Bai Long (

People’s Daily): Although the two competitors both claim that they only represented themselves, still, when the tai chi master was beaten onto the ground soon after the fighting began, the public began to suspect the strength of traditional martial arts.

Modern fighting, including MMA, has already developed into competitive sports. There are explicit rules, scientific training programs and well-developed competition and commercial systems. All this leaves traditional martial arts far behind. Martial arts followers must make it clear whether they want traditional martial arts to be transformed into modern fighting sports or to continue to be a body-building exercise.

When fitness facilities were rare, even in cities, many people chose traditional martial arts as a means of physical exercise. However, with fighting sports emerging as a big business, if traditional martial artists are to highlight their fighting techniques and enter the ring, there must be some kind of modernization and updating.

As far as traditional martial arts fans are concerned, it makes no sense for them to feel indignant or depressed. In recent years, mature commercial competition models have been imported into China by some in martial arts circles. These standard competitions train people to respect rules and rivals and to challenge themselves and face up to triumph or defeat. Japan’s judo and South Korea’s taekwondo have gone through the process of transforming themselves into modern disciplines. Now, they are listed as Olympic events and attract followers from around the world.

The romantic memory of martial arts is something that belongs to the past. In the modern era, it’s important for combat sports, whether traditional martial arts or mixed martial arts, to keep pace with the times.

Beijing Business Today):