reasonevangelist
Well-Known Member
i knew it was just a matter of time before someone challenged that assertion...
My personal experience was with "a northern family system" (never achieved official practitioner status, so i won't advertise or disclose the name, or claim an undeserved association... though i did witness many amazing things that convinced me that it was indeed a complete system), but my point was that "kung fu does not emphasize grappling like jujitsu does."
It's difficult to articulate exactly what i mean. Suffice to say that kung fu and jujitsu seem to have quite contrasted emphasis, which is where the dynamic becomes interesting, in a conflict between a skilled practitioner of each.
Most people will oversimplify it just like i did: "kung fu is weak in the ground game," which isn't actually accurate; it's just designed differently, and from what i've seen, the really awesome highly advanced grappling stuff comes much later in the training process, and i don't think most people reach that level of advancement... though if they do, they will indeed be equipped to contend with an emphatic grappler. You just don't see professional fighters who claim "kung fu" training, dominating the grappling realm. There are many examples of how "kung fu guys" get caught up and dominated in situations where they face an opponent who has been specifically trained to emphasize grappling.
But if you dig deeper, you'll find concepts like "sticking hands" and stuff like Chin Na (think "nerve string/strand/cord theory, applied to unarmed combat"), which can be highly effective, if the practitioner is able to apply them effectively. I think part of the problem that causes people to think "kung fu is weak in the ground game," is that few ever achieve (and perhaps are not correctly taught) the degree of advancement required to effectively apply those advanced techniques and concepts, at full speed and impact.
There is a reason those legendary "kung fu heroes" of chinese folklore became "legendary."
And those who are capable, have been refining those classical theories and practices ever since.
Essentially, it all comes down to what the individual fighter does with what they're taught. My personal opinion is that Real kung fu is not weak at all, if the one using it, knows how to use it correctly.
However, i still say that few know how to use it correctly, which is where the "kung fu weak ground" consensus comes from. A kung fu guy who hasn't mastered the grappling side of kung fu, is going to be at a disadvantage when facing a skilled jujitsu practitioner... unless said kung fu guy can manage to avoid what the jujitsu guy emphasizes. In a closed space, it's hard to perpetually avoid the grapple, with a grappler who is trained to catch the non-grappler.
