Archive for November 2011
Knowing the Difference Between Kung Fu and Karate
It’s a strange thing that we would think in terms of differences when we consider and compare kung fu and karate, for there are a lot of similarities. They are both martial disciplines, after all, and karate is actually grown from kung fu. To really see the differences, however, one needs to look at the arts as a complete picture, and determine exactly how they evolved.
In the beginning, those beautiful, refined kung fu patterns were most likely constructed by peasant conscripts who were given swords and the order to fight or die. Training methods eventually made their appearance, and eventually workable routines were taught. Is it too much to consider that some of the soldiers, weary and tired of battle, would find their way to the Shaolin monastery, where art as art blossomed?
From the Shaolin Temple the arts exploded, spreading across China, and growing into concepts and taking on different forms. This was the beginning of such styles as wing chun (vin tsung) kung fu, Long Fist (Choy Lee Fut, Hung Gar, and so on), and the various animal methods (mantis, monkey, dog fist, five animal, and so on). And, of course, Shaolin styles most likely grew into soft style arts as Pa Kua Chang and Tai Chi Chuan.
This being the basic history of the matter, we can see a certain evolution of art. Hard, practical tricks tend to become softer, more flowing, and people come to understand that one’s art can be workable without too much reliance on strength kung fu. Thus, the arts change from hard fists to guiding and sliding palms and turning and flowing whole body motions.
Oh, sure, every once in a while you will see a resurgence of old, hard style kung fu. You will have Chinese boxers, full of vim and vigor, wanting to return to the good, old punch in the face philosophy. For the most part, however, the people who espouse such a return are young and don’t know better, are half trained and overwhelmed by data from other systems, or otherwise guilty of youthful exuberance.
On the whole, however, you will see techniques become more polished and, eventually, making a translation to a softer, easier to work method. Thus, hard style karate, even such bulls as shotokan or kyokushinkai, will become smoother, require less effort and require more intelligence. It is an interesting concept, that the die hard karate of today will transmogrify into the liquid style of shaolin kung fu in the future.
Or, and here’s a kicker, that the extreme combat karate style of today will become combat wudan style of tomorrow. Could that bassai dai and bassai sho form of today eventually translate into the bassai tai chi of tomorrow? Could those young men doing their makiwara training eventually become like the old men of Chen village tai chi chuan, doing their shuto uke and mae geri as if they are being filmed in slow motion?
This writer believes it is so, and it is inevitable. The effects of age slow men down, and the effects of wisdom make men look, and it is this combination of factors that will translate the hard into the soft, the karate into the kung fu, and the overzealous into the temperate. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I have to go practice my sochin kata slow style.
A Secret Technique Inside Shaolin Kung Fu Fighting Systems
This secret technique is actually inside karate fighting systems, as well as kung fu fighting systems, or just about any martial art you want to name. The reason for this is because it is a basic motion of the arms. This basic motion, once understood, will give rise to virtually all the techniques of the martial arts.
Stand in a natural stance, feet shoulder width and extend the arms straight out in front of the body. Bend the arms slightly and make circles with the arms in front of your body in a clockwise manner. The circles should be about three feet wide, and should overlap each other by about a foot.
As you make these circles you will see a series of blocks. At one point your right arm will do a high block and your left arm will do a low block. As you continue the clockwise circle of the limbs your right arm will go through an inverted low block (back of the wrist protecting the groin) and your left arm will go through a palm block (protecting the face).
Anybody who attacks you will encounter one of these blocks, or enter into the swirling motion of your arms. You can angle the blocks and cause all manner of manipulations simply by adjusting the footwork. Take a step, turn the hips, pivot, all will change the angle of the circles, and you will find other types of blocks.
If you hold the distance and focus the circles you can perform hard and bruising blocks. If you step into a person and circle the attacking limb it will change into a lever and a joint manipulation or a throw, as you might find in Gracie Jujitsu schools. Tighten it up and go at a person and you will do the basic Bruce Lee blasting technique.
Thus, this circling of the arms is inherent in any art, and most students will play with it at some time in their careers. Unfortunately, they don’t usually explore it to the degree necessary to understand the basic conceptual nature of the circles. Yet, a few decades into the art, an accomplished student will invariably realize the fundamental usefulness of the arm circles.
I discovered this move in the art of Pan Gai Noon. The wa-uke circling block is a variation of this basic motion. It wasn’t long before I saw it in the various kung fu fighting systems, and then the karate fighting systems. I was quick to make it the heart of my own Shaolin Butterfly system.
In closing, let me say that this arm motion opens the door to countless fighting techniques. If you reverse the direction of the circles, or reverse the direction of one of the circles, you will find virtually every martial arts technique in existence. Try it, examine your martial arts forms, and you will find that this little concept is at the heart of every martial system, and not just Shaolin Kung Fu Fighting Systems.
The Truth About Kung Fu Fighting With Bruce Lee!
I have had a couple of people ask me if Bruce Lee could really ‘do Kung fu Fighting. Obviously, these guys weren’t martial artists, so I was gentle with them.
Bruce had two distinct arts. He had his cinema art, which you saw on the screen, and which made him look like the baddest cat around. Then he had his real art, the one he used to be the baddest cat around.
Everybody knows about his cinema art, but only JKD students, or very wise researchers, know of his real fighting ability.
In 1958 the Little Dragon fought in the Honk Kong boxing championships. He knocked out Gary Elmes in three rounds using some rather vicious Wing Chun trapping maneuvers.
In 1959, now a member of the ‘Tigers of Junction Street,’ Bruce was going to fight in one of the infamous ‘rooftop’ matches Hong Kong was famous for. He was sucker punched, received a black eye, and became so angry he broke his attacker’s arm.
In 1962 Bruce fought a Karate black belt named ‘Uechi’ in Seattle. The fight lasted all of eleven seconds. Bruce struck Uechi some 15 times, kicked him, and rendered him unconscious. Period.
Bruce’s most famous fight was in 1964 with Wong Jack Man in the San Francisco Bay Area. There is a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding this fight, and, because of differing eye witness accounts, there is confusion to this day as to who the winner was. People from Mr. Lee’s camp state the fight lasted three minutes, and Bruce won. People from Wing Jack Man’s camp state that the fight lasted 25 minutes, and that Wong Jack Man won. While there is controversy, it should be pointed out that Bruce changed his training methods after the fight, and formulated his final version of Jeet Kune Do. Win or lose, Bruce was one to learn from his fights.
There are also accounts of Bruce accepting a challenge while filming on the set of Enter the Dragon. He is reported to have handled all the other fellow’s attacks, then taking him down easily.
And, the one fight not many people know about, a fellow invaded Bruce’s home in Hong Kong and challenged him to a fight. Obviously this fellow was a candidate for one of thos e’Dumbest Ever Reality Shows.’ I mean…breaking into Bruce Lee’s house?
At any rate, Bruce states that he had never kicked a fellow harder. Without corroborating accounts, it can still be surmised that the fight lasted the time it takes to do one kick.
So, two arts, many fights, and a legend lives up to his name…this is the Kung Fu Fighting I tell people about when they are naive enough to ask whether Bruce Lee could fight.