[Artes Marciales] Las Artes Marciales Tradicionales Destruidas por Influencers

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Fecha: 2025-07-03 Jueves, 4:01 PM

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[Martial Arts] The Traditional Martial Arts Destroyed by Internet Celebrities
In these years of the rise of self-media, I have witnessed a silent yet extremely lethal destruction — the essence of traditional martial arts has been completely rewritten by "internet celebrity culture." The internal cultivation, practical evolution, and mental insights that have been passed down for hundreds of years are now edited into dazzling clips, with distorted movements, turning into "martial arts performance shows" aimed at gaining views and seeking tips. Many young people think this is what martial arts is.
True traditional martial arts involve embodying the way through the body, cultivating the heart through the fist, practicing standing meditation day after day, and the internal skills that take three years without fighting. It is the cultivation left after gritting one’s teeth, sweating, experiencing breakthroughs, and sudden realizations. But these things are not suitable for live streaming or gaining followers. Who would want to watch someone practice a stance for ten years without moving like a mountain? What the audience wants are quick kills, flashy moves, and actions as smooth as video game characters. Thus, to cater to them, "traditional martial arts" has gradually been replaced by "internet celebrity martial arts."
Many true masters do not appear on camera, do not hype themselves, and do not mingle in circles. They still practice their punches and skills every morning, yet they are completely overlooked by mainstream networks. Instead, those "performance martial artists," relying on staged shots and challenge videos, have turned traditional martial arts into a synonym for "pseudo kung fu."
What pains me the most is that this change is not slow but overwhelming. Video platforms, social media traffic, and algorithmic guidance have compressed a system that requires ten years of quiet cultivation and three years of seclusion into ten-minute videos and five-second moves. This is not progress; it is a violent dismantling of traditional culture.
Having practiced for many years, I deeply understand the hardships and difficulties of true martial arts. I do not oppose dissemination, but if what is being spread is wrong, that is more terrifying than silence.
Therefore, I want to raise this voice —
It is not that traditional martial arts are outdated; it is that this era no longer allows them to be understood.
Those who still insist on standing meditation, practicing punches, and breathing exercises may no longer be seen, but we know that we are still guarding the true spark. Years from now, perhaps someone will rediscover this authenticity; and I hope that at least in this ocean of information, this text can remain, remembering this real martial arts history drowned by internet celebrities.

Source: http://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=696656