How real traditional kung fu was taught?

[jmd161]

The more you learn about CMA the more you realize you don't know. You hear and see so many different things... you don't know what is truth or fiction anymore. The more I train with my sifu, who is very traditional. The more I see the way we've come to visualize CMA and it's training methods are completely wrong.

In 99% of CMA schools the students are taught forms and very little time, if any, is spent on actual application. If any sparring is done, it's usually a badly taught half ass basic kick boxing method. Many people some how believe that learning this way is traditional and one day they will some how see everything clearly.

When you look at today's kung fu schools you see two separate methods being taught. In the majority of schools you see the forms with little application, and then there's the schools that teach Sanshou. Of course then comes the debate on who's traditional the forms collectors or the sanshou people?

The truth of the matter is they're both traditional, but lacking in certain areas. In speaking with old timers from Hong Kong and China traditional CMA is Sanshou and forms taught together, but, only after you've learned some Sanshou to defend yourself. In today's CMA they openly teach you forms but offer no substance after you learn a form. Usually after learning one form you're pushed to start learning the next form and so on.

This brings up a question my sifu asked me.

" People want to make lots of money off teaching Chinese martial arts, but they choose to teach crap...Why Not teach the real thing and show it actually works and make even more money?"

Good question, I can't seem to come up with a good answer though...


jeff