Mantis 7,
You make some good points in your post. I will try to the best of my limited knowledge to answer what Traditional Kung Fu means to me. Let me say first and foremost this is only my opinion, and if my opinion was combined with a dollar I might be able to buy a chocolate bar.
I have had the oppurtunity to train with Sifus that taught traditional kung fu and others who taught non traditional martial arts and I have always fovoured the ones that taught a more traditional method.
Traditional could be combined with not only learning the martial art but it was also learning more about oneself. When I was younger with no martial arts training I had the tendency to get into fights to prove myself. When I studied non traditional styles, I found the need to prove my self in fighting situations even more. When studying a traditional style I didn’t feel the need to prove anything to anybody!
I came across a Traditional Kung Fu sifu that I wanted to train with and at the begining of the training I was frustrated that I wasn’t learning enough. My sifu would remind me to be patient. I remember his words as if it was yesterday “First learn patience, then humility and then if your lucky you will learn Kung Fu”. I spent endless hours doing horse stance training and learning the proper way of doing our salute. What I eventually noticed in traditional Kung Fu was that every move had a reason. The salute which is taught in many different schools was more than a flamboyant way of saying “Hello, let’s get to it”. It actually became a block, arm break and an attack. There were even moves in our horse stance training that were used as blocks and breaks.
In more non traditional schools that I have noticed, they spend the time to learn the forms but never learn to use them in a sparring or fight situation. These schools would train in the forms but when they started sparring they would revert to something that was more similar to Kick boxing or boxing. In the traditional schools that I trained in - when we sparred we could only use the moves out of our forms!
I also noticed that in non traditional styles, more class time was spent on conditioning and less on technique. Jumping Jacks , push ups, situps, running etc. Yes conditioning is an important part of marial arts, but those type of exercises are just as effective when you are on your own, before class. During class I would rather spend my precious time in class learning techniques, and If I was going to get conditioned, it would be through doing forms and techniques.
I guess what I’m trying to say the most important thing to traditional training is learn the forms and then learn how to use them in a self defense manner without reverting to a kickboxing or other style of fighting.
There are other things that I find make a traditional school. In the modern world so much emphasis is put on fighting when learning kung fu, and though I agree that Fighting and defending yourself is a major part of Kung Fu there are other aspects that are nearly as important to a full kung Fu system. The cultivation of Chi, Acupressure, Herbology, bone setting, Lion Dance and certain rules of respect in the kung fu world. (ie: showing respect at a meal by not eating before your sifu does, having the proper documents and permission in place when visiting another sifu etc.)
These forms, techniques and procedures that have been passed down for hundreds of years for me to learn and eventually pass down to my students (when and if I am able to teach them) is what I consider as Traditional Kung Fu.
I some times get frustrated when I see schools say that they teach Traditional Kung Fu, because they teach forms, but they never learn to use those forms in a practical manner. But if it works for them and they enjoy doing what they do, then all the power to them.
Is Traditional Kung fu for everybody - definetely not. I have met some great fighters that aren’t traditionalist and I don’t look down at them. Many of them are great guys and good friends of mine and I would not want to meet any of them in a fight unless they were on my side.
Now that I’ve rambled on for way to long, I would like to invite you and everybody else (that wants to) to say what Traditional Kung Fu means to them. I am sure that not everybody will agree with me, but that’s what creates healthy debate and sharing of knowledge.
Peace out!!
) : If a teacher adds a different warm up, different sparring methods, different conditioning etc it didn´t mean he changed the art and style and make it a non traditional!