Is Kung Fu Fake? Point and Counterpoint

[DrNgor]

Point: "It's time to admit that most traditional martial arts are fake and don't actually teach you how to fight."

 

Counterpoint: Are the Chinese Martial Arts Fake?

[AbeRudder]

For me it's about sparring arts vs non sparring arts as opposed to 'traditional' vs 'non traditional. If you're not conditioned or experienced in a live setting then it doesn't matter what techniques you have which is what has been happening to a lot of kung fu guys in these videos. If you look some baijiquan fight/sparring vids you can tell that they know how to handle themselves.

[sym8]

I think it comes down to the person using it,every style has good points and probably more bad points but at the end of the day it helps if you are a fighter who wants to hurt somebody and doesn’t care about being hurt that will be more effective.A lot of the old styles may have been effective many many moons ago but not so much today.

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

It's interesting. Kung Fu is having a rough time. I read another article in Kung Fu Tea, and Kung Fu was not the secret that we were led to believe. Europeans and Americans were familiar with it, and the reality is, they just weren't that impressed. Even Bruce Lee student Joe Lewis said that before Bruce Lee they considered Kung Fu stylists "finger painters". 

The reality is, if you are taking someone from 98 LB weakling to someone who can handle themselves, some styles and systems are more effective than others. One that focuses on strength and contact is going to work better than something that focuses on punching in the air. I mean if someone can already fight, and then takes Kung Fu and says "I can fight!" that's different then making a wimp into a tough guy.

[edher_M.A.]

Most Martial Arts have the same techniques. I wouldn't use the word "fake", its not correct to call them Fake. I say they stick to training methods just because  traditions and many don't update to the modern times.  They don't bridge fundamentals, forms, and fighting, they train them as separate things. Not enough sparring with critical eyes to test what works, whats not working and how to make it work, etc...

Kung Fu is great but that obssesion with keeping tradition and don't question or put to test your martial arts skills is what is killing it.