Wu Shu or Bruce Lee?

Hey everyone,

I've been thinking about getting back into martial arts lately—just one of those things that stays on your mind—and I've narrowed my choices down to two specific styles. I actually spent some time training Wing Chun back in the day, but now... well, I think I need something a bit more intense to really push my conditioning level. :-)

I was wondering if anyone could point me toward some solid gyms or clubs in the area where I might be able to jump in? Also, I’d love to get your honest take—between these two options, which one do you think offers a better workout overall?

Thanks so much for the help.

The term Bruce Lee is such a weirdly vague label people slap on any Chinese martial art... I think it basically just means "time spent working" or something like that. So technically, you've got Wushu, but then you've even got "WC Bruce Lee." (If I'm remembering correctly anyway.) Honestly, there isn't really a specific discipline called Bruce Lee out there... if someone tells you they're training in it, honestly? Just stay away.

PS. From what I hear, this crew is mostly just doing some blend of Wushu and gymnastics. (Not that I've verified it myself, just word on the street...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzBGfjrTTfo

It’s gotta be Bruce Lee style for me! Those outfits are absolutely killer, and there's just something so incredibly cool about training with all those flashy, clashing weapons. Is that kind of stuff even available here in the States?

Jonathan Johnson67 said:your idea of Bruce Lee is kind of a weird way to label every single Chinese martial art

Honestly, both terms are pretty fuzzy and usually end up being used interchangeably, though I guess Bruce Lee covers a wider spectrum than just basic combat sports.

I think there’s actually a specific sport called Wushu too, but I don't know if any local gyms around here even bother teaching it. 😕

Eric Jackson43 said:They’re both pretty weird concepts—honestly, they're basically synonyms in most cases. (Bruce Lee is a slightly broader term since it can be applied outside of BV).

I think there's actually a sport called Wushu, though I don't know if any local clubs here in the States even teach it. 😕

Bruce Lee and Wushu aren't synonyms... and nobody over in China uses them interchangeably either... Bruce Lee is just posting on a forum... whereas Wushu represents martial arts in general... and not just Chinese styles like some people seem to think...

Honestly, Wu shu looks like it’s packed with way too much useless fluff based on what I’ve seen on YouTube. Is that even real martial arts?

steelsurfer60 said:Hey everyone,

I’m looking to get back into martial arts and I've narrowed it down to two options. I used to train Wing Chun, but now I’m craving something a bit more intense for my conditioning. :-)

No offense, but where did you study Wing Chun? If you're looking for something more intense, then yeah, go with Bruce Lee style or Wu Shu...🙄 ...

local senior center

Back in the day, Wu Shu actually meant combat techniques. Modern Wu Shu? It’s basically just gymnastics sprinkled with some martial arts moves. So yeah, modern Wu Shu *isn't* a combat sport.

People who train traditional Northern Kung Fu sometimes claim they're just doing "Wu Shu" to play it cool or hide their actual style. It’s like a Muay Thai fighter saying they just do a bit of hand and foot striking... kinda silly.

Kung Fu is just a broad term for any skill you put time into mastering.

If you want real conditioning, go find something with heavy ground sparring.

Jamie Fowler2 said:The term Wu Shu used to refer to actual combat techniques. Modern Wu Shu is basically gymnastics mixed with some martial arts movements. So, modern Wu Shu *isn't* a martial art.

People who practice traditional Northern Kung Fu sometimes claim they're just doing "Wu Shu" because they want to stay humble—or maybe they don't want to reveal their specific style. It's like a Muay Thai practitioner saying they just do "some hand and foot striking."

Kung Fu is really just a generic term for any skill or time spent mastering something.

If you're looking for conditioning, I'd recommend something with plenty of ground sparring...

No, Wu Shu is just the term Chinese people use for all martial arts (like boxing, karate, etc.)... and like I said... it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Chinese martial arts specifically. A Chinese person would never actually use the term Wu Shu to describe Chinese fighting styles!

ruggedfalcon2 said:nah, Wu Shu is just what people use as a catch-all for any fighting style—boxing, karate, whatever... like I said... it’s got nothing to do with Chinese styles specifically... Chinese people have never even used the term Wu Shu to describe their own martial arts!

Actually, yeah, they do use the term wu shu for their stuff. It's also a generic way to talk about combat techniques...

(John F. Kennedy, Guo E. Chinese Martial Arts Manuals. ISBN 1-55643-557-6 if you don't trust the locals)

so what, you were trying to say they didn't use the term kung fu either?

Jamie Fowler2 said:Yeah, Chinese people did use the term Wu Shu for their martial arts. It's also used as a generic term for combat techniques in general.

(John F. Kennedy, Guo E. Chinese Martial Arts Manuals. ISBN 1-55643-557-6 if you don't believe the locals)

So, I guess you were trying to say they didn't use the term kung fu?

Not quite, man... what I meant was exactly what I said... the locals back home—like folks in some random suburb—aren't really authorities on this stuff... so, let me break it down for you:
-As I mentioned, the term Wu Shu (Mandarin) or Mo SUT (Cantonese) is what Chinese people use to describe all martial arts in general—meaning things like karate, wrestling, judo, Western boxing, and so on... and the literal translation is "techniques to stop war."
-But when Chinese people are specifically talking about their own, i.e., Chinese martial arts, they use the term Kuo Shu (Mandarin) or Kwok SUT (Cantonese)... which translates to "Chinese national martial arts," btw. When people from China talk about their country, they often just say "our country" instead of saying "China"... so you could even translate it as "our national martial arts," but those are just minor details... anyway, here's the book for reference😁 😉

Bergmann said:Hey everyone,

I’m looking to get back into martial arts and I've narrowed it down to these two options. I used to train Wing Chun, but now I want something a bit more intense for conditioning. :-)

Can anyone recommend some good clubs? Also, which one of these two is actually better?

Thanks.

...if you want to master a movement—if you want to become the embodiment of motion, reacting spontaneously at any given second—then you have to grind through the training...
...my personal advice? Find a martial art that actually has a beginning, a middle, and an end...
...Wing Chun is solid; it's basically studying combat down to your raw instinct...
...you've got your forms. Have someone show them to you, then just hammer them out. You don't even need a partner. Just drill the forms, work on your stances, wall pushes, footwork, jumping, balancing on one leg...
...you need to train for ten years. After that, you're practically invincible...
...in those ten years, you won't just feel the spirits of all the masters; if you haven't mastered the Buddha Palm, the Eight Hands technique, the Mantis style, and all those other things you've heard about, then you're just a fool who isn't serious about martial arts.

...practice makes the master...
...confidence makes the fighter...

Justin Watson58 said:...if you truly want to master a movement—if you want to become the very embodiment of motion, offering a spontaneous physical response at any given moment—then you have to put in the grueling work...
...my personal advice? Find yourself a martial art that actually follows a logical progression, with a clear beginning, middle, and end...
...Wing Chun is a solid choice; it’s essentially a study of combat stripped down to pure instinct...
...you’ll have forms. Have someone show them to you, and then don't worry about sparring with anyone just yet. Just hammer those forms. Drill them until they're perfect. Work on your stances, your wall pushes, your footwork, your hopping, even your single-leg balances...
...you need to commit to training for ten years. After a decade of that, I can guarantee you'll be unbeatable...
...because in those ten years, you won't just feel the presence of all the great masters; if you haven't uncovered the Buddha Palm technique, the Eight Hand style, the Mantis style, and every other legendary method you've ever heard of, then you're nothing more than a fool who isn't truly ready for Martial Arts...

👍 🤣 🤣

...here’s some stuff for your training sessions...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYIg...elated&search=

Justin Watson58 said:...here's some footage for your training sessions...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYIg...elated&search=

Man, I wouldn't want to be a volleyball anywhere near him when he's moving!😬
That guy is pure muscle, no doubt about it.

ruggedfalcon2 said:Not quite, millennial... basically I'm saying exactly what I already said... local Chinese guys—you know, the ones in the neighborhood strip malls and stuff—don't really have any say in this matter... so let me school you:
-as I mentioned, the term Wu Shu (Mandarin) or Mo SUT (Cantonese) used by Chinese people refers to martial arts in general—covering everything from karate and wrestling to judo and Western boxing, etc... and the literal translation is "techniques to stop war."
-but when Chinese people are talking specifically about their own, i.e., Chinese martial arts, they use the term Kuo Shu (Mandarin) or Kwok SUT (Cantonese)... which translates to "Chinese National Martial Arts," btw. When Chinese people talk about China, they often refer to it as "our country" rather than just "China"... so it could also be translated as "our national martial arts," but those are just minor details... anyway, grab a book and do some homework😁 😉

I actually find ruggedfalcon2 pretty likable—it's clear he's done some reading—he just hasn't actually tried anything and doesn't realize what he's talking about. It’s kind of embarrassing to see a boxer correcting him, but hey, maybe he should look into it a bit more...

China is called "Zhong Guo"—which means Svjet Center—in Mandarin, not "our country" or whatever other fantasies people have... (Well, what do you expect, the guy speaks Chinese).

Secondly, "Wu Shu" means Martial Arts, which is the modern name for Martial Arts because the Chinese who emigrated to Taiwan "stole" the old name and developed an entire sport and system under the ancient, authentic name "Kuo Shu," which actually means National Art (or skill, if you prefer).

There are two World Kuo Shu Federations—one in Taiwan and one in the USA, led by Grandmaster Huang Chien Liang (check www.twksf.org ).

Getting back to Wu Shu—besides everything else it represents, Wushu is also an OFFICIAL SPORT originating from China, which has the World, or "International Wushu Federation" (www.iwuf.org ), which is a member of the "International Olympic Committee" and holds recognized sport status (see http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/rec...d/index_uk.asp and look at the bottom for wushu) or even better: http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisati..._federation=65

You can't just make things up on forums—there are people here who actually study this stuff...

So, yeah, grab a book... no need to get worked up...

Just so we’re all on the same page—Wushu is an officially RECOGNIZED OLYMPIC SPORT, despite everything else going on...

If you still don't get it, maybe take another look at those links above...

...when someone’s gone, they’re just gone...
...you gotta respect what isn't there anymore, and that includes the person who walked away from this forum under that username...
...or maybe it's just typical behavior for a guy like boxer...