Hung Ga Monkey

[researcher]

Ive seen that for a long time people have been trying to add Monkey into Hung Ga. Chiu Wai created one Monkey Fist form for his Hung Ga, and I know the Lau Family has always been fond of the style and created a monkey form themselves.

My question though is recently its been said by some members of the Lam Family that Lam Jo actually taught 1 monkey form and passed it down. We know that Lam Jo was friends with Gan Dak Hoi of TSPK and did indeed sample his style learning 4 Pek Gwa forms... but did he actually learn and pass down 1 of the 5 monkeys to Lam Jo?

[PM]

Gang Dakhoi was a sworn brother of my sigung, Lam Jou. Lam family Hung Kyun has couple of weapons from daai sing pek gwa, ie. the sabre and the sword. my sigung has taught hau kyun, "monkey set", but he has stopped teaching it long time ago. below is a photo of my sigung performing hau kyun




i have never seen it, so i cannot say if it was one of the 5 sets

[researcher]

I saw that photo of Lam Jo doing the monkey pose on a recent visit to the Lam Jo school. Thats the story as far as I know it too, just I saw lately that a couple descendants are claiming to teach that monkey form where as others of the lineage have long dropped it from the curriculum.

I think monkey can compliment any style but never thought it suitable as a Hung Ga component. However the Hau Hok Seung Ying (monkey crane combined fist) of Taiwan seems to have a more Hung Ga flavor than other new creations that Ive seen:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2MtF7gqL0k[/youtube]

[Yogicmotion]

My Sifu actually teaches, not the monkey he learned from Gan Dak Hoi but the axe hand sets.

Here they are

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

[Yogicmotion]

btw, the person playing the sets is my Sihing Tony.

[PM]

just a note: Y.C. Wong sifu has learned pek gwa from Gang Dakhoi, not Lam Jou sigung. after he has finsihed the complete curriculum, Lam Jou sigung has sent him to his sworn brother Gang sifu to further expand his gungfu knowledge and skill. and it was a good decision - Wong sifu is fast and relaxed as hell, even today, almost is his eightees.

[researcher]

I didnt know that. Gan Dak Hoi had so many students in Hong Kong that were unrecorded. Just like this case he always taught his father's Pek Gwa style and very seldom taught his Daai Sing Keun (Monkey Fist), shame it didnt get well spread.

I saw that video of the Pek Gwa forms before. Its almost how I learned them but executed in a more southern manner. Good strong performance though!

[researcher]

[Daifong]

[Chunyat]

[Daifong]

To my understanding, Kan Dak Hoi's Monkey Boxing is Dei Tong Moon/ Earth Court System in "Monkey format", meaning that the system explores the implimentation of combat floorfighting from a variety of situations, comprised within the five Tai Sing Mun/ "Great Sage System" forms...

Just rolling around on the floor is not so practical, as it is predictable, in that its range, while unique, is limited. The other fighter can quickly come up with a set of tactics against it ("all lower gates", eg)...

Therefore, the Monkey strategy is up, then down, then up, then...

Something "unorthodox", ok, like every weird rolling attack, cartwheel kick, scissor drop, sacrifice throw that you never expected. Also, that "Monkey Climbs to Treetop" move, running up the guy's leg, then knee him in the jaw!

Monkey System hand technique, aside from floorfighting, GM Chan Sau Chung shows a good bit of longhands and joint locking when he demonstrates his Monkey Applications, demonstrating the Monkey system's further integration with the Pek Gwa Mun/ "Axe Hand System" as currently established in modern times:

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

Lau Ga Leung apparently spent a good amount of time around that particular school, as he used Chan Sau Chung's students in a number of his movies. Therefore, beyond a form or two, or a couple of "applications", when it comes to actual system representation, for a mental picture of representative practical training, I'd say that between those two schools is probably close...



Best,

Michael

[Asmo]

Slightly off topic but still related, anyone knows how the monkey stick (hau ji gwan) came part of the curriculum of many Hung Kuen lineages?

[researcher]

[Daifong]

Ok, ok, researcher (?), I'm not interested in arguing with you or doubting your experience (?), I'm just going to point out that, according to GM Chan Sau Chung, Dei Tong is prerequisite to Monkey. Then, when you see somebody (reputable) actually perform a Monkey set, it's mostly Dei Tong, as in:

Chau keung

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pci5tWBL4i8&NR=1

Chan Sau Chung

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJlBelMG ... re=related

Aw Kheng Loong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc3PuXBH ... re=related


Ok, so perhaps you can tell us a little something then...

What other system(s) did Kau Sei train, prior to establishing his very own self-invented monkey Boxing, other than Dei Tong?



Best,

Michael

[Yogicmotion]

Anyone know when the Pek war is generally taught in the Gan Dak Hoi lineage?

Are the considered beginner sets or intermediate?