Do you really need a Chinese or Japanese teacher to validate your martial art status? I often see people who visit Japan and China so that they can further their martial arts training but why?
This may have been the case when it came to learning the combat arts at a more advanced level many decades ago when it was all new in the UK, and other places, but that was then. Today you can easily find non oriental martial art teachers providing the same standard of instruction. In fact you can find British instructors that are more knowledgeable, and of the same physical standard, than their counterparts in Japan and China these days. I, of course, do understand visiting such places is something of a cultural experience and all that goes with it, but that does not mean they have more advanced martial art skills simply because they were born in Japan or China. Some believe they have more advanced skills in those silly mystical fighting techniques, but of course that is just the hype that is constantly promoted in films that we see all the time. I was taught the combat arts by British instructors who knew their job, and the physical skills needed, but sadly back in those days many would say that what I was being taught could never be authentic kung fu or karate because my teachers were not born in Japan or China. To a degree that was partly true back then with some instructors who became martial art masters overnight teaching all sorts of silly stuff and making money out of new students who had no idea what the difference was between real combat training and made up moves that would never work in a real street fight. Many years ago one Chinese person said I could never be a kung fu teacher simply because I was not Chinese. How silly is that? I was tempted to say that he could never cook an American cheeseburger because he was not an American. He was the owner of a burger stall by the way, hence the temptation to say that to him. For another bite size related article click >HERE< Comments are closed.
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