It's come to my attention lately that the detriment of kung fu is the lack of partner work to the exclusion of forms practice. Why do you think this is? What can be done about it?

We are producing generations of performers, not fighters.

Just about every kung fu technique can be practiced in some kind of partner drill from striking to joint locking. Not all can be practiced at significant speed but even slow practice is useful.

Taiji has pushhands practice which depending on the teacher can be very good.

But I think that this is the reason that "sport" fighters have an advantage. They have clearly established methods for practicing techniques with a living breathing partner in front of them. It is NOT that the techniques themselves are any better.

When you get into weapons the difficulty of practicing with a partner with any semblance of realism becomes greater.

How can we practice these things...ideas?

FP