Wushu vs Wushu

Identifying traditional Chinese martial arts from Modern Wushu can be difficult for someone new to the pursuit. What is often shown in cinemas and on television is modern Sport Wushu; yet the general public don’t realise that this has more in common with modern gymnastics than traditional Chinese martial arts.

Since the 1950’s the Chinese government has taken it upon itself to interfere with traditional Chinese martial arts by standardising, simplifying and modifying forms of many of the styles for the purpose of encouraging competition and promoting the health benefits of these arts. As a result, a significant amount of confusion has arisen- from the general public though to ardent students of Chinese martial arts themselves. Adding to this confusion is the Government electing to label the modern-day martial- sport “Wushu”(lit Martial Art); and oxy-moron in the most pure sense.

Some key differences between Sport Wushu and TCMA:

Sport Wushu:

• is primarily focussed on developing technical ability in difficult routines, as well as aesthetic beauty and poise. In TCMA, the emphasis is on developing fighting prowess.
• forms almost always include run-up’s (akin to Gymnastic Floor Events) before executing a series of aerial techniques. In TCMA, there are no run ups.
• is typically void of all but the most elementary of fighting applications.

The objective of Sport Wushu is to win points by exhibiting the lowest of stances, fastest of manoeuvres and most technically challenging of routines; cleanly and focussed. There is no requirement to develop internal power, understand the martial art application or study the martial virtues (Wu De / Mo Duk) that accompany TCMA. Hence, sport Wushu is like a beautifully decorated, but completely empty vase.

The objective of TCMA is, when necessary, to fight. Period. It was never for health or exercise benefit, points, trophy’s or winning. Sure, many who train in TCMA talk about the health and well-being benefits however these are, and always have been considered by-products of good, regular and consistent training.

Some people might think they see similarities between the two. For example, strong low stances could be considered a common element of Sport Wushu and TCMA. This kind of reasoning shows inordinate attention on the superficial aspects of TCMA training. In Sport Wushu, strong and low stances are to impress judges and win points. In TCMA strong stances allow the legs to relax and generate energy up to the body for the purpose of fighting. Therefore in TCMA the legs (stances) are developed in a more functional way than with Sport Wushu training which can be thought of as one dimensional, for aesthetics and to win points.

Consider for example, the 42 Competition Tai Chi form –the standard Wushu competition form which combines movements drawn from the Yang, Wu, Chen, and Sun styles of traditional Tai Chi Chuan. It was created in 1989 by Li De Yin for the Chinese Government’s Sports Committee. The techniques within the form are borrowed from traditional styles however I doubt whether any of the founding teachers in those styles would be able (or inclined) to perform the techniques in the manner prescribed by the Chinese Sports Committee. The emphasis and purpose of the movements within the 42 form are focussed on developing physical athleticism alone, totally void of the internal doctrines that make tai chi chuan an effective Chinese martial art.

Finding a good teacher and school

In 2009 I found myself living abroad and a long way from home. To help keep me motivated and maintain a regular training programme, I accepted a few students and taught them basics. At the end of that year I returned home, however not before helping one of my students find another teacher in which to continue his kung fu training; he was quite a committed student, and so it was the least I could do to help him out.

A few months prior to my departure, I encouraged my student to visit local kung fu schools and instructors, reporting back to me his findings and experiences. I would research whatever information I could find (normally online) and together we would put the pieces of the puzzle together for each option. Through this process, we stumbled across some questionable instructors and engaged with some very good teachers as well. In the end, we found a reputable school and teacher who came across as open and sincere. Sensing that this particular Sifu would be wondering why my student had suddenly 'walked through his door', I contacted him explaining my students predicament, endorsing his sincerity and keen interest in Chinese martial arts. Soon after, I met (and briefly trained with) one of this Sifu’s intermediate level students who impressed as an honest and decent person with a sound grounding in the fundamentals of his style. I returned home content that my student had found a decent school in which to continue his training.

This short article offers some thoughts on how to find a good kung fu teacher and school.

The Internet Age has revolutionised the way the martial arts community connect. As with most things in life, there are benefits and drawbacks, and while the internet has certainly helped to connect martial artists from the four corners of the globe, it has also given birth to a whole new breed of “Online Kung Fu Grandmaster Professors”. Finding a teacher has indeed become easier thanks to the internet, however finding a good teacher has become equally more difficult.

Here are some pointers to help students identify a good martial arts teacher and school:

• Research the teacher, the teachers teacher and their style. Good sources of information include the internet, books, the friends (word of mouth).

• Politely ask if you can attend one of their classes. Participation is important because it gives you insight into the class structure from a students perspective.

• Pay attention to the way students interact with one another. Is it a polite, friendly and supportive environment or are new students left wondering around looking lost. Do the senior students look after the beginners or do they intimidate? In a good school, there should be cohesiveness that binds students and teacher together like a 'family of friends'.

• A good school that has been operating for five or more years should be starting to produce some good quality students. If not, beware. It could mean high student turnover which is a red flag for something not quite right in the school. If students with 2 years experience are teaching beginners, again, beware. It takes several years to acquire the basics and then even more to perfect them to a level worthy of teaching others.

• As you observe the class in session, are the senior students ‘heads and shoulders’ above the beginners? Can you see a definite progression between senior, intermediate and junior level students? This clear progression of level should be easily observable in any good school.

• Is the school a commercial operation or is it not for profit? There are good schools in both camps however it pay's to find this out early, particularly if you are on a limited budget. Even the most traditional of Commercial schools need to make a living and there is generally only one way to do this - by selling. I have also known not for profit schools that teach rubbish. A commercial school does not necessarily infer lesser quality instruction, only that there is an additional motif for the schools existence to consider.

• A big part of martial arts is learning how to fight, and the closest and most safest way schools can simulate this is by contact sparring. Sparring is a training tool to stress test skills learnt, it is not fighting. Fighting is what you might see on the street or in a bar between two people who want to 'knock each others head off'. Sparring should be controlled, respectful but challenging enough for both combatants to gain valuable personal insights from. If the school does not participate in sparring then ask why. If the reason sounds 'flowery' (e.g. our techniques are too dangerous) then perhaps find another school or ask if they intend to bring sparring in and when. Otherwise, you may need to find a school that does encourage sparring.

On MMA

The advent of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as a combative sport is the latest fashion in the modern martial arts world. I don’t begrudge those who pursue this sport, only to caution that recent research by Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden has shown that repeated hits to the head are potentially damaging to the central nervous system (no surprises there). Furthermore, injuries which are not treated or given time to heal properly accumulate, ultimately resulting in permanent impairment. While I enjoy watching MMA bouts, particularly for the skill and precision of a good ground game, I must admit that I lose interest when one fighter starts pounding the other’s head into the canvass. In the interest of safety, this barbaric practice should be banned from the MMA game outright.

Chasing Rabbits

An all too common phenomena in today’s modern martial arts world are students who concurrently train under multiple teachers across multiple martial art styles. I have never really understood the reason for this as martial arts, has never really came naturally for me. Learning one style is challenging enough, I could not imagine how difficult it would be to learn two or more.

I don’t deny that there will be a select few people who are talented enough to learn multiple martial arts concurrently, and to a proficient level. I am not talking about these individuals. Teachers, like students, thrive on motivation and there is nothing more motivating to a teacher than having a motivated student. A student who asks questions, researches the history and tradition of the art and focuses on their teacher’s guidance. Conversely, students who spread themselves too thin by learning multiple styles from multiple teachers, reduce their energy available for any one style. Commitment to training in each style is diluted, as is commitment to their teacher. This may de-motivate the teacher’s willingness to teach the student, leading to a divestment in their commitment to the student over time. Why would a teacher commit their valuable time and energy to a student that has not shown the same commitment in return? Especially when there are other students who are committed.

I do believe that reduced commitment from the student does result in reduced commitment from the teacher (i.e transmission of the art from teacher to student will exponentially reduce over time). The real tragedy occurs when that same student, unready and without their teachers blessing, branches out and teaches the uninformed public. This is watering down the style.

Contrary to what some may say, there have been very few martial art teachers in history who were very proficient in more one style. Certainly, if you look back over history and count the number of such talented martial art teachers who possessed excellent skills in more than one style, it would not be proportionate to the number of “partial artists” in today’s’ modern world. Jigoro Kano, Morihei Ueshiba, Gichin Funakoshi, Choi Hong Hi, Yang Lu Chan, Wu Chien Chuan and Wong Yan Lam were (are) all highly regarded for their proficiency in just one style.

I liken the practice of learning multiple arts concurrently as chasing more than one rabbit. A person who chases two (or more) rabbits catches none. The solution is to catch one before turning your attention to catch the other.

When Less is More

I was recently asked how one is supposed to excel in Hung Gar given that there are so many forms out there? Furthermore, if one is to specialise in say only some of those forms, then which one’s are best to focus on?

The answer to this depends on what the teacher and student intend to get out of their training. Forms are ultimately, a collection of techniques unified by an established sequence and infused with principles.

If the purpose of learning kung fu is just to fight, then forms practice would not be a key focus of your training*. Certainly, you could break down techniques and ideas in those forms for the purpose of training to fight, but then why learn the forms in the first place, why not just learn paired drills instead?

Indeed, beyond a hundred or so years ago, forms training was rare. Forms are a relatively modern phenomena that have evolved over the last few generations. I believe that the reason the Hung Gar style has so many forms is partly because of it’s popularity, and in particular, the vast number of people that the art has passed down through over recent generations; naturally with each generation of teachers; new forms are added. Choy Lei Fut is another good example of this phenomena where there are a countless number of forms.

Back to the question of how one is suppose to excel in all of Hung Gar’s forms, the simple answer is that one is not. The key is to identify those forms which match your training goals. While there is definitely an over-lap between forms, it is fair to say that each has it’s specialty. In the Hung Gar that I am familiar with we begin with, two basic Four Directional forms (Sei Mun Kuen and Lau Gar Kuen). Next is Wu Deep Jeung, Fu Hok Sheung Ying Kuen, Tiet Sin Kuen and Sup Saam Cheung Gwun. That’s six forms in total which are spread out over the course of between 8-10 years depending on the student’s commitment. The selection of forms that we study is also a function of the other lead style we train, Hap Gar Kuen. I have no doubt that if we only trained Hung Gar, then our Sifu would have taught us more forms from this style, however, as our system aims to develop both styles concurrently, having too many forms in any one style would upset the balance that our Sifu sets out to achieve.

Forms training is an interesting and rewarding way to teach and learn Chinese martial arts. It provides a medium to communicate techniques and principles in a pre-defined, codified manner that then enables students to take-away drill and study in-depth.

There are people who ‘collect forms’, training them ‘superficially’ where little thought is given to what the techniques mean and the ideas contained within the set. I don’t begrudge people who do this as there are many who see forms as exercise or enjoyable past time. I do hope however that these people understand that they are only training the ‘skin and bones’ of the form, and that without a deeper understanding, should not teach those forms under the guise of martial arts; lest the end result will be nothing short of a performance dance routine and a watered down martial art.

* The exception to this would be forms that seek to develop the internal energies required for efficient fighting. For example the Hung Gar form- Tiet Sin Kuen or Wuzuquan - Saam Jin Kuen form.

The Softness within Hung Gar kung fu

Introduction


I recently met a Sifu who studies tai chi and wing chun kung fu, and over lunch, we discussed the energy inherent in the Hung Gar style of kung fu. While the popular misconception of this style is that it belongs to the external family of Chinese martial arts (often labelled a ‘hard’ style), we both agreed that Hung Gar’s energy is essentially driven by ‘soft’ forces that make the style very effective when developed to a high level.


The purpose of this brief article is to introduce some of my personal thoughts on Hung Gar’s soft energy to others for consideration. As is the case with most ideas that underpin the martial arts, the thoughts contained herein are a ‘work in progress’ and will no doubt change as my own understanding develops and matures over time.


I must emphasise that I not an expert in Hung Gar and nor do I believe that I have successfully acquired or fully understood all of the concepts discussed below. While I train in Hung Gar, I consider myself, at best, a keen learner, someone who enjoys meeting and training with others who share similar interests in the pugilistic arts. Constructive criticism and feedback are, as always, welcome.


Soft and Hard As One


A common maxim in traditional Chinese based martial arts is that there is softness within hardness and there is hardness within softness. In Hung Gar, much of what is seen appears, outwardly at least, to be hard.


My experience of learning this art is that there are both hard and soft components; with the later revealing itself to me once I had trained the former over many years. I was fortunate that my teacher propagated the development of hardness and softness together from the day I began learning from her.


On one of my first lessons with her, I was duly humbled with the obvious ease at which she dispatched of me in Da-Saam-Sing training, the forearm conditioning set common across many southern fist schools. Despite 15 years of previous martial arts training, my forearms were no match for my teacher- a middle aged woman who, while being twice my age, was only half my size. Indeed, the pain which she inflicted was felt inside the bone. As we ‘knocked arms’, she did not flinch and appeared to be completely relaxed every time our arms clashed. She later told me that I lacked the conditioning required in Hung Gar and that only once I had ‘trained my forearms’, could I then learn to relax without the distraction and tension of pain. This was my first introduction to Hung Gar’s soft energy.


Buried within that initial lesson, is an idea that resonates strongly throughout my training to this day. Just as leg strength (an external component) is required for good Tai Chi Chuan, physical conditioning is a pre-requisite for good Hung Gar. Only once a good level of conditioning had been acquired, could I begin to focus on and explore the soft energy within the style.


In the way that softness in Hung Gar does not translate to flaccidity, similarly, hardness does not translate to rigidity. In fact, in Hung Gar, hard and soft energies are two extremes along a continuum in which we never want to reach. The external aspects of Hung Gar must be directed by internal doctrines; and it is only through the successful balancing of both, which changes depending on the opponent, that genuine power can be achieved. Therefore, in Hung Gar, we say that soft controls the hard and never the opposite.


To help illustrate this point, I will outline some of the basic components of hard and soft as it relates to my own study Hung Gar kung fu. This list is by no means exhaustive and is merely included as a way of illustrating the relationship between hard and soft in Hung Gar.


Some Basic Components of ‘Hardness’


Physical Conditioning


Physical conditioning refers to preparing the skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, tissues and bones for the strenuous engagement of combat. The fundamental goal in conditioning is to improve the Hung Gar student’s ability to withstand blows and to inflict considerable damage on their opponents; without causing damage to him or herself. Paired drills and training apparatus are combined with proper medicinal remedies (such as dit-da-jao or ‘hit fall wine’) to toughen the skin and dissipate any bruising. Physical conditioning also refers to stamina and strength training to ensure that the body is physically fit and able to engage in fierce combat at a moment’s notice.




Strength and Structure


The goal is to develop the naturalness in the postures and technique that are controlled by the geometry of the Hung Gar student’s skeletal structure. Muscular strength is important only so far as being able to maintain the structural integrity of the body for any given posture, transition or technique required. Dedicated training and high levels of improving repetition will help the student to develop the strength required. Strength should be thought of as the channel (for example a pipe) to which energy (water) can flow through, rather than the source of the energy itself. If the pipe is weak, broken or cracked, the energy will not flow efficiently.


Flexibility


In Hung Gar, flexibility refers to the absolute range of motion in a joint or succession of joints, as well as the length of the muscles that cross the joints. The Hung Gar student’s ability to maintain and transition through postures is enhanced by improving and maintaining a good range of movement in the joints and muscles.


Many factors need to be considered when establishing flexibility for the Hung Gar student: joint structure, ligaments, tendons, muscles, skin, tissue injury, fat (or adipose) tissue, body temperature, age and gender all influence an individual's range of motion about a joint.


Some Basic Components of ‘Softness’


Relaxation


In order to execute a technique effectively, the student has to be relaxed. A technique has to be balanced with relaxation and contraction of opposing groups of muscles. Without the noise and distraction of tension, the relaxed student gains a heightened awareness of the opponent’s intent by ‘listening to their energy’.
By being relaxed, the student adapts to antagonistic stimulus more efficiently and can transition between and execute techniques more capably. Physical relaxation is cumulated in the mind and is expressed through effectual technique. The difficulty in learning to relax is that the very notion of remembering (or being told) to relax, by default, fosters tension; the most efficient method of learning to relax is through diligent training under the guidance of a good teacher.


Breathing


Proper breathing refers to inhaling and exhaling from the dan tien- the Chinese term that represents the “centre” of the human body which is located two to three inches below the belly button and half way inwards towards the spine. Proper breathing exercises all of the lungs and follows the natural way we breathe when we are born and typically when we sleep.
For some reason, and particularly as adults, our breathing becomes shallow as humans resort to using perhaps only 70% of our lungs capacity when breathing. Correct breathing is vital to developing softness and can result in a number of benefits for the Hung Gar student:

• Breathing from the dan tien lowers the student’s centre of gravity, thereby improving balance and thus requiring less strength to remain upright.
• Tension is removed thereby promoting motion in striking and other techniques.
• The relaxation response that naturally occurs with each exhalation is promoted.
• The volume of oxygen in the bloodstream is increased (oxygenating the blood), thus improving stamina.
• Muscular tension is reduced freeing up the mind’s attention, which consequently promotes both tactile and visual perception, as well as reaction time.

Connectedness


Connectedness refers to the quality of linking what is commonly referred to in Chinese martial arts as the five coordinates: hand, eye, body, waist and stance. These five coordinates must work in unison to achieve a high skill level. The summation of the five coordinates results in the person moving ‘as one’. It is wrong when the beginner student thinks that their arm strikes the opponent; it does not. The arm forms the bridge that connects to the opponent; it is the body however, that actually ‘strikes’.


Connectedness relies on fluidity of motion which comes through constantly refining linkage; focussing particularly on the transmission of energy from postures into techniques. Any Hung Gar student who wants to obtain both hard and soft has to continually study and continually re-examine many of the movements and techniques within the style to develop improved linkage.


Summary


In summary, the Hung Gar student should strive to understand for themself, the components of hard and soft within the style as well as the relationships that bind them together. In doing so, the student will soon realise the rich tapestry of skill and thought required to learn the art in its fullness; of which, a lifetime of study can easily be required.


This article was written for the purpose of promoting further discussion on the soft concepts within Hung Gar kung fu. It is hoped that the ideas discussed above meet with the reader’s interest and provoke further learning and discovery into other aspects of this traditional martial art.

Improving ourself through training

Teaching martial arts to both Children and Adults can often be a challenging assignment. Anyone who has taught martial arts for a reasonable length of time and reflected on their and their students progress will know that teaching others is a key component to continued learning about oneself. From my experience, I have found that teaching Children bears different insights to teaching adults.

I have had the pleasure of working with Children who have taught me that courage is not a factor of age. Similarly, I have taught classes where children have been more open to making the technique work and ultimately ‘theirs’ than their adult peers. Indeed, there is a lot we can learn from watching how Children process information and then get on and do it. This is one of the key benefits of combining both younger and older students in the one class, each can, and should learn from the other.

This brings me to the point of this article. As adults, we develop and condition ourselves into a particular way of thinking and processing ideas. If a technique does not work the first few times we attempt it, then there must something wrong with the technique. Or that looks so hard, I don’t think I can do it; even worse still, I won’t even attempt it because it’s ‘beyond me’. These are some of the comments I hear from some beginner level students.

The martial arts classroom is a microcosm of life. The fears and insecurities a student brings with them as they walk through the door for their first few lessons, so often, will mirror their approach and attitude towards life. On the flip-side however, the skills and learning’s students receive in the gwoon can be transferred to almost all aspects of life. This is because the human body is controlled by the mind, and therefore it is the mind that we are developing as much as the body. Obviously the body needs to be flexible, strong and sufficiently conditioned to be able to execute certain movements in martial arts. However, the mind is what drives the body in its pursuit of martial arts ability and therefore is where we should spend a considerable amount of time developing. As adults, we often have to unlearn what we have previously learnt before we can advance. Students who are not naturally gifted (physically) for martial arts, often have the most to gain through training; and will often advance their psychosomatic levels well beyond others in the class. A stronger and more flexible mind is an asset in dealing with the challenges we face in life. Through martial arts training, we learn to adapt to moving challenges, view them from different angles, select the most appropriate solution (weapon) for the problem (target), ultimately seeking to control the situation as best as we can to look after ourselves and our loved ones. As an example, the skills we develop in breaking down a difficult technique into bite sized components can help us to deal with challenging projects at work; likewise, setting a goal to perform a complex form in public or win gold in a tournament fight, may help us to plan our life to improve relationships with others, achieve career fulfilment or obtain financial security.

To help us gain the most from our training, it is equally important to spend time reflecting on the lessons contained within the process of learning, as it is the learning itself. This will help to develop character and amplify an understanding of ourselves ultimately leading to achieving a higher level of self knowledge and awareness.