Is Self Defense a Myth?

[RenDaHai]

But I believe it is not intended for self defense. I believe it is intended for hardening and strengthening a man.

What is it about? Why do they pass down these skills in a Wushu clan? Safety.

Safety. Safety from Injury and illness and the ravages of time through conditioning of the body. Safety from the passions of the self by conditioning of the mind through meditation. Safety from evil men through the martial arts. Safety from Karma by right action. Safety from the ire of others by correct ethics. Safety from punishment by adherence to the laws. Safety, this is the art of the character 'Wu'. This is why it is passed down in civilian homes. Safety is the most important thing for a good life. This is why Wushu is a life skill. Self defence is of course a part of this.

These things are as important today as they ever were. Some things we can modify with the changing times, this is why much of the ancient warfare techniques have not survived so well. But two ordinary people who have a disagreement and fight, that hasn't changed much. Many of the techniques in a style are specifically for this situation. They have stayed the same.

A mistake a lot of people make is to consider these Wushu styles as 'Martial Art'. This is a poor translation. These Clans pass down a collection of skills, not all of the skills are related to Martial Arts. They are a collection of 'Gong' skills. To consider them as a 'Martial art' is not correct as that is only part of the skills passed down.