[b]I’m a little shocked by the overwhelmingly negative attitude that’s expressed towards modren Wushu on this forum.
Modern Wushu is not only an excellent tool for developing cordination, strength, agility, focus, and flexibility, but its also a fighting art. I thought such a superb combination of essentials was something that all MAs hope to achieve?
In any case, the ignorance on this forum regarding Wushu is rather saddening.
[/b]
How long have you been studying wushu? I studied with Shi Yan Ming for a couple of years.
LF - you will come to find that there are many people on this list who do not understand what they are really talking about. About everyday there is a this is better then that thread or that really sucks threads. If its your art, someone will attack it at some point. Take it with a grain of salt…
besides Wushu doesnt go to the ground so it cant be a real effective martial art 
I don’t distrespect modern wushu at all, i think its kewl and i love to watch top competitors blast thru their forms.
A lot of people disrespect it for not addressing all the important issues of fighting and self defense adequately…but what martial art is a complete answer? I’ve seen plenty of ‘traditional’ forms that seem highly decorative and superficial too (but i don’t think their all like that..). Many of the critics of modern wushu have big fat holes in their training too!
I’d put my money on a phenomenal wushu athlete over an out of shape traditional guy in a fight…but of course its not just that simple, it all depends on the individuals and a million other variables, depends on the training.
If you enjoy modern wushu, go for it!
Wu Shu is great. Its fighting application is maybe not so apparent as it is in other styles, but most modern people that put too much focus on the fighting applications of martial arts are living somewhat in a fantasy world (or planning on looking for trouble).
The fact is, most peaceful citizens will never be called upon to use serious hand-to-hand. To spend years of your life training for such an event seems excessive for most practitioners. There are plenty of other more relevant reasons for practicing, of which excellent self-defense happens to be a handy benefit.
Even if Wu Shu had absolutely no fighting application, it would still be a worthwhile endeavour.
I have had students cross over from Wu Shu, and I have had students cross to Wu Shu. I can tell you that it is my observation that Wu Shu practitioners adapt to other styles much more easily than the other way around.
Peace,
I agree with LF… wushu people can, if trained properly (ok, many are just forms people) can kick some serious arse. Again saying as always, it really is the practitioner, not always the style. I saw a fight when I lived in NY, it was this wushu guy (an old friend) fight another dude outside a bar. The wushu guy was a specialist in chang chuan, and got the aplications from his sifu as well as the flash competition aspect. He fought some wannabe boxer guy, who, by all means was a good fighter, just had a glass jaw, never made it passed semi-pro status. Well my friend and I were talking about kung fu, and actually the similarities between some of his chang chuan and the form I was learning at the time, similar stances, lines, etc. This boxer dude started talking **** about wushu and would not leave it alone, just kept hounding. Well about 10 minutes before closing the boxer guy came back up to us, and started pushing all my friends buttons. We eventually made our way outside and the boxer guy was there again, but he wanted to bother us some more, after some exchange of plesentries, the boxer guy through a right cross at my friend, which he avoided and proceeded to kick the **** out of this boxer dude in like 10 seconds. A nice front heel kick to the stomach, and a small clutch, then they broke loose when the boxer through a jab that missed and another cross which was blocked, the block turned into this counter that is hard to explain, but not too complicated (step to punch (r.), step again and hip throw). So anyway, my friend the wushu dude won the fight, against a trained fighter. Now, I know that not a lot of wushu people learn the applications and such, but they are out there. Plus, wushu does add an element of quickness. So, after all that rambling, I just wanted to say, some of these wushu guys deserve some kudos.
Wu Shu–root?
Well, I have never practiced WuShu my self. But the history of it is not rooted. Although Wu Shu can try to incorperate other traditional styles into it, but the fact that WuShu can never be compare to a genuin traditional art(not the watered down types).
For the WuShu people I have met, they have no real power, not internal nor external. They post the punch rather than shoot or explode the strikes. I guess there may be other types of WuShu people who will focus on the ShanShou, but that is too fast built, no roots. It will not make much different with TKD besides flowing froms.
Then again, some people like TKD.
And the traiditional art spirit and respect are all dead, they see no value of following it. They only want what they can see in the serfce and grab that as fast as possible.
I still don’t see a deep root in Wu Shu.
i always thought wushu was just a joke.
i had no idea it was actually real.
Correct me if I’m wrong
but isn’t Modern Wushu the chinese government’s attempt to turn kung fu into a national sport, thereby rendering it ineffective as a pure fighting art?
http://www.russbo.com/wushu.htm
I like what doc has to say about the subject, and pretty much agree.
Re: Wu Shu–root?
Originally posted by PaulLin
Well, I have never practiced WuShu my self…
Which pretty much renders the rest of your response irrelevant.
Re: Correct me if I’m wrong
Originally posted by African Tiger
but isn’t Modern Wushu the chinese government’s attempt to turn kung fu into a national sport, thereby rendering it ineffective as a pure fighting art?
Yes, and no.
Originally posted by shaolinboxer
How long have you been studying wushu?
Three years Boxer.
This is the same old same old …
The direction Contemporary Wushu is taking since about 2 years ago is not good. However, if you look at the old Changquan compulsory and compare it to Traditional Zha Quan…they are VERY similar. In fact, there are only 2 or 3 moves in that entire set that are NOT found in a Zha Quan routine.
The fact that those you see do not show or have power and focus says that they are not at the right level. If their teacher does not teach that, this says the teacher is deficient.
Modern Wushu was standardized to allow it to be judged. It was NOT intended to stray so far from Traditional.
The words on the site listed…well saying Gong fu and Wushu as if they are the same idea…
Wrong use of language.
Ni Yo Gong Fu, Ma ? Do you have time. Gong Fu is time and work. Wushu is martial art. If you practice hard - regardless of what style or the age, you are doing GONG FU (time and work).
The real problem is that a number of people who learn Contemporary do not delve into what they are doing and their teachers and the judges do NOT follow the judging guidelines and rules.
If you look at the IWuF rules, they will work for Traditional as well. So…the problem is with the judges and coaches rewarding substandard work.
Questions:
-Do you spar?
-How do you spar?
-Can you do the techniques from your martial art or do you have to borrow from boxing/kickboxing?
Im cool with contemporary wushu as long as they dont claim to be able to do what they cant.
This site is talking so much toss about what wushu is.
http://www.russbo.com/wushu.htm
Wushu is an atrocity cobled together by the chinese government to controle kung fu.
I also object to the modern “Wushu” practitioners hijacking ok the term “wushu”. it belongs to all of us and not to thease wannabe gymnasts.
"Questions:
-Do you spar?
-How do you spar?
-Can you do the techniques from your martial art or do you have to borrow from boxing/kickboxing? "
Funny, the exact same thing has always been asked of Classical Wushu folks…usually in the form of “Why do you train one thing and then look like kickboxing when you fight?”
I don’t think this is a Contemporary vs. Classical thing but more of an issue of people not getting a full set of training. If you choose to specialize in Taolu and never do fighting - regardless of being Classical or Contemporary, I see no problem as long as you are up front about it… If you say “I never trained the applications much because I was more interested in form” no problem at all.
By the same token, I have a problem with those who claim to do Wushu (Meaning Chinese Martial Arts - NOT Contemporary) who can’t do a decent form and who have crummy stance work, no basics… Sorry, but if you are in that category, what you do may be a martial art, a martial sport, or something else…but it is NOT Wushu.
“Im cool with contemporary wushu as long as they dont claim to be able to do what they cant.”
Honesty is a wonderful thing…
If they were doing good forms i would have no problem.
If they knew what the form was for i would have no porblem.
If they admited that they are not infact training in a martial art i would have no problem.
There is so much missing from modern “Wushu” that the practioioners just dont seem to see. The bottom line is that “wushu” or art of war is about fighting ability not gracefull movements or how high you can jump and land in the splits.
I think that modern “wushu” is doing so much damage to CMA and i also think that doing damage to the trad CMA was what “wushu” was developed for.
Ok…Im not saying any more as this is just going round in circles just like the other thread that spawned this one.
The only thing I don’t like about wu shu is that it is called wu shu it should be called something else because the function is not combat but competition so just on that alone why would you think it is real kung fu.Wu shu came from traditional stlyes but now it is only a shadow of real kung fu.A lot of people who want to learn T.M.A might think wu shu is the real thing, so my beef is call it something else like competition arts so people know whats going on.
Originally posted by stonecrusher69
The only thing I don’t like about wu shu is that it is called wu shu it should be called something else because the function is not combat but competition so just on that alone why would you think it is real kung fu.Wu shu came from traditional stlyes but now it is only a shadow of real kung fu.A lot of people who want to learn T.M.A might think wu shu is the real thing, so my beef is call it something else like competition arts so people know whats going on.
[b]Wushu is also about control, physical and mental development, and self defense. Competition is only one aspect of Wushu training.
If people find Wushu more appealing, and choose to practice it over more traditional forms of Chinese martial arts, I don’t see how they’ll be missing out on anything. They’ll be learning traditional AND contempoary forms, both armed, and unarmed, and learning the applications behind them. So really, what are they missing out on?
[/b]