Wu Sifu and Chan Sifu: Old Master’s “Sticky Hands (Chi Sau) Demo
I am currently extremely busy with organising and editing the videos my archive; before I will finally publish them and accompany them with some interesting stories, i am going to comment the few well known videos i have already uploaded. I started to share rare Wing Chun videos at YouTube in 2006 – at that time almost the only videos of Mainland China Wing Chun available on the internet.
In 2003 we have received an invitation to the “International Ving Tsun Annual Dinner” – a great event hosted by Sifu Cliff Au Yeung in Hong Kong. It is that kind of event you definitely do not want to miss. First - Sifu Cliff is incredibly friendly type of person, second – the list of other invited guests was a promising an exceptional evening. Read More…
The Secrets of Hung Ga One Finger Bridge Hand
Everytime i teach the “One Finger Bridge Hand” (Daan Ji Kiu Sau) formation to a beginner, eg. in a special Hung Kyun exercise called “Three Extensions” (Saam Jin Sau), the student always asks: “Sifu, why to hold the fingers like this? What is it for?”
Well, I have the short answer (something like “shut up and train, i will tell you later”) and a long answer, encompassing the name of the first Emperor of Ming Dynasty and the death of the last Emperor, “One Finger Zen” koan, Siulam temple, anti-Ching rebels of Hung Mun society and their secret signs, ultimate art of “One Finger Zen” etc. Read More…
The Five Tigers of Jow Ga Kuen
Master Jow Lung’s (周龙) original name was Jow Ming Lam (周名林) and was born in 1891 on March the 11th in Kwantung Province (广东省)， Gong Mun City (Jiangmen City) (江门市L Sunwui Tonghaa, Saa Fu Village (新会棠下沙富村) to a family who had been farmers for generations.
Jow Lung was brought up by his father Jow Fong Zin(周方展) and mother (maiden family name Li or 黎). As a youth Jow Lung developed an avid interest in martial arts and studied Hung Ga Kuen (洪家拳) from his uncle Jow Hung (周雄) as well as other forms of martial arts such as Choy Ga Kuen from the renowned Master Jau Gong 邹耕 (also known as Choy Kua) from the same village. Read More…
Chan Yu Min (Siulam) Wing Chun Kyun
I am now working on the video of our adventure trip to China in 2007 from one of our visits to the tombs of the family and the birthplace of Grandmaster Chan Wa Seun (Yip Man’s teacher) near Seundak (Shunde). On the same time there was the Chinese television team with the famous professor Kang Ge Wu sifu, who is a Chinese scholar of Chinese martial arts history, and whose team was coincidentally a few days before making a television report for Chinese television in our Prague school. Read More…
Chinese Kung Fu Ground Fighting Footlocks
Takedowns, locks, chokes and other submissions seem to be with the rise of MMA indespensable part of the arsenal of the modern all-round fighter.
There is a saying in Chinese martial arts: Tek, Da, Seut, Na - Kicking, Striking, Wrestling and Locking. Chinese-Mongolian wrestling has very profound throws and takedowns, many other Kung Fu styles have a very extensive arsenal of stand up locking techniques and submisisons, so called Kam Na Faat (in Mandarin Qin Na Fa), eg. Eagle Claw (Ying Jaau Paai).
How about grappling and ground fighting in Kung Fu? Very frequent topic in TCMA circles. As we will see in the following articles that will be published in the future on the NaamKyun.com server, some Chinese martial arts indeed do have ground fighting and grappling techniques. Read More…
Paau Fa Lin Wing Chun – Gwok So sifu
Note: Following article is the first one of oncomming series of articles written by my good friend Ivan Rzounek sifu (Wing Chun Kuen Research), dedicated to survey of various Wing Chun schools, families and branches.
In 2000 i have been living with Martina for 3 months in Wong Nim Yi sifu’s home in Canton, studying his family system of Mai Gei Wong Wing Chun. One day Wong sifu took us to Foshan Ching Woo to attend a local Kung-Fu celebration with the performance of many famous masters of various Kung-Fu styles. You will see the whole footage of the event later – including Martina’s unplanned performance.
For now let me present Gwok So sifu, student of Lao Dat Sang (Paau Fa Lin Wing Chun 刨花蓮詠春), and brother of Gwok Gaai sifu. With a master Gwok Gaai later we were very good friends. “Paau Fa Lin Wing Chun” is rare Wing Chun style, even in the “Wing Chun city” Fatsaan. At public demonstrations this style can be seen only rarely. Read More…
Meditation, Sutras and Martial Arts Training
Chinese Sim Buddhism – in Mandarin Chan, in Japanese Zen – played an important role in the origin and development of many Southern Chinese martial arts, especially those, who claim to originate from the legendary Southern Siulam (Shaolin). Chinese martial arts were practiced in many of the temples in Southern China, eg. Hoi Tung Ji, Daai Fat Ji, Sai Sim Ji etc. No wonder that an old Chinese maxim says: Zen and Martial Arts are One (Sim Kyun Hap Yat).
Does practicing Chinese martial arts and “practicing” Zen has something in common? Do they share similar obstacles, problems and questions? Please read following two pieces of wisdom form the Chinese buddhism heritage and judge for yourself. Read More…
Rare Kung-Fu Weapons: The Tobacco Water Pipe
Chinese weapon arsenal is vast – all kinds of long and short weapons, soft weapons, projectile and throwing weapons etc. Some Chinese Kung-Fu styles also use tools of every day use as weapons.
Our school of Hung Ga Kyun eg. trains with a Chinese bench, very common in the restaurants and tea-rooms in old China, other lineages use an umbrella as a weapon, eg. the Grandmaster Ho Laptin’s school, who dedicated a book to this set as well. Hung Fut (Hung Fat) has a set with a rice bowl and a pair of chop sticks, Chinese abacus and even with a pair of wooden sandals!
Below is an article from an old Chinese Kung Fu magazine, featuring Chan Tat Fut sifu of Choy Lay Fut Kung-Fu, presenting some fighting applications with the Chinese tobacco water pipe. Chan sifu is well known to many of us visiting Hong Kong regularly – almost everybody has visited his Kung-Fu weapons shop in Sham Shui Po. Read More…
The Story of Hung Ga Grandmaster Lau Jaam, Part 2
Lam told Lau to come the next evening. Lau was very happy and left after salutations. Next evening, Lau Jaam got packed his suitcase, along with sterling coin 15 cents. Taking 5 cents to purchase joss sticks, candle sticks and Yun Bao (paper ignot), and the remaining 10 cents folded in a red envelope as the Baai Si gift. Everythings prepared, rushed to Sai Wing gym. Entered into the hall, ignited the joss sticks and candles beneath the White Crane Ancestor’s shrine (白鶴先師神位), bowed and offered worship. Secondly brought Lam Sai Wing a seat, bowed and submitted the Red Envelope. He called Lam “Sifu!“several times. Lam Saiwing accepted all.
“This is not Wing Chun!”
“Original”, “traditional”, “orthodox”… Those are the words how (traditional) Chinese martial arts are often described. What does it mean? Same as hundreds years ago? Dated?
The word “traditional” comes for a latin word tradere, “to hand over”, “hand down”, from the Master to the apprentice, from one generation to the other – not only the techniques and sets, but concepts, principles and training methodology, often unique to a specific system or family.
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