NightOwl

Here's an interesting article on Boxing and WC: http://home.vtmuseum.org/articles/crescione/wcvsboxing.php And an interesting look at the origins of the art: http://home.vtmuseum.org/articles/loewenhagen/myths.php http://home.vtmuseum.org/articles/loewenhagen/step_forward.php And yes, sometimes it seems like WC is the best art for fighting someone using...WC. However, WCers at least have somewhat of a more open record of experimentation by taking on other styles (and even sometimes competing). No, by studying WC you will not learn great grappling, nor will you get the best kicks or punches. But you do get a unique overall package, which can hold its own if the person has some experience under their belt. Yes, the criticism that WCers get too used to fighting just each other is valid, but not entirely. You also have to keep in mind that different WC circles could have completely different attitudes on training. Pretty much all WC is supposed to come from Yip Man right? Then why are there so many divisions in the art since all those who passed it on learned the exact same curriculum from the same guy? The answer is that that techniques are just part of the experience- how they are trained can change things dramatically.

On another note, Nine_weapons' friend would have been fine had he adapted his attack to an active environment. The fact that he can get in 3 hits against a mauy tai guy is great- the concepts behind the move are sound. However he stuck too robotically to the technique by trying to play out the whole thing just as he was always shown, and therein lies the problem with one step drills. Train in them too much, and you become too reliant. You need to constantly change tactics and adapt while in a fight, and sometimes I think that training too much in such a way provides a sense of overconfidence. Next note..... On the whole spirituality thing- I can respect that you get some sort of spiritual feeling from your martial art- but thats not the real purpose of studying something martial. Studying martial arts as part of a spiritual experience is somewhat of a modern sell- Martial artists have never been all gentleman warriors. Martial artists in China would brawl, not to heighten themselves spiritually, but just to see who was a better fighter (in fact, duels were banned after the 20th C). Yes, monks studied martial arts- so did gang members, secret societies, and overall not so nice guys. Taking an example from Japan- by the time Judo was coming about, Jujutsu practitioners had gained somewhat of a reputation as ruffians. More notes... Something that I find interesting- most of the more intact CMAs/ ones that practice sparring are on the whole all from southern China. This again has to do with a century of strife and social upheaval. Here are some examples of northern styles: Tai Chi Quan (meaning in essence ultimate fist) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi_chuan#History_and_styles While I do not think that tai chi quan ever had the most effective kicks or blocks, it was at least one time trained martially (and had elements of Chinese fencing as well) and frankly as long as a martial art gives you some advantage in fighting over having no training at all, then whatever art fits you best I can respect (again though, if you aren't learning ANYTHING that could be useful martially, then I would question why you would take a martial art in the first place). Looking at it today, there is almost no martial application. I would go so far to say that the way MOST tai chi is taught, it is not a martial art. Otherwise, Tai chi quan has been consumed like many other of its northern brethren in the big machine known as wushu, with variations on taichiquan techniques tweaked for exhibition purposes. Changquan (long fist) A northern martial art with an emphasis on long range attacks suck as kicks and long punches, the point is to try to keep your opponent at a distance and hit them from there. There are actually take down and grappling techniques, however those are not practiced anymore outside of forms because....it is now one of the foundation arts of contemporary wushu. All forms for this art in wushu were standardized by the Chinese government, and when you see those forms with the huge butterfly kicks, side somersaults, and lots and lots of 'tricking', it's a good bet that it is Changquan . Shaolin Kung fu: The history of this place has not been a happy one, with it once having attracted many as a place of martial learning, it has been torn and shut down multiple times in the past. More recently however, the Chinese government has been sending troupes of shaolin monks off to spread Chinese culture. What is not told however, is that currently at the temple very few have knowledge of what was once there, as martial arts practice was strictly banned. Now they essentially perform a wushu curriculum with bits and pieces of collected knowledge of what they once had, and although it looks impressive (and takes much dedication and skill to pull off), it is not really designed for fighting. Here are some examples: http://youtube.com/watch?v=lRGm_Zv0ZeY&mode=related&search= http://youtube.com/watch?v=URii0Xrkw34 Training in Europe: http://youtube.com/watch?v=e2vTWQj0t8w&mode=related&search= Don't get me wrong- these guys can do stuff that I doubt anyone on these forums could do- not to mention that they've been training for a good portion of their lives. However as it can be seen, the Shaolin of today is definately more performance based.

Bujinkan may or may not be authentic (I am going to write an investigative article on the Ninja soon), but it never hurts to visit. Just don't be too bowled over by any claims and keep an eye on how they train.

Definitely.

Jab- annoying and helps you keep your distance

gi training is a bit slower and more technical- in real life, most people's clothing falls between the heavy gi (jacket), and the ultra slick mma shirts (or no shirt) that you see in no gi grappling. Thus a knowledge of both is best I think.

Those are one step training methods, however they definitely do have thier place. You want to do that type of training before applying it in a high stress environment, but again: you should eventually take it to that higher level. Below are some one step and light sparring videos. Are they perfect? Nope. Then again, look at other videos of any style (including MMA) that are not pro fights and many of them don't look like the next gracie. --------------------- Baijiquan: known as the 'body guard style', its signature mark is its use of shoulder stikes in order to throw an opponent off balance. One step drills: Sparring: Note, the first one is a friendly match and it is obvious that the Baijiquan guy has the weight advantage. However, you still do get to see implementation of the shoulder strike (look for it around 1:20) ----------------------------------------------------- Wing Chun- One of the few styles started by...a woman. Supposedly the name comes from her first student. This one is more of a hodgepodge- you got one step, light to medium sparring, chi sao drills, and even one with a more mma feel (but if you look closely you can still see the wing chun moves). Again, are they are perfect? nope, but some aren't too bad either. http://youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=wing%20chun%20sparring&search_sort=relevance&search_category=0&search=Search&v=&page=5 http://youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=wing%20chun%20sparring&search_sort=relevance&search_category=0&search=Search&v=&page=5 http://youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=wing%20chun%20sparring&search_sort=relevance&search_category=0&search=Search&v=&page=5 http://youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=wing%20chun%20sparring&search_sort=relevance&search_category=0&search=Search&v=&page=5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA3DpYDImAg&mode=related&search= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chao Gar (southern mantis) This is a drill/ one step, but while it would not be as smooth in real life, these teqnuiqes could be trained with actual resistance. I'm sorry that I couldn't get much more, as I got tired of wading through Wushu mantis forms (and different mantis styles) trying to find something interesting on Chao Gar. I don't have anything to back this up I know, but supposedly Chao Gar students have done pretty well on the amateur MMA scene. Southern mantis is very similar to wing chun in many aspects, but unique in its own way. Kicks are waist high and below, and forearm strength is emphasized. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FlPNrSDuqs ------------------------------------- While looking these up however, I came across many of the problems currently in the world of CMA. Looking up almost any style brought up dozens of hits, but most of the time the vast majority were in wushu forms. Many techniques and styles have gone extinct, as the original purpose (or even if there was much of one) is lost as applications are not practiced and great emphasis is placed on looking fancy. Northern styles are the most hard hit, and outside of a handful of arts, it is rare to find someone who actually has background training other than in just a form. I truly do hope that the continuing trend towards wushu will be overtaken by the emerging sport of Sanshou, and that people will take a step back and try to regain hundreds of years of lost history.

Does anyone know of any good replacement for a heavy bag that you can set up yourself? I don't have the money or space for one right now, however I've not practiced punching in so long, that I really want to work on my punching form and strength.

is paris that rough of a place? : )

My brief take on the episodes so far: Pilot/Episode 1: Muay Tai My favorite episode of the 4 released. A nice history lesson, a look at precursor styles to Muay Tai, and a good look at a culture in of itself, I was hooked after watching it. As for the fight however, it was obvious that the Tai fighter was taking it easy for the most part. As long as it doesn't become too much of a trend, I am not too worried. I guess he still beat the host anyways (and kept him on the defensive for the most part), so he really didn't need to crank things up to champ level. Episode 2: Eskrima Another great look at a culture and fighting style, I found the look at grappling in the kali and Eskrima systems intriguing as well. The fight at the end was better than the thai one; whereas both start off slow, the eskrima fight starts upping the ante towards the end (escalating to breaking the host's finger). Episode 3: Karate Continuing the good work, I will admit that while I wanted lots of overlooked arts represented, I was looking forward to getting to Japan. I like how the show noted the history of Okinawa and Japan, and how Karate is less Japanese in orgin than is commonly precived. Complaints in the episode include bad period actors in rubber wigs, and too much iron body training by the end. The bat break was impressive though. As for the fight, I'd place it between the first two as far as effort. I think the fight really showed the big host's (sorry, going blank on names) ability to take punishment here though, as he was pretty much exchanging with the other blow for blow. The Karate champ could have gone a bit more aggressive if he really wanted to I think, but at the same time they are not trying to kill each other, and overall I think the big guy did pretty well. Epidoe 4: Savate The least favorite episode of many, and while I will admit that it was not as good as the others, I still really liked it for two reasons: looking at European martial arts, and the first real fight. While the other fights were either for the most part stoic, or good naturedly competitive, this was the first one where you could really sense the tension. At first I thought it was just me when I thought I noticed that the Savate fighter seemed a bit cold, but as the crowed hissed and the fight started, you could definitely see that neither guy wanted to lose. By the end both were going for a win, and I was glad to see the the big guy started implementing what he had learned and is shaping up into a better fighter. Finally I was pleased that he remained cordial, even though the savate fighter was giving him the cold shoulder. : p

Well, after paying apple a painful fee per episode, I bought the first one on Muay tai- and then proceeded to buy the rest. I was worried that either A: the hosts would be really disrespectful and thuggish, or B: that all the martial artists and arts protrayed would be shown in a completely over the top way, and I was happily surprised to see neither. I read some complaints about the footballer, but I thought that he seemed like a pretty decent guy, and neither of them were shoveling out disses, but showed some respect. Being able to see the history and demonstrations of some moves was great, and the fight at the end is always interesting. However, that does lead into my first criticism of the show, and that is the varying levels of sparring at the end of every episode. The first one, while fun to watch, definitely had elements of holding back on the part of the challenge artist. However towards the end of the Eskrima and savate episodes, you could tell things were getting intense. I think that they need to be more open about if they are going into a fight full on (as presented) or in a friendly spar, but even so it is entertaining. Secondly, the sheer variety of techniques would be difficult to master in just one week, however I suppose if you just stuck with 2-3 and trained hardcore every day for a week you could get the gist of something. All in all though, I find it to be the most well put together martial arts show that I have yet seen, and I am really looking forward to future episodes.

competing does not make them mma. it merely makes them fighters - what they should be anyway. Well, MMA in the sense that it was people of various martial arts backgrounds competing against each other, enough to warrent the title MMA in its most literal sense. Most 'masters' were knowledgeable in more than one martial art. This is not just true in china, but if you look at the founder of any art chances are that they have a background in more than one style. I am going to have to agree with Cross and Nine_weapons here. Again, I have a great interest in styles like Bajiquan and southern mantis, but as I mentioned earlier in this post and wrote in my article (advertisement), shaolin monks practice a slightly modified version of wushu. While he may be a shaolin monk who has actually done the old curriculum, he'd probably be in his 90's by now if he was. Also, 'kill' techniques are not as easy to pull off as you might think. Have you tried actually ripping out the throat of a ballistics gel head? Not so easy (I'd imagine...I don't really have too many lying around). Eye attacks DO work, however as pointed out even when they were allowed in MMA they hardly meant instant victory- just another tool like kicks, punches, elbows, etc.

Better tactics DO make a better fighter, and I wouldn't consider just fists true fighting. Fighting can be with fists, legs, swords, clubs- I've not seen too many real brawls, but in my high school days I saw a couple and they too were not well done. All of the punches were of the flailing variety, whereas a good straightforward punch could have easily hit on of their very unguarded faces. Also, there was a lot of forward momentum by both combatants, which someone who knew throws or take downs could easily have taken advantage of.

I like and dislike many aspects of the mainstreaming phenomenon as of late. On the one hand, I like that it is being seen as a legitimate sport, and the stigmata is starting to fade from the MMA label (really, NBA games have more brawling). On the other hand, there are many things that I don't like about it. First of all, the 'mainstream' outside of martial artists isn't as diverse of a crowd as you may think. A good chunk of it are those who've moved on from WWE and the like, and my friend who once had an event right after an MMA match said he'd never seen so many discarded beers (he and his friends had to clean them all up) . MMA has never been a pretty business, however it needs to grow up beyond wrestlemania if it is truly going to become more mainstream. Secondly, the UFC is a very isolated organization- all of the top fighters there have gotten used to each other and their styles of fighting, compared to other large MMA organizations which definitely have a more diverse fighter roster. There are many politics involved in this (I don't claim to understand all of it), but the UFC is starting to settle into a routine as opposed to its more experimental days of yore. Again however, I don't hate the UFC- in fact I think that it has done more good for martial arts than bad- but it could use improvement. I still find PRIDE a lot more interesting of an organization- you get entrants from many countries, a more diverse fighting style range, and more uneven weight matchups. It too has its of array of problems, however I find it to be better put together overall.

My experience with a garage master was great. It was casual (no belts, just moving on to new things when he thought you were ready, and a close atmosphere), authentic (he had the lineage), and he taught things hands on with plenty of application work. People teaching out of their home means that they don't teach for a living- but rather a love of the art that they do. Of course it still might not be a good school (you should always check a place out), but the fact that it isn't in a fancy dojo is nothing to worry about in of itself.

Have any of you had this problem? Namely, not being able to stick with a style. For three years now, I've been shuffling from art to art to art, staying with some longer than others and always retaining a love of martial arts. This has been due in a big part to college in a town with not too many martial offerings, and the summers being taken up with work. I've loved my month with BJJ earlier this year, and I am doing it again this month before heading out of the country. Unfortunately I can rarely make it- however I did get my first submission which was nice...mind, the guy beat me 3 times before I got him but I'll take what I can get. It has been rather frustrating not being able to truly become proficient, and I was wondering if anyone else has had the same problem? Starting September, I'll be studying overseas in Japan, where I have invitations to train either BJJ or Judo and I hope to get a chance to stick with something then, but in the meantime I've been missing sparring....

Johnlogic121, I will address your poll in two answers. The first is as if such a system exists, which if it does I as a martial artist/ enthusiast would have to question the results of the system that you are presenting. Firstly, no conditions where given on the tests themselves, just that they had a success rate of over 90%. Were they against trained or untrained opponents? Armed or unarmed? Where the participants roughly the same weight or different? Secondly, give me a person trained in an 'ultimate system', and I'll give you someone in a different style who is a better fighter, regardless of style. Finally, the only thing someone could become an expert in in a year is tying shoes (I'm still working on it). My second answer is addressing this post as a fake style, and that is what I am leaning towards at the moment...for several reasons. Firstly, if your claims on the numbers of successful encounters are correct (over 5000 with 50 losses...we'll say 5,230), the CIA combatants won over 99.9% of the time- a hard to swallow number. Secondly, hand to hand combat is ALWAY ALWAYS ALWAYS a very last resort when you have something called weapons. Navy seals would be idiotic to try and grapple with an enemy, rather than stab or snipe them with a silenced shot, and the argument that they need to to get a live prisoner is not valid as you say that agents are settling 75% of over 5000 encounters with deadly force. If your job is to be covert, you cannot afford to get into a hand to hand fight- many times, you can't afford to get into any sort of combat period. Navy seals are more professional then that. Thirdly, CIA agents hardly get involved in combat- rare is the occasion that they do- even during the height of the cold war. That's what guerrilla training and hired locals are for. Field agents are not real life versions of james bond ( the CIA is not as sophisticated and as well run as you may think). Fourthly, if this truely was top secret, then you are guilty of leaking goverment secrets and could face up to a lifetime in jail. Finally, this is the internet- and as such someone claiming to be a super secret agent and the grandmaster of a secret stlye rings off all sorts of alarm bells

In my opinion (keep in mind that's a disclaimer to take the following with a grain of salt...or two), Kung fu has gotten so much hate in the martial world because it has had a troubled history both past and present. Mainland Chinese martial arts, including those at the shaolin temple, have been so mixed up with contemporary wushu, that frankly it is hard to find something...martial. And let's face it, what looks and sells better to the average consumer? 'Monkey Style' kung fu showing off amazing flips, quirky monkey antics, and pole climbing- or a martial art with a low stance and an emphasis on ground fighting? The infrequent and always low kicks of southern mantis and wing chun- or a 360 butterfly kick demonstrated by a 'shaolin master'? Add this in with many people not really wanting to learn how to fight when they sign up for martial arts (but rather the feeling that they are learning self defense), a lack of legitimate stylists, thousands more fakes who claim to be kung fu masters, and almost no CMA stylists entering into the MMA trend, and you have a problem. Trust me, I have a soft spot for CMAs and really want to see them come out stronger, but as a whole there are many many issues to sort out, first of which is to stop trying to be like wushu. Historically speaking, the Chinese have been doing the equivalent of MMA for centuries, with anybody claiming to be a 'master' having bouts with other martial artists who wanted to see if they were legit to look forward to. Also, there are records of large tournaments being held, with entrants having to agree to a waiver against further legal action should they die in the process. Baijifan, Choy lee fut, many grappling styles, Southern mantis and wing chun ('ugly' kung fu), etc...CMAs have a lot to offer if you take the time to look at them. But first CMA practitioners have to get out there and take the initiative.

I was doing a short term exchange program in Japan during the last Olympics...got to see a LOT of judo

No cable . I'll have to Netflix it when it comes out on DVD

Ah- a bit late to the discussion (and to Karate forums in general but...) This is just an observation, and it may be flawed, but it seems to me that the reason you don't see karate in the UFC is not because it can't be adapted, but because it's not one of the main North American styles currently in mma vouge. If you go to the Japanese MMA events (and MMA is bigger there then it is here), you get a lot more people with a striking background in Karate than you do here (and more judoka for that matter).

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. The purpose of this article is to look at the state of modern Chinese martial arts (as far as the mainstream is concerned). It is important to keep in mind that this is not meant to say that Chinese martial arts are useless (I briefly practiced Wing Chun and, even now, I still find myself incorporating it unconsciously when I’m sparring). There are certainly still places where traditional CMA can be found, however this is a look at how what many consider “traditional” CMA are actually a modern creation. 100's of years ago, Wushu or Kung Fu practitioners used to compete in full contact mixed martial art contests much like what is becoming popular in the martial arts scene today and a martial arts master was expected to be able to defeat incoming challengers to his school. If anything this is a lamentation for an endangered cultural heritage and my respect for those who still manage to keep alive traditional CMA. The following article is intended to cut through a lot of the smoke and mirrors surrounding Wushu using a historical approach and I hope you both enjoy and learn something from it. Wushu, the Chinese word most commonly translated as “martial art” is today practiced by millions as the officially recognized sport of China. From soccer moms and their grade schoolers to hordes of practitioners in parks performing synchronized movements in front of Chinese TV cameras, all claim to be part of an ancient oriental tradition spanning back thousands of years. And yet, a look into the past belays a curious truth: Wushu is a modern creation. In fact, it is less than 100 years old and the catalyst for its flourishing can be attributed to none other than the Chinese Communist Party. Somewhat paradoxically, the same government that created the phenomenon of contemporary Wushu is also responsible for the near extinction of fighting systems in China, the very thing that it now claims to propitiate. Thus, this is a look at how a tradition was persecuted, forgotten and, in the end, used by the People’s Republic of China for its own agenda. The history of Wushu prior to the late 19th century is not straightforward, but almost cyclical in its waning into more or less acrobatics and exercise during times of peace and being transformed back into combat during times of unrest. The original martial arts derived from farming tools and hunting tactics. As time went on, techniques were collected and organized to form different fighting styles that varied by region and by the end of the Han dynasty, martial arts had become a highly developed practice with clearly defined systems and lineages (Wilson, 317). However, martial arts never were part of the mainstream, but rather there were four main areas where wushu developed and was practiced on a regular basis. The first was where martial arts got their start: among the population as a whole. “Folk styles,” useful for the often lawless regions of China outside of the cities, were where the original practitioners of Wushu were to be found, as opposed to the halls of the elite and the intellectual (Tsang, 25 and Fairbank, 230). The second area was in the military, present both in drills involving close and long range weaponry and unarmed combat. Martial artists were valued on and off the battlefield and during the Tang dynasty, they were even encouraged to take official posts in the military to lend their expertise. Again, however, it is important to remember that they were not among the majority (Tsang, 32). The third stronghold of Wushu was in religious circles and, while the majority of Taoist and Buddhist monks were not practitioners of martial arts, the famous exception was the Buddhist monks of the Shaolin temple in the Henan province (Dyer-Bennet, 1,199). The Mecca of martial arts during its time, it attracted some of the most well known artists of the era, a tradition thought to have been started by Abbot Fu Yu (1203-1275) who was known to invite Wushu experts to the monastery to train the monks living there (Davis, 378). The brightly garbed monks became so famous for their martial prowess, that at times they were used as a militia unit, a position that allowed them to amass a great amount of wealth from the government (Wilson, 452) The final section of Chinese society that had a history of martial arts was the many secret societies. Secret societies could be made up of many different social groups: the local populace banding together for protection, religious sects and, most often, groups of thugs. Usually bearing colorful names such as “The Yellow Turbans” or “The White Cloud Society”, these organizations often played a role in (or were likewise formed because of) social unrest (Latourette, 576-78). Many times martial arts could be seen present in these orders as they always tended to have a hint of violence. Members of the famous White Lotus cult during the Qing dynasty were known to practice wushu, and the infamous “Boxers United in Righteousness” or “Boxers” were well known for their exhibitions of Chinese boxing and theatrics in order to attract disaffected peasants to crusade against the “barbarians” (Gewu, 67 and Chesneaux, 52). Thus it is within the context of these “four pillars” that Wushu entered the modern age. The first of the pillars to crack was in the military. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of the West in 1901 during the Boxer Rebellion, the Qing court issued an order to halt the military examination system, causing Wushu to essentially retreat out of the military realm and into the countryside (Gewu, 77). However, it is important to remember that the rampant imperialism that dominated China at the turn of the century had a great deal to do with a disparity in military technology. While the majority of Chinese were still fighting at the time with “cold” weaponry, the Western powers were equipped with guns and a modernized navy that could easily defeat the Manchu army. And, even though most soldiers were little more than grunts, even an accomplished swordsman or unarmed fighter (despite what the Boxers would have had their followers believe) was no match for a bullet. Thus the rise of the West and modern weaponry forced martial arts in the military realm to the side as new tactics were needed for the modern battlefield (Dyer-Bennet, 1,199). Despite the fall of traditional modern arts in the military in the face of modern weaponry, Wushu managed to survive in the countryside. Through the rest of the early 1900’s up to the dawn of WWII, Wushu became more organized and accepted as a public sport, as multiple Wushu competitions and tournaments were held (Gewu, 80-93). However, after the invasion of China by Japan and subsequent Communist rebellion against the Nationalists, the remaining three pillars would soon face their own near extinction. After WWII, China was reeling from years of savage oppression and warfare. It was during the war that the Chinese Communist Party had garnered support for its cause by using the opportunity to spread the gospel of Marx to the countryside as a whole. Due to this surge in popular support by the peasantry at large, in October of 1941 the Nationalists led by Chiang Kai Shek were forced to flee to Taiwan and hand over control of the CCP. Outside of the British controlled Hong Kong, China was now a swath of red. Shortly after the Communist takeover in 1953, the newly created Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the People’s Republic of China established a subcommittee entitled by the equally as long name of “The Research Commission of Chinese Physical Culture”. As far as the committee was concerned with martial arts, it had an interest in organizing and developing Wushu in order to bring it into mainstream popularity (Gewu, 95-96). The main goal was to develop, from the various styles and methods of Wushu, a performance art and national sport that would one day receive recognition from the international community as a uniquely Chinese activity (Davis, 376). In 1956, the PCSC officially declared martial arts as a competitive sport and promptly included it in the curriculum of schools and other areas of physical competition and in the years following thereafter, official rules were applied for Wushu tournaments which included heavy emphasis on forms and routines for the 1st national games held in Beijing in September of 1959. The following year, the National Wushu Games where held in Zhengzhou and increased elevation of jumps and aesthetics for scoring was stressed over actual martial ability, thus marking a trend towards acrobatics rather than combat (Gewu, 97-98). Nevertheless, Wushu as it traditionally existed was not under direct threat. However, with the dawn of the Cultural Revolution, that would change. If there ever was a historical event of mass ignorance and rejection of knowledge, it was the Chinese Cultural Revolution which consumed the region from 1966-1976. The catalyst for the nation-wide anarchy was the call from Mao Zedong to the youths of China to “purge China of the four olds”. This included but was not limited to “anti-revolutionaries” (many of whom were loyal members of the Communist Party), ‘capitalist-roaders” and any traces of “bourgeois” influence. The resulting carnage saw the complete destruction of the educational system and a lapse into mob rule. Traditional cultural activities of all varieties were persecuted as “bourgeois”, from festivals and traditional Peking Opera to anyone with a specialized occupation, which included martial art specialists (Fairbank, 726). The practice of martial arts was strictly forbidden and anyone caught doing so faced harsh repercussions. Even in the countryside, practice ceased and many documents and historical records related to the subject were destroyed (Davis, 376). Thus faced with persecution, many were forced to call off martial arts entirely and only the few who could afford it left the country. The oppressiveness of the PRC had long been a driving force for emigration and many former mainland Chinese saw the British colony of Hong Kong as a gateway to economic prosperity. It was here and elsewhere abroad that the remaining few who knew martial arts practiced without much fear of repercussion and from an initial 1945 population of about 600,000 before Communism to a headcount of over 2.5 million in 1955, Hong Kong (along with locales such as Taiwan and America) ushered in a massive tide of humanity and in the process rescued Chinese martial arts from extinction. Ironically, it was also in Hong Kong where the obscure tradition of Wushu took off to become internationally famous, catching the attention of even the once hostile Chinese Communist government (Tsang, 167). While Mainland China was awash in unrest of the Cultural Revolution and subsequent cooling down period and economic rebuilding under Den Xiaoping, in the 1970’s and 1980’s martial artists who had fled to Hong Kong and the subsequent new generation of trainees found an ingenious way to capitalize on their talents: the Kung Fu film (Davis, 379). The Hong Kong public ate up movies filled with displays of questionable wire work and acrobatics mixed with martial arts and eventually stars of the genre such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan managed to break out to a worldwide audience. Interest in martial arts skyrocketed throughout the world and a once cold PRC suddenly became eager to capitalize on the phenomenon. China was opening up and they needed something to put them on the map. With visions of Olympic glory floating in their heads, the PCSC in 1979 started up an effort to revive Wushu (although private schools were still not allowed at the time) and, in 1984, a study titled “The Report on the Meeting for the Discovery of the National Wushu Heritage” was filed. However, due to the cultural damage of 30 years of communism, the data collected was lacking. With countless documents lost and Wushu masters reluctant to contribute, the effort was. for all practical purposes. a failure. Throughout the mid 1980’s, masters living abroad were encouraged to return to the Mainland and, in the 1990’s, actual officials were sent abroad to try and find those who had left to practice outside of China. Contributions, however, still remained few and far between and the result was a mixed collection of forms highlighted by exaggerated movements placed under the title of Wushu (Davis, 376 and Gewu, 104). Meanwhile, as China began to try and reclaim its historical heritage, a curriculum was introduced in 1982 at the Shaolin monastery to try and revive the once great pillar of Chinese martial arts. However, the style being taught featured only bits and fragments of traditional forms supplemented with the aerobics of the now titled “contemporary” or “modern” Wushu. From the 1990’s onto today, the CCP still officially sponsors these Shaolin Monks to travel abroad as a cultural public relations move, sending them to everywhere from New York to Portland, Oregon for displays of “The Ancient Art of Kung Fu” (Davis, 376-378). As of the present, the bid to revive martial arts has not yet come to fruition and while the CCP did manage to get the 2008 Olympics secured for Beijing, Wushu was not accepted by the Olympic committee as an official event. Nevertheless, a grand show of the “ancient tradition” of martial arts will no doubt be shown during and after the opening ceremony. As China presents itself as the land from which all civilization flows and tourism becomes a viable industry, more and more “ancient traditions” from other aspects of Chinese culture will no doubt be unearthed as China’s history is more and more being seen as a way to promote China in the eyes of the world. But, things stand the same: the folly of the Cultural Revolution led to cultural and historical losses that may never be regained. And, if current trends continue, a once rich cultural heritage will soon be reduced to cultural propaganda as the last of the pillars fall. Sources: A Modern History of Hong Kong by Steve Tsang China: A New History (1998) by John King Fairbank and Merle Goldman Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, Its History and Culture (Alexis Wilson) by Dorothy Perkins Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture by Edward L. Davis Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present (Townes Dyer-Bennet and Alan Trevithick) by David Levinson and Karen Christensen Peasant Revolts in China, 1840-1949 by Jean Chesneaux Spring Autumn: The Spring and Autumn of Chinese Martial Arts - 5000 Years by Kang Gewu The Cambridge History of China (Volume 15) by Roderick MacFarquhar and John K. Fairbank The Chinese: Their History and Culture by Kenneth Scott Latourette

Supposedly these are Judo techniques that were developed for the tokyo police force...how good they are I don't know (it seems to me like they are more for leading a suspect already mostly under control than anything else). Mostly the take downs I see by police are of the dog pile type- it works though

Almost all of his fights are vs street punks. I would never in a million years pretend to be able to beat him, but match him up against a top quality fighter and he loses a lot of his 'mystique'. Mind they have to be a GOOD fighter, but I don't see him becoming #1 in PRIDE/K-1/UFC at his current state

A great many of the examples being given are about kiaiing (sp?) when throwing or taking a hit, which in moderation I agree with to a degree (unleashing a flurry of blows and letting out a big kiai as you land the last one does sound nice). But one of the aspects that I don't like is the big kiai before you fight (not breaking a board). In my TKD days, we were taught to let out a big kiyap and then get into a defensive stance, but I was thinking that this only serves to put your opponent on his guard more...unless of course you look like Conan or something which in that case you can pretty much just say 'hi' to the same effect.