# Chinese martial arts concepts



## Jin Gang (Oct 24, 2009)

It has recently been brought to my attention that all Chinese martial arts operate on the same concepts, which everyone who practices CMA would know and learn from day one.  I wonder if anyone who has been practicing CMA could answer these questions:

Please tell me:

1- What is the major tenet in common with all Chinese martial arts (CMA)?

2 - What is the main strategic points of CMA?

3 - What are the main important body mechanics rules of CMA?

4 - What is the most important things to note about CMA footwork? Please tell me:

These questions are not my own, but posed on another forum by someone who believes that this is true.  For anyone who has practiced CMA for some time, do you believe these questions have the same answer for every Chinese style?


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## ggg214 (Oct 25, 2009)

big questions!
i believe there is something in common, such as focusing on lower limb, power from whole body strcuture, etc.
however, i don't know answers to your questions! looking forward to others' reply.


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## HG1 (Oct 25, 2009)

Jin Gang said:


> It has recently been brought to my attention that all Chinese martial arts operate on the same concepts, which everyone who practices CMA would know and learn from day one.


From my experience, most CMA's would disagree with this claim.  



Jin Gang said:


> I wonder if anyone who has been practicing CMA could answer these questions:
> 
> Please tell me:
> 
> ...


1- My 'insert style' is better than yours.
2- Same universal strategery found in all martial arts. ;-)
3- Move from dan tien & keep  body alignment. 
4- Each style has different footwork principles.  For example, Tai Chi  does not double weight.  While Hung Ga footwork is built upon a strong horse stance.


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## mograph (Oct 25, 2009)

Here's my two cents on "old school" CMA:

No belts or sashes. 
Wear what you want. Often street clothes.
Few rituals in class -- sometimes none.
Try for the simplest way to get the job done.
Maybe it could be said that most "internal" arts lie within CMA ...?


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## David43515 (Oct 26, 2009)

mograph said:


> Here's my two cents on "old school" CMA:
> 
> No belts or sashes.
> Wear what you want. Often street clothes.
> ...


 
Sounds like the guys I trained with as a kid. A guy from Shanghai and his cousin from&#12288;Indonesia ran the place. You came in, worked hard, and just tried to keep up. Basics `til you could hardly move, and then do it again.


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 26, 2009)

Jin Gang said:


> 1- What is the major tenet in common with all Chinese martial arts CMA)?


 
Well they all come from China, they all have (to varying degrees) Kicking, Punching, Qinna and Shuaijiao 



Jin Gang said:


> 2 - What is the main strategic points of CMA?


 
to render the other guy incapable of fighting



Jin Gang said:


> 3 - What are the main important body mechanics rules of CMA?


 
Different styles, different rules (if there are actually any rules that is) also IMA is different form EMA

First, a dicussion of mechanics was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement so I must say nothing. And secondly, you must be a CMA person for the rules to apply and you're not. And thirdly, the rules are more what you'd call guidelines" than actual rules. Welcome to CMA 



Jin Gang said:


> 4 - What is the most important things to note about CMA footwork? Please tell me:


 
It varies form style to style.

Bagua is not like Xingyiquan which is not like taiji which is not like Shaolin which is not like Sing Chun which is not like Sanshou.


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## Flying Crane (Oct 26, 2009)

Jin Gang said:


> It has recently been brought to my attention that all Chinese martial arts operate on the same concepts, which everyone who practices CMA would know and learn from day one.


 
hmmm...  news to me.

often, different systems will have similar concepts, but they way they approach the application of the concept can be very different.  But it ain't all the same.


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## blindsage (Oct 26, 2009)

Jin Gang said:


> It has recently been brought to my attention that all Chinese martial arts operate on the same concepts, which everyone who practices CMA would know and learn from day one. I wonder if anyone who has been practicing CMA could answer these questions:
> 
> Please tell me:
> 
> 1- What is the major tenet in common with all Chinese martial arts (CMA)?


My lineage is better than your lineage.



> 2 - What is the main strategic points of CMA?


To prove my lineage is better than your lineage.



> 3 - What are the main important body mechanics rules of CMA?


To turn my nose up in disgust when your lineage is mentioned, and smile in your face and then hurt you if you question my lineage.



> 4 - What is the most important things to note about CMA footwork? Please tell me:


The founder of your lineage had no feet, so of course my lineage has better footwork.



> These questions are not my own, but posed on another forum by someone who believes that this is true. For anyone who has practiced CMA for some time, do you believe these questions have the same answer for every Chinese style?


Yes.


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 27, 2009)

blindsage said:


> My lineage is better than your lineage.


 
No it's not...MINE is better than yours 



blindsage said:


> The founder of your lineage had no feet, so of course my lineage has better footwork.


 
HEY!!! WATCH IT FELLA!!!! Yang Luchan had feet..... You have offended my family and you have offended the Shaolin Temple 



blindsage said:


> Yes.


 
Well Lineage fights are not to uncommon in CMA but then style politics is not to uncommon either


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## punisher73 (Oct 27, 2009)

There is a good book called, "The Sword Polisher's Record" by Adam Hsu (I think).

It goes and talks about alot of these things in it, good investment to get a generic overview of the CMAs


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## blindsage (Oct 27, 2009)

Xue Sheng said:


> No it's not...MINE is better than yours


 :btg:see #3 above.




> HEY!!! WATCH IT FELLA!!!! Yang Luchan had feet..... You have offended my family and you have offended the Shaolin Temple


You call those stubs feet?





> Well Lineage fights are not to uncommon in CMA but then style politics is not to uncommon either


Exactly.  See, the questions have the same answer for every style.


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## Phoenix44 (Nov 16, 2009)

I've trained in Japanese martial arts and Chinese martial arts.  Most of the principles are the same: kick, punch, block, take down. I mean, let's face it, there's only so much you can do to a human body!  There are some minor things...Chinese arts seem to have some "sticking" aspects that are, to me, less prominent in Japanese arts.  Japanese arts frequently go to the ground, where _some_ Chinese arts sort of "frown" on that--but that's the minor stuff.

To *my* perception (and I'm only talking about me), the biggest difference is that the Japanese MA are more linear, and the Chinese MA are more circular and what I call "oppositional."  

There _*always*_ seems to be a circle somewhere in the Chinese techniques.  If you don't see it, it's still there, though it may be very subtle. And there's always a yin-yang component to the Chinese arts. When something moves forward, something else moves back. When something extends, something else softens.  Again, it may be very subtle, and/or the practitioner may not be skilled enough to experience it, but it's there.


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## Tensei85 (Nov 16, 2009)

blindsage said:


> My lineage is better than your lineage.
> 
> 
> To prove my lineage is better than your lineage.
> ...


 

:lfao:


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## grydth (Nov 17, 2009)

Jin Gang said:


> It has recently been brought to my attention that all Chinese martial arts operate on the same concepts, which everyone who practices CMA would know and learn from day one.  I wonder if anyone who has been practicing CMA could answer these questions:
> 
> Please tell me:
> 
> ...



If you know - who asked these questions and did they provide their own answers to them? I ask because I suspect the originator has their set answer and that dissenters may be alleged (by him, not you) to be heretics....

If one is willing to expand to extremely broad, and ultimately meaningless, generalizations..... then some commonality may always be found. But it is the subtleties that constitute the true beauty and utility of each individual CMA.


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