What's wrong with the Traditional Chinese Martial Arts

Ein Essay von Zhou Xuan Yun, welches mir das Wort aus dem Mund nimmt.

The traditional Chinese martial arts are wonderful. They are an irreplaceable part of Chinese cultural heritage. Their teachings encapsulate the the wisdom of thousands of years. They create a flexible, strong mind and body. Practicing these arts is a way to give yourself the gift of physical and mental well being.

But, here in the United States, it is rare to drive ten minutes in the city without seeing a yoga studio or a karate dojo. Traditional Chinese martial arts schools are few and far between. If the traditional Chinese martial arts are so wonderful, why aren’t they more widespread?The traditional Chinese martial arts have qualities that stand in the way of their popularity. Here are some of them:

An art form survives only if it is in demand. What was in demand in old China? The things that were necessary for survival. So what did people need to survive back then? They needed to stay healthy and to be able to protect themselves. The traditional Chinese martial arts developed out of those needs. Martial arts caught on, which is why we still have them today. However, skills that were needed across the ocean centuries ago are not essential to survival in modern Western culture. People who may have originally turned to traditional martial arts training now turn to faster, easier methods, like pharmacies, hospitals, fitness centers, or guns.

Traditional martial arts’ are still trying to gain a foothold in the west. This a challenge that most traditional martial arts teachers face. Many teachers only have a few dozen students. On the limited income a small school provides, they can not afford to teach full time. A few supplement their income by filming DVDs or writing books, (requiring business knowledge that most traditionally trained martial artists have not had the opportunity to acquire). Most have a day job that supports their teaching. When the teacher can not devote themselves full time to teaching and their own personal practice, it limits their improvement. This, in turn limits the number of their students they can attract. The cycle continues.


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The Truth about Wudang History

China has experienced an unbelievable amount of change in the last 50 years. During that time, the Wudang marital arts have faced persecution, experienced a renaissance, and begun to spread internationally. Understanding these changes, is an important part of understanding the Wudang martial arts.

Cultural Revolution 1966-1976

From 1966 to 1976, China’s underwent a time of political and social chaos called the Cultural Revolution. Chairman Mao called upon young people to purge the nation of the “Four Olds” meaning old customs, old culture, old habits and old ideas. Temples were among the first places targeted. Temples were smashed and Daoists were forced to leave their mountains and forbidden to accept disciples or share their knowledge.  Wudang survived the Cultural Revolution with less damage than other sacred sites for several reasons:

1) Earlier, during China’s Civil War, a Communist leader named He Long (贺龙) suffered a great defeat and fled to Wudang Mountain. A Daoist named Xu Ben Shan (徐本善) saw that the wounded were cared for. Xu Ben Shan and He Long were both martial artists and shared their skills with each other. Because of its connection to a Communist leader Wudang Mountain was targeted less than other religious sites.

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Wegweiser

ganz sicher bist du an diesem Tag voller guter Absichten. Du willst dein Bestes geben, willst hilfsbereit, freundlich, ehrlich sein. Aber dann kommen Worte über deine Lippen, die du so nicht meinst, es steigen Gedanken in dir auf, die sich gegen andere richten, unfreundliche und du unterdrückst die spontane Geste, zu helfen: Dem nicht.
Was lässt uns anders sein, als wir eigentlich sein wollen? Oder anders rum: Wie kann ich so sein, wie ich sein will?
Wenn wir an dieses Potential heran wollen, kann Taijiquan und Qigong ein Weg sein. Ein Entwicklungsweg. Er beginnt bei den physischen Übungen. Es bleibt auch dabei, wenn du über das rein physische hinaus kommst. Du machst nicht was anderes, aber du machst es anders. Mit der Zeit wird es ein anderer, der es macht. Der ganze Mensch verändert sich. Deshalb nennen wir es Selbstkultivierung. 
Unterwegs kann man schon mal das Ziel aus den Augen verlieren. Wegen Musik und guter Speisen, wie Laozi sagt, vielleicht den Weg ganz aufgeben. Dazu haben wir unsere Lehrer, unsere Guides, unsere Wegweiser. Manchmal ist es hart, weiter zu gehen.Manchmal erfüllt es dich mit Freude. 
Hier ein kleiner Muntermacher von Barbara, die Ihre Zeit in Wudangshan wohl genossen hat.