NaamKyun.com Discussion Forum

Hi everyone,

I have been doing kung fu for a while now at this place in downtown Montreal Canada called Sil lum hung gar kung fu and I am question mark about some of the teachings.

I feel very good when learning what they teach me and I feel like my strenght flexibility and agility went up but it seems like the teachers are lacking background(history?) and I don't want to learn something that somebody made up. When students show me a form, it sometimes vary from one to another in the harder part ( either they didn't learn it right, or they have been shown differently)

I would like you guys to give me your opinions about this video (you can see part of what they are teaching)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3rPZ6snuOI

As you can see they also have weapons and sparring classes. The sifus are two brother that came from China and apparently been learning kung fu since they were kids. (Makes me believe they are legit.) The whole style is based on the five animals, tiger crane dragon leopard and snake.

I really love the classes and I plan on sticking there for a long time, prices are ok and it helps me in my life to do kung fu. Let me know your opinion. I think it's ok for any intelligent people to question themselves. I hope I found my style.

Thank you in advance.
Happy training.

Well, I have never been to this school, and there really isn't much that can be said from just watching a short video, but if you enjoy studying there, that's the important part.
I recognize several of the base forms, and some of the other forms look very interesting. Whether the forms were 'made up' by your current teachers, or some bloke across the world 500 years ago is irrelevant. According to various histories, Wong Fei Hung 'made up' the Tiger and Crane - Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen, but that doesn't make it any less 'genuine'. If the fundamental principles are expressed in good, functional moves, then it is a good form. You can call it 'Mighty Dragon Flies over the Mountains and Valleys of Happy Spirit' or 'Uncle Bob walked down the street a warm Saturday afternoon with boots on' it's all the same.

I have to note though, that the high tempo group forms training might cause some people to perform sloppy just to keep up with the others. I don't know if it's a regular thing, or just something for the video, but I would be stressed out of my head if I was part of it.

Ultimately it all comes down to a few things. Do you enjoy it? Are the teachers able to support and guide you so you understand what is going on and learn? Are the girls who train there single?

Hung Gar Kyun, aka the Siu Lam Hung Gar Kyun, is one variant of traditional Siu Lam system. They are one, they are the same. While historically 'North' and 'South' may have been of separate differentiation, today 'North' and 'South' may quite often be found together, along with 'East' and 'West'...

The nature of martial art is to 'evolve', which may be practically understood as to 'incorporate', to 'discontinue' and thus (one might hope), to 'adapt'...

Modern adaptations include:

Martial Arts for Fitness and Cross-Training Resource

Performance Martial Arts

Sportfighting

Martial Art for Security Personnel, Law Enforcement and Military Usage

Civilian Self-Defense

Etc.

Notice how as these are not necessarily limited to 'traditional' goals, they are likewise not strictly comprised of 'traditional' methods?

Therefore, what is 'traditional', what is 'pure'??

At this point, I'm trying to exercise broad-mindedness insofar as acknowledging those with 'differences' as being somehow 'adaptive'...

Still, I can't quite bring myself to agree that 'if Wong Fei Hung established a style then anybody can'. First and foremost, Wong Fei Hung was a man of system. IMHO this point can not be emphasized enough, and so should not be mistakenly 'glossed over'...

In sum, if 'just anyone' can 'establish something', and an idealistic, naive, and therefore unsuspecting public might not be able to see the difference, the burden of responsibility now falls upon the (so-called) 'legitimate' factions to be 'better', does it not?

Some goal-setting might be in order here, ok!



Best,

Michael