What a terrible question, eh? On one hand you have fantastic athletic performances, put together with plotline and acting and dazzling kung fu masters. On the other hand you have the ultimate cockfight, gladiator versus gladiator, brawny, trash talking tattoo heads putting it on the line in a mixed martial arts fight!
Well, perhaps I have gone a bit too far in my description, but we can live with that. There is enough truth in my sentences. And, the question, to be truthful, is a good one.
Mixed martial arts, or MMA, as as people call it, is the fastest growing sport on earth. While I love the spectacle, I have to be truthful, it is difficult to assemble the finer points of combat. Yes, there will be incredible examples of fisticuffs, and a distinct style of ring wrestling, or jujitsu, but there won't be the fine study of classical martial arts technique.
A study of Kung Fu, or any classical martial art such as kenpo or taekwondo or karate or whatever, is a journey through endless fine points of technique. It is an education in physics unparalleled. It does not, however, except in specific instances, present a totally street combat science.
Uncover a few layers, and we can define the difference between art and sport. An art is a rejoicing of the spirit, a seeking of the self within, a distillation of the human being into finer and nobler purpose. A sport, on the other hand, is the throwing of one man against another, and often to the point of exploded ears, broken jaws, and consciousness battered to the point of impairment.
Thus, there are good and bad points coming forth from this comparison of the two fighting disciplines. MMA results in vicious and effective street fighting abilities, though there is a cost. Kung Fu results in astounding knowledge, but is not always street effective.
These strengths and weaknesses do, of course, depend on the quality of the instructor. In the hands of a good instructor MMA will not just be spectacle, but will adhere to time honored concepts of fair play, strength of character, and the enhancement of the human being. And, a good Kung Fu instructor will be very knowledgeable in the aspects of real life fighting that are a must if one is to survive on the street.
Of course, the initial question to this piece was more than a mere comparison of art, it is a question of which you would rather do, watch a mixed martial arts fight, or watch a kung fu extravaganza. With that in mind, this writer makes choice for watching the kung fu, simply for reasons of learning. However, I believe readers will be split down the middle, and that is perhaps fitting and correct.
Well, perhaps I have gone a bit too far in my description, but we can live with that. There is enough truth in my sentences. And, the question, to be truthful, is a good one.
Mixed martial arts, or MMA, as as people call it, is the fastest growing sport on earth. While I love the spectacle, I have to be truthful, it is difficult to assemble the finer points of combat. Yes, there will be incredible examples of fisticuffs, and a distinct style of ring wrestling, or jujitsu, but there won't be the fine study of classical martial arts technique.
A study of Kung Fu, or any classical martial art such as kenpo or taekwondo or karate or whatever, is a journey through endless fine points of technique. It is an education in physics unparalleled. It does not, however, except in specific instances, present a totally street combat science.
Uncover a few layers, and we can define the difference between art and sport. An art is a rejoicing of the spirit, a seeking of the self within, a distillation of the human being into finer and nobler purpose. A sport, on the other hand, is the throwing of one man against another, and often to the point of exploded ears, broken jaws, and consciousness battered to the point of impairment.
Thus, there are good and bad points coming forth from this comparison of the two fighting disciplines. MMA results in vicious and effective street fighting abilities, though there is a cost. Kung Fu results in astounding knowledge, but is not always street effective.
These strengths and weaknesses do, of course, depend on the quality of the instructor. In the hands of a good instructor MMA will not just be spectacle, but will adhere to time honored concepts of fair play, strength of character, and the enhancement of the human being. And, a good Kung Fu instructor will be very knowledgeable in the aspects of real life fighting that are a must if one is to survive on the street.
Of course, the initial question to this piece was more than a mere comparison of art, it is a question of which you would rather do, watch a mixed martial arts fight, or watch a kung fu extravaganza. With that in mind, this writer makes choice for watching the kung fu, simply for reasons of learning. However, I believe readers will be split down the middle, and that is perhaps fitting and correct.
About the Author:
Want some Shaolin Kung Fu that is gr-r-reat for the street? Mouse on over to Monster Martial Arts.