Who's going to Berkeley CMAT this year?

[Lebaufist]

No, I mean these trite forms competitions in an empty high school gym. Its become kinda' ren fair like.

[GeneChing]

And UC Berkeley is a university, not a high school.

[Lebaufist]

Just as empty.

[GeneChing]

Forms competitions have never been great spectator sports. Trickers, modern wushu and duilian are really the only forms competitions that are of any interest to the naive spectator (and the first two are so berated by traditionalists, which is funny to me). The bulk of the spectators at any tournament are friends and family. Nevertheless, for a traditional practitioner, it's still a great showcase. I love seeing good kung fu, and while you have to sift through a lot of poor and mediocre stuff at any tournament, there's usually some shining gems there. Usually. CMAT always has some good stuff because it's the SF Bay Area, after all.

It's funny - at this last CMAT, I was watching one of the taiji forms ring for a spell and it was one of those divisions where only one person entered, so they got the gold just for showing. And that individual was horrible. I mean horrible horrible. The judges tuned out after the first move and were gazing idly at the other rings. That competitor (if that's the proper term when there's no competition) had the gall to do his complete form, which almost went to the max time limit. I support a venue where weekend warriors can present themselves in front of judges, but if you're guaranteed gold just for showing, have the common courtesy of meeting the minimum time requirements and then stop. Please don't torture us with bad taiji any longer than what is required.

[Lebaufist]

Trust me, I seen good tournaments. But forms have become a venue on to themselves. In my day, we would do all events: hand, weapon, and specialty as a prelude to sparring. It was a real test. Now, not so much.

[GeneChing]

Well, the laws changed. Full contact is highly regulated now and for good reason. It has created a split between forms and sparring competition in many states. The only sparring that can be done without involving the commission is light contact, point sparring, chi sao and tui sao.

CMAT is strictly form and push hands. They still do weapons, mostly light modern wushu weapons because it's mostly kids, seniors and sport wushu. I was disappointed that there weren't many exotic weapons this year as in years past. There was still some traditional there.

[Lebaufist]

I see you are leaning toward agreeing that its all become too whimpified.

[GeneChing]

Not 'all'.

There's still some great traditional out there. And there's some strong modern wushu too, especially at CMAT. But when you talk about "in my day", you're talking about history, about when CMA was much less popular. Back then and even on to today, we're always talking about how CMA must grow, must spread. Well, it has spread, mostly to kids and elderly. So in that regards, sure, that's wimpier than back when I first started and it was mostly active practitioners that were fairly serious. I really don't have a problem with that. Forms are great exercise. Tai chi for the elderly - I support that 100%. Heck, I might get there pretty soon. As for tai chi forms competition, there were a few really good people there this year, but most were pretty wimpy. All I can say is bless those judges, who have to sit through all that horrible stuff. They really sacrifice a lot to help our community grow.

Never give up the fight.

[Lebaufist]

They have given up the fight, that's the point.

[GeneChing]

Kids are just learning to fight. Many won't make it, but some will. They haven't given up. How can you give up something you that you haven't quite started at yet. Elderly are fighting age, which is the deadliest opponent of all. They haven't given up. When they give up that fight, they die. Sure, there are plenty of middle-aged martial arts poseurs - there are poseurs in any sport - but at least, they help to support the economy.

The point is that martial arts is not for everyone. But if you define it to be exclusive instead of inclusive, it will never grow.

[ShaolinDan]

Don't worry, in a few years there will be a new demographic showing up at kung fu schools--retired mma guys. It'll be great for everyone.

[Lucas]

Don't worry, in a few years there will be a new demographic showing up at kung fu schools--retired mma guys. It'll be great for everyone.

lol you've thought about that one too eh?

[GeneChing]

I posed that very question in our March/April 2012 with my fav cover story title so far: Putting Balls into Tai Chi

[GeneChing]

Who will I see there this Saturday?

[Lokhopkuen]

I was gonna but now I cain't