Is wushu useful on the street?

[omegaman20]

Is wushu useful on the street?

[pesilat]

Like everything else ... it depends on who's using it :-)

Mike

[waya]

I have to agree with Mike. Any art has the potential for street use depending on the practitioner

Rob

[hongkongfuey]

A lot must also come from guidance from the instructor, and practising with practical applications of basic techniques.

[Chazz]

Like we all have said at sometime, every style has its good parts and bad. Work with the good, learn from the bad and one one style can be as good as others.
Chazz

[Freeform]

It depends on who's doing it.

[Andy Murray]

What is Wushu?

I ask because there are a couple of interpretations of the term 'Wushu' that I am aware of!

[Melanie]

Finally got an answer for you Andy ;)

http://www.beijingwushuteam.com/#whatiswushu

[Andrew Green]

Originally posted by omegaman20
Is wushu useful on the street?

Useful for what?

Putting on a show? yep

Fighting? not so much.

Of course that depends on what you mean by wushu, all chinese martial arts could be called wushu. But what is usually meant by the term, not really, its become a performance art.

Some aspects of it could be applied to combat, but thats not how it is generally practiced.

Andy, think "Jet Li movie", Jet Li was the big name in wushu competition before going into movies.

Butterfly kicks, aerial cartwheels, very low stances.

Very much a "martial dance"

[Andy Murray]

You are most likely to find a definition of Kung Fu as being 'work done or undertaken'.

Kung Fu in Chinese means the degree of proficiency or efficiency in an undertaking. Kung Fu could be said to mean effort or perseverance.

Some Terms;

Shu = Art
Kuo Shu = National Art
Wu Shu = Martial Art
Chuan Shu = First Art
Kung Fu = Work

Kung Fu is recognised as a collective term for the CMA by the English speaking world.

Wu Shu is recognised as a term for Martial Ballet by the English speaking world.


Andy, think "Jet Li movie", Jet Li was the big name in wushu competition before going into movies.
I have followed much of Jet Li's career, and i can tell you that I would not like to fight him for real, not one little bit!

Anyone who can perform Wushu, be it Martial Ballet or not, is somebody to be reckoned with in terms of physical potential.

Andy

[Andrew Green]

Originally posted by Andy Murray


I have followed much of Jet Li's career, and i can tell you that I would not like to fight him for real, not one little bit!


take it to the ground :)


Anyone who can perform Wushu, be it Martial Ballet or not, is somebody to be reckoned with in terms of physical potential.

Andy

That's cause they're in excellant shape. Gymnast's have a lot of potential too, cause they are in great shape. Tae Bo can get you in great shape, while doing martial arts like moves, that doesn't give you the ability to fight.

But the person in better shape will be stronger, faster, have better endurance, tougher, etc. these things will give an advantage.

Weight lifting is also good for street fights, not the skill of lifting weights, but because of the other benefits gained from doing it.

[Chazz]

I was talking to an instructor about this and he said this. "A lot of time you see a lot of flashy things in this style and a lot that some may think look like dance but there are hidden application in eact movement that can be used." He then did a beautiful form that looked great but i didnt know how it could be used then he slowed it down for me and shiowed me sections of it that blew my mind. From what i have seen, is someone know what they are doing in that style, there is a lot that they can use. Again like we all have been saying, it depends on the person!

[Spike]

Originally posted by Andy Murray


I have followed much of Jet Li's career, and i can tell you that I would not like to fight him for real, not one little bit!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



take it to the ground


If you watch any real amount of Jet Li`s movies you can see that he`s not only very fit and very very fast he`s also very precise with pressure point strikes. Not something to be over looked when you talk about taking someone to ground.

[Freeform]

You have to remember Spike that as skilled as the man is, these are still movies (and no I wouldn't want a shot of him!)

Taking it to the ground favors PP's because you no longer have to bridge the gap (getting your offence through his guard).

Thamx

[Silver_no2]

Originally posted by Freeform
Thamx
Which are very similar to Thanx - but with a slight twist :D


Originally posted by Andy Murray
the reputedly handsome and
talented Freeform[/B]
What have I told you about snorting that vodka and cocaine solution Andrew?!? :D

Seriously now,

originally posted by chazz982001
A lot of time you see a lot of flashy things in this style and a lot that some may think look like dance but there are hidden application in eact movement that can be used.

Another example of this is the Tai Chi that one of the people I train with also does. It all looked very nice and flowing and pretty until he explained what each of the techniques were designed to do...at which point I ran away!!! From what I understand of Capoeira it was deliberately made to look like a dance to hide from the slavers what it was that the slaves were actually learning. The fact that it involves mainly kicking is that the slaves arms would have been tied/chained. I'm sure that someone will come along and tell me that I'm talking sh*te but that's nothing new! :D

Several conversations that I have had with FreeForm have led to him demonstrating what the moves in his kata actually represent and it is interesting to see how different styles think the same movement represents different applications.

originally posted by omegaman20
Is wushu useful on the street?
Have to agree with everybody else, it depends who's using it

[Andy Murray]

It's really bizarre that with the explosion of Information Technology we are still so ignorant of other arts. We post opinions about things based on a very limited amount of knowledge at times.

Wushu;

As others have said already, It's not what you do but how you do it. Someone who has done the graft, and is prepared to jump in the air only to land in full side splits, is someone who has dedicated a lot of time to their training. It does not automatically follow that this will be their automatic response to a real threat, though it would certainly be distracting. Wushu players have explored the limitations of their bodies, and I would imagine are potentially very adaptable.

Capoeira;

This could just be an Urban Myth that I picked up somewhere, but didn't holding razor blades between the clenched toes form part of this art. I read that they could potentially slash someones throat open with these 'flashy' techniques. True or not, it certainly makes you think twice. The rythmn and music in Capoeira are a fantastic way of training your timing and coordination.

It would be a Grave mistake for me to underestimate any style or individual represented on these boards.

Andy

[Andrew Green]

Originally posted by Andy Murray
It's really bizarre that with the explosion of Information Technology we are still so ignorant of other arts. We post opinions about things based on a very limited amount of knowledge at times.

Wushu;

As others have said already, It's not what you do but how you do it. Someone who has done the graft, and is prepared to jump in the air only to land in full side splits, is someone who has dedicated a lot of time to their training. It does not automatically follow that this will be their automatic response to a real threat, though it would certainly be distracting. Wushu players have explored the limitations of their bodies, and I would imagine are potentially very adaptable.


Sometimes this PC stuff just gets annoying...

Wushu is a horrible choice if your intent is to learn how to fight, thats not what they do. Yes all Chinese arts are "Wushu" but they don't usually use that term. The ones that call themselves wushu are the ones doing aerials and butterfy kicks.

Fine, it has a basis in martial arts, a lot of the practitioners likely have done a few extra things. But the "wushu" is a performance art, it is done to look good, to impress judges, to excite the crowd. Not for fighting.

Does this make it a "bad" martial art? No, just a bad one for fighting / self-defence. If someon wanted to be a Open forms champion would you recomend they go to a BJJ school? No, thats not what they do.

Tae Bo can be just as effective as wushu, but I wouldn't suggest someone take up Tae Bo to learn streetfighting, thats not what its for.

This nonsense about "It's not the art, its the artist" is just plain silly, different arts work for different things.

Shootfighters don't make good forms competitiors
Boxers don't make good grapplers
Grapplers don't make good point fighters
Wushu doesn't make good street fighters

Wushu will get you into great shape, perhaps give you some confidence about your abilities, and get you doing movements which can be used to hit people. In many cases that might be enough. Tae BO can do that too thoughm neither are a good choice if you want to learn how to fight.

[Andy Murray]

This nonsense about "It's not the art, its the artist" is just plain silly, different arts work for different things.

I don't agree.

I could learn Morris Dancing tomorrow, show you Martial applications by the following week, and absorb the system into my personal fight strategy.
That's more about me than the art though isn't it?

Andy

[Silver_no2]

Originally posted by Andrew Green
Sometimes this PC stuff just gets annoying...
Are you referring to Political Correctness stuff or Personal Computer stuff. Either way I'm not sure I understand what you mean by it, please clarify.

Originally posted by Andrew Green
This nonsense about "It's not the art, its the artist" is just plain silly, different arts work for different things.

Shootfighters don't make good forms competitiors
Boxers don't make good grapplers
Grapplers don't make good point fighters
Wushu doesn't make good street fighters

Can't agree with you entirely on this point. You are getting away from the main thrust of the thread by specialising too much. Of course a shootfighter won't make a good form competitor, or a boxer a good grappler. That's not the point. The point is whether wushu is any good on the street. Surely that depends entirely on the person in the situation. If they can take something, anything, from their wushu and use it to either hurt their attacker or break away from their attacker then wushu has worked for them in the street.

[Andrew Green]

Originally posted by Silver_no2


Can't agree with you entirely on this point. You are getting away from the main thrust of the thread by specialising too much. Of course a shootfighter won't make a good form competitor, or a boxer a good grappler. That's not the point. The point is whether wushu is any good on the street. Surely that depends entirely on the person in the situation. If they can take something, anything, from their wushu and use it to either hurt their attacker or break away from their attacker then wushu has worked for them in the street.

The question was "Is wushu useful on the street?"

and I say no more then shootfighting is useful for open forms competition.

Could a shootfighter put together a form and place, sure, why not. But thats not what they do.

A Tae Bo person could use what they learnt on the street, but I'm not going to reccomend Tae Bo to someone wanting something that will work on the street. Same for Wushu.

Wushu has its uses, its a great art, BUT NOT FOR STREETFIGHTING. Fine some schools may teach you how to fight, there will always be exceptions. But as a whole wushu is not the right choice to learn how to fight, and the wushu guys I've come across will tell you this.

[Spike]

I`m sorry, I phrased my post badly, I meant to point out that he not only strikes accurately but also knows whic PPs are the best to attack and cause damage

[Silver_no2]

Originally posted by Andrew Green


The question was "Is wushu useful on the street?"

and I say no more then shootfighting is useful for open forms competition.

Could a shootfighter put together a form and place, sure, why not. But thats not what they do.

A Tae Bo person could use what they learnt on the street, but I'm not going to reccomend Tae Bo to someone wanting something that will work on the street. Same for Wushu.

Wushu has its uses, its a great art, BUT NOT FOR STREETFIGHTING.

Surely any training is better than none and as such it is useful on the street.

I think that Andy Murray had it right when he said "I could learn Morris Dancing tomorrow, show you Martial applications by the following week, and absorb the system into my personal fight strategy." If you can use anything that you've learnt from the MA's to defend yourself then it is "useful on the street". It may not be the most useful/effective but it is useful.

[Spike]

I agree. Any form of physical exercise will be useful if only for increasing CV capability and thus any MA will be useful because they all have techniques that work. Some suit certain people better than others, but no MA is useless.