On the afternoon of May 17, Beijing time, Ma Baoguo, the headmaster of a taichi school, duelled with Wang Qingmin, an amateur, in Shandong Province. Ma Baoguo, the “master”, was knocked down three times in less than 30 seconds and defeated by KO.
Ma Baoguo, 69, claims that he has integrated the essence of different kung fu style to master “Qigong” and he founded the school, recruited many disciples. He also claims to have defeated British MMA champion Peter, as well as had a draw with Zhang Weili, China’s first UFC champion.
His opponent, Wang Qingmin, is not young, reaching the age of 50, but compared with Ma Baoguo’s plentiful tittle, Wang Qingmin is just an ordinary fight enthusiast.
In fact, most Chinese people regarded this competition as a farce. After Ma Baoguo was defeated, Chinese social networks were celebrating. Very few Chinese felt sad about the defeat of Tai chi.
Chinese traditional Wushu indeed has some practical combat skills, yet objectively it has lagged behind the modern mixed martial arts. Nowadays, Chinese Wushu are mainly regarded as part of Chinese traditional culture, whether in China or foreign countries, for self-cultivation, or to participate in artistic performances and shoot kung fu films.
But there are always some traditional kung fu fanatics such as Ma Baoguo who fantasize proving their traditional Wushu skill with real fight. In most combats, they either simply evade fights, or choose to call the police, or concede defeat, or being KO badly, with rare victory.
In recent years, Xu Xiaodong, a fighting enthusiast in China, has repeatedly challenged “masters” of traditional kung fu, which has made traditional martial arts community be embarrassed. It is worth noting that although these traditional “masters” are generally regarded by the Chinese as liars, Xu Xiaodong does not have a good reputation in China, because traditional martial arts has long become an industry that combines business and culture, far from actual combat. The two areas should not simply confused.
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