Take your pick: which will be the most practiced Kung Fu styles 5, 10, and 20 years from now?
TKD, BJJ and JKD.
It depends on who can get a market share, either through competition or media exposure.
Personally, seeing the interest in San Shou that’s begining to build, and the acclaim afforded Tim Cartmell’s students, I think that the Internals will begin to get a huge chunk of students 20 years from now. Once CMAs get into venues that offer them respect and exposure outside of the little circle, then it’s anyone’s guess how big they get.
In 10 years, I think that Taiji will make a serious showing as a “respectable” art, especially as a new generation of students begins to teach. I believe that Shuai Chiao can start making some gains through competition and willingness to test against outside disciplines as well in this time period.
But then again, I’m a little biased. 
This is a great question, Keith.
Hehehehe… whats the most commonly practiced style in the US?
coughcoughcough
<—
:rolleyes:
But yes, Id think tai chi may make a little more of a movement towards the limelight, and most likely san shou.
IMO, the style that will adjust to the demands of the paying public.
TJQ is already popular but I can’t really see the martial side getting such an increase in students.
Joe Public for the most part is happy paying for an illusion and enjoy being deceived, not really interested in investing hard work and sweat in mastering a martial style.
The certs and cool-looking Uniforms and poses are more important as it elevates him above his friends and colleagues.
Just some thoughts.
Originally posted by Shaolin-Do
Hehehehe… whats the most commonly practiced style in the US?
coughcoughcough
<—
:rolleyes:
Little crappy Japanese cars are probably the most commonly driven too, but that’s because they’re cheap, throwaway, easy and attainable compared to other cars.
Of course, they are also far from the best cars available.
Caveat emptor springs to mind.
It does bother me, however, that the MA equivalent (naming no names!) is likely to spread enormously because today’s society wants instant gratification and bang for the buck and all that bullsh!t.
This threads not about whats the most bad ass style on earth.
“which will be the most practiced Kung Fu styles 5, 10, and 20 years from now?”
By sheer number of pratitioners, like it or not, its going to be Shaolin-Do.
Originally posted by Shaolin-Do
By sheer number of pratitioners, like it or not, its going to be Shaolin-Do.
Not.
That was the point of my post. Yet another Americanisation that is likely to spread like a virus across the world.
Mind you, you’re talking from an American-centric point of view anyway there, as am I. SD is huge in the instant pleasure country of America but virtually unheard of anywhere else.
Globally I would imagine that the most practised style is Wing Chun (in it’s many variations) and I would guess that it would continue to be so. There are also tens of thousands of students globally of Choy Lee Fut, Hung Gar, Shaolin Longfist, Bagua, Xingyi, Taiji, etc. It would be interesting to get some figures on how many people around the world practise what, but those figures would be impossible to accurately attain.
So long as stuff like SD stays in America I’m sure the rest of the world won’t give a flying f!
Rogue: TKD, BJJ and JKD.
kung fu styles?
:rolleyes:
edit: ahh, a joke.
WC and Taiji are the most popular CMA styles in the world. And I think they will continue to be so.
Little crappy Japanese cars are probably the most commonly driven too, but that’s because they’re cheap, throwaway, easy and attainable compared to other cars.
Actually, little Japanese cars are affordable and well constructed. They’re easily attainable because they sell a decent product at an affordable price that people know they will get some real use out of.
That was the point of my post. Yet another Americanisation that is likely to spread like a virus across the world.
Oh, like the McDonald’s that people worldwide keep stuffing in their faces, the Levi’s they buy and the Nike’s they put on their feet? Not our fault. Please forgive us dirty Americans from selling things to people that they want. Don’t get ****ed just because the rest of the world can’t stomach Vegemite.
SD is huge in the instant pleasure country of America but virtually unheard of anywhere else.
Really? First, perhaps SD has been successful thanks to good marketing and a coherent lesson plan–not to mention commercial availability, vice the TCMA culture which seems to prefer the idea of a super-secret, closed door kwoon. The good news is that human nature really likes instant pleasure so it’s not just an American trait. Everybody is looking for the easy way. I mean, that is, everybody but “us.” After all, certainly “my” peer group isn’t looking for the easy way out. Just “everybody else.”
So long as stuff like SD stays in America
It won’t. If it can be successfully exported, it will be.
WC and Taiji are the most popular CMA styles in the world. And I think they will continue to be so.
Very likely true!
I’d like to point out that I’m not defending what I consider to be SD’s somewhat suspect lineage claims. I’m taking specific issue with:
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The idea that “instant gratification” is somehow an American trait. It’s a human trait. American’s just happen to have the wealth to indulge that trait.
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The idea that American stuff is somehow being forced down people’s throats.
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The idea that SD’s success is somehow a byproduct of uniquely U.S. foibles. I just went to the DC metro area website for Shaolin-Do. It’s slick. I suspect that if their business is run with the same sense of organization and discipline, then it’s quite successful.
Little crappy Japanese cars are probably the most commonly driven too, but that’s because they’re cheap, throwaway, easy and attainable compared to other cars.
The SD to jap cars analogy is a poor one. No matter how you look at it japaneses cars are still cars, but is SD a martial art?
As for the most popular kunf fu styles in 20 years time.
In the UK at least I can see wing chun getting much bigger. I would love to be able to say that san shou will be big but there seems to be a huge resistance to anything that involves full contact in the kung fu world here.
How many SD schools are there?
It won’t. If it can be successfully exported, it will be.
I can tell you right now that SD would be considered a joke in my city. They would have a hard time with all MA/MMA/boxers/whatever comming there to laugh at them and maybe act up something. I’d probebly be one of them too but that’s not the point.
Hehehehe… whats the most commonly practiced style in the US?
Besides the fact that Taiji is probably the most widely practiced martial art in America, I think the USSD has a better shot than SD at increasing their marketability and consumer level interest. Once Sin The’ dies, his super-secret styles will be gone, but DeMasco has people helping him, and isn’t relying on super-secret hidden forms to generate interest in his style.
By sheer number of pratitioners, like it or not, its going to be Shaolin-Do.
Sorry, but Tai Chi’s got you beat by at least a couple million allready Besides, technically SD isn’t a style is it?
USSD is not the strat of that style. Villari had 300 schools before it broke up. You have USSD, Fred Bagley has a small chain, and all the others who broke off and opened a couple schools
Demasco and Villari have the one desire to open as many schools as possible. Back in 1990 Villari had 300, then the split. Sice then both have been expanding.
Now take all the other guys who left to go on their own, opend 3 more schools in their little area.
Then take all the Black belts all of them produce who go and open under thier own name.
They are producing literally hunderds of black belts every year.
USSD?
United Studios of Self-Defense. The 2 guys you always see pimping Shaolin (Kempo) in Black Belt magazine.