication and misinterpation that the gung fu world is not what it should be. There are only a handful of schools out there that still sticks to fighting as the theory and concepts in a given system dictates. I have noticed most of the schools of today teach the forms and when it comes to there combat they fall into the KICKBOXING dilemma. Even though the kicks and punches and throws are simple base techniques in the system but that is far as they go. Is it possible for someone to spar another person using the concept of the system with gloves on. I believe it is but it seems that it is not being tried. This can be seen in the all gung fu tournaments with the continuous sparring matches. Are these fighters skilled? I say yes but are they using their gung fu I say only to a small level. The state of shan shou is a great one full contact fighting but it is still kick boxing fought on a platform with throws. You see boxing skills and wrestling throws or shuai jiao throws and kicks. Even though this is a good way to test your skill you are not demonstrating your gung fu skills. I am not putting down these great men who have the heart to step on the platform but I would love to see these men actually use their styles in the ring.
With the advent of NHB not one gung fu stylist has come forward and used there given style. They use their kickboxing skills and throws as well as grappling. There is nothing wrong with this at all even if they are successful but this makes gung fu look like it is in a sorry state. People who had interest in studying looks and say or wonder if they are better off studying MMA because you can not tell the Difference between the two. Which is not a good thing.
I know with this statement everyone is going to say well I use my tech in the traditional sense. Even I had to reevaluate my training. To compensate for a grappler I had to train my grip to adapt my tech for attempt to take my legs. I had to modify my sprawling tech while applying my traditional tech and theory. I would love to see a NHB gung fu match on the lei tai stage with no glove as it is now legal in most states and I would love to compete in one.
The state of the shan shou is good but it can better. We have thai boxers, wrestlers, people with lil or no gung fu skills with a good amount of kickboxing and grappling skills dominating the circuit. I digress on that topic as these men on the lei tai stage are all warriors but I do not aspire to be there level but go beyond it.
I would love to see the wing chun stylist go at it with a choy la fut stylist slug it out with chain punches and long arm tech. I would love to see a mantis stylist go against the iron bridge of a hung gar stylist but what can you do.
The only thing I can say to you all is evaluate the way you do fight is it just using bits and pieces of your system to add to your kickboxing or are you using your whole system in the way it was created to be used. If you practice bong sau or a diu sau ****** use it or don’t bother training it. If you practice training chin na apply it and see if it works. Shuai jiao has the meanest throws I have ever seen. They are touted as being the best around. SO throw the person and if done right they shouldn’t get up afterwards.
I know you are all going to ask do I compete in shan shou or NHB. I never had the chance to enter a tournament but I do train for the event (full contact with gear) I also like to test my skill with no gear. I test my skills and I don’t mind getting my A$$ kicked to see if it works. I rather bleed and receive bruises in a friendly match then get killed trying to defend myself on the street. I am not immune to the kickboxing construct and I do mantis. I thought everything I was doing was gung fu but I found out it wasn’t. I meet someone who showed me hand speed that can’t be followed and other things that opened my eyes in just a few movements. I now am striving to study GUNG FU and use it the way it was intended to be used. I just hope I am not the only one who thinks like this.
Vince Night
“Never talk because with one word you can lose your life”
I was having a discussion with a few friends about the state of the gung fu world of today. As the old generation grows older and dies out it seems through miscommunication and misinterpation that the gung fu world is not what it should be. There are only a handful of schools out there that still sticks to fighting as the theory and concepts in a given system dictates. I have noticed most of the schools of today teach the forms and when it comes to there combat they fall into the KICKBOXING dilemma. Even though the kicks and punches and throws are simple base techniques in the system but that is far as they go. Is it possible for someone to spar another person using the concept of the system with gloves on. I believe it is but it seems that it is not being tried. This can be seen in the all gung fu tournaments with the continuous sparring matches. Are these fighters skilled? I say yes but are they using their gung fu I say only to a small level. The state of shan shou is a great one full contact fighting but it is still kick boxing fought on a platform with throws. You see boxing skills and wrestling throws or shuai jiao throws and kicks. Even though this is a good way to test your skill you are not demonstrating your gung fu skills. I am not putting down these great men who have the heart to step on the platform but I would love to see these men actually use their styles in the ring.
With the advent of NHB not one gung fu stylist has come forward and used there given style. They use their kickboxing skills and throws as well as grappling. There is nothing wrong with this at all even if they are successful but this makes gung fu look like it is in a sorry state. People who had interest in studying looks and say or wonder if they are better off studying MMA because you can not tell the Difference between the two. Which is not a good thing.
I know with this statement everyone is going to say well I use my tech in the traditional sense. Even I had to reevaluate my training. To compensate for a grappler I had to train my grip to adapt my tech for attempt to take my legs. I had to modify my sprawling tech while applying my traditional tech and theory. I would love to see a NHB gung fu match on the lei tai stage with no glove as it is now legal in most states and I would love to compete in one.
The state of the shan shou is good but it can better. We have thai boxers, wrestlers, people with lil or no gung fu skills with a good amount of kickboxing and grappling skills dominating the circuit. I digress on that topic as these men on the lei tai stage are all warriors but I do not aspire to be there level but go beyond it.
I would love to see the wing chun stylist go at it with a choy la fut stylist slug it out with chain punches and long arm tech. I would love to see a mantis stylist go against the iron bridge of a hung gar stylist but what can you do.
The only thing I can say to you all is evaluate the way you do fight is it just using bits and pieces of your system to add to your kickboxing or are you using your whole system in the way it was created to be used. If you practice bong sau or a diu sau ****** use it or don’t bother training it. If you practice training chin na apply it and see if it works. Shuai jiao has the meanest throws I have ever seen. They are touted as being the best around. SO throw the person and if done right they shouldn’t get up afterwards.
I know you are all going to ask do I compete in shan shou or NHB. I never had the chance to enter a tournament but I do train for the event (full contact with gear) I also like to test my skill with no gear. I test my skills and I don’t mind getting my A$$ kicked to see if it works. I rather bleed and receive bruises in a friendly match then get killed trying to defend myself on the street. I am not immune to the kickboxing construct and I do mantis. I thought everything I was doing was gung fu but I found out it wasn’t. I meet someone who showed me hand speed that can’t be followed and other things that opened my eyes in just a few movements. I now am striving to study GUNG FU and use it the way it was intended to be used. I just hope I am not the only one who thinks like this.
Vince Night
“Never talk because with one word you can lose your life”