Ah, the age-old “is my style better than your style?” question. Every martial artist asks this question, particularly when just beginning their training. In my experience, most teachers will beg off the question, not wanting to appear rude or egotistical. But that is a mistake, I think. The question should be explored, if only so it won’t be a distraction to a student’s training.
Where it comes to raw fighting, Kung Fu is at a disadvantage compared to boxing. Because Kung Fu often lacks full contact sparring, and spars only against fellow students of the same school, a Kung Fu practitioner is less prepared to win a fight in the ring or on the street when compared to even a novice boxer.
But don’t count Kung Fu out just yet. While boxing might own the ring, there are many places where Kung Fu stands head and shoulders above its Western cousin.
Philosophy & Moral Development
The realms of Kung Fu’s victories over Western boxing begin in its philosophy. As a rule, no matter which form of Kung Fu you refer to, all of them trace their philosophical roots back to Taoism, which emphasizes the cultivation of the self as a moral creature, as well as a physical one.
In Taoism, harmony is the highest moral precept. This is so embedded in the art that even a non-practitioner can tell you that Kung Fu preaches the seeking of balance. As such, a person who trains in the martial arts for its aesthetic or philosophical benefits will find very little of value in boxing since boxing has no moral grounding (with the exception of the concept of “fair play”). But it goes much deeper than that. In fact, Taoism seeks to teach many important moral lessons to its students such as genuineness, good health, honesty, detachment, and many other positive lessons.
In truth, this article cannot even begin to summarize Taoism, as many entire books have been written on the subject and fail to properly encapsulate even a portion of what the philosophy contains. But suffice it to say that Kung Fu has much to offer the student seeking moral training. In fact, some students would find that the depths of wisdom and knowledge offered by the various schools of Kung Fu are virtually endless.
Longevity of Training
Another important reason people can claim Kung Fu is better than boxing is in how long its adherents can train. Due to it’s highly competitive nature, many boxers will begin to leave the sport after their 30s, if they make it that far at all. The fact is, competitive boxing is a young fighter’s game. And if you don’t have the dozens of hours per week to devote to honing your craft, then you are going to start losing out to younger, fitter, and more aggressive fighters who do.
But it’s not just age or the lack of time to train gets boxers to start leaving the gym, it is also how boxing competes with a person’s life. Ask any serious boxer why they train and you’ll likely get an answer close to “I like the competition” or “I want to go pro” or “Sparring is fun”. Ask the same for a student of any of the styles of Kung Fu and you’re going to get many different answers ranging from the enjoyment of sparring to stress relief to philosophical and meditative practice, etc. This means that the time required for each pursuit is vastly different. And as a person grows older, and the priorities of life begin to shift toward family and career, many boxers, no matter how much they love the sport, will end up hanging up their gloves.
In short, because boxing focuses almost entirely on the physical and competitive aspect, it has far less to offer those who have grown too old to effectively compete. While Kung Fu, as a whole, can hold on to its students, often for several decades because maintained its non-combat elements. This fundamental difference between the two disciplines means that Kung Fu. an continue to be a fruitful pursuit for many decades.
Overall Wellness
Here again Kung Fu is better than boxing. Many students of Kung Fu have been taught to apply the Taoist principles such as self control, balance, and non-aggression to their daily lives. This can translate into dozens of beneficial effects such as avoiding indulgence in food and alcohol (“Drunken Fist” notwithstanding), mental clarity and cardiovascular benefits from hundreds of hours spent in meditation, and even an increase in kindness towards others.
The true dividend of Kung Fu training doesn’t emerge until you consider that, as we saw in the section above, a person is better able to continue Kung Fu practice for many years (compared to competitive boxing). This means the mental and physical benefits that come from training are compounded over the lifetime of the student. Which gives Kung Fu the advantage when the purpose of training is a strong heart and mind, as well as a strong body.
Final Round
So is Kung Fu better than boxing? The short answer is a resounding “YES!” and a thoughtful “no“, as well. The true answer is “Better for what?“. What is the reason you are looking to get into martial training? Are you seeking a healthy outlet for your desire for competition? Needing to protect yourself from a bully? Watched too many Jackie Chan movies (that’s me). Or is it something else entirely?
If you are purely interested in combat training, or physical competition, then boxing is the winner by far. However, if your interest is beyond just the body, and you’re searching for a way to cultivate your mind and spirit, too, then Kung Fu is the superior choice.