NaamKyun.com Discussion Forum

As explained to me by a mandarin speaker:

金 alone can be used to mean gold, but it is also used as a radical, kind of a prefix, in all of the metal names.

For example, 钢 means steel, 银 means silver -- the left part of the characters is the simplified form of 金

The generic term for metal, is 金属, where the character on the right means "type" or "belong".

So, 金 means metal.. but when used alone means gold.

markt: right, but it is an old Chinese, where singer character has single meaning - in this case "metal" or "gold". everybody else using 5 elements concept (astrology, feng shui, TCM... TMA like xingyi) translates "metal". sap ji fan gam and other gam hang techniques are like axes or machettes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Xing

some tim ago, i have posted a part of one of Wang Xiangzhai's writtigns - very interestign analysis of 5 elements, surprasingly close to our:

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I remember well the words of my late teacher about the five elements:

Metal means strength contained in the muscles and the bones, the mind being firm like iron and stone, being able to cut gold and steel.

Wood has the meaning of the bending but rooted posture of a tree.

Water means force like the waves of the vast sea, lively like the dragon and the snake, able to pervade everywhere when used.

Fire means strength being like gunpowder, fists being like fired bullets, having the strength to burn the opponents body by the first touch.

Earth means that one's use of strength is honest and sincere, wide and solid; one posses great bravenes, having force that unites the heaven an earth.

This is the syncretism of the five elements. it has nothing to do with one technique overcoming another technique as the modern people claim.

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Recently, I think people are influenced by ideas from other styles like Xingyi, but I believe that Hung Kuen has a completely different take on the elements.

If we talk about Xingyi, then the name of this style translates to something like "Form/Intention Boxing".. the element is related to your mind's intention.
Intention is more important than the shape. Xingyi's metal is about splitting, hardness... characteristics of metal, not necessarily gold.

In Hung Kuen, the element is related to the physical shape. Have you ever noticed the similarities between the written character shape and the posture shape ? This is true for the characteristic posture of all 5 elements... so for Hung Kuen, the character matters, not just the idea of generic metal. It is important that it is gold because of the specific character shape.

My Sifu told me metal in a form repersents malubility, he is a snake (metal) stylist btw, perhaps gold is more maluable then some metals.