Chinese tradition
By Stuart Wiggin
Chinese Gong Fu is thought to be around 4,000 years old. The art has survived numerous attacks upon its existence and, despite suppression as recently as 1979, it still prospers today. The Chinese people are intensely proud of this tradition, and many outside observers regard China as the birthplace for some of the more successful martial arts that have become renowned around the world.
The tradition, though, may be facing its toughest challenge yet in the form of an American martial arts company called the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is trying to venture into the Chinese market. The company has vowed to expand its operations onto the mainland and bring its brand of mixed martial arts fights to a possible audience of over 1.3 billion.
In doing so, the company will no doubt have to create a stable of Chinese fighters in order to capture the hearts of the Chinese audience. However, due to the relative maturity of other martial arts in countries like Japan, Brazil and America, the deficiencies of Chinese gong fu may be highlighted in the UFC's attempt to enter the Chinese market, which could ultimately dent the pride of a nation and damage the tradition indefinitely.
Several forms of gong fu have gained greater notoriety than others in recent times, and many purists have decried the fact that external forms have become more popular for the benefit of attracting tourism, such as those demonstrated by Shaolin monks. The problem therefore is that a focus upon external forms means that traditional gong fu is slowly moving away from a combat discipline and more toward an aesthetically pleasing art-form.
There is no doubt however that gong fu can still garner attention around the world, as evidenced by the pictures of a Shaolin soccer team that were picked up by news providers in Britain and America. However, such attention is the result of foreign markets viewing Chinese gong fu as a novelty rather than as a fighting system, and attempts to create such attention risks trivializing an ancient tradition.
The presence of an American organization, then, which pulls in sell-out crowds around the globe and can regularly convince more than 1 million people on American soil to pay for pay-per-view events, can only benefit Chinese gong fu one might assume, as it offers a medium through which to prove to the world the efficacy of the style. However, the UFC's presence also poses a significant threat to a tradition that is already far behind other combat sports in terms of development.
The most popular competitive form of gong fu in China is Sanda, or what is know stateside as San Shou Kickboxing. It is extremely fast and extremely exciting to watch. Hunan Television's offering of martial arts programming and the clips available on Sohu.com mostly contain Chinese fighters from this discipline, and overall the products prove very popular with the majority of Chinese viewers.
However, all such shows are eclipsed by one previously shown on the state-run CCTV network, which aims to revive the “traditional martial arts” in contrast with more modern forms such as San Shou. The show, Wushu Masters, is classed as China's first professional martial arts league allowing for a multitude of styles to compete within a very broad rule set. It draws staggering numbers due to its widespread availability on state television.
The tagline for the show, “No gloves, no weight classes and no gimmicks” suggests that the fights presented are superior to those of other combat sports, and according to Jin Shanshan of CCTV.com, while the sudden drama of the KO may not be there, this allows technique and strategy to play a greater role. Nonetheless, the fights, which prohibit strikes to the head, may look rather tame compared to their American counterparts, but this is exactly the point. They are not meant to appear brutal, and instead the tournament provides a very thorough, visual walkthrough of an ancient art form, completely in line with the central government's aims to promote culture.
If a show such as Wushu Masters, which aims to celebrate the art form rather than the competitive nature, is so popular, what then are the obstacles preventing an organization such as the UFC from coming to the mainland and setting up shop? As mentioned above, the UFC will have to rely mostly upon Chinese fighters if they hope to draw any attention at all. Chinese people love sport and never so much as when they are victorious.
Expecting large numbers to tune in to watch two 265-pound white males engage in combat, about whom the Chinese audience know very little and in whom have very little vested interest, is sheer absurdity. The only current martial arts organization on the mainland, aptly named Art of War, is aware of this, and rarely promotes a card without at least 7-10 Chinese fighters present. Though China does seem to be a market waiting to be tapped, allowing local marketable talent to catch up to the promotional level that the UFC possesses will be vital for the American company's success.
The nature of business in China depends upon being part of business networks and finding a suitable partner to operate with. In the past, the UFC has baulked at the idea of partnership, but with the addition of Flash Entertainment as a minority shareholder of Zuffa (the parent company of the UFC), the company may well have found themselves the appropriate vehicle through which to penetrate the market.
Flash Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi's government, is certainly not short of cash and may very well have links in the right places, as Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was previously involved with Art of War, providing substantial advertising possibilities with Dubai-based companies. News of the UFC setting up an office in Beijing is certainly a sign that things are moving in the right direction. However, Jennifer Wenk, head of public relations for Zuffa, said that further information will only be available 'if and when developments do arise,' symbolizing the cautiousness of the approach.
Ultimately, the greatest problem for the UFC when trying to enter China is how to get people to watch your product. The company had a previous deal with National Mongolia TV, though programming was limited to people who purchased cable television. Their current deal with Sohu allows people to view events live and free (unbeknownst to the UFC brass, who have previously stated in the press that the deal they have in place in China is one whereby viewers pay to watch), though navigation to the portal is far from straight-easy, as users are required to follow links for gong fu rather than 'UFC,' and there is very little promotion elsewhere on the video streaming site.
In America the UFC is used to convincing young males in the 18-35 age bracket to part with around 50 U.S. dollars (approximately RMB 340) to watch a UFC show. Quite simply, this model would not work in China. An average meal in a Beijing restaurant is around $3, convincing people to shell out over RMB 300 for any sporting event would be a hard task.
Furthermore, other popular sports have suffered with the pay-per-view model. The English Premier League was available for approximately 81 U.S. dollars (RMB 588) for a whole year (based on the cost of an annual subscription to Guangzhou-based WinTV), yet only 20,000 people took up the offer, a fraction of the projected 1.2 million. Contrast this with the 10 million that watch English soccer when it is shown for free and one starts to realize the problem of trying to implement pay TV in China.
Therefore, revenue streams in China have to lie elsewhere, most probably in advertisement. Manchester United recently signed a deal with electronics manufacturer Aigo in a bid to create more sales in a market where fake goods seriously limit the ability of merchandise to add profit to a company.
What is clear is that the UFC must tread carefully in China. They do not want to alienate themselves by squashing young Chinese talent through putting them up against overmatched opponents. Moreover, they need to find a way to market their brand in a distinctively Chinese way. The methods they have relied upon before will not work in China, and for this reason they will need to enlist the help of a number of individuals who are aware of what the Chinese market requires.
As for endangering gong fu, it is safe to say that the presence of the UFC can only benefit the tradition in the short term. Whether it will highlight the shortcomings of Chinese styles is yet to be seen. After all, there is a very realistic possibility that Chinese fighters could come to dominate the sport. If done correctly, the company's foray into China could prove incredibly successful. Not only will it create more revenue and interest for their brand, it could also propel martial arts back into the Chinese mainstream with the UFC at the helm.
