I recently put up an event on my Kungfu Meetup group of a Contemporary & Traditional Wushu (Martial Art) Form Competition, think gymnastics or ice skating, difficulty & styling points. FORMS, in Chinese “TaoLu”, in Japanese “Kata”, are a sequence of offensive, defensive & transitional movements that are linked together to basically serve as a systems library for combat application, strengthening, and overall body coordination. So a student asked how Contemporary Wushu (think artistry, difficulty & speed!) differed from Traditional Wushu (think practicality, power & body training methods!). So here is the explanation: KUNG FU is a Chinese word meaning, “Skill derived through time and effort.” In proper Chinese, it is pronounced, “Gong Fu.” Today, Kung Fu is commonly used to replace the word “Wushu”, which is the actual translation for Martial Art. Many styles of martial arts exist in China, some as young as 100 years and others as old as 500 years. As opposed to solely a healthful practice, a sport, a fighting method or a military system, Chinese Kungfu always has three aspects, the artistic, the healthful and the self-defense. Sometimes, certain schools emphasized one aspect over the others but typically all three were included. These styles with lineage, tradition, emphasis on self-defense and health, are known as “Traditional Styles.” In the last few decades, the Peoples Republic of China recompiled and promoted a “Contemporary” version formalizing and systematizing the study of Wushu. This Contemporary version breaks its links with lineage and tradition and is practiced as a demonstration sport, much like gymnastics, judged and given points according to specific rules. Within China, this distinction is easily made with the use of “Traditional” or “Contemporary” before the word Wushu. Outside of China, particularly in English speaking countries, “Wushu” is often used to refer to the Contemporary version, while “Kung Fu” is used to refer to the Traditional Arts. Traditional: Grandmaster Wan Laisheng Compilation Form, Application, Conditioning, Fighting & Lineage Family Culture! Hope I can move like Grandmaster Wan Laisheng (My masters master!) when I’m nearly 90 years old! Most 90 year olds I know are in wheel chairs or beds! youtube/watch?v=KJnU-WIIPxo Traditional: Ziranmen Form training Emphasis on training body to generate power, coordinate body, prepare legs for impact, strategy, etc.! youtube/watch?v=_YA6sSoRYKA Contemporary: Wushu Form Compilation So fast, jumps so high… but like gymnast who retire by 20, they retire to teach by 30, and unfortunately many like gymnast, with major joint injuries! youtube/watch?v=oiCqdO8YjGk
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 09:35:38 +0000
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