You now know the history of Chinese martial science is truly long and far-reaching - a tradition that is able to survive the rise & fall of Dynasties, to stand the test of time.

But In recent decades many systems of martial science have transformed into 运动武术 Sport Wushu, especially on the Mainland. Simple, effective techniques to develop deadly power were transformed into a few fancy, complicated & artistic competition forms (Changquan, Nanquan etc), and mortal bare-knuckle fights transformed into a heavily padded kick-boxing cum grappling sport (Sanshou), not to mention health exercises. This is a 40-year-old ploy by the Communists to reduce the threat posed by all the traditional martial artists, who were mostly nationalistic. Many great masters left China during the early years of communist rule, others died during the 10 year Cultural Revolution; rare are those that still live on the Mainland today. The real stuff is always reserved for the stronger members of the People's Liberation Army. Now that China's opening up, the traditional wushu world is slowly being revitalized again.

While it's not easy to judge the value of different Wushu forms, traditional or otherwise, what I'd like to see introduced is judging based more on power, fluidity, stablity & practicality instead of acrobatics, complexity & showmanship. How is Wushu athletes different from dancers, if they only focus on looking good? Their jumps are not as high as High Jumpers. Their acrobatics are not as spectacular as gymnasts. Their facial expressions & fancy stances are not as artistic as Chinese Opera actors. Where does that put them, then? Is Wushu simply something for China to earn more medals at international games (like Taekwondo for Koreans, Karate for Japanese etc)? Or is it a way of life as it has always been?

I'd also like to see Sanshou competitions without pads, without gloves, or just light knuckle guards/ light head gear like in Kyokushin/Seido/Shido & other Freestyle full-contact Karate tournaments in Japan and other parts of the world. This is where Sanshou organizers should learn from the Karate fighters. Afterall, in the world of striking arts only full-contact karate fighters & kickboxers can stand a chance against Thai boxers. Competitors should be allowed any technique, including throwing & holds. Only attacks to the eyes, throat & groin area are disallowed. I mean, if you can't take the punishment, don't take part in competitions, learn it as self-defense. Reducing the effectiveness of a martial art just to make it popular is a foolish thing to do contrary to the meaning of its existence. Without pads, the exponents will be forced to be more careful and show more skill; a welcomed change from the reckless slugging and grappling I see in most Sanshou competitions nowadays - it can only be called padded street fighting at best. It had been observed that the Sanshou athletes from the Mainland are poor strikers but good grapplers, & they keep winning - but of course, the heavy padding and the rules that disallow elbow/ knee strikes give them an overwhelming advantage. In contrast, those from Hong Kong or Taiwan are good strikers, poor grapplers, as they follow closely to Muay Thai training methods. Thus, when the Mainland fighters fight under kick boxing instead of Sanshou rules, they lose miserably, mostly from elbow/ knee strikes when they try to close in for throwing. To get back to the point, Sanshou does not have the impact of kick boxing events like K-1 in Japan & US, nor does is have the entertainment value of pro-wrestling events of the World Wrestling Federation. So again one must ask, where does that put Sanshou? In any case both kickboxing & grappling has got little to do with original Kung Fu fighting methods, so why it exists in this chaotic form is a puzzle to me.

Perhaps they could even introduce weapon tournaments where exponents spar with light, wooden weapons - swords, sabres, spears, staffs and halberds etc. In this case, they could use head and torso padding for protection, like in Japanese Kendo tournaments. This is as close to actual hand-to-hand combat as we can get and still maintain essential safety. These concepts are all quite controversial, but exciting. Though I hope that they will become reality one day, but with the way things are going for modern Wushu, maybe it's better to stick to traditional styles.

李小龙 Bruce Lee (1940-1973) was not just an ordinary action flim-star, & was certainly no traditional wushu stylist either. But the impact he made on the whole world through his films certainly gave the world of both modern & traditional wushu a loud wake-up call. In terms of martial science, his new concepts of 截拳道 Jeet Kune Do certainly did not conform; but its effectiveness as a martial science was not to be questioned. Anybody who actually met & interacted with him can attest to that. By incorporating Western Boxing, Fencing, Tae kwon do, Karate & Jujutsu into his traditional Wing Chun background, combined with both Taoist & Zen philosophy, he proved to the traditional people the benefit of dropping their 大中国 "Middle Kingdom" mentalities & humbly learning from foreigners who really have something good to offer. He also proved to the modern people the futility of too many names & forms, degrading our 4000-year-old traditions into artistic dances.

The Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) was China's golden age not because the Emperors were gods or geniuses, but simply because they opened up China's doors to the rest of the ancient world. The Northern & Southern Song Dynasties (960-1279AD) were constantly being overran by barbaric tribes because they kept to themselves, kept to decaying traditions & feudalism, & also because the Emperors disdained martial science. This proves that international commercial, cultural, religious & scientific exchanges did not erode, but instead strengthened the Empire like never before. Thus the United States rose to greatness in just 2 centuries, as a result of the combined toil of peoples from all around the world for the ideal of Freedom. Likewise, Singapore rose from nothing into today's prosperity & stability in just 3 decades because all the different races are willing to work & live peacefully with one another for the common good, & also because of its cosmopolitan outlook. If you relate the same historical lessons learned to martial science, you'd also understand Bruce Lee's importance.

No nation on earth has a martial art tradition as long or as effective as Chinese martial science, but it is not perfect. Nothing in this world is. On many past occasions Kung Fu fighters have also tasted defeat, notably by the Thais. It is very important to preserve and learn our traditional wushu well, the result of 4 milleniums of experimentation, because that's our root & our substance; but just as important is the willingness to absorb from abroad all the new things that may benefit us. This is called 温故知新, understand the past, know the present, & you will control the future. Learn with an open mind, yet always keep things simple & direct - one will always be on the Middle Way to success.

Since the Warring States, systematic martial science has undergone more than 2000 years of evolution. Its purpose however remains unchanged - to fulfill the need to effectively defend family and country 保家卫国. No matter how advanced the weapons of Man become, ultimately he still needs his most basic weapon - mind and body.

True styles of martial science:

1) Follow clear lineage

2) Are simple to learn but very difficult to master

3) Have less than 10 basic techniques

4) Emphasize on the perfection of these basic techniques

5) Emphasize on very low stances in training (but light stances in actual fighting)

6) Emphasize on deep abdominal breathing

7) Uses the entire body as a weapon - not just hands and feet

8) Have almost no high kicking techniques.

9) Looks soft on the outside but is hard within, or vice versa

10) Possess of both linear and circular techniques

11) Draws its power from the Earth itself

12) Transforms attack and defense into ONE

These are the distinct elements of the ancient system passed down through the milleniums, with different names and variations, but all with one single ideal 一击必杀 to destroy an opponent with one blow. One might question whether such an ideal is correct for people who live in a relatively peaceful world. As followers of the Martial Way we must always have the correct attitude and readiness, however peaceful the world is. We must strive to avoid conflict, but when it is unavoidable, we must fight with all our guts, so as to end conflict quickly. With the correct mindset, we can carry martial science further into the infinite, spiritual realm of the Tao. The highest martial science is one that reveals the laws of the universe through its technique. In the stage where one's art becomes truly formless, one will transcend violence altogether. This is called 神武不杀. With the correct mindset, we can become better people, & eventually gain enlightenment after enough years of diligent practice - 以武入道,武之极意.

This is the ultimate ideal of martial science.

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