Here's a question.
Are the TCMA failings of the 20's and the 50's even relevant now?
Why are the same examples used over and over again?
Why are the same tactics and strategies used to diminish one line of martial arts over another?
Old man Wu and Chan Hak Fu were not fighters. That's plain to see.
So, does any of that apply to the here and now of your training? Most everyone here has seen boxing, wrestling, mma in some format or another.
If you know all these things are out there, why on earth would you continue doing Kung Fu if it was anything Like what Dave here says it is?
Do you not spar in your gwoon? Do you not do drills? Do you not use resistence training and do strength and stamina development?
Your school or club is legitimize as a fighting school if it consistently fronts fighters into venues. That's a simple thing to figure out and if you want that, you can fin places to go get that with ever more ease nowadays.
Now, what if you are interested in Ch'an? What if you are interested in teh sets and forms and qigongs? Then what does all the fighting matter to you?
If you are an older practictioner, I'm gonna say that I doubt you fight with any seriousness or intensity and probably do some sparring for the heck of it now and then, but likely don't go hard and full blast, because that's kind of dumb to do without a goal to do it for.
So what then? Why do people think Kung fu is originally about fighting? It's not.
I think some people want to make it that so they can continue to take shots at all teh esoteric stuff that goes on the side or so they can poke fun at the dramatic performance wu shu clubs (which by the way, most "fighters" cannot do what they do an vice versa)
Kung Fu is holistic development and cultivation of a human being. If you think it's juts martial art, then your understanding is limited at best from what I understand of it and that's literally dozen of years, several teachers, volumes of books and a lot of hitting an being hit. Probably a similar experience to many guys here.
I just don't go for this limited understanding pigeon holing of kung fu into some kind of glorified kickboxing status.
Kung Fu is for personal development on a lot fo other levels beyond physicality. If not, WTF are you doing meditating, go run some track. Put that sword down! What are you doing? You don't need that sword to fight etc etc etc.
Blanketing all kung fu under the viewpoint that "it's supposed to be for fighting" is limiting and limited in scope and that isn't what Kung Fu IS.
Originally Posted by David Jamieson
Here's a question.
