Talk:Zhang Sanfeng

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Why Tai Chi Chuan Techniques Should not be Altered

Zhang Sang Feng is for all intents and purposes, a mythic figure. Then again, one of the main doctrines of Daoist philosophy is doing away with the sense of self, and that would entail not taking credit for anything nor would it entail leaving behind a legacy. It is often the egotistical and the arrogant who feel compelled to leave behind a legacy of some sort. The Pyramids of Egypt for instance are a testament to human egotism. However, a Doist philosopher is not supposed to be concerned with such things. To a Daoist, material things are a means to an end, but never an end in and of themselves. With that kind of an attitude, it doubtful that someone like Zhang Sang Feng, real or not, would have cared that much to leave behind a legacy for his own selfish ends. In other words, precisely because Daoism is not supposed to involve selfish egotism, there is no way to know for sure Zhang Sang Feng was real because such a person would make it a point not to leave anything behind. Now, what does this have to do with Tai Chi Chuan?

Well....

As we all know there are 5 main branches of Tai Chi. The alleged original style according to historical texts is the Chen style, but this is doubtful, for a very good reason; the Chen style's techniques don't look anything like the techniques of other styles, except of course the Sun and Wu/Hao styles. Martial arts styles are very much like human genetics; combine any two given martial arts styles, or, create a style derived from another, and the "descendant" derivative style is bound to look like the "parent."

An example of this is Karate (any style). Appearance wise, the Kata within Karate bear a striking ressemblance to the Fujian White Crane style of Kung Fu, and other southern Chinese martial arts. Naturally, if they ressemble each other, is because they are related. Closely related given how much the ressemble each other. Following this line of logic, one can only assume then that the Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan did not derive from the Chen style, biggest reason being, none of the techniques within the Yang routine look anything at all like any of the Chen routines. Either master Yang created his own style, or, a mysterious daoist figure taught him principles which he incorporated into the Tai Chi he had learned from the Chen's, but had made so many modifications to the original form that the Yang style of Tai Chi doesn't look anything at all like the Chen anymore. Everything from the opening stances, to the hand movements; not a single technique in the Yang style looks anything like the Chen.

A style of Kung Fu the Yang does ressemble though is the crane style. Given its one legged stances (ass opposed to the Fujian's wider stances), my own personal guess is that the Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan then borrows heavily from the original Tibetan Crane style. In principle, a Tai Chi exponent is not supposed to meet force with force. If at all possible the highest level of skill in an unavoidable confrontation or test of skill for a Tai Chi practioner then, is dodging. Dodging is also a fundamental core principle of the Tibetan Crane style.

Now, how this relates to Zhang Sang Feng.

In the many legends and stories told of Zhang Sang Feng, the most "reliable" one is the following mini-biography.

Zhang Sang Feng, like Confucious, was born to a family in northern China that had a good name but no money. Like Confucious, Zhang Sang Feng was an intelligent boy, and by all accounts, a child prodigy. Thanks in part to his great intellect, he mastered a classical Chinese education by the time he was 13, and when he came of age he got a perfect score in the imperial examinations to become a court or government official. Accounts say his academic performance was so impressive, he ended up working for the emperor himself. This is a significant testament to the man's intelligence because a classical Chinese education in Zhang Sang Feng's time was not easy to obtain; within a 10 year period the student covered the modern equivalent of 5 doctorate degrees as far as sheer volume of materials. Imagine studying for 5 PhD's, and having to get a perfect score throughout. Let that give you an idea of how hard it was to become a court official in ancient China, and why government officials of the time were often so arrogant. For all intents and purposes, it was nearly impossible to argue or debate with those men they knew the law so well, as well as a host of other materials.

In time, Zhang Sang Feng's talents eventually won him a high position, and he worked in the imperial court for 20 years. By the time he was 40 years old, he grew weary of imperial life and wanted out. I would personally call this the classical era China's version of the "mid-life crisis." Even though he enjoyed great wealth, prestige, and by some accounts was even married and had children (all respectable Chinese gentlemen had to be), he grew tired of his life and felt disillusionment at material things. Thus he decided to go study at the Shaoling temple. A note I need to make; the Shaolin monks were Budhists first and martial artists second. In fact, the Shaolin monastery was known in Zhang Sang Feng's time as a center of learning and spirituality more than it was for its Kung Fu. The Shaolin monastery of mideval China could be said to be Harvard, West Point, the Vatican, and a top of the line martial arts school all rolled into one. As far as the West Point analogy, that was a reference to the strict discipline observed, not militarism. Naturally a respected 40 year old scholar like Zhang Sang Feng would want to study there if he sought a spiritual truth. As far as learning Budhism, the Shaolin monks welcomed everyone. As far learning Kung Fu though, that knowledge they reserved only for the most determined, the youngest, and by their judgement, those with the best character. Being an important government official though, and being a man, it is only natural that in addition to spiritual pursuits Shang Sang Feng became interested in martial arts.

Likely, the monks were loath to teach him. He was 40 years old, and had worked a sedentary job for 20 years. Chances are the man was in very bad shape, and likely, the monks told him so and warned him not to take up Kung Fu. However, he probably insisted and the monks relented. According to one account, training in Kung Fu severely injured his 40 year old body. Now, Zhang Sang Feng successfully completed whatever training regimen the monks had regarding Kung Fu, and in 10 years he had become a Kung Fu master. However, by age 50 his body was badly beaten up by the training. Now, had he been physically active during his 20 year tenure as an imperial official his body may have been able to handle it. One can only imagine the damage his body must have suffered when he started training at the age of 40, and the agonizing pain he must have endured by age 50. By all accounts, he was a master of Kung Fu, but at a terrible price. Undeterred though, he wanted to continue his spiritual training. Given the great damage his body suffered though, likely he sought treatment through traditional chinese medicine.

Upon visiting a doctor, that same doctor told him of a Daoist hermit in the sacred Wudang Mountain range who would be better able to help him. The hermit was said to be over 300 years old. Surely enough, he sought him out, and eventually found him. Legend has it that Zhang Sang Feng pleaded with him; he was in horrific pain from having beaten his body up through the external styles of martial arts training, and desperately needed to heal. Thus, the monk felt compassion for him, and taught him various Daoist healing arts. Zhang Sang Feng spent another 10 years studying Daoist arts. By the time he was 60, even though chronologically he was 60 years old, Zhang Sang Feng not only regained his health, but he did not look a day over 30. Not only that, but his body was muscular and robust, vigorously healthy. Legend says, he acquired the intimidating demeanor he was later known for. Accounts exagerate saying he was 10 feet tall, a giant of a man. Being northern Chinese and well fed, likely though he was 6'2 inches tall, broad shouldered, and with thick eyebrows. And by all accounts, he had large eyes. Whatever the case, thanks in large part to the Daoist arts taught to him by this mysterious hermit, Zhang Sang Feng regained his health, and his youth. However, he felt something was missing. So, thanking the hermit and saying his good byes, he retreated into his own corner of Wudang Mountain, where he meditated and practiced the Daoist healing arts for another 10 years. He was now 70 years old, but did not look a day over 30.

Eventually though, he finally had an epiphany. He decided that, even though Kung Fu had destroyed his body, the discipline involved had helped him greatly mentally speaking. However, even though Kung Fu was great for mental focus and control, it was very bad for the body. The Daoist healing arts were good too, but, it took a very, very long time of training before any given would-be pursuer of the Dao could use it for self defense purposes. And so, the epiphany likely was..... why not combine them? And so, in combining the healing Daoist arts he had learned from the hermit, and the Kung Fu he learned from the Shaolin, he created Wudang Kung Fu. Upon creating this new form of both healing, and martial arts, he spent his time working on it, refining it, and perfecting it for another 10 years. He was now 80 years old, but again, did not look a day over 30.

Finally having found his calling, and a sense of his own destinity, legend says Zhang Sang Feng retreated into the mountains where he spent the next 100 years perfecting the art that would later be known as Tai Chi Chuan, known in Zhang Sang Feng's time as "Wudang Kung Fu."

Thus, what assumption am I making here?

Well.....

Zhang Sang Feng had a classical Chinese education which takes 10 years to acquire. He worked for the Chinese government of his day for 20 years. He spent 10 years learning Kung Fu, and another 10 healing the damage to his body through daoist healing arts. He spent yet, another 10 years seeking the dao through those arts, while still practicing Kung Fu. After he reached an epiphany, he spent, yet, another 10 years perfecting his newly created style of Wudang Kung Fu; taking away any unnecessary movements and techniques, preserving the best elements of Shaolin (particularly the Tibetan Crane style).

Thus, if the legends are true then, Zhang Sang Feng put 70 years of knowledge into the creation of the art that would later be known as Tai Chi Chuan.

Read that again; 70 years. Given the selfishness and stupidity of our modern generation, not to mention our unhealthy habits, most of us may not live to see 60. And yet, quite possibly, Zhang Sang Feng put 70 years of knowledge into the creation of Tai Chi Chuan (which was called Wudang Kung Fu in his time).

Even though it may be possible that 70 years of knowledge may have been placed just by him, imagine how much more knowledge and experience may have been placed by subsequent masters of the art.

Given then, assuming I am right, all this, it is foolish, even dangerous, to try to alter and modify Tai Chi Chuan. Most martial artists the world over rarely practice their art for 8 years before they decide to create a new one. Karate is a disastrous example of this; in the United States for instance, there are countless variants of the Shotokan style alone, all called different names. People will incorporate different moves, different systems, but rarely will you see anyone even attempt to even try to master their chosen style. People think that by merely learning the techniques they will become superhuman, that somehow just knowing a martial art will magically transform them into the Kung Fu heroes they see in the movies. True enough, practice can lead one to do seemingly fantastic things, but, too many become dissapointed when it turns out the moves they see in the movies are "easy."

In the world of modern martial arts, generally one will see three types of people; bullies who take it up so no one will have a chance of standing up to them who are out to hurt people, nerds and physically weak individuals who don't want to get bullied, and the third and sadly most common type, are people who want to be like Jet Li.

Just for who are martial arts for then? Sickly people. Depressed people. People who need healing.

Even so, it is extremely unwise to make any changes to the art of Tai Chi Chuan because, even if Zhang Sang Feng is a myth, centuries of knowledge (Daoist and Shaolin) went into creating the art. If anything, a secular "Zhang Sang Feng doesn't exist" argument is the more effective here; the Daoist tradition is as old as China itself. Many Daoist Chinese say its even older than that. Chi Kung in its various incarnations is over 4,000 years old, while the Zhangzhuang "tree hugging" meditative posture itself is over 10,000 years old by some legends. The Shaolin arts are 600 years old, and Chinese medicine is 2,000 years old. All those years went into the creation of Tai Chi Chuan then, countless men and some women who devoted their entire lives perfecting each individual art.

Before they made any changes or modifications, they often trained hard to become masters themselves. Indeed, when Master Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan Karate) created his style of Karate, he already had 30 years of experience in the two most well-known Okinawan styles. He was perfectly qualified to make changes and create his own style as he saw fit. However, what most Americans will do, is that they will study a style for 5 years, think they know it well, and then they will create a "modern" version of Tai chi, not realizing their foolish arrogance.

Not only is this a bastardization of what is otherwise a fine art, but, any so-called practioner of the art will not get any benefit from it.

This goes double for people who can only learn Tai Chi from tapes or DVD's; if training under a genuine masters, I would not reccomend making changes. If training all by yourself, this goes double for you. Having no master is bad enough, to think one can make changes under one's own instruction is just downright stupid.

Yes, its true, some masters created their own styles through pondering and meditation, but this was done after many, many years. First of all, second, there was a lot of trial and error involved in the creation of these martial arts styles. Because of this, therefore, it is foolish and insulting to the efforts put in by these masters to try to change anything.

Even the Israeli martial art of Krava Maga is a style derived from Boxing, Judo, Greco Roman Wrestling, and even modern day Kickboxing, all well-established styles. In short, Krav Maga doesn't make any changes, instead what it does is that it borrows what it sees fit, and what is known to work. Strangely enough though, as a fighting style Krav Maga looks a lot like Muay Thai. Just goes to show, what worked 1,000 years ago works now.

A kick to the testicles would hurt a man 1,000 years ago just as it would hurt him today. Given this then, why change the snap kick? Even disarming tactics found in Jiu-Jitsu can be incorporated into modern fighting. After all, holding a rifle and holding a spear both involve to hands. The problem then is disarming so that you don't get shot if you are close enough, but that is beside the point.

The point I am making is, the human body has not changed that much in the past million years, and unless we start growing a thicker hide, a shell, natural body armor, or even claws and stone-like knuckles, there is really no reason to change the established martial arts styles. Whatever mistakes have been made, they have already been made, and the styles that survived to our times survived for a reason; they work. If they didn't work, they would not have survived. Its as simple as that.

Personally, I think it is racist western arrogance which creates the cliche that Karate, Judo, Kung Fu or any other Asian martial art "doesn't work" not so much because there is something wrong with the style, but rather, its Asian origin. An example of this can be seen with the explosion of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. As far as technique is concerned, a lot of the techniques found in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu can be found in a style of Judo which also uses ground techniques. In fact, the so-called "Gracie guard" in which from a lower mount position one wraps one's legs bellow an oponents rib-cage, is actually Japanese in origin. The technique was taken by the Russians, and later on perfected by Rolls Gracie.

So, what we see here then, is western unwillingness to take up an Asian technique, until it is filtered and modified by other westerners. Krav Maga for instance, is also gaining popularity. As far techniques, anything Krav Maga has, the martial, non-sport version of Muay Thai already has. However, more westerners take up Krav Maga for the simple reason that it was invented by, and its "masters" are, all white people.

To whoever is reading this, to whatever westerner is reading this, please change the way you think, and get over yourself.

Practice is what ultimately creates a good martial artist, not technique. Practice, practice, and then more practice. A Karateka who trains properly under a competent instructor for 3 hours a day 6 days per week will defend him/herself more effectively in a bad situation than a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practioner who only trains for 1 hour a day, 2 days a week. Taken to a higher level it can literally become nearly impossible to tackle, hit, grab, strike, stab, or do any harm to a properly trained Karateka. Reason being, not so much mastery of technique, but rather, the fact that Karate at its very highest level calms an invidual so that they never fight. The "fighting" aspect of Karate then is a "just in case" deal, but it is never meant to be used. It has to work, and it will work given the centuries of background put into it, but, it is simply not meant to be used.

I close my ranting by asking a question taken straight out of the anime movie Inuyasha; Swords of an Honorable ruler.

So you want power in the martial arts?

Well then, tell me, who do you have to protect?

Never seek power unless you have someone to protect.

So then mr. would be whatever style you practice, who do you have to protect?