Was Kung Fu obsession really a thing back in Ancient China?

[PBAC]

well yeah they were called martial arts because they were used for combat. Ancient Chinese did a lot of fighting so they perfected their combat styles. I think 1 v 1 fighting was common among nobles to settle disputes faster .... seems like something they'd do.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Must have been pretty obsessed with it to come up with imitations of snakes, birds and insects.

 

[lsa]

@dildos loves feet.
This will make his day

 

[PBAC]

martial arts/diet also had a lot to do with their religions

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

it came from India and was taught to monks in order to give them more stamina and focus for their studying. it evolved into a fighting form from there.

 

[lsa]

it came from India and was taught to monks in order to give them more stamina and focus for their studying. it evolved into a fighting form from there.

and to make them masturbate less.

 

[Fedorgasm]

Must have been pretty obsessed with it to come up with imitations of snakes, birds and insects.

I wonder how many times someone made a new style that never caught on, like sloth style, or manatee style.

 

[milliniar]

this guy no doubt

So is that origins of the twelve 7 the goat, origins of the twelve the goat 7, or origins 7 of the twelve the goat?

 

[mozfonky]

I don't know but one thing for sure I believe. If men actually had to fight each other, unarmed, it was more realistic than what we saw in recent times. If it weren't for Bruce Lee and the Gracies, we may still be stuck in the fantasy world that most martial artists lived in for a long time. It was pretty much what Bruce Lee said it was, "99 percent baloney".

 

[mozfonky]

Not the peasants, but among nobles, gong fu was a treasured art form. Even emperors dabbled. There's the story of the great Qan Xi, an emperor who participated in the deadly Dao Fu tournament in ancient China. He had his throat snatched out with a strike thrown from the vicious serpent pose, and died. The man who killed him was not executed but instead given a title and land and raised 11 children off of his exploit and was appointed to be the head of manure manufacturing in Shao Fung province. Amazing time to be alive.

The way I hear it is that even in recent times, it was seen as sacred in general by the Chinese. It's one of the reasons that Bruce was a controversial figure in his time. He dogged everyone. There is a story that some master asked him to try to push him off balance, Bruce hit him in the mouth and knocked him down. Punk shit, but he made his point along with a lot of enemies with stunts like that.

 

[Phlog]

Yes. I studied a form of violent Tai chi that left China before the glorious people's revolution. During that revolution martial arts were effectively banned. Only isolated practice in secret survived.

Weirdly Kung Fu in the east end of London was more legit than most of it in China.

 

[NoSmilez]

Yes. I studied a form of violent Tai chi that left China before the glorious people's revolution. During that revolution martial arts were effectively banned. Only isolated practice in secret survived.

Weirdly Kung Fu in the east end of London was more legit than most of it in China.

From what I understand from people who actually trained at Dengfeng(town where Shaolin is at); the practice of kung fu in China was focused on Wushu since performances bring money. There was a ton of hype behind it since it was campaigning to be an Olympic sport and the Chinese movie stars crossing over to Western media etc etc. The hype died when they failed the Olympic bid then scandals regarding the schools start to hit. The kungfu schools all sort of fell out of favor. It's pretty funny. The folks I met were all super disenchanted with Shaolin. I visited after it became commercialized and I just saw the horror in the face of my friend.

 

[Bacco]

So is that origins of the twelve 7 the goat, origins of the twelve the goat 7, or origins 7 of the twelve the goat?

yes

 

[Deleted member 449757]

About as significant as european fencing.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Everyone would rather pass the battery of exams to be a civil servant than a kung fu nutjob.

Although I get the impression part of the mass appeal of Kung Fu in the late 19th century(were most Kung Fu films are set) was that it was viewed as a traditional Han culture and a form of rebellion against the foreign Qing dynasty and various colonial powers.

 

[Phlog]

From what I understand from people who actually trained at Dengfeng(town where Shaolin is at); the practice of kung fu in China was focused on Wushu since performances bring money. There was a ton of hype behind it since it was campaigning to be an Olympic sport and the Chinese movie stars crossing over to Western media etc etc. The hype died when they failed the Olympic bid then scandals regarding the schools start to hit. The kungfu schools all sort of fell out of favor. It's pretty funny. The folks I met were all super disenchanted with Shaolin. I visited after it became commercialized and I just saw the horror in the face of my friend.

Yeah, the state intervention in everything is mad, it's basically a propaganda tool and little else.

 

[Phlog]

About as significant as european fencing.

So key?

 

[Deleted member 449757]

So key?

Yes. Key in individual combat.

 

[dildos]

@dildos loves feet.
This will make his day

Lmao I stayed the heck away from commenting on this pic for a reason!!

 

[5crew]

How old is your grand father’s grandfather? Also does he know about the Wudang mountains?

It was a joke. I didn't even know my grandfather because he passed away before I was born. <45>

Although I get the impression part of the mass appeal of Kung Fu in the late 19th century(were most Kung Fu films are set) was that it was viewed as a traditional Han culture and a form of rebellion against the foreign Qing dynasty and various colonial powers.

The latter of your impression is right. Kung Fu, actually Wu Xia, viewed as a form of rebellion against Dynasty is correct. But the period is not exactly accurate.

Wu Xia, is those where you see people flying around on trees, travel few miles within short duration and can defeat 100 people at once.
Mostly confused with Kung Fu by people, as evidenced itt.

As per my previous post, Kung Fu got popular in 1950s due to Hong Kong films. The films got made because of Novels by 金庸. He is legit GOAT of these novels with zero dispute unlike MMA/Boxing GOATs. I'm not sure if he is the creator of WuXia genre itself, but I can't think of anyone else tbh.

Three of his novels, out of over 15 in total where all are massively popular, have been made and remake many times over into TV and movies. These 3 novel are the reasons why 70 years later, we are still seeing WuXia genre on screen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_the_Condor_Heroes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Condor_Heroes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heaven_Sword_and_Dragon_Saber

All of his work are loosely based on real historical event, late Song and Yuan Dynasty between 1200s to late 1300s, peppered with heroes that can fly around.

Song Dynasty when is Genghis Khan conquered. I assume Westerners are more familiar with him. And in the first novel of the trilogy I mentioned above, Genghis Khan was loosely involved.
In the last novel of the the trilogy, Zhang Sanfeng the debated creator of Tai Chi, is in the novel.

Because real historical people are involved, some people probably thought all characters are based on real martial arts and people.

EDIT:
Oh yeah, Zhang Sanfeng is living in Wudang mountain