CHILDREN WHO HOLD A BLACK-BELT
Shaolin Kungfu
Question
Is Shaolin Kungfu not enough to defeat a black belt?
-- Stevenson, Sweden
Answer
Shaolin Kungfu is certainly sufficient to defeat a black-belt. If one practices Shaolin Kungfu and is unable to use it for combat, the fault lies with himself and not with Shaolin Kungfu. He has learnt only the external form of Shaolin Kungfu and has missed its essence. This, unfortunately, is the norm today. Many people who practice Shaolin Kungfu, even for years, cannot defend themselves though Shaolin Kungfu is an excellent martial art.
On the other hand, it is worthy for black-belts to note that the art they practice is generally a sport, not a real fighting art. If they use what they practice in their classes in a real fight with a street-fighter with a knife, they can be easily killed! Happily such a scenario almost never happen in Europe. But in many other parts of the world, this can happen.
I would take this opportunity to warn fathers whose young children are black-belts. The fathers often think that their young children with black belts can defend themselves well. Indeed self-defence is often the main reason why fathers send their young children for martial art training.
The truth is that these young children with black belts cannot fight -- not at all. If these young black belts were to fight with a ruthless adult without any martial art training but with only brute strength, the young children will be badly hurt or even killed. The ruthless adult, for example, could just pick up a young child and throw him onto the ground.
One of my students once told me that he met a boastful father who was so naive that he insisted that my student must spar with his son who was under 10 years old but held a black belt. The father became angry when my student refused to spar with his son, saying that his son could beat up my student easily. If my student who could break a brick, could also break a small boy's skull. But of course he wouldn't. He just smiled and walked away.
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