Why I'm Skeptical about Kung-Fu Legends

general martial arts Oct 07, 2008

I'm reading an interesting book, Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals, by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo. One chapter discusses a martial arts historian named Matsuda Ryuchi. He once described the "thousands of books written on the Chinese martial arts" and said that "ninety percent of them are not accurate."

According to this book, Ryuchi learned karate and other Japanese arts when he was young, then later studied Chen tai chi, Baji, Mantis, Bagua, and Yen Ching Boxing. He became a Buddhist monk, doing research and writing about both Buddhism and martial arts. His books include An Illustrated History of Chinese Martial Arts, which was published in 1979.

According to Ryuchi, authors of martial arts books want to make their teacher and their style look good. Stories are embellished and even completely made up. Some authors created founders for their styles and made up fantastic tales of the founder's abilities. It's a practice that continues to this day.

When I hear of a master who lived a hundred years ago or more, and could strike an opponent and "send him flying twenty feet through the air," or touch him and cause him to hit the ceiling, I'm very skeptical.

We're much larger and physically stronger now than people were 100 years ago. I don't know any human who could throw me 20 feet through the air. Can you imagine what it would take for someone to touch you and cause you to hit the ceiling? Perhaps in prison, if you bent over for the soap. Perhaps during a prostate exam. I can't think of another valid example.

There's a prominent internal artist who has a book that shows him launching a student into the air, apparently with his chi. I've seen the video of this and it's very clear that the student locks his arms before the teacher--very physically--pushes him into the air. The book cover makes it appear mystical. The reality is far different, but I would imagine 40 years from now, after the author is dead, students who remember him will tell the story of how he could launch someone into the air with his internal energy.

I'm fascinated with the need that some people have to make the arts out to be something that they're not. They're perfectly wonderful--and amazing--just as they are. So the next time you read a fantastic old tale of a great master that defeated a crowd of attackers single-handedly, realize that the kernel of truth in that story might be very small indeed.

--by Ken Gullette

Try Two Weeks Free and Get Step-by-Step Training in Taiji, Xingyi and Bagua from Basic to Advanced Skills with No Mystical Mumbo-Jumbo

More than 850 Video Lessons and Downloadable pdf documents -- and You Get It All During Your Free Trial!

Click this Button to Learn More and Watch a Video!

Okay! Let Me See More!

Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

Why I'm Skeptical about Kung-Fu Legends

Try Two Weeks Free and Get Step-by-Step Training in Taiji, Xingyi and Bagua from Basic to Advanced Skills with No Mystical Mumbo-Jumbo

Author - Instructor

Stay connected with news and updates!

Two Step