Sifu Gino, I agree with your premise that once the antics of the monkey are stripped away its really old school kung fu. However, I think the antics are an important part of the combative application, as they provide the practitioner with valuable skills in psychological warfare. There is a similar concept in Capoeira known as : Malandragem and Mandinga. The following is a quote from Wiki on this subject : Malandragem is a word that comes from malandro, which means a person who possesses cunning as well as malícia (malice, in English). This, however, is misleading as the meaning of malicia in capoeira is the capacity to understand someones intentions. In Brazil men who used street smarts to make a living were called malandros. Later the meaning expanded, indicating a person who is a quick thinker in finding a solution for a problem. In capoeira, malandragem is the ability to quickly understand an opponents aggressive intentions, and during a fight or a game, fool, trick and deceive him. Similarly capoeiristas use the concept of mandinga. Mandinga can be translated into magic, or spell, but in capoeira a mandingueiro is a clever fighter, able to trick the opponent. Mandinga is a tricky and strategic quality of the game, and even a certain esthetic, where the game is expressive and at times theatrical, particularly in the Angola style. The roots of the term mandingueiro would be a person who had the magic ability to avoid harm due to protection from the Orixás. Even though many people who practice Monkey Kung Fu do not employ a Shamanistic approach to their Taolu or Fighting, it does not invalidate it as a practice, and it can be argued that on some level when one practices the imitative arts, one is tapping into the animal energy or archetype. Monkey uses conning and deception, and is capable of great mischief. If used properly, I think this is vital to combat...
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 21:40:36 +0000
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