How did Ping Shen Tao become a martial art ?
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Not sure but check the web site below
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Hmm... I need to read up a bit more about the teachings of Li. But over 100 million people practice the "mind and body cultivation" doctrines and perform the meditation exercises that go with it.\n\nMust be a different version of Tai Chi exercises...\n\nPeace be with you.
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Kung fu's not a martial art. It's the generic Chinese term for martial arts in general. So no, I don't think that martial arts are overrated. Some styles are, some aren't.\n\nUnless you had a specific one in mind?
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Wushu is more acrobatic, traditional kung fu is more for fighting.\nBoth are going to have their share of fanatics, so learn to shut down conversations with these fanatics gently.
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compared to most kung fu schools i have seen, FMA students learn using weapons on the first day then gradually progress to empty hands. Most kung fu schools start off empty hands first. FMA does not have any long sets, forms or katas. It is very simple, which is why it is so effective. \n\nFMA was not developed in China. The sticks used in training in FMA are called "sticks". No special names. They are substitutes for knives, machetes and other bladed weapons during training. \n\nFMA is still used for combat and survival in the jungles of the phillippines.
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Tai Chi like most martial arts has gone through a series of evolutions and changes.  The more recent history of taijiquan has taken what was once a very effective form of martial art and turned it into merely a form of exercise for some.  \n\nThe short forms came about as a way of introducing the basics of the various forms (Chen, Yang, etc.) to the general public.  The idea was to make the whole of the form easier for beginners to learn.  For example, I believe the Yang style long form contains 108 postures and was altered by Yang Cheng-fu removing the vigorous fajing movements to the slow moving form most know today to accentuate the health benefits.  A student of his, Cheng Man Ching who lived in New York City, introduced this form of the art to America and shortened it to a 37 posture form by removing certain postures and repetitive movements from the longer form of his teacher.  Both men's efforts were to make the art more available to the average person.    \n\nOther styles of taijiquan have developed short forms for similar reasons.  Unfortunately, some of these efforts have only served to "waterdown" the art.\n\nAs to which form most Chinese do daily....  Don't know.  But there aren't just two forms (long and short), there are many various styles of the art as well.  \n\nIf you're looking to begin learning, I suggest you look for a teacher who's focus is both on the health and the combative elements of the art.
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Let me start by defining and exampling martial arts before I answer. Martial Art = The art of war. What makes up a martial art: Percussion (striking), Projection (throwing), Immobilization (joint locks), and Armament (weaponry). Here are some examples of different systems:\n\nKarate: Okinawan. Covers Percussion. Civil Art. Kara- meaning open or empty depending on translation. -te originally meant Chinese Hand but they later changed it to just hand after the Chinese were driven out. Derived from White Crane Kung Fu. Believes in hardening the body against strikes and striking hard is the key.\n\nKung Fu: External Chinese. Most cover percussion, projection, and armament, with a few covering immobilization as well. Usually either martial or civil art. There are SO many systems within the term kung fu that it is hard to describe this system effectively. To say the least the best Kung Fu I have seen was in Dallas, and was translated to the Water-Fire Kung Fu.\n\nAikido / Aiki-jujutsu: Japanese. Covers immobilization with slight touch on projection. Civil Art. Was originally derived from Nihongo Jujutsu or Japanese Jujutsu (honestly I hate that I have to specify WHICH jujutsu compared to Brazilian or American… as if you would get an French taco or Russian sushi). Aikido has sadly become one of the snobbiest “styles” out there and they insist that what they do would work in real combat, although only about 10% of EVERYONE who is involved with that system knows what they’re doing. Though I will admit those that do, can do some beautiful Aiki.\n\nJudo: Japanese. Covers projection. Sport Art. Another derivative of Nihongo Jujutsu. A sport derived from the throwing system used in Japan’s combat. As with all sports, there are certain things that they threw out as “illegal moves” due to their effectiveness therefore making the “style” weaker.\n\nBrazilian: Japanese origin. Covers a portion of Immobilization and Projection. Martial Sport. This “style” was made famous by the Gracie family after they were originally taught by a Japanese man who refused to show them any more than the grappling section of Jujutsu. So they concentrated on the art of ground fighting. Most people that do Brazilian are extremely competitive and aggressive in nature.\n\nTaekwondo: Korean. Percussion. Sport Art. This is a primarily kicking “style” and is considered one of the most famous “styles” in use. Another system that is sport / competition based they rely heavily on flexible and fast legs. Originally a derivative from a certain school of Karate which name eludes me at this moment.\n\nKrav Maga: Israeli. Um… Percussion? Military wannabe. I REALLY don’t suggest this system unless you’re looking for a Billy Blanks on steroids kinda feel. This system was built to teach the foot soldiers of Israel a quick, brutal and less than effective hand-to-hand fighting method in a matter of a week, so seriously, don’t bother.\n\nThose Russian arts: Mainly knife junkies who think they know what they’re doing. More flashy than anything else, don’t fall for the hype.\n\nPilipino: Mostly Stick and knife, and they are not for the faint of heart, although not much art to the system, it seems those whom you can find who actually know what they’re doing are pretty good with a knife and stick but that’s it.\n\nMMA: Mixed martial arts. Probably the worst thing that has ever happened to martial arts besides Krav maga. The concept of mixing martial arts is taking a system that is inferior and mixing it with another inferior system to hopefully make up for the gaps left by the other one. For example: Karate doesn’t have Immobilization, so lets throw in Aikido and Brazilian, and those don’t have projection so lets throw in Judo, and all of those don’t have armament so lets throw in Pilipino. \n\nThere are zillions of others that I’ve missed because in order to catch them all, I’d have to write a book, which is stupid, but here’s the
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I started in Boxing and Tae Kwon Do, for about a year.  This was about 1989, my sophmore year in college.  I switched to a Northern Style Kung Fu called Shipagi, some of the forms of which I still practice to this day.\n\nIn 1992 I studied Wing Chun and Arnis at the local YMCA for about 3 years.  After that, when I became a school teacher, I just trained on my own until 1999.\n\nThat's when I hooked up with Joseph Simonet in Wenatchee WA.  I trained in quite a few arts at that point (mainly because Joe is so well versed in so many himself) including Arnis/Eskrima, Tracy's Kenpo Karate, Yang style Tai Chi, Wing Chun and Pentjak Silat Serak.  I eventually earned a black belt in a hybrid curriculum he developed called American Wing Chun-Silat.\n\nSo let's see... I guess all told I have been training about 17 years.  Hmm, doesn't seem all that long and yet it's been quite the journey.\n\nPeace,\nVT
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Go to a martial art class.\nAfter that he will come here and ask the same question.
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In the early times, the martial arts were there to serve as a means of self-defense ( especially close-quarters ) but because ever since the gun has become the preferred weapon by many ( especially in Western colonial powers), the arts have seen a decline in their importance in the methods of war. \n\nBefore Bruce Lee's rise to world fame, many Asian martial arts had sprouted in the West. This could be attributed to Western military men being taught those arts when they were assigned in Far Eastern Asia. The reason for being taught is because it would give these military men bare-handed fighting skills in combat. When the martial art schools in the West appeared, it enjoyed popularity and is considered to be its "Golden Age" at least in America. Many programs featuring various martial arts would also contribute to why many people enrolled in these schools thus making martial arts popular. The emphasis however of these schools was in the aesthetic aspect of the arts which was used to attract followers as evidenced by the numerous martial arts demonstrations being held at that time. Martial Arts also at this period were the classical or traditional martial arts, a practitioner is only allowed to use techniques coming from the art he or she practiced so as to distinguish one art from another done by its practitioner.  \n\nWhen Bruce Lee came into the scene, the Martial Arts became even more popular. In fact, his films are considered by many to be the greatest martial arts films of all time, they were classics. The focus of media then shifted to Lee and everything Lee had to say was taken to heart by the martial arts community. His liberal philosophy on the martial arts stressed that martial artists must liberate themselves from the art they practiced and explore the other arts to pick techniques that would be effective for them in combat. Bruce Lee's self-made martial art, "Jeet Kune Do"( art of the intercepting fist)reflected this philosophy as he has studied many martial arts even Western ones (boxing,wrestling,fencing)to pick techniques that he knew would be effective for him during combat. He called it the "style of no style" stressing that Jeet Kune Do is free of any form unlike the traditional, classical styles to fulfill the objective of efficiency in combat since fighting in a pattern would enable one's assailant or opponent to read his next move. For Bruce Lee, martial arts was all about realistic combat.\n\nThe period after his death didn't show any much about martial arts. In the 90's, an underground fighting competition began gaining attention. The competition was made in order to see which martial art was the most effective in a "no holds barred" environment meaning there were no rules in contrast to boxing matches and karate or taekwondo tournaments where rules were strictly observed that also lessened realism in combat. It pitted martial artists from different styles to see which style is best. This competition later became known as the "UFC" and was legalized in some states however, rules were introduced thereby reducing its claim to be "no holds barred" which lessened its reputed "realism" in combat. In the early times of this competition, practitioners of grappling arts were dominant in winning competitions. Later however, winners of such competitions were fighters who are well-versed in both grappling(Brazilian Jujitsu, Wrestling, Sambo) and striking arts(Muay Thai, Boxing, Kickboxing). To this day, most winners of such competitions are those who have been well-versed in various arts, essentially what Lee proposed most martial artists to do in order to become efficient martial artists in the field of realistic combat even though considering the watered down realism of such competitions. Other similar fighting competitions began to appear, Pride FC as an example.
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I'm mostly interested in Wing Chun Kung Fu, a martial  art developed by a chinese nun during the Ching Dynasty which is very practical and became popular in America after it was discovered that it was the original martial art that Bruce Lee studied before he left China. I haven't really seen any documentaries on this art except for being briefly mentioned in a documentary or two. Also,  there isn't really much info that I've seen on filipino martial arts. They are masters of weapons and knife fighting and it is said that if you train in weapons before you train in unarmed combat, you will posess extreme skill in any martial art. Probably because it takes so much more conditioning to avoid a blow from a weapon than from a fist or a foot. They have arts dedicated to weapons fighting such as Escrima, Kali, and Espada y Daga.
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The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav (pub. 1980) is a popular new age book written on quantum physics interpretations. The subject is described in non-mathematical terms to enable the widest possible readership to grasp the trends in physics research and theory current as of the mid-1970s.\n\nThe phrase Wu Li in the title refers to one possible Chinese translation of the word "physics", as translated by the Tai Chi teacher Al Huang. The chapters of the book are each titled with other alternative translations of Wu Li, such as "Nonsense" and "I Clutch My Principles".\n\nThe author participated in a physics conference of eastern and western scientists at Esalen Institute, California, in 1976 and used the occasion as material for his book. The physicist Jack Sarfatti contributed greatly to the content of the book, as well as the Tai Chi teacher and author Al Huang.\n\nThe book came out in 1980, before many of the recent developments in String Theory, so it should not be considered as up-to-date with respect to physics, although it remains interesting with respect to the philosophical commonality between western science and eastern mysticism.
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Well, I don’t know much about Master Joe Schaeffer, the head of a school called Shaolin-Do, but I heard he was on Ripley's. I do know a little about Shaolin Martial arts and history, as I have been a student of Martial arts for over 30 years and I have studies Chinese History and culture for nearly 20 years now.  \n\nMy personal opinion is that I do not like a Chinese martial arts school that mixes Japanese terms with Chinese tradition. The information I do know of Master Joe Schaeffer and his Shaolin-Do shoes him wearing Japanese style uniforms and Japanese Black belts.  He also states that he has a 6th degree black belt from a Shaolin Master. I am not saying he is not telling the truth, as I do not know him personally and I do not know his Master, but I do know and Have met actual Shaolin Monks. They do not use Black belts. Also, the term 'Do' is a Japanese word meaning "way" and is often added to the end of a skill or art to indicated it's practice. For instance,  Karate-Do (Empty Hand Way); Kendo (The way of the Sword) or Budo. (The way of war) In Chinese, the word for way is Tao, but it is not used in the same manner. That said, if he has studied Shaolin arts, and he has learned any of the Shaolin healing techniques, then these would fall into the category of Traditional Chinese Medicine.\n\nTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can seam almost miraculous, and almost certainly strange to those unfamiliar with the techniques and philosophies of the arts. Without going into too much detail, TCM believes that balance is the key to health. The principals and theories revolve around Internal Energy (Qi); The five elements (wuxíng: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) and Yin, Yang (yīnyáng). The techniques commonly used for healing are Tuina (traction, massage and body manipulation); Acupuncture; Moxibustion; Herbology; Acupoint therapy (Acupressure) and Qi Gung. (Controlled breathing patterns with various postures and body movements. Some people call it Chinese yoga.) There's a lot more to it, but these are the basics that most western audiences can relate to.  Anyway, TCM is not a hoax and despite some western criticism, the facts are that generally speaking, the Chinese lead healthier, longer lives then we do in the west.  There must be something to their health care practices, right? \n\nAs for Master Joe Schaeffer, I don’t know what to tell you. I would recommend talking to him and a few of his students and then do a little research on line. You can check out the official Shaolin Temple Overseas Headquarters web page (http://www.shaolin-overseas.org/) if you like or you can read more about Shaolin from numerous other resources including Wikipedia, shaolinwolf.com, shaolin.com, or any number of other sites. After speaking with Master Schaeffer, you could also post more detailed questions here and see what you learn.  \n\nI hope this helps.
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Most Kwoons (Chinese Martial Arts School) specialise in one form, or another depending on where the Sifu (Father Teacher) was taught, and whom taught him. Please research Chinese Kung Fu further by the links offered on google, and yahoo, then research further whichever one art interests you the most. The fighters will is 90 percent of the fighter, kung fu the other 10. \n\nlr\n\nhttp://www.wingchunassociation.com\nhttp://www.pacificwingchunassociation.com
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Taoist concepts, beliefs and practices:\n\nTao is the first-cause of the universe. It is a force that flows through all life. \n\n"The Tao surrounds everyone and therefore everyone must listen to find enlightenment." \n\nEach believer's goal is to become one with the Tao. \n\nTaoism has provided an alternative to the Confucian tradition in China. The two traditions have coexisted in the country, region, and generally within the same individual. \n\nThe priesthood views the many gods as manifestations of the one Dao, "which could not be represented as an image or a particular thing." The concept of a personified deity is foreign to them, as is the concept of the creation of the universe. Thus, they do not pray as Christians do; there is no God to hear the prayers or to act upon them. They seek answers to life's problems through inner meditation and outer observation. \n\nIn contrast with the beliefs and practices of the priesthood, most of the laity have  "believed that spirits pervaded nature...The gods in heaven acted like and were treated like the officials in the world of men; worshipping the gods was a kind of rehearsal of attitudes toward secular authorities. On the other hand, the demons and ghosts of hell acted like and were treated like the bullies, outlaws, and threatening strangers in the real world; they were bribed by the people and were ritually arrested by the martial forces of the spirit officials." 3 \nTime is cyclical, not linear as in Western thinking. \nTaoists strongly promote health and vitality. \n\nFive main organs and orifices of the body correspond to the five parts of the sky: water, fire, wood, metal and earth. \nEach person must nurture the Ch'i (air, breath) that has been given to them. \n\nDevelopment of virtue is one's chief task. The Three Jewels to be sought are compassion, moderation and humility. \n\nTaoists follow the art of "wu wei," which is to let nature take its course. For example, one should allow a river to flow towards the sea unimpeded; do not erect a dam which would interfere with its natural flow. \n\nOne should plan in advance and consider carefully each action before making it. \n\nA Taoists is kind to other individuals, in part because such an action tends to be reciprocated. \n\nTaoists believe that "people are compassionate by nature...left to their own devices [they] will show this compassion without expecting a reward."
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http://www.lycoming.edu/orgs/karate/handbook/history.htm\n\nHistory of Traditional Karate\n\n\n\nKarate-do, or 'the way of the empty hand' originated in Okinawa. Okinawa is a small island that lies between China and Japan. Its geographical location, made it a place where social and cultural intercourse between China and Japan took place. In 1609, the country was invaded by the Japanese, who established their political presence. The various leaders of Okinawa were taken back to Japan for internment. At the same time, Japanese military and police authorities took control of most of the major urbanized areas, including the Capitol of Naha. It was during this time the Japanese confiscated all arms owned by the Okinawan people.\n\n\nUnfortunately, the Japanese invaders did not take into account the ancestral heritage of the Okinawan people - that of their martial arts. Because of Okinawa's close commercial and social ties to China, it acquired the Chinese fighting art of Chuan-fa (kung-fu). Chuan-fa origins can be traced back more than 1,200 years. In time the Chinese fighting art eventually became known as to-de in Okinawa. The use of to-de allowed the Okinawan people to defend themselves quite successfully against the more numerous Japanese fighting forces.\n\n\nGradually, the Okinawan people grew resigned to the fact that they were fighting an up hill battle against a more modern and large Japanese army of occupation. So they accepted, somewhat reluctantly the Japanese occupation with distaste, but allegiance. In 1868, Gichin Funakoshi was born, son of a minor political figure in Okinawa. Young Funakoshi grew up learning the martial art skills of to-de from Master Azato. By the time he was in his late twenties, Funakoshi had not only mastered the art of to-de, but completed his education and become a teacher. Following a demonstration of to-de, a visiting school administrator was so impressed that he authorized Funakoshi to put the martial arts into the Okinawan school system. The once banned martial arts now at last was in the open.\n\n\nJapan's introduction to what is now known as karate had to wait until 1912. By chance, Admiral Dewa of the Imperial Navy, along with many of his sailors were housed at a school where Funakoshi taught. Funakoshi would put together impromptu karate demonstrations to keep the sailors entertained. It was through these demonstrations that karate became the talk of Tokyo. Nearly ten years later, the Emperor of Japan invited Funakoshi to give a demonstration at the Royal Palace. Following the demonstration, the Emperor was so impressed he invited Funakoshi to return to Japan and teach his art in various universities. By the time he returned to Japan he was approaching 60 years of age. His first club was known as Shotokan or 'house of shoto'. Funakoshi previously used the pen-name of Shoto when he wrote poetry. It literally means 'waving pines'. The word kan means house, so logically we can see how shotokan karate-do got its name. It is easy to understand why shotokan karate-do became one of the most popular Japanese martial arts. In 1930, the original name of Okinawan art of to-de was changed to read karate-do, or 'the way of the empty hand'.
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Hey, people, if you don't know the answer, don't just try to grab points.\n\nKung Fu is a family of martial arts.  Some of the forms inclue Wing Chung, San Soo, Shao Lin, and others.  They all encompass different techniques.  San Soo, for example, encompasses the animal forms, such as Tiger, Crane, Dragon, etc.\n\nTae Kwon Do is a form of MArtial Art that is very strongly focused on Discipline and kicks.  Either art is effective if used properly, and they transitionalize well together.\n\nBear in mind that there are Two differnet generalizations of Kung Fu:  So Style, which is Northern China, and Ki Style which is Southern Style.  Southern China is mountainous, and the moves with Ki Style are made for closed in areas where you need to use closer attacks and defenses.  Northern China holds the vast Gobi Desert.  Kung Fu from this region Is open, and the moves are large and a lot of ariels.  both are beautiful in their own right.\n\nTae Kwon Do is much more likely to be taught correctly in America than is Kung Ku, because MOST, not all, teachers do not separate the different philosophies of Kung Fu, and teach a generic form.