NaamKyun.com Discussion Forum

I'm not sure if we covered it her or on another forum, but..
I am looking for a good term for a snapping backfist, as opposed to a full swinging been choy.
Siu Been, when said improperly is taking a piss.
perhaps, Fai Been Choy=quick backfist?
also what do you call a "boxer's Hook" rather than sow choy or ngau choy?

- well, i still call it bin cheui, small (like in the 6th and 12 section of gjffk), or full swing lama paai like. maybe call it "short bin cheui", dyun bin cheui?

- hook = ngau gok cheui

maybe somebody else will come up with a suggestion

Maybe Gwa choy? Similar to CLF's but more with a snap.
We do it... but I don't know the terminology and would have to ask my Sifu or a senior to get the real translation that explains the motion of the technique.

The hook I'm not sure about.

Why not “snapping backfist” ? In English. Or whatever you own language is? Arts grow or die. Doesn’t make sense to invent something (or place new emphasis on it) and give it a name from the past.

Because "snapping backfist" is English. Although English is taught at many schools around the world (including in my own country) it aint the native language of many. It would be a bit weird to use English for example in a Spanish language country when it comes to a Chinese martial art. Each sport has their own terminology you need to learn, it just happens that ours is in Cantonese.

Why not everyone in their own language? If you do some exchange around the world (which happens sooner or later when you reach a bit more experienced level) it is much more handier that all speak/use the same terminology.

I Don’t believe it. Unless you are a native Cantonese speaker you will only understand Cantonese in translation to your own language. Makes more sense to learn in your own language and when you get good enough at kung fu translate on the fly when talking internationally. Look at medicine – it’s all in Latin which nobody speaks its basically incomprehensible but when you translate it, half of it comes out as simple descriptions like “Sub maxillary tuberscill” comes out a lump under the jaw.

Also you are creating your own term someone else might well independently come up with there own term. You might have little backfist in Cantonese they might have short backfist in Cantonese you might be talking the same language but you wouldn’t be using the same words. It doesn’t help understanding. You still have to explain to them what you mean. It makes sense to learn in your own language.

If you keep using Cantonese for the sake of it 50 years down the line Hungkyun is going to be like many karate clubs using badly prounced Japanese for techniques which they don’t understand.

So why do the medical community and the other scientific communities decided on using Latin then? Because they have good reasons to do so.

Anyway, your call, if you want to stick go English and make up your own named go ahead

Another reason for maintaining the original language is because the Chinese names are "poetic" and "descriptive" for a reason. The person who named the move is giving us an idea of how they used the technique (this is not to say you can't change it up yourself).

For example, Maang Fu Ha Saan (Cantonese phonetically), has been literally translated as Angry Tiger Down Mountain. Some of you on this forum may have a different translation for this same technique and that is my point; we may translate the Chinese characters differently into our own language, but the Chinese characters remain the same. And how we translate it shows how we are interpreting it. That is why the Chinese characters are the constant.

Also, in the old days, the Chinese gave different names to right-handed techniques as opposed to left-handed techniques (Maang Fu Ha Saan is right-handed, Hak Fu Jow is left-handed), so that when speaking with another kung fu person, they just say the technique and the other person would know they are talking about doing the technique with a specific side.

As a Southern stylist (Hung Ga), one of the ways I've interpreted Maang Fu Ha Saan is to strike forward and continue driving the force downward (Ha Saan), using Anger (Maang) as my driving emotion. Corny? Yes, but again, that is the beauty of knowing how to read and translate the Chinese characters into the martial sense for Chinese Kung Fu, (Japanese for Karate, and Korean for Tae Kwon Do, etc.). The caveat is the translater must know about martial arts, otherwise the "poetic description" would be lost on them regardless whether they read Chinese or not.

This is history and I cannot say enough about maintaing that for future generations so that they can argue about it like we are. So I say keep the Constant - Chinese characters!

Yui

is it important to learn the Cantonese or is mandarin just as good. I like the idea of sticking to tradition, but mandarin is the more populous language.

Good question Toet. I had originally addressed that specific question in my previous response but took it out.

In my opinion, if you are practicing a Southern style, then Cantonese is more relevant and important, and vice versa for Northern style and Mandarin. My reasoning is even though the written language is the same, there are some terms/expressions that are not translated the same in the two dialects.

Yui

I am currently taking Chinese at college, but only Mandarin is availible. I told my teacher I wanted to take Cantonese and she asked me why. I responded with "I do a southern form of Chinese Kung Fu". Next thing I realize desks are moved and I am asked to do a demo for class...it was interesting. However, since EVERYONE in China almost knows Mandarin, at least from what I heard, I think it is best to take Mandarin.

Hehe, I am a Mandarin TA at my university. Learning Mandarin is great, and it helps with ALL Chinese languages. I do not think you will regret it.

For me, listening to standard Mandarin is so boring, like listening to a news report, but once you get deeper into it, you'll get exposed to different Chinese dialects and flavors.

Mandarin is fine in my opinion. Cantonese is my first language / dialect, and the written part of Hung Gar is fine in both Cantonese / Mandarin form.