[QUOTE=rett2;1300452]Danger Will Robinson!
(that dummy around 0:30)[/QUOTE]
Can you CLF fellows critique that dummy video ? I have no reference to compare to personally. All I can say is run for him and get a gun. That dudes a spaz.
He looks really good to me. I guess some may call things like some strike was not perfect form and crap but all in all. WOW.
[QUOTE=boxerbilly;1300453]Can you CLF fellows critique that dummy video ? I have no reference to compare to personally. All I can say is run for him and get a gun. That dudes a spaz.
He looks really good to me. I guess some may call things like some strike was not perfect form and crap but all in all. WOW.[/QUOTE]
Very good dummy work. I believe that’s Chan Family CLF.
What actual technical difference is there in Kung fu as opposed to other martial arts? What makes it special in this practical sense?
Emotion, spirit, faith and virtue. Acceptance of human nature.
Please, team, suspend your ridicule for just a moment while I have my say;
The great fallacy of modern martial arts is this; Theoretical courage.
MA instructors assume anyone can just strike their opponent full-power without any mental hesitation. Without any psychological barriers.
All most MA teach is the most aggressive techniques, the techniques which, when objectively assessed, cause the most damage. But this is MAD. It is mad because we are psychological beings. You want to HARM another human being? Fine, but do you have the psychological capacity to do so? Ahahah, in my experience 9/10 people do not, not even when in danger. What about them, the forgotten majority? What should they practice? How should they defend themselves?
Fights are won by MOTIVATION.
In order to cause HARM to another human being, we REQUIRE violent motivation. It is not an option. If you TRY to hurt another person and you do NOT possess violent motivation then you will fail, moreover you will actively hurt yourself. What if you don’t have it? All of those techniques that require violent motivation are not merely useless, they will actively endanger you. You will be unable to carry through your technique but not before you reveal your design to your opponent. You will FEED his Motivation all the while sapping your own. Can you summon murderous intent from nowhere? Certainly sometimes you will have it, but can it be relied upon?
Kung fu has this power. It has the ability to DIFFUSE strength, not just physical strength but emotional strength. Violent momentum. That is its power. That is its strategy.
Many MA’s assume the path to victory is to DOMINATE your opponent. And in ‘the ring’ this is true. But in reality? Not at all! You ‘win’ simply by denying your opponent victory. And there are 10,000 ways to do that, while there is only one way to dominate him. Kung fu does not rely on domination. It is unromantic but practical.
Through acceptance of human nature Kung fu has unique strategy, its just that this strategy is unimpressive, and when it succeeds you will not notice that it has done anything at all. It is not good for competitive combat, but for the ordinary civilian trying to lead the good-life, it is indispensable.
RenDaHai . that was a great post.
I agree with everything you wrote. But I suggest that many and maybe all can be found in many MMA gyms. Boxing Gyms. Etc. Most will never be champions. They train it for other reasons. Most coaches are genuinely great people. Worthy of the title of Master because they often impart far more than just fighting. They share life wisdom too. Teach victory in life. Most people miss that part. Most people are young and there for one reason. Later they learn they are not ever going to be good enough. In a world where everyone is a winner. These places teach you that that is not always true. Accept it and find the battles you can over come outside the gym to be a winner.
I like your post, RDH.
Regarding theoretical courage, I will say you never know how you will react, nor how much motivation you’re capable of, until or unless you’re in an actual, life-threatening situation involving an attacker(s). People can surprise you. Sometimes the person you’d least expect will react like a tiger, while a big, athletic person might panic. It all depends on context.
CMA is not just about flexibility of action technique-wise, but also mental flexibility. This includes the ability to recognize potential dangers before they occur and avoid them. Trusting your instincts and acting accordingly, instead of just marching headfirst into a bad situation because you think your initial intuition is too ‘silly’ and ‘woo-woo’ to trust. This also works for things not involving fighting or self-defense. Finding alternate ways to your goal if one way isn’t working, as opposed to doggedly doing the same thing over and over without getting results. Just like good kung fu technique.
These are not necessarily unique to kung fu, though. Many street people have these types of instincts. But in most people, these things must be practiced and developed.
rendahai where can I meet some of those gentle rabbit like Europeans that cannot bring themselves to hurt other humans, plz introduce me
@Bawang
Oh you won’t find any, Kung fu is a Chinese martial art.
@Boxer
Certainly those things, faith and virtue etc. can be found in every gym, that is what people are necessarily like. But Kung fu actually technically contains specific strategies to use when in the ‘receptive’ mindset. Strategies, techniques and principles of retreat and reaction which a lot of MA do not go so deeply into, and I think that is partly where it is unique.
@Jimbo
Absolutely, I agree. You never know how you will react. But you also can’t entirely rely on how you have reacted previously. The same person will react differently in different situations and in different seasons. If you fight protecting your children you will be capable of things that you won’t when you fight because someone has stolen your parking space. If you fight when you are depressed you will fight differently than when your angry. If you fight when you have done something wrong you will fight differently than when you are righteous. The difference is the context as you say. The psychological content.
@All,
Let me add I am not suggesting one should DELIBERATELY enter this mindset. Or that Kung fu is always passive. If you DO have violent motivation, by all means use it, and all Kung fu styles have plenty of techniques for that too. All I mean is that it cannot be RELIED upon. And a lot of MA training assumes it as though there is no other way.
People will tell you when you fight you enter a ‘fight or flight’ mode of instinct. But in my experience this is not entirely true. There is no ‘or’. You experience both in the course of a single fight, sometimes alternating several times. Anger and fear manifest back and forth like breathing in and out. Why try to control them? Both have equal use.
Strength defeats what is not its equal, when it encounters its equal it is neutralized. Pliability defeats what exceeds itself and so its power cannot be measured
[QUOTE=RenDaHai;1300468]What actual technical difference is there in Kung fu as opposed to other martial arts? What makes it special in this practical sense?
Emotion, spirit, faith and virtue. Acceptance of human nature.
Please, team, suspend your ridicule for just a moment while I have my say;
The great fallacy of modern martial arts is this; Theoretical courage.
MA instructors assume anyone can just strike their opponent full-power without any mental hesitation. Without any psychological barriers.
All most MA teach is the most aggressive techniques, the techniques which, when objectively assessed, cause the most damage. But this is MAD. It is mad because we are psychological beings. You want to HARM another human being? Fine, but do you have the psychological capacity to do so? Ahahah, in my experience 9/10 people do not, not even when in danger. What about them, the forgotten majority? What should they practice? How should they defend themselves?
Fights are won by MOTIVATION.
In order to cause HARM to another human being, we REQUIRE violent motivation. It is not an option. If you TRY to hurt another person and you do NOT possess violent motivation then you will fail, moreover you will actively hurt yourself. What if you don’t have it? All of those techniques that require violent motivation are not merely useless, they will actively endanger you. You will be unable to carry through your technique but not before you reveal your design to your opponent. You will FEED his Motivation all the while sapping your own. Can you summon murderous intent from nowhere? Certainly sometimes you will have it, but can it be relied upon?
Kung fu has this power. It has the ability to DIFFUSE strength, not just physical strength but emotional strength. Violent momentum. That is its power. That is its strategy.
Many MA’s assume the path to victory is to DOMINATE your opponent. And in ‘the ring’ this is true. But in reality? Not at all! [SIZE=7]You ‘win’ simply by denying your opponent victory[/SIZE]. And there are 10,000 ways to do that, while there is only one way to dominate him. Kung fu does not rely on domination. It is unromantic but practical.
Through acceptance of human nature Kung fu has unique strategy, its just that this strategy is unimpressive, and when it succeeds you will not notice that it has done anything at all. It is not good for competitive combat, but for the ordinary civilian trying to lead the good-life, it is indispensable.[/QUOTE]
Ok, yes I can see the rationale behind this post and furthermore; AHEM (as I adjust my shirt collar and tie), in reference to the section of enlarged text, my 1st quote for the last 10 yrs has had this sentiment.
Where have y’all been?
The various Kung’s make it unique.
Theory of Courage
The great fallacy of modern martial arts is this; Theoretical courage.
MA instructors assume anyone can just strike their opponent full-power without any mental hesitation. Without any psychological barriers.
All most MA teach is the most aggressive techniques, the techniques which, when objectively assessed, cause the most damage. But this is MAD. It is mad because we are psychological beings. You want to HARM another human being? Fine, but do you have the psychological capacity to do so? Ahahah, in my experience 9/10 people do not, not even when in danger. What about them, the forgotten majority?
Immediately thought of this scene from The Unforgiven.
[QUOTE=Cataphract;1300367]I’m curious, what (if anything) makes KungFu unique? What is in your opinion the essence of KungFu?
Why has it been disseminated world wide?[/QUOTE]
Many different styles and systems of Kungfu, in China you can find real strange kungfu systems or family styles. But you have Shaolin north and south and many lineages born out of that. Southern Kungfu: Wing Chun, Choy Li Fut, Hung Gar Kungfu, Ng Ying Kungfu , Pak Mee Pai, Pai Lum Kungfu and others
