Yes, I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a video, and I know this isn’t a more “serious” topic on, say, the current political climate and such. Don’t worry, that’s coming. You’re just going to have to deal with this for now. 
Anyway, because of some interesting comments and PM’s that I have received over my Shaolin videos (don’t worry, they weren’t bad), I decided to do this one to further explain my views. Part of it is to help clarify my position, and part of it is also because I realize that few people these days know about the influence that kung fu’s various classification efforts have had over what people think about their styles today. Many people think their style was originated in Shaolin simply because that name is part of the name of their art. As you will see, that really doesn’t mean much. Chinese martial arts have had some weird ways to classify themselves… and all the efforts are flawed.
By the way, I just want to say right now that while I come down hard on these classifications, I do understand that the first two I mention in the video, while flawed, are decent enough, as far as general descriptions go. But it’s important to know that they can be misleading, and they don’t tell the whole story. The lesson here: don’t get too caught up with names.
Books to check out:
“The Spring and Autumn
of Chinese Martial Arts – 5000 years”
– by Professor Kang Ge-Wu
If you really want to know about how kung fu developed in China, you need to get your hands on this. There are few books in English that truly represent scholarly work on the subject. This is one of them.
“Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals”
– by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo
I recommended this book before in a video, and I’m doing it again here. Even though the main subject is on the manuals themselves, there is an extra effort given to dispel many of the nonsense that pervades Chinese martial arts these days. This book should be in every serious practitioner’s personal library.
The Sword Polisher’s Record
– by Adam Hsu
Adam Hsu is considered one of the best Kung Fu Masters today for a reason. Not only is he highly skilled, but he’s also well versed in the history of his arts. A lot of what he says tend to be things that people don’t want to hear, but then again, those people tend to be the ones who don’t want to put in the effort that Kung Fu demands of it’s practitioners. This collection of essays gives much for the student to ponder, and it also does a decent job of dispelling myths as well.
Happy reading. And keep on training.
Duration : 0:10:32
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Technorati Tags: arts, better, classification, external, internal, kung-fu, martial, myths, need, shaolin wudang northern, southern, system, we
Steve Cotter from IKFF teaches first of the Serving Tea or Tea Cup exercises from the baguazhang internal martial arts. This is great for shoulder mobility and health
Wudang Priest Zhou Xuan Yun (Mysterious Cloud), grew up on Wudang Mountain training both martial arts and Daoism. After relocating to Boston, I was blessed with the opportunity to train again with him, and this time shoot a few videos of his forms.
