Originally Posted by
Miqi
In statistics there's a problem called the denominator/numerator problem, which is when one set of statistics is compared against another set of statistics, but each was actually collected by a different method, rendering the final figures suspect. Similarly, it's difficut to compare the training of people in the past, with their poor diets, poor health care, need to do back-breaking, long hours of hard work etc., with professional level atheltes in modern times, who have access to really great, scientific diets, training and methods. You would have to hold those factors constant - i.e. assume that they were the same for both - before assessing whether there are any training principles in the old ways which are useful. Or, you'd have to consider the needs of the old wushu guys, compared to their capacity to achieve a good level. In that case, maybe their stuff was the best it could be at that time.