| It's a strange thing that we would think in terms | | | | resurgence of old, hard style kung fu. You will |
| of differences when we consider and compare | | | | have Chinese boxers, full of vim and vigor, |
| kung fu and karate, for there are a lot of | | | | wanting to return to the good, old punch in the |
| similarities. They are both martial disciplines, after | | | | face philosophy. For the most part, however, the |
| all, and karate is actually grown from kung fu. To | | | | people who espouse such a return are young and |
| really see the differences, however, one needs to | | | | don't know better, are half trained and |
| look at the arts as a complete picture, and | | | | overwhelmed by data from other systems, or |
| determine exactly how they evolved. | | | | otherwise guilty of youthful exuberance. |
| In the beginning, those beautiful, refined kung fu | | | | On the whole, however, you will see techniques |
| patterns were most likely constructed by peasant | | | | become more polished and, eventually, making a |
| conscripts who were given swords and the order | | | | translation to a softer, easier to work method. |
| to fight or die. Training methods eventually made | | | | Thus, hard style karate, even such bulls as |
| their appearance, and eventually workable routines | | | | shotokan or kyokushinkai, will become smoother, |
| were taught. Is it too much to consider that | | | | require less effort and require more intelligence. It |
| some of the soldiers, weary and tired of battle, | | | | is an interesting concept, that the die hard karate |
| would find their way to the Shaolin monastery, | | | | of today will transmogrify into the liquid style of |
| where art as art blossomed? | | | | shaolin kung fu in the future. |
| From the Shaolin Temple the arts exploded, | | | | Or, and here's a kicker, that the extreme combat |
| spreading across China, and growing into concepts | | | | karate style of today will become combat wudan |
| and taking on different forms. This was the | | | | style of tomorrow. Could that bassai dai and |
| beginning of such styles as wing chun (vin tsung) | | | | bassai sho form of today eventually translate into |
| kung fu, Long Fist (Choy Lee Fut, Hung Gar, and | | | | the bassai tai chi of tomorrow? Could those |
| so on), and the various animal methods (mantis, | | | | young men doing their makiwara training |
| monkey, dog fist, five animal, and so on). And, of | | | | eventually become like the old men of Chen |
| course, Shaolin styles most likely grew into soft | | | | village tai chi chuan, doing their shuto uke and mae |
| style arts as Pa Kua Chang and Tai Chi Chuan. | | | | geri as if they are being filmed in slow motion? |
| This being the basic history of the matter, we | | | | This writer believes it is so, and it is inevitable. The |
| can see a certain evolution of art. Hard, practical | | | | effects of age slow men down, and the effects |
| tricks tend to become softer, more flowing, and | | | | of wisdom make men look, and it is this |
| people come to understand that one's art can be | | | | combination of factors that will translate the hard |
| workable without too much reliance on strength | | | | into the soft, the karate into the kung fu, and the |
| kung fu. Thus, the arts change from hard fists to | | | | overzealous into the temperate. Now, if you'll |
| guiding and sliding palms and turning and flowing | | | | pardon me, I have to go practice my sochin kata |
| whole body motions. | | | | slow style. |
| Oh, sure, every once in a while you will see a | | | | |