cai longyun

8/13/2019 Cai Longyun

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Round Twoove is clearl$ sha#en, so he opens ith a vicious combination of hoo#s an! punches% 0e

!rives Cai into the turnbuc#les% Cai can/t counterattac#% 0e can onl$ bloc#% The au!ience isshouting ma!l$% Cai su!!enl$ !uc#s un!er ove/s right &ab an! gets behin! him% ove triesto turn but is met ith a left bac# fist that sen!s him reeling into the ropes% Cai opens up on

ove, but the ref brea#s them up an! brings them bac# to the center of the ring%Cai feints ith a left to the hea!% ove leans to eva!e an! counters ith a right, but Cai setsup a right #ic# to ove/s hea!% ove !rops his hea! to escape the #ic#% Cai shifts to areverse s eep an! again ove is l$ing on the mat%

(gain, ove gets up% 0e attac#s ith a left to the hea!% Cai bloc#s ith his left elbo an!!elivers another right #ic# to ove/s hea!% ove is in the same trap as before% 0e anticipatesthe s eep he &umps% Cai changes it up ith a right front #ic# to the stomach, catching

ove in mi! air an! sen!ing him hurtling to the canvas once more%

No , ove is ver$ slo to rise% Cai attac#s ith a &umping front #ic#, but ove catches itan! thro s Cai% Cai uses the +ussian/s momentum to flip completel$ over an! lan! on hisfeet, unharme!% The au!ience - Chinese an! non-Chinese ali#e - goes il! at this ama ing!ispla$ of s#ill% No ever$one is cheering for the s#inn$ teenager%

Round Threeove enters the ring !efeate!% 0is s agger is gone% The best he can !o is bloc#% Cai is

pumpe! up, fighting stronger an! faster than in the earlier roun!s% n the future, spectatorsill loo# bac# on this fight an! compare Cai/s fists to shooting stars an! his #ic#s to

thun!er% Cai thro s a left #ic# &ust un!er ove/s ear% ove tries to eva!e b$ leaning left an!turns into a po erful right &ab, follo e! b$ a #noc#-out punch to his abs% ove goes !o nfor the count% The hole au!ience leaps an! shouts, tossing their hats in the air an!applau!ing $oung Cai%

"ithin five minutes, or t o-an!-a-half roun!s, Cai ong$un #noc#e! the +ussian #ic# bo;er !o n thirteen times% literall$ 2spirit fist of the big !ragon2 but commonl$ translate! as 2big !ragon iththe magic fists2?%

The Dragon who Knocked Out ForeignersTo!a$, over si; !eca!es after that historic fight, Cai unlong is a retire! professor of theShanghai Ph$sical College an! one of the most reno ne! living masters of all China% n theliving room of his mo!est apartment, onl$ t o small blac#-an!- hite fight pictures a!ornthe all% 2(ll m$ other pictures an! souvenirs ere lost !uring the Cultural +evolution,2reflects Cai istfull$ in an!arin% 2 ou #no , in the 1947/s, man$ foreigners loo#e! !o non Chinese martial arts% t as labele! as 'flo er$ fists an! embroi!ere! legs%/ The$ !i!n/tthin# e coul! ta#e a hit from a estern bo;er% n general, the Chinese ere calle! 'thesic# men of (sia%/ The foreign bo;ers publicl$ challenge! Chinese martial artists% aster"ang @iping an! m$ father, Cai Aui.ing, chose eight of us stu!ents to enter thecompetition%2


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Those fights ere not !ivi!e! into eight classes% atches ere selecte! b$ ran!om!ra ing% t as three t o-minute roun!s, ith a one-minute brea# in bet een% Bighterscoul! use han!s an! legs to stri#e above the aist an! to the hea!% 8nl$ hoo#s an! s eeps

ere allo e! belo the aist heel #ic#s an! si!e #ic#s ere prohibite!% t as a glove!fight% ( lan!e! punch or #ic# earne! one point a ta#e-!o n earne! three% Bighters ha! a

ten-count to get up or the$ forfeite! the match% 2The results of 1943 fight ere that Chineseon five bouts, !re one, an! lost t o,2 recounts Cai% 2"e shoul! have on all eight fights but referees ere all foreigners an! the rules ere set b$ them as ell% (fter the$ counte!the 'points,/ e lost t o an! ha! the one !ra % #ne m$ onl$ guarantee of inning asto #noc# out m$ opponent% $ punches are fast, ruthless, heav$ an! accurate%2 8f Cai/s t oremaining photos, the one on the left is from the secon! fight% 2Three $ears later - 1946 -the$ set up another fight bet een me an! the orl! heav$ eight champion 2 lac# ion2

uther% on both fights b$ #noc# outs%2

The Birth of a DragonCai unlong as born in 19)D in Shanghai, China% 0is father, Cai Aui.ing, as a ell-

#no n martial arts master, a philosopher an! an e!ucator% 0is famil$ came from Shan!ong5inling here martial arts are oven into the fabric of !ail$ life% 0ua =uan, Cha =uan an!0ong =uan are popular st$les here% Cai began learning from his father at age four% (t thattime, his !a! as teaching in the Shanghai artial (rts Club an! 5ing "u (ssociation% 2starte! training ith #ic#s, bac# an! aist stretches li#e bri!ge ben!ing, pressing legstretches, stances an! so on,2 recalls Cai% 2 ater learne! 0ua =uan, Shaolin, Eing$i an!Tai&i%2 0is father as ver$ strict an! focuse! on the basics% 2 $ father oul! ma#e mestan! in horse stance, often hol!ing eights, for at least half an hour before a brea#% T ohun!re! to three hun!re! #ic#s ere the minimum re.uirement%2 f Cai !i!n/t perform

perfectl$, his father oul! beat him ith a stic# until it became perfect% 2(t that time, coul!n/t un!erstan! m$ father/s approach - it as ang i cheng long >2to loo# at a chil!

becoming a !ragon2?% even !oubte! if he as m$ real father an! thought about runninga a$ from home man$ times% as onl$ stoppe! b$ m$ mother/s love%2 ut it as thisstrict !iscipline that forge! a might$ arrior% 0is father often inspire! him ith stories ofChinese revolutionaries li#e Sun atsen ho the el!er Cai ha! met an! follo e! toAuang hou% 0e also tol! his son of =iu 5in ho fought ith her life for !emocrac$% The

alls of their home ere covere! ith portraits of martial heroes li#e ue Bei, =i 5iguang,Shi Fefa, Eue +engui an! others% Cai as taught to be prou! of his Chinese heritage an!

as often gui!e! b$ the ancient Chinese sa$ing, 2shi nian mo $i &ian2 >2it ta#es ten $ears to polish one s or!2?% t too# ten $ears of training to prepare Cai for his first challenge matchagainst that +ussian fighter%

espite his celebrate! victories, Cai/s career follo e! the scholarl$ path over the martialone% 2 !i! not start as a professional martial artist,2 confesse! Cai% 2Brom 1946 to 19*9,

as an e!ucator% /ve taught language, mathematics, histor$ an! geograph$ in variousschools% starte! as an elementar$ school teacher% Ara!uall$ as promote! to !irector,vice-principal an! then principal% (fter the communists too# over China, or#e! for labor

or#er/s e!ucation% n 19*9, as the principal of Shanghai Bifteenth abor School inChang ing !istrict% t as an e;tra-curricular school for labor or#ers% That same $ear,China ha! its first National (thletics Tournament% as chosen to be a &u!ge for themartial art !ivision% n 1967, the Shanghai Ph$sical College establishe! "ushu "ater


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epartment >"ushu Shui Shang;i often abbreviate! as "u shui ;i?% The "ushu !ivisioninclu!e! Chinese martial arts, eight-lifting, bo;ing, fencing, an! Chinese restling >shuai

&iao?% n the ater !ivision, s imming as the main sub&ect% as transferre! b$ theAovernment to ta#e in charge of the ushu !ivision% This as the beginning of m$

professional ushu career%2 Cai serve! as the irector of "ushu an! the co-hea! of the

!epartment%

The Dragon as a cho!ar "arrioreing a professor serve! Cai ell% 0e epitomi e! the Chinese a$ #no n as neng en

neng u >2scholar2 an! 2martial2 in one?% eginning in 19*), Cai oul! publish over 177articles on the martial arts in &ournals an! maga ines% 0is outstan!ing publications inclu!e:"ushu/s 8rigin an! it/s evelopment, +esearch of "ushu/s movements, "ushu: $ Pointof Gie , "ushu/s nternal an!


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The Dragon as a "ushu #rofessorTo man$ esterners, tra!itional #ung fu an! mo!ern ushu are mutuall$ e;clusive, so Cai/soutstan!ing or# in both fiel!s comes as a bit of a conun!rum% ut Cai is ver$ a are of the!istinction an! believes that both have their role% 2Isuall$ in martial arts of China, e havet o categories,2 e;plains Cai% 28ne is to be a professional ho goes to tournaments an!

e;hibitions% Then there are the tra!itional groups, or ones that train for #no le!ge% No a!a$s, the government puts the entire spotlight on the professionals% ut these amateurmartial artists nee! an opportunit$ an! stage to sho their s#ills% These people train athome or in clubs, but !on/t get the recognition that the professionals get% thin# that bothshoul! be !evelope!%2

8n the flip si!e, Cai remains a staunch supporter of the current stan!ar!s of ushu that hehelpe! engineer% 2 f e !on/t promote competition ushu, then that oul! be ba! too% Borinstance, there are si; main st$les of tai&i% "ithout a competition ushu, an! a recogni e!stan!ar! tai&i, $ou oul! be giving out too man$ a ar!s% ou have to reali e that ealrea!$ have to split competitors into !ivisions base! on age, se;, an! st$le% f $ou a!!

!ifferent !ivisions ithin each st$le, it oul! get too confusing an! $ou oul! have tooman$ inners% Part of hat ma#es tra!itional martial arts so special is that there are soman$ variations an! st$les% ut this can hurt competition ushu an! the chance for ushuto become a orl! sport% "ith the 8l$mpics in )77D in ei&ing, it as important tostan!ar!i e ushu to tr$ to get it into the games%2

Cai elaborates on ho competition has affecte! the a$ martial arts are taught to!a$% 2Noin the Shanghai Ph$sical College, there are si; ushu professors an! ten to t ent$can!i!ates% t is important for the can!i!ates to stu!$ b$ the techni.ue an! the theor$% Some

people #no taolu >form chinese?% Some people onl$ #no san!a >fighting?% Surel$, if $ou#no both, it is i!eal, but from the competition point of vie , $ou onl$ choose one% To!a$,Ph% % classes re.uire more theor$, so usuall$ the can!i!ate ill onl$ emphasi e one area,usuall$ something the$ have chosen themselves% ut from in!ivi!ual preference, $ou mightonl$ choose one too% f someone practices Tai&i.uan, their purpose might be for betterhealth, an! then the$ !on/t reall$ ever nee! to learn ho to fight%2

Cai !emonstrates a fast movement of Tai&i.uan to ma#e his point% 2 f someone practicestai&i li#e this, then other people ill sa$ it is not goo! tai&i%2 Cai then !emonstrates a moret$pical slo tai&i movement% 2"hen $ou practice tai&i, $ou have to be slo % f it is not slo ,the$ on/t call it Tai&i.uan% ou are practicing &ing >po er?% 0o ever, hen $ou ant tostri#e someone, if $ou move too slo l$, $ou ill never hit them% ou have to react fast tohit $our target% ut if $ou al a$s practice ver$ slo l$, ho can $ou su!!enl$ spee! it up!uring a combat situation' f $ou reall$ ant to be an e;pert at martial arts, $ou must learntaolu an! san!a% f $ou onl$ ant to train for health or onl$ for fighting, then $ou onl$ nee!to concentrate in one area%2

The Fighting DragonThe most common criticism of mo!ern ushu taolu is that it cannot be use! for fighting%(s a fighter an! a ushu pioneer, Cai a!!resses the issue% 2The combat applications fromtaolu are usuall$ too complicate! to use in an$ real-life combat situation% Practicalapplications shoul! be ver$ fast an! !irect% $ martial arts s#ills have been passe! !o n


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through m$ famil$% "e onl$ ha! a fe #ic#s: heel #ic#, insi!e an! outsi!e crescent, front#ic#, si!e #ic#, hoo# an! s eep% The punches ere straight punches an! hoo#s - that/s all%To!a$, taolu has so man$ varieties of punches an! #ic#s li#e palm stri#es, spear palms,spring #ic#s, &ump #ic#s, reverse arch #ic#s, high front s eep #ic#s, high bac# s eep#ic#s, an! so on%2

2The training receive! from m$ father as !ifferent% "e traine! more for reactions% Borinstance, a cue as given li#e a left han! signal e.uals a right punch, an! the punch ha! to

be there - ver$ fast% t as the same for an$ punch or #ic#% No a!a$s, feel that stu!ents/reaction times are slo er% The$ might ait for one, t o, or three counts, hich is too slo %(lso in taolu, the posture re.uirements for horse stance, bo stance or empt$ stance are.uite high% The position of $our bo!$ is e;tremel$ important% ut hen $ou are in realcombat, $ou can/t be too orrie! about getting into a perfect horse stance% Bor e;ample,

hen $ou e;ecute a straight punch in taolu, $ou must also have a goo! bo stance% ut incombat, $ou cannot ait to get into a goo! bo stance an! then punch% ou must &ust

punch% ou have no time to set up perfect foot or#% n taolu, $ou get points !e!ucte! hen

$ou !on/t form a perfect palm% ( t$pical palm is ma!e b$ ben!ing the thumb an! tuc#ing ittightl$ ne;t to the e!ge of the palm hile #eeping the other four fingers straight an! tightl$together% n combat, it is unimportant to have perfect palm%2

2 t helps to thin# of it li#e poetr$ an! regular conversation% Poetr$ has a meter% t has arh$thm to it, as ell as beautiful or!s% n !ail$ conversation, $ou !on/t nee! an$ of this toma#e a point% Taolu is &ust li#e a five- or! poem an! it has its re.uirements, &ust li#e

poems% s that useful' a$be, but it ill never be useful to a combat situation on the streethen others are tr$ing to ta#e a!vantage of $ou%2

Three #ear!s of the Dragon(s a final comment an! parting shot, Cai reveals his three #e$s to real fighting% 2 $ fathertaught me three important fighting tactics% Birst is bu hao bu &ia >no incursions, no bloc#s?%"hen $our opponent punches at $ou, !on/t use $our han! or elbo to bloc# because the

bloc# ill !ela$ $our counterattac#% f the smallest moment is lost, it ill give $ouropponent time to recover an! attac# $ou again% ou shoul! move an! !uc# to avoi! the

punch as $ou simultaneousl$ counterattac#% Secon! is he rou fen .iang >!on/t !uc# tooearl$?% uc# at the split secon! hen $our opponent/s fist is almost touching $our flesh% nthis a$, $our opponent/s punch is full$ !elivere!% 0e thin#s he/s got $ou an! has noopportunit$ to re!irect his energ$% Thir! is tie shen #ao !a >stri#e b$ stic#ing to $ouropponent/s bo!$?% Stic# close to $our opponent/s bo!$, eliminating the space bet een $ouan! $our opponent hich can &am $our opponent/s stri#e% "hen $our opponent moves

bac# ar! to ma#e room to attac#, $ou sei e the opportunit$ an! attac# first%2

cai longyun

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