“During the cultrual revolution China effectively BANNED fighting arts. “
This is QUITE true. However, NOT all of the knowledgeable masters died or fled. Modern Wushu was NOT started post Cultural Revolution. It started back in the early 1950’s and people like Wang Ziping were involved in it. In 1960, Traditional and Modenr Wushu were one and the same. The FIRST team to ever demonstrate outside of China was invited to perform in Burma. The men’s head coach I don’t recall. The women’s head coach was Wang Jurong – a 100% traditional Chaquan person. The coach for the entire team was none other than Wang Ziping himself. This selection was NOT one where Wang Jurong was selected because of her father. The actual order was that the decision to go was made, Madame Wang Jurong was selected to coach the women’s team, and then, just a couple of weeks before the trip, they still had not determined who would head the team. The coaches, officials, and entire team all unanimously selected Wang Ziping.
In 1966 The Cultural Revolution started. Prior to that time, the PRC’s government embraced ALL of Wushu. I have photos of Wang Ziping performing Green Dragon Sword for a group of officials…that included Chou Enlai and Mao Tsetung. Given that Wang was a famous traditional master, it is highly doubtful that the grand conspiracy that some put forth existed…otherwise, Wang would have never been at such an event…much less performing.
In fact, after the cultural Revolution, on Wang Ziping’s 100th birthday, there was a celebration and demonstration. He is the ONLY master to ever receive such an honor..and that WAS posthumously.
In 1976, the Cultural Revolution officially ended. The colleges reopened. Now, you have people entering the Sports colleges to study Wushu officially. Unlike previous generations, these students often had NEVER don wushu prior to attending the college (By Wushu, I mean Martial Art…and no specific Contemporary or Traditional). They had no basics. The teachers were also a bit gun shy. They had come off of 10 years where they were forbidden to teach. They were now being told to teach…so they were obviously a bit hesitant about how much to teach and how strict to be with the students.
This has changed somewhat but many of these older masters have retired, died…and some of the new ones date back to this time just after 1976…so their knowledge may be lacking in some areas. But it is NOT all gone.
“Suddenly during the 80s “
Not really SUDDENLY. Jet Li’s Shaolin Temple movie was made in 1978. The Beijing Wushu team performed for Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon…Nixon left office BEFORE 1976. So, the Beijing team was controlled and allowed to train..but that was about it. The re-emergence was a natural progression of what was happening in the 1960’s but with the noted absence of some of the more knowledgeable teachers. Shanghai and Beijing maintained good teachers. In fact, the Beijing contingent tends to be more performance oriented and the Shanghai folks tended to hold to keeping the martial alive and well.
“However it doesnt change the fact that Wushu is an art invented to milk money from spectators - not fighting.”
Aside from the few times that there are teams performing, there is NO money to be had. There are national competitions, local and regional as well in China. If it were about money, NO ONE there has any so it would not happen.
“The reason its alongside Traditional arts is that you often cant get govenment accreditation to teach unless you know the standarised Wushu forms.”
That is to be a professional teacher. There are any number of people teaching privately and in parks…and a number of them bilking unsuspecting foreigners out of money. Some are good and are not. Hit any large park around 7 AM and you will see them.
“I understand its unfair to take the skill element away from wushu practioners. However i dont pretend that i can move like they do and i dont like it when they pretend they can fight like someone who trains specificaly for fighting can.”
If you never train combat, you cannot fight. This applies to people who do Traditional as well. However, given the speed and ability developed in the Modern training, it is much easier to teach them power and timing and combat than those who train Traditional in a halfast way….which is what you see more than often.
“I will give Wushu performers props as fighters when i start seeing some of them actualy performing plausible application work and not simply seeing how many times they can spin in the air or how low they can hold a bow stance.”
Take the stance out of there and I will agree with you….Stance work is basic to Traditional Wushu. The new routines ARE getting strange with the acrobatics…but these are the newest 1999-2001 routines – NOT the ones most people see. The ARE bad routines. But the routines is not the only thing trained. Basics, basics, and more basics… those classes are rough and good for ANY style.
“its fairly obvious Wushu is not designed for combat why bother trying to advertise it as something its not.”
Mainly because you are making generalizations based upon what you think to be the case in China and what may be the case in your area. That is like the 4 blind men and the elephant.
