A Wushu master who has been cultivated both internally and externally, and has both superb martial skills and morals, will always maintain their peace of mind, and will neither be corrupted by wealth, nor shaken by horror or dishonor. They will never seek power and wealth, nor will they be upset about gains or losses in life, or flaunt their martial art skills. The role of Wushu in health preservation can be best displayed in such Wushu masters. Wushu, therefore, nourishes and purifies the spirit. Physical fitness is just an outer form of effect from the practice, while a peaceful mind and the power to master oneself represent the inner fitness in the most important sense, which is the essence of Wushu as a tool for maintaining good health.
Following the law of nature is the key to longevity
Due to the number of elderly people with silver hair who have practiced Wushu all their life are vigorous and walk at a brisk pace, it has been proven Wushu leads to longevity. Wushu practicing indeed helps prevent disease and prolongs human life, but begs the question: how many seniors over the age of 100 practice Wushu?
There are some Wushu practitioners who have lived for 90 years and longer among the superb Wushu masters, such as Yang Yuting (1887–1982) who practiced Taiji, Ma Meihu (1805– 1924) and Liu Wanyi (1820–1918) who practiced Xingyi Boxing, Zhang Zhan’ao (1817–1916) and Wang Ziping (1881–1973, who practiced spring kicks. Still, despite the existence of many longtime Wushu practitioners, the life span of some modern Wushu masters were not that lengthy, and those who practice the same kind of Wushu may not necessarily lead the same length of life. The Taiji master Wu Tunan (1884–1989) died at the age of 105, while Yang Chengfu, Li Yishe (1832–1892) and Chen Zhaokui (1928–1981), who were also Taiji practitioners lived only for 50 to 60 years. Of course, human longevity depends on multiple factors like inheritance, economic situations, living conditions and psychological qualities, but such cases also reveal that practicing Wushu is not the only precondition of longevity, and does not necessarily bring about a prolonged life.
Mastering basic skills and turning brute force into physical latent force is the first step to learning Wushu. Beginners must practice everyday all year round regardless of rain or snow. But, those who learn Xingyi boxing risk injury to their legs and feet if they use too much force, and these injuries are often overlooked when young, instead affecting the Wushu master as they age. Moreover, certain kinds of Kungfu skills, such as stake kicking Kungfu, iron head Kungfu and iron arm Kungfu, are more prone to causing permanent damage to the bones and muscles of beginners who are young, aggressive and eager for success. Outer injuries, therefore, are likely to occur when practicing obvious force.
When it comes to practicing potential force and neutralizing force, internal energy based and masculine energy is gradually weakened.
Internal energy cultivation mainly requires individual contemplation and guidance of thought more than communication with other fellows. Masters generally teach their pupils more routine skills and less internal energy. Therefore, many Wushu practitioners typically develop their internal energy little by little, and in the exploration process, detours and deviations are quite common. Internal energy cultivation involves quiet and clean surroundings apart from the concentrated spirit of the individual. Unexpected shock can easily scatter their energy, or even disturb the meridian system, resulting in mental confusion or partial paralysis known as “going crazy and out of control.” When practicing the potential force or neutralizing force, therefore, inner injuries are more likely to occur from incorrect practice methods or accidents. Learning Zhoutian Kungfu can cause dizziness, or even high blood pressure, if too much force is involved.
Wushu masters also feature aggressive dispositions and like to compete with each other. Many practitioners traveled through Jianghu after learning real Kungfu and made friends with others by rivaling in Wushu. The so-called “making friends through Wushu” refers to making a lot of friends by competing against on another. But injuries are common during competition since both parties regard each other as the deadly enemy and are fighting for survival. Therefore, one has to compete with others numerous times before earning prestigious as a Wushu master.
Generally speaking, Wushu masters have a strong sense of winning and losing, and have developed the concept of “defeating others with superior Wushu skills” from the moment they start learning Wushu. Affected by such ideas, Wushu masters are usually on alert and are ready to compete with others at any time and any place. This also teaches them to be sharp. The psychology of being alert at all times ensures the Wushu masters are in a constant state of nervousness, which allows them to develop into an intangible spiritual pressure that modern medical science believes is harmful and contributes to cardiovascular disease or cancer.
In summation, Wushu masters do not necessarily enjoy a longer life due to the discussed physical and mental reasons, and practicing Wushu does not necessarily result in longevity. Nearly nine out of 10 seniors around the age of 100 are not Wushu practitioners. But, many of them also live in pollutionfree villages, where the air is fresh,It not only allows elders to be open-minded and shielded from world strife, but also enables them to lead a thrifty life without unhealthy hobbies like smoking or drinking, or over stress of physical labor, which are the reasons for their longevity.
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