Why are Kung Fu masters getting BEATEN UP in China?

You've heard about MMA guys beating up kung fu masters, but why did this whole thing start?

DOCUMENTARY LINKS:

Conquering Southern China:

Conquering Northern China:

For Motorcycle adventures around the world, and a talk-show on two wheels go to ADVChina every Monday 1pm EST

For a realistic perspective on China and world travel from an American father and a Chinese mother with two half-Chinese daughters go to Laowhy86 every Wednesday 1pm EST

For a no-nonsense on the street look at Chinese culture and beyond from China's original YouTuber, join SerpentZA on Friday at 1pm EST

Music used: Virtual Vice - Upcoming album

Twitter: @serpentza
Instagram: serpent_za

[erockstoenescu]

It’s sad how the government ruined that MMA guys life just for embarrassing them

[creightonfreeman]

There is another reason that Byron didn't really discuss. During the cultural revolution when all traditional Chinese culture was black listed and attempts were made to exterminate it, many of the serious traditional Quanfa masters fled mainland China and went to HKG, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, etc. The few that remained in mainland China had to go into hiding and could not practice or teach their martial art publicly. This resulted in a whole generation gap in the passing down of traditional technique. Even when the government finally decided suppressing Chinese martial arts was a bad idea and tried to restore it, they banned SanDa competitions. They didn't want “comrades fighting comrades”. Also, masters who had remained in hiding during the cultural revolution were few and far between, and some had not practiced much or any during the prohibition, because getting caught by the red guard meant punishment or death. You can forget a lot and lose a lot of skill in fifteen or more years of not training. When the government in Beijing decided to create a contemporary Chinese “martial art” they focused on performance rather than combat. They took their interpretation of traditional quanfa techniques and combined them with gymnastics/acrobatics and Peking Opera to create contemporary Wushu and standardized Taiji Quan forms for performance and sports competition. While many people who practice these are amazing athletes, most of them have never thought about actual fighting application or practiced realistic sparring. Practicing forms alone or even two person “fighting forms” is not adequate training or preparation for a fight where another trained person is really trying to punch, kick, strike, lock and throw you as hard as they can. As Bruce Lee said, it is like trying to learn to swim on dry land. So many of these so called “masters” that Xu XiaoDong knocked out had never been in a sparring match, practice or otherwise in their lives. They had deluded themselves into thinking practicing their techniques and forms in the air was enough. There are still a few traditional martial artists in China who train in the old way, who know how to apply their technique, but they are few and far between.

[ericpubdeff]

(Taiwanese voice) So, there's another layer beyond the East vs West narrative. You need to understand that, in Chinese culture, filial piety is everything. When I was a kid, my dad was godlike and his dad was the god over my god. The first time I heard an American friend call his dad by his first name, I nearly fainted. Authority, in that culture, comes from age and wisdom. That's why, in Martial Art flicks, the most powerful guy is the super old dude. In the West, progress is forward looking with the new generations breaking through and improving upon the past. In Chinese culture, authority comes top-down and reaches backwards in time. That's why the MMA guy beating up the old "masters" was such a no-no. In that culture, your parents are authorities over your life; the government is big daddy. Their citizens might not be able to make public criticisms against the State, but kicking the old kung fu master's ass has all the implications which, of course, the communist party picked up right away.

[Triggered-RC]

China in a nutshell: "We can't make it, so we fake it."

[jauntyangle]

"Never interrupt an enemy that is making a mistake".

[hansdonnerborg]

im a master in not doing anything - if i had been a grand master i wouldnt even be writing this.

[alecbarnes]

Working as a bouncer for several years, there is the art and there is reality.

[juicysmolley]

My dad always told me kung fu is to build the body and mind. It's not for fighting and he was right. He taught me wing chun and one day in middle school I got fed up with bullies throwing my weeb friends into the dumpster and then I got thrown into the dumpster.

[Shaddowkhan]

This guy's honesty is refreshing.

[Thenineoh]

A martial artist refusing to fight someone because their art is 'too dangerous' is like me saying I can run faster than Usain Bolt but won't race him, because I just run so fast that I'd embarrass him badly and ruin his career, and I'm too humble to do that lol.

[whatsnewnick]

Some martial arts are traditional, but it never hurts to try and evolve them into combat/ competitive/ street fighting. As Bruce Lee said, "Rehearsed routines lack the flexibility to adapt." One should try to be creative, practice with experienced fighters/practitioners, and adapt a style that fits with the situation.

[douglassmith]

*Bruce Lee* said it best when he said that he threw out what didn't work and kept what did.
*MMA* is just that, coupled with other disciplines *not* found in Kung Fu.

[tacooflove]

Something I heard a long time ago was “Don’t believe your own PR” and it is very true.

[leonardwei]

Making fraudulent claims is one thing. Actually believing your own fraudulent claims is a whole different level.

[peteryeung]

Bruce was so ahead of his time, he actually called these kung Kung fu systems/performances "the classical mess".
Many Real Chinese kung fu was eliminated and was forbidden to practice during the cultural revolution.

[cristianespinal]

During the Boxer Rebellion, a lot of boxers were convinced by propaganda telling them that there were techniques that would make them bulletproof. I'm sure some of the more tested and rational martial artists knew this wasn't true, but certainly some believed it. Some of those who did found out the hard way.

[xXDarkxIdealsXx]

**Does Video on serpentza's channel**


Social Credit Score: -100 Points

[jerrychen]

Ghost cities, ghost marshal arts, ghost economy, ghost products, we need the ghost busters

[davidmwayi]

As a former rugby player I cringed at that rugby footage.

[sarakajira]

I just started watching your and C Milk's channels a few days ago, and I feel like I've learned more about China in the past few days watching your guys' videos, than in all the years of my life. Well done and thank you so much for all the content you guys put out!