NS
Wushu is a word used since pre-PRC but officially adopted by the government of PRC to describe all martial arts (sporting and otherwise). Regardless of the bad taste it leaves in many overseas Chinese people's mouths (due to it's communist connotations), it is only a name. No different to gongfu/kungfu, which is more popularly used to describe 'traditional' Chinese martial arts. What is widely known as gongfu throughout the Chinese diaspora is known in PRC today as chuantong wushu- traditional martial arts. Sports/performance/modern wushu is a different thing. Not everything known as wushu is sports wushu. Regardless, as Jake said, anything entirely based on the practice of forms and void of all fighting/self defence aspects and training methodology is neither gongfu nor chuantong wushu. This does not mean that many CMA that are known as 'traditional' are any value in teaching the above.
When people in the West (particularly America it seems) say 'wushu mantis', they are generally referring to the modern, competition Tanglang routine developed by Yu Hai and it's many derivatives. Of course there are now many more versions designed entirely for competition that actually closely resemble 'traditional' tanglang but these have not yet been widely exposed outside of China. On top of that, there are also many who are of the opinion that any and all TLQ that comes out of PRC post 1940's is 'modern wushu'. Regardless, the sports routines I initially mentioned contain almost no applicable techniques, particularly after the first generation- largely because application was not taught (in fact officially forbidden). Yu Hai did train extensively in classical Tanglang and did include a number of combinations from classical TLQ (extracted from Tou Tao among other routines) but exaggerated these considerably to enhance their appearance. Anyone who tries to teach 'seriously' teach the fighting applications for the majority of movements found in modern wushu (beyond simple and true techniques such as thrust punching, treading kicks etc) is kidding themselves. By the same token, many who teach 'traditional' martial arts and do teach many fighting techniques and applications are also kidding themselves. As an interesting aside, i have met many modern wushu athletes in China and elsewhere who can dish out a severe beating if required (not to mention the fact that many also train and fight sanshou at some stage). A coordinated, fit, fast, determined opponent with even half a brain is a threat, regardless of if he trained in ballet or vale tudo.
BT
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I see....said the blind man...to his deaf wife
**Wipes away a tear**
Don't be.
Originally Posted by wenshu
