I think fist patterns are the bane of modern day gung fu.
Too many students are more interested in learning as many patterns as possible. Too much time and effort is placed on fist patterns. Too many kwoons (business operators) realise the demand (interest) and revenue potential (falls in line with belt ranking systems - tests) for having a great variety of patterns (hand and weapons) to offer. Too many teachers and students alike accept as true that fist patterns and reality do not correlate - we train one way but fight another??!??
I'm sorry, but if most of the above is true, then why the H E double L are we spending so much time dancing? And IMNSHO, gung fu attracts in greater numbers a certain breed of person that the other MAs do not - more than likely due to an unrealistic idea of what gung fu is based on waay to many movies and story books. And 87% of the kwoons out there feed into this perception.
And although I agree, fist patterns are a great way to exercise, and if used properly can be a cup half-full in a students progression. But come on! For a great number of folks, there's a hole in dat cup Dear Liza.
So, are fist patterns the curse of modern day gung fu?
Of course then there are those who are not 'in' to gung fu for the fighting aspects, but can't do the splits or fly like crazed squirrels so wushu is out. Some go to what I call 'modern taiqi'. The majority are sucked into the brothels of 'authentic CMA- Yessss. Pwease. Come in. I teach 5 diifrent Traditional CMAs. I be Massster in All. I have my plane ticket of authenticity to prove. Come. We get you nice ssssssilk authentic Traditonal CMA uniform with bwack sash. See Mr. Smith. He sign you up. Sign on dotted line. Oh, and please make your check payable to Mi Suk Yuen.
nospam.