Boxers do but not in the same way as martial artists. If martial artists thought of lineage like boxers then nobody would be a fraud(not a bad idea actually). In boxing you never here "I was trained by Tyson so I can fight even though I never got into the ring to fight or spar" Boxing is proved by fighting. MA should be still like that, I haven't competed but I have been in alot of fights so I know what I do works and if sombody wants to test me then they can try and fight me. Think if one of Wing Lams students(strong lineage) fought a Shaolin do student (questionable lineage), say the WL student looses, most of us would still say Shaolin Do sucks cause they have no lineage. Even if the Shaolin Do guys consistantly won CMA people would still say they suck cause of the lineage issues, what sense does that make?

I think alot of Kungfu guys get to caught up in holding on to things like history and treating their practice like a preservation act. If you are practiceing to preserve a tradition then I feel you are wasting your time because nothing lasts forever anyway. Also if you stick to that rigid way than the art will never serve you the way it should.


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