Zhang Weili’s kungfu is Corrupting the Youth - Ramsey Dewey

[marvin8]

Ramsey Dewey
Mar 20, 2020

The UFC went out of their way in recent promotional videos to sell the title fight between Chinese champion Zhang Weili, and former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk, by emphasizing Zhang Weili’s traditional kungfu background and saying nothing of her actual combat sports training.

Clearly, there was no bagua zhang, or taijiquan used in any ostensible way in that fight, and in spite of the fact that the bulk of Zhang’s training is Muay Thai and BJJ, the kungfu nerds of the internet have found their new patron saint.

But is this actually a problem? One of our viewers certainly thinks so. In fact he believes it’s putting impressionable young people in danger.

Is advertising Zhang Weili’s kungfu background as the reason she wins fights corrupting the youth?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUvtu36Y32g

[Formosa Neijia]

From what I can tell, Zhang Weili's so-called "traditional" background is about as deep as a mud puddle. From the videos i saw, she very clearly "learned" taichi and bagua right before she did them on camera. The shuai jiao only looks a little better,probably from doing other grappling styles, but even that looked like she was being taught basics in videos set up for the public.

Her whole story is clearly a propaganda creation by the mainland to pump out their loss of face over Xu Xiao-dong. I think Dewey is being perhaps a bit too kind. Fitness instructors almost never do traditional taichi forms, even in China.

[Overlord]

From what I can tell, Zhang Weili's so-called "traditional" background is about as deep as a mud puddle. From the videos i saw, she very clearly "learned" taichi and bagua right before she did them on camera. The shuai jiao only looks a little better,probably from doing other grappling styles, but even that looked like she was being taught basics in videos set up for the public.

Her whole story is clearly a propaganda creation by the mainland to pump out their loss of face over Xu Xiao-dong. I think Dewey is being perhaps a bit too kind. Fitness instructors almost never do traditional taichi forms, even in China.

Did some one mention fitness instructor?


Chun Li is a proof body building is Kung-Fu.

[dspyrido]

From what I can tell, Zhang Weili's so-called "traditional" background is about as deep as a mud puddle. From the videos i saw, she very clearly "learned" taichi and bagua right before she did them on camera. The shuai jiao only looks a little better,probably from doing other grappling styles, but even that looked like she was being taught basics in videos set up for the public.

Her whole story is clearly a propaganda creation by the mainland to pump out their loss of face over Xu Xiao-dong. I think Dewey is being perhaps a bit too kind. Fitness instructors almost never do traditional taichi forms, even in China.

I think you're being unfair and Dewey comments (I haven't watch the video) seem blinkered (perhaps Dewey is just being contentious to boost his profile).

How can you say she is not a TMA or Dewey can say that the bulk of her training is MT & BJJ when she is listed as foundation styles of Sanda & shuaijiow?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Weili

It's not like she suddenly takes up a Wai Kru or pulls guard every chance she can get.

Sure she has MMA'ed in other styles and other methods like ring craft and ground and pound but that does not mean she suddenly stopped striking and fusing in great takedowns like Sanda/SJ fighters do.

[Formosa Neijia]

Many of the videos showing her non-existant "kungfu skills" are being taken down. China's troll army is in full-effect.

But the few that are left are pretty clear. This is a 3-part video and in the first part she clearly has never done push hands in her life. She doesn't even have kungfu basics.
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gE411q7ms?p=1
In part 2 of that above video, she's visiting JingWu aspart of a promotional tour. Look at her movements.

Check out :40 in this clip.

She clearly has no idea what she's doing. In all these clips of her doing TCMA and shuai jiao, it's always her following a teacher and she's doing something she never saw before they started filming.

Here's another one:

If people can't tell she's posing for the camera then I can't help them.

It's obvious to me that China told Dana White that if he wanted access to their market that UFC must particpate in their little propaganda charade to undo the damage that Xu Xiao-dong has single-handedly done to their reputation. It's also obvious that Dana has sold out to them. Big shocker there.

Dewey is being nice because he's likely still in China and now is a bad time to be a forigner there. If it were me, I would have given a much harsher criticism of her obviously.

[dspyrido]

I see what you mean but:

1. Is she a good example of a sanda+shuajiow base that has been enhanced to handle mma? If so then dewey is being a bit unfair claiming it's not.

2. If we agree she is sanda+sj++ then her performance is a good example of chinas oldest tma (shuaijiow) mixed in with another newish tma of sanda (still over 100 years old) + other stuff.

3. I've met sanda+sj coaches and fighters. I can't think of anyone that would not exchange with reputable CMA instructors. They all have studied a cma or two. Even xu says he is not anti tma - he is opposed to fake martial artists. In friendly exchanges with other CMAs they would exchange techniques, some would want to try it out etc. They would look like zhang did - kind of awkward yet still happy to explore it.

I know these things can overhyped eg that zhang is all about CMAs and CMAs are awesome etc etc. but they can also be unfair the other way. It's easy to dismiss that perhaps she did also get some benefit from CMAs even if they are augmented exercises. She might not be a tc master but perhaps she does see benefit in it.

[yeniseri]

Zhang Weili's realistic manner of seeing goals and appraoches is far more revolutionary, and progressive than many 'CMA masters". She has made the transition from 'traditional' to the reality, utility and functionalism of CMA through the oft quoted but never practiced 6 combinations, 8 methods within the MMA environment. It shows she can adapt, integrate and hold her ground something that armies do when they see the tactics and stratgey of th Other unfolding on the battlefield. Hoepfully the Chinese army is utilizing that strategy for the long haul and not falling into 'tradtional methods of warfare which do not stand up to current batgtfield tactics. Concepts of shuai, na, etc within the continuum of battle is a must or else we end up like those fake masters waving their hands and people fall down but whne the meet real opponents, they fold up and disappear