In the international arena of Chinese martial arts competitions, the true essence of traditional Chinese martial arts seems to be fading. Where can one find the authentic Chinese “tradition” in martial arts? The “8th NTD World Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition” will kick off on August 31, 2024. The chairman of the competition’s judging panel and traditional martial artist, Li Youfu, provided insights on this matter. He expressed that the core of Chinese traditional martial arts lies in “martial virtue,” and NTD has been organizing the “Traditional Martial Arts Competition” for 16 years in order to “revive” traditional martial arts in the face of the degradation of Chinese martial arts in the present day.
Prior to the competition, Li Youfu shared with the press that NTD has been steadfast in its commitment for 16 years to showcase what truly constitutes “traditional martial arts” to the world, emphasizing the importance of practitioners upholding “martial virtue.” Li Youfu remarked that due to the Chinese Communist Party’s distortion and destruction of traditional martial arts, coupled with the passing of many traditional martial arts masters, most martial arts enthusiasts are unfamiliar with these concepts, treating them as if they were completely foreign.
Li Youfu emphasized that since martial arts originated from China’s cultivation culture, martial virtue equates to “practicing morality.”
“In the Book of Changes, it states ‘Heaven’s movement is firm, and gentlemen strive to self-improve without ceasing; Earth’s aspect is yielding, and gentlemen carry a deep virtue to encompass all things.’ Virtue is like a boat – without it, nothing can be sustained. Without virtue, there is no knowledge, learning, or martial arts,” said Li Youfu. “Therefore, what we mean by martial virtue is: distinguishing between good and evil, stopping evil and promoting good, being indifferent to fame and wealth, prioritizing others over oneself, not deceiving the good, not fearing the evil, and daring to act with righteousness. It is about ‘self-cultivation, managing the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world’… This is ‘martial virtue.'”
According to Li Youfu, authentic martial arts masters do not engage in competitions; instead, they possess the ability to keep adversaries at bay without physical confrontation. They achieve victory without fighting as they have cultivated their skills to an extraordinary level.
“If you can’t hit me, I don’t need to defend against you… Without doing much, due to reaching such a level of cultivation, they have developed ‘skills’ that are invisible and exist in another realm (or known as ‘energy’). These high-level techniques can only be cultivated through a strong martial virtue,” Li Youfu explained.
However, the true essence of Chinese martial arts has been lost under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. In an effort to sever the connection between the Chinese people and traditional culture, the CCP has targeted traditional martial arts for destruction, critiquing the respect for teachers, promoting “daring innovation,” ultimately distorting traditional martial arts beyond recognition.
In order to explore, seek, preserve, and revive traditional martial arts, NTD has been organizing this “Traditional Chinese Martial Arts” competition for 16 years.
“Prioritizing virtue, disregarding fame and wealth, it is for the sake of reviving traditional martial arts and traditional culture that we host this competition,” Li Youfu stated.
The efforts of Li Youfu and NTD have garnered encouragement and support from many predecessors in the martial arts community.
“I have been practicing martial arts since I was 16, it has been 60 years now, and I have never let go of martial virtue for a single day; I continue to delve into it,” Li Youfu affirmed. “Many predecessors believed this endeavor to be difficult, impossible to accomplish. If we can achieve this, they would be delighted to see it. Therefore, our aim now is to nurture individuals through this competition, passing on traditional martial arts to them; otherwise, when the older generation passes away, there will be no one left to practice traditional martial arts…”
Li Youfu expressed that “martial virtue” can be observed in various aspects, including during competitions, where it can be discerned at first glance.
Concrete manifestations during competitions include the ability to discern right from wrong – “what you perceive as good is not necessarily good”; respecting teachers and the way of martial arts; not emphasizing rankings; enduring hardship – “this is also part of ‘martial virtue.’ In the martial arts community, it is considered a ‘joke’ when someone complains of arm or leg pain after just two days of training; these comments should not be spoken”; and finally, maintaining a sincere and steadfast heart…
Building upon the foundation of martial virtue, practitioners develop high-level martial skills that not only promote fitness and health but also equip them for self-defense and combat.
Li Youfu hopes that the participants in this competition will enjoy an opportunity to learn from each other through mutual exchange.
“By collectively striving, we can revive traditional martial arts, which is the best beginning for all of you,” he remarked. “This is an honor, the glory of reviving traditional martial arts.”