I fear for the future of Xing Yi Quan.
When a person comes to a forum like this one asking if the XY practitioners, no matter if they are students or teachers are able to fight, this single fact show us that we are not recognized as fighters anymore, just like Taiji people we are the jokes in the mma gyms and JJ schools. We are the dreamers, the fools, but never the fighters.It's been like this for years now. The situation is more that serious already.
I'm not saying that the practitioners and teachers of Xing Yi have that to abandon itheir tasks and to become athletes, but I affirm that iit s time to seat down and to talk on what it is happening ito our style.
Do not interest me to be critical about Kung Fu in general; I do not practice Kung Fu. I am against the use of a generic term to define hundreds of different styles. I teach and practice Xing Yiquan and it is only about this style that interests me to talk.
I'm not arguing about what's wrong or right, the question is to argue the present and the future of our style.
I know that a lot of people practice internal styles only for health, but in reality Xing Yi is a martial art in its essence. I practice and teach XY as martial art and direct my words here to the people that think as I do.
Some months ago I sent both David and Jarek an e-mail about my idea of creating an International Xing Yiquan Council. I decided to e-mail them just because they were the only people with who I have had some contact over the internet. I believe that only in joining we will be able to spread out and to change people's ideas of what XYQ really is.
Right know,we have a lot of people from other styles, that don't have not even a basic knowledge of XY, but they use their foundation in other styles as a "bridge" to "teach" XY. There are also the guys that go to China, learn forms and go back with certificates. New XYQ "masters" from the Coca-cola culture. Many of them will be in Taiyuan next month.
XYQ has to be recognized as a fighting art, it has also to be independent from other styles or from the "kungfu" term. It needs to be recognized as a single and unique system of martial art, possessing proper name and proper structure. Please think for a moment of the japanese martial arts. They are recognized individually with their independent structures, are recognized by their names. You have karate, aikido, judo, jiujitsu, and so one. You don't have a specific term for the japanese martial arts as we have in "kungfu". In the chinese martial arts, no matter what style or what martial arts you do, you will always be seen as the "kung fu guy". What are the common aspects of Hongjiaquan, Mizongquan or Xingyiquan? Taking off the Chinese origin, nothing.
Time has come to fight for the XYQ style. We can't wash our hands while charlatans throw the XYQ good name in the mud. We can't be the jokes anymore; something has to be done. Only if we join hands and create a structure that supports students and teacher, we can reach this goal. People have to think of us as fighters, not as jokes. We need to be respected.
I don't know if I can do it alone, so I am asking for help.
The time has come. Support us; make a difference.
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