Why can't kung fu people fight?

[RAB]

Personally, i think most people can't fight because they don't want too, it's not neccessary, thus is the reason why many people can't fight. There are just so many things to do in life like work, family, friends, learning music, entertainment, and other activities. Unfortunately, I haven't been gifted with a great number of talents so martial arts is what i do.

Where is your training focused on?

Is it forms, countless forms that you keeps paying or is it the title that oneday someone will call you by some title bestowed upon you or is it being apart of a group or the muchoism of being a person who can handle yourself....what?

What is the real excuse why someone who trains in a combative art can't fight ?

[Op108wc]

Hello there


Originally posted by RAB
Personally, i think most people can't fight because they don't want too, it's not neccessary, thus is the reason why many people can't fight. There are just so many things to do in life like work, family, friends, learning music, entertainment, and other activities. Unfortunately, I haven't been gifted with a great number of talents so martial arts is what i do.

Where is your training focused on?

Is it forms, countless forms that you keeps paying or is it the title that oneday someone will call you by some title bestowed upon you or is it being apart of a group or the muchoism of being a person who can handle yourself....what?

What is the real excuse why someone who trains in a combative art can't fight ?


What do you think of this?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3188850510944037231

[Cang Long]

What is the real excuse why someone who trains in a combative art can't fight ? When someone says that kung fu is not a combative art will you necessarily agree to disagree or do you believe them incorrect and let them go on their way. Traditional Chinese Martial Arts were intended as nourishment for the mind, body and soul.

Only through the deepest understanding of hate do we understand true love, only because we acknowledge some things as ugly do we recognize what we consider real beauty. The yin and yang exist as a path to harmony by understanding the dichotomy that permiates all existance. This is how we come to understand and appreciate life by coming closer to death (conflict on the battlefield). If you consider kung fu as only a combative art you miss the yin of kung fu completely.

We have all heard that the master tells the pupil that I train you to fight so that you will not have to. That being the case the question could also easily be asked why so many pupils that train kung fu want to fight.

[RAB]

We have two ways of thought presented currently. On one hand it's the "check these great fighting techniques, from Hong Kong Fooy" and on the other hand it's "i'm a religious man, therefore, I don't fight."

First lets me express my view point with an example that I gave a young man over the weekend. He is a black belt in shotokan karate with 9 years of training. He express that he didn't feel he could fight. I told him that he has develop skills that are most important to his daily living such as respect. Fighting is something that he doesn't use daily. Therefore, for he has something far more valuable.

I'm ok with instructors being honest with what they teach, but there are so many who claim to teach what they can't. Then again, they teach what the general public wants, and is why many people can't do what they think they can.


P.S. Combative arts is one aspect of physical education taught within some school systems.

[JamesHFYofAZ]

Hello RAB,
You make a strong point that is full of truth,
A) It is not easy to fight when one has never applied their KF.
B) If all one knows is techniques, lots of fighting must happen to make the FK work consistently.
C) Honesty from an instructor is crucial. Take Tonys post for example, if an instructor preaches then he must practice, otherwise theirs no physical mentor only words.
Remember though, there is a big difference between can't fight and won't fight!

Wazzup T,
Your post was elegant to the t.;)
This is the way traditional arts practice and it’s the way MA was designed to be applied when working with Tao philosophy. This is the way I prefer my KF training.

[Cang Long]

Hey James,
Thanks you know I was just rethinking the question and the way in which we are taught I guess the simple answer to the question could be....because in life in general doing the right thing at the right time is one of the hardest things to learn, practice and apply.

[RAB]

I was hoping for more discussion but not to many people post around here or lately. Anyway, I think kung fu has change with the needs of those who practise it. Today, many people are concerned about health, fitness, and being apart of a group.

Are there any people here that have focused less on fighting and more on exercise science?

[Cang Long]

Hello Rab,
How much of a role do you think the disposition or charater of the teacher combined with their ability to teach or promote a certain path plays into how much the students try to get out of a system? In general do you think with the ever increasing number of instructors annually that the quality of instruction is equal to that amount of new teachers.

[Jonathan_AZ]

Originally posted by RAB
Personally, i think most people can't fight because they don't want too, it's not neccessary, thus is the reason why many people can't fight. There are just so many things to do in life like work, family, friends, learning music, entertainment, and other activities. Unfortunately, I haven't been gifted with a great number of talents so martial arts is what i do.

Where is your training focused on?

Is it forms, countless forms that you keeps paying or is it the title that oneday someone will call you by some title bestowed upon you or is it being apart of a group or the muchoism of being a person who can handle yourself....what?

What is the real excuse why someone who trains in a combative art can't fight ?

Hello!
Before answering your questions, it would help me if you clarified your questions a bit more. When you say "i think most people can't fight...", are you refering to those that have been studying in MA's for years, yet never had a fight and are unproven? Or are you meaning people that have trained for years, have been in a few fights, and have lost, without a clear idea on how to defend themselves?
When you say 'can't' fight, that is different that 'won't' or 'haven't had' to fight..

I do agree that it today's world, we all have pretty busy lives, and we practice MA's how and when life allows. I also believe martial artisits study for many different reasons. Some MA's train ONLY to fight. MMA's come to mind here. And like you said, some train for "health, fitness, and being apart of a group" or the mind, spirit and excersize aspects , some train for tournements, etc.

In your example with the black belt in shotokan karate of 9 years saying he didn't FEEL he could fight. Has he had to actually test his fighting abilities, or is this more of an unproven assumption? I think a lot of martial artist, not ever having been in a fight since training, might have some doubts they can defend themselves effectively when the need arrises. I think that is natural. But does that mean really they CAN'T fight after years of traiing, or just that up to that point the haven't?

Jonathan

[RAB]

Actually, the question was to draw some ill precieved person that they will not be all the myths they have heard about there masters, masters.

For those that have found how martial arts compliaments their lives bests, it really doesn't matter. Fighting is really trival question such as karate is better than kung fu and my master can beat up your master.

I was just trying to stirr up some trouble, like a good shaw brother film. Entertainment.

I will say that I have seen many schools, good schools, with good instructors using out of date training methods. But the students are happy and that is probably most important.

Have any of you decided to take out or add to your curriculum methods not used my your instructors. For example, tae kwon do has a two year curriculum. Regardless, of quality they are making an attemp to deliver the art quickly. If the student can recieve the art, he will and there is nothing wrong with that.

What are your thoughts on a two year program as opposed to a much longer program? How this relates to the topic is, considering the experience on the forum, we know it doesn't take a long time to teach a person to fight. That is probably the easies thing to do.

[Op108wc]

Baby Kung Fu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpfv8AzJ-vk

[Cang Long]

Kudos to her and her sifu her form is outstanding.

[Cang Long]

What are your thoughts on a two year program as opposed to a much longer program? How this relates to the topic is, considering the experience on the forum, we know it doesn't take a long time to teach a person to fight. That is probably the easies thing to do.Responding in a fight that might take a considerable more amount of time to respond correctly at least.

[Op108wc]

Royce Gracie gets beat...

Royce Gracie vs Matt Hughes UFC 60
Whereas Matt Hughes is a very well rounded fighter.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tXp...hughes%20gracie