Kung Fu Tai Chi - March-April 2016

2016 Year of the Monkey Horoscopes

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Wooden Dummies of Choy Lay Fut

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Leopard 18 Wooden Dummies of Choy Lay Fut

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s it is the Year of the Monkey, I find myself reflecting on the Monkey King and his impact on Kung Fu. I first read Journey to the West when I was in college. I read it to improve my understanding of Kung Fu as the Monkey King figures so prominently in Kung Fu culture. I had already read two of the other Four Great Chinese Classics, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Outlaws of the Marsh, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Both are great martial epics and are required reading for any literate Kung Fu practitioner (as to the fourth Great Chinese Classic, Dream of the Red Chamber, that’s also wonderful book - it has nothing to do with martial arts, but if you’re a student of Chinese culture, well, then it’s a must read too).

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At first, I didn’t care for Journey to the West. As obvious as the enlightenment metaphor was, there were way too many deus ex machina resolutions to Monkey’s obstacles. It’s the same issue that I have with the proliferation of superhero movies lately. Superheroes can solve their problems with their super powers. That provides no solutions or hints to enlightenment for us commoners, metaphoric or otherwise. However, a few years ago, my perspective on Journey to the West changed completely. I read Journey to the West to my kid as a bedtime story. Journey to the West evolved from storytelling – a lost art that has faded with movies and TV – so the episodic nature of its chapter structure is annoying to read straight through by yourself. But it totally works when read aloud to someone else. It’s similar to poetry, which awakens when spoken aloud. Experience Journey to the West as it was meant to be – as storytelling – and it’s absolutely delightful. It strikes me now that reading versus storytelling is a lot like Kung Fu. You can read about Kung Fu, watch YouTube videos and movies on it, talk about it, but you only glean the full benefits of Kung Fu when you are actually practicing Kung

Fu. And like reading

Journey to the West aloud, it’s something to be shared. At the same time, there is value to reading about it (obviously or we wouldn’t be publishing this magazine) as well Kevin Ho, Gene Ching, Jia Shusen, as discussion and Gigi Oh and Patrick Lugo of course, watching movies and videos. In my research, I must return to Journey to the West and every time, I resist the temptation of getting sucked back into reading all 1878 pages of that masterpiece again. I don’t have to read it aloud anymore. Once I understood how the book works, I’m forever engrossed by it. Kung Fu isn’t like any other martial art in this regard. There are centuries of history and culture connected to it. So if you really want to go deep, you have to commit to a lot of study. Kung Fu is not just about fighting. It’s about storytelling, about the Four Great Chinese Classics and Chinese Zodiac and so much more. It’s about the journey. If you learn to fight, and then stop there, you cannot claim to have a true grasp of Kung Fu. Thank you for reading our magazine. We hope it helps you on your Kung Fu journey. From all of us here at Kung Fu Tai Chi, Happy Year of the Monkey! Gene Ching

Associate Publisher, Kung Fu Tai Chi & KungFuMagazine.com

JAN+FEB 2016 Issue Corrections: In the article Triple Threat by Rick L. Wing, Terrence Trumbo’s name was misspelled on page 45. In the article Longevity in Modern Wushu by Emilio Alpanseque, the wrong character for jiao (㞣) was given for the Jumping Inside Kick on page 61. In the article Flying Sword by Amante P. Marinas I, ‘axis’ and ‘transverse’ were misspelled in the diagram on page 78. On page 80, figure 1A, ‘full spin’ was mislabeled ‘no spin’; figure 2 ‘no spin’ was mislabeled ‘full spin’ in A and ‘half spin’ in B; And in figure 3, ‘half spin’ was mislabeled ‘no spin’. We apologize for the errors.

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Kung Fu Tai Chi March+April 2016 (ISSN 1050-2173 - formerly Kungfu Qigong) is published bimonthly by TC Media International, Inc., 40748 Encyclopedia Cir. Fremont CA 94538. All rights reserved. Contents copyright 2016 TC Media International, Inc. Nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA. Periodicals Postage paid at Fremont CA 94536 Second Class postage pending. FREE-LANCE SUBMISSION: All rights in letters, manuscripts and correspondence will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and subject to editorial revision. Send to the address below. For submission guidelines, see our official website at www. KungFuMagazine.com All Correspondence & DISCLAIMER: We, TC Media International Inc., as publisher, make no endorsements, Article Submissions representations, guarantees or warranties concerning the exercises and/or legalities of the 40748 Encyclopedia Circle products and services advertised herein. We expressly disclaim any and all liability from or relating to the manufacture, distribution, sale, use or misuse, or any other act of any party in regard Fremont, CA 94538 U.S.A. to such products and services. The publication is distributed on an international basis. Some Tel: (510) 656-5100 products may be illegal in some areas. Check your Federal, State and Local Laws. We make no Fax: (510) 656-8844 representations or warranties concerning the legalities or purchase or use of advertised products [email protected] or services herein. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: 40748 Encyclopedia Circle, Fremont CA 94538 U.S.A.

4 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

Wushu Champion Brandon Sugiyama

Cover Story

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8 Diagrams of Modern Wushu By Gene Ching and Gigi Oh

Features 50 COVER STORY

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The 18 Wooden Dummies of Choy Lee Fut

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Wong Lai’s Night Tiger

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Bajiquan, the Leopard Style

84

Featured Weapon

By Emilio Alpanseque

By Donald Hamby with Victor Nordgren

The Guan Dao of Chinese Kung Fu By Rick L. Wing

The Eight Principal Palms of Pak Mei Kung Fu By Peter Pena

By Lucas Christopoulos

The Bump By Arnaldo Ty Núñez

Traditional Events Introduced at 13th World Wushu Championships By Lori Ann White

Qigong – The Practice of Cultivating Life By Daniel Cashman

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Clawmarks By Zhao Xiaohu

2015 Taiwanese and Chinese American Athletic Tournament: Shuaijiao Tournament By Ryan Chen Photos by Jumiana Weng

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Martial Artist Anthony Kelly Captures Another Guinness World Record By Hanna Riviera

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The 13th World Wushu Championships By Eugene Moy

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Publisher’s Corner Web Fu Kung Fu Tai Chi Calendar MartialArtsMart Order Form MartialArtsMart Ordering Information Chollywood Rising: Year of the Monkey and More Kung Fu Tai Chi Distributors Kung Fu Horoscope Kung Fu Wisdom: Huang jin ren mai

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hinese New Year is celebrated all around the world now. This year is the Year of the Monkey so we are reminded of China’s mischievous hero, Sun Wukong (ᆛᛏオ) the Monkey King. His adventures are told in the 16th century novel, Journey to the West, and have inspired countless films, books, videos, plays, operas and, of course, martial arts. Monkey Kung Fu has had a major impact on Chinese martial arts, and many other styles of Kung Fu have a Monkey Staff in their arsenal, which is a nod to Sun Wukong’s magical weapon.

In the November 2000 issue of Kung Fu Tai Chi, our resident Feng Shui columnist Wilson Sun launched his Kung Fu Horoscopes column for the end of each issue. At that time, his column was one of the very first Englishlanguage horoscopes available for the Chinese zodiac. While there are some others available now on the internet, Kung Fu Horoscopes is still one of the most popular. Since the turn of the millennium, the Tiger Claw graphic arts team have brought annual special-edition designs in honor of each animal in the Chinese zodiac. This year, the Tiger Claw designers are bringing you some fresh Year of the Monkey art for 2016. These new designs join some of Tiger Claw’s longstanding Monkey apparel as monkeys are always a favorite with the martial arts community. These are primarily available on T-shirts; however, because Tiger Claw does logos for tens of thousands of schools across the nation, if you find a Monkey design that you like but want it on a hoody or a sweatshirt instead, that can be arranged. Contact your Tiger Claw representative for any custom designs. Beyond the Year of the Monkey, Tiger Claw answered the demand for Pink Sparring Gear last year by introducing a pink option for Tiger Claw’s popular line of protective equipment, Sparmaster. The four main protective pads of Tiger Claw Sparmaster safety gear are now available

Tiger Claw’s Pink Sparring Gear


in Pink: the Chop, the Kick, the Shin Guard, and, of course, the Pro-Spar Head Guard. The Sparmaster line of dipped-foam sparring gear has an extra-dense durable foam core coated with heavy-duty washable vinyl. This resists tearing and cracking so Sparmaster gear won’t crush or shred. Sparmaster gear is also still available in White, Black, Red, Blue, and Silver. The Sparmaster line isn’t the only sparring gear that Tiger Claw has upgraded. If sparring is your game, Tiger Claw has new and improved designs for several other signature Tiger Claw protective equipment. The Tiger’s Claw, one of Tiger Claw’s most popular vinyl sparring gloves, has been enhanced with sturdier construction and better core foam that provides greater shock absorption to protect your knuckles even more. The Tiger Claw Action Chop Gloves with their traditional point sparring design have also been upgraded to maximize protection while still meeting your budget. And Tiger Claw’s Kickboxing Gloves are perfect for light sparring and are a favorite with aerobic Kickboxing classes. Listening to the suggestions and requests of Tiger Claw customers, the Tiger Claw 2000 Headguard has improved the padding in the high impact zones and reworked the lacing for a snugger fit. The Tiger Claw Leather Focus Mitt, one of Tiger Claw’s most popular pieces of gear, has also been improved. This item has always been built tough to take abuse, as every martial arts practitioner should hit something regularly. It is constructed of thick leather for maximum performance and durability. With your trainer’s safety in mind, the Tiger Claw Curved Leather Focus Mitt has extra leather protection for the outside fingers and the fingertips with breathable nylon mesh for the inner fingers and an extra wrist protection pad, just in case those punches are a little wild. The curved angle acts like a catcher’s mitt, allowing your trainer to give solid resistance against your punches so you can really unleash into each strike. By popular demand, Tiger Claw has also developed two new Japanese-style swords, the Elite Competition Long Sword and Short Sword. These Samurai-style swords are simple and elegant. The blade and guard are chromed for easy maintenance and the blade is

unsharpened. The definition of “competition” swords is very different across Chinese and Japanese styles. And within Chinese styles, they are different for Modern and Traditional competitions. The term “competition” implies that the apparatus (in this case, the swords) are constructed to meet specific competition standards. For Modern Wushu, competition swords must come from a weapon maker authorized by the sport’s international governing body, the International Wushu Federation (IWuF). As Modern Wushu aspires to become an Olympic event, all of the apparatus must be regulated just like the apparatus in any other sport. However, the actual specifications of competition Wushu weapons are not nearly as strict as those for other sports. Hockey sticks, baseball bats, even fencing swords, all have to meet exacting specifications and pass inspections with the intention of fairness. While there seems to be some unwritten standards for Modern Wushu competition weapons, acceptability is primarily weighted on which weapon maker secures the production contract with the IWuF. Traditional Chinese competition swords are a reaction to Modern Wushu competition swords and are only enforced by the more stringent competitions in the West, primarily in the United States. Modern Wushu swords are designed with whippy tips so they can make their signature “popping” sound. This heightens the drama of the sport but has no real application in actual sword-fighting. In order to achieve that “pop,” Modern Wushu competition swords are so whippy that they cannot even support their own weight when stood on their tips. Traditional competition swords can. This is the only requirement some Traditional Kung Fu tournaments impose on traditional weapons at this time, and it is surprising how many modern-made swords fail to meet this minimal standard.

Kung Fu, there are only marginal restrictions on weapons in Open Kata, if any. However, like with Modern Wushu, these competitors are looking for weapons that are extremely light for easy maneuverability and chromed for maximum flash and easy maintenance. They have requested swords that are simple, sturdy and unsharpened. These requests inspired the creation of Tiger Claw’s new Elite Competition Long Sword and Short Sword. Tiger Claw has developed similar weapons for other popular Open Kata forms like Nunchaku, Bo and Kama. These products have had very successful sales, meeting the demands of today’s martial market. As competition standards evolve, Tiger Claw will continue to cater to the needs of modern martial competitors with the kinds of swords and other apparatus they require.B For more information on Tiger Claw, visit www.TigerClaw.com.

Elite Competition Swords

Japanese-style competition swords are used in Open Kata events and Sport Karate. It must be noted here that this does not concern traditional Japanese competitions in Japan, only modern competitions. Other than Chinese swords, no other sword in the world is designed to make a “popping” sound, so all Japanese-style swords are sturdy enough to support their own weight. Like with New and Improved Tiger Claw’s Vinyl Gear

2016 Year of the Monkey King T-shirt

APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 11

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50,000 Set Tai Chi World Record in Jiaozuo, China On October 18 2015 in Jiaozuo in Henan Province, 50,000 residents gathered in 15 different locations to simultaneously practice Tai Chi in hopes of setting a new Guinness World Record. China is hoping to establish October 18 as an annual Tai Chi day, akin to the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day held on the last Saturday of April since 1999. The organizers in Jiaozuo claimed this was a global event, with over one million participants worldwide. Guinness confirmation is still unapproved at this writing. On November 5, 2015, Sia released the music video for http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ her new song ‘Alive’ featuring 9-year-old Mahiro Takano, forum/showthread.php?52601a three-time consecutive champion of All Japan Junior Martial-Arts-World-Records-andKaratedo Championships and Shotokan exponent. Donning Stunts&p=1287994#post1287994 Sia’s signature black and white wig, Takano recited a \ in a sparse grey dungeon-like set. ‘Alive’ was originally written for Adele and is now the lead track for Sia’s 7th studio

Sia ‘Alive’ featuring Mahiro Takano

Feng Tien 1928-2015

Hong Kong actor Feng ‘James’ Tien passed away last October. A true veteran of Chinese film, Feng Tien had roles in over 150 films, including many vintage Shaw Brother’s films like One-Armed Swordsman (1967) and Five Fingers of Death (1972). He starred alongside Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury (1972), Jackie Chan in Young Master (1980) and Chow Yun-Fat in A Better Tomorrow (1986). His last film was Eros (2004) starring Gong Li and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, Steven Soderbergh and Michelangelo Antonioni. At the Taiwan’s illustrious 51st Golden Horse Awards in 2014, Feng Tien was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

http://www. kungfumagazine. com/forum/ showthread. php?69016RIP-FengTien-1928-2015


album This is Acting, scheduled for release on January 29, 2016. For the video, Takano demonstrated a traditional Karate Kata. She began practicing Karate at age four and has already been selected as a Karate Ambassador for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Karate hopes to become a new Olympic medal sport.

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ forum/showthread.php?36569-KungFu-Music&p=1288483#post1288483

NOVEMBER and DECEMBER 2015 Exclusive articles published on KungFuMagazine.com: Paul Bowman on MARTIAL ARTS STUDIES Part 2 by Gene Ching

Interview with CLOSE RANGE Director Isaac Florentine by david j. moore

Marco Polo and One Hundred Eyes by Gene Ching

Paul Bowman on MARTIAL ARTS STUDIES Part 1 by Gene Ching

Yin Family Baguazhang as Taught by Wang Shangzhi by Robert Santee, Ph.D., and Xiu Zhang, Ed.D.

Laurie Anderson on Tai Chi and the HEART OF A DOG by Gene Ching

Daniel Wu on INTO THE BADLANDS by Gene Ching

Ben Judkins and Jon Nielson on THE CREATION OF WING CHUN Part 2 by Gene Ching

Edwardian Amazons: The English SUFFRAGETTE by Lori White

San Diego Asian Film Festival 2014: Assassins, Zombies and the Next Ronda Rousey by Craig Reid

The Silk Road Kung Fu Friendship Tour Part 9: Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine and International Diplomacy by Greg Brundage

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Fight Like a Physicist: The Incredible Science Behind Martial Arts, autographed by Jason Thalken, PhD

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2015 Taiwanese and Chinese American

Athletic Tournament: Shuaijiao Tournament

By Ryan Chen Photos by Jumiana Weng the dim gym of San Jose State University, fighters battled it out to finish off the season with a gold medal in their hands. The final Shuaijiao tournament of the year, fighters from across the United States flocked to San Jose to compete in the 2015 Taiwanese and Chinese American Athletic Tournament (TCAAT): Shuaijiao Tournament, hosted by the TCAAT organization. Clubs from Ohio, Texas, Washington, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Cupertino competed in youth and adult divisions, with youth divisions having male and mixed categories. After tournament opened with serene Tai Chi and Wushu performances by the University of East West Medicine and the San Jose State Wushu Team, the tournament immediately launched into exciting Shuaijiao matches.

IN

Finishing first in the children’s weight classes are Daniel John Dimzon (Las Vegas, Youth M 100 lb.), William Yang (Cupertino, Youth M 100+ lb.), Hari Prakash (Cupertino, Youth M/F 65 lb.), Sopia Olender (Cupertino, Youth M/F 85 lb.), Daniel John Dimzon (Las Vegas, Youth M/F 95 lb.), Cody Sawyer (Washington, Youth M/F 115 lb.), and Mikaela Lee (Cupertino, Youth 125 lb.). Champions in the adult weight classes are Ryan Chen (Cupertino, Male 135

By Hanna Riviera Photos provided by Anthony Kelly

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ustralia’s Anthony Kelly now holds 40 Guinness World Records. A practitioner of Hung Kuen, Wushu, White Crane, Wing Chun and an assortment of other martial arts, Kelly is renowned for his ability to catch arrows, underwater spear-gun spears and other high speed missiles. This time it was tennis balls, fired from a cannon-like ball machine at the

lb.), Robert Chen (Cupertino, Male 150 lb.), Jon King (Los Angeles, Male 165 lb.), Chien Ye Liu (165 Senior Division), Daniel Gibson (Cleveland, Male 165 lb.), Brandon Smith (Cleveland, Male 195 lb.), Brandon Smith (Cleveland, Male 195 lb.), Ned Morales (Los Angeles, Male 215 lb.), Bobby Kresge (Cupertino, Male 215+), and Jessica Cliff (Ohio, Female Open). This tournament would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Shuaijiao Kung Fu Director Emeric Chen and the support of the TCAAT chairperson Jason Chiu.B AUTHOR: For more information on Taiwanese and Chinese American Athletic Tournament, visit www.tcaat.org.

blinding speed of nearly 120 mph. Kelly was able to catch three out of eight shots. The previous record was only one. This places Kelly as the highest record holder in Australia and one of the top ten record holders of the decade. More martial artists attempted to break Guinness records in Australia. Glenn Coxon hoped to best the record he set in 2005 for breaking 359 boards in one minute. Unfortunately, he fell short, only breaking 338, however Coxon has been fighting cancer since last year, so his effort is commendable. His daughter, Summerly Coxon, broke the record for most boards broken in one minute for a female. She broke 215, besting the previous record of 161.B For more on Anthony Kelly, read Can Kung Fu Make You a World Record Holder? By Anthony Kelly featured in our SEP+OCT 2010 issue of Kung Fu Tai Chi. Visit his website at www.anthonykelly.net.au.


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Shuai Chiao – The Ancient Chinese Fighting Art by Dr. Daniel Chi-Hsiu Weng

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“㭑ᵾ֋䰘Ⓚ㠚࿻ˈ ቁ᷇ᄑ⍮ᱟⵏՐ” he Choy Lee Fut style was originally started by myself, but the teachings are the direct line of Shaolin descent.” According to the Chan family records, these are the correct altar couplets that should accompany the picture of Chan Heung (䱸ӛ 1806–1875), who founded the traditional Chinese martial arts system known as Choy Lee Fut (㭑ᵾ֋) in 1836. These verses spell out a clear message of the intention of the founder – to acknowledge a connection to the past while setting the standards for the new – and indicate the importance of Shaolin as his source since his three main mentors – his own uncle Chan Yuen-Wu (䱸䘌ᣔ), his uncle’s senior classmate Lee Yau-San (ᵾ৻ኡ), and his third master Choy Fook (㭑⾿), a wandering Buddhist monk also known as the “Rotten Head Monk” (⛲ཤ઼ቊ) – were all prominent Shaolin descendants in their own right.

“T

The 18 Wooden Dummies – Classification and Names Primary Level: 1–3, Secondary Level: 4–10 Tertiary Level: 11–17, Post-Tertiary Level: 18 1 Ching Jong (〔ẙ) Balance Dummy 2 Sa Bo Jong (⋉वẙ) Sandbags Dummy 3 Sui Sau Jong (⺾᡻ẙ) Smashing Hands Dummy 4 Chern Lung Jong (ク嗉ẙ) Piercing Dragon Dummy 5 Ma Jong (傜ẙ) Horse Dummy 6 Sam Sing Jong (йᱏẙ) Three Stars Dummy 7 Siu Bat Gwa Jong (ሿ‫ޛ‬খẙ) Small Bagua Dummy 8 Dai Bat Gwa Jong (བྷ‫ޛ‬খẙ) Big Bagua Dummy 9 Toong Yan Dar Dim Yuek Jong (䬌Ӫᢃ⛩イẙ) Copper Man Pressure Points Hitting Dummy 10 Moi Fah Gwan Jong (ẵ㣡ỽẙ) Plum Flower Staff Dummy 11 Dai Moi Fah Jong (བྷẵ㣡ẙ) Big Plum Flower Dummy 12 Siu Jook Lum Jong (ሿㄩ᷇ẙ) Small Bamboo Forest Dummy 13 Dai Jook Lum Jong (བྷㄩ᷇ẙ) Big Bamboo Forest Dummy 14 Moi Fah Do Jong (ẵ㣡࠰ẙ) Plum Flower Saber Dummy 15 Siu Muk Yan Sin Jong (ሿᵘӪᡷẙ) Small Wooden Man Fan Dummy 16 Dai Muk Yan Sin Jong (བྷᵘӪᡷẙ) Big Wooden Man Fan Dummy 17 Siu Hoi Mourn Jong (ሿᔰ䰘ẙ) Small Door Opening Dummy 18 Dai Hoi Mourn Jong (བྷᔰ䰘ẙ) Big Door Opening Dummy

Traditions Spread to the Four Seas All martial arts and combat sports have a need for training devices that allow punching/kicking/seizing something other than air or a live partner. Very few styles have preserved such devices to the extent that Choy Lee Fut has with their wooden dummies. Since its founding, the style has been taught openly (whenever possible, as it was driven underground on several occasions by the political climate in China), and it spread over the Pearl River Delta, Southeast Asia, and other continents as Chinese communities were established abroad. A case in point is Grandmaster Chen Yongfa (䱸≨ਁ),* the greatgreat-grandson of the founder and current custodian of the 5th generation of the family’s style, who has been based in Sydney, Australia, since 1983. Originating at Shaolin, these training devices – referred to in English as “wooden dummies” – evolved over long years of conflict and rebellion. The Cantonese name for these training devices is jong (ẙ), usually translated as post, pillar, or any tall vertical structure implying a building support. Notice that in its traditional form the character jong (‱) is made by the combination of the radical muk (ᵘ), indicating trees or wooden objects, and the semantic component zung (㠲), which is a pestle (a tool used for pounding and grinding in a mortar). So the word jong could be interpreted as a big wooden object in the shape of a pestle. Grandmaster Chen Yongfa teaching sequences of the Dai Hoi Mourn Jong (བྷᔰ䰘ẙ).

Illustration for the Chern Lung Jong (ク嗉ẙ).

Illustration for the Sam Sing Jong (йᱏẙ).

The Choy Lee Fut founder and his direct descendants adopted and preserved 18 of these wooden dummies.

Patrilineal Kinship to the Founder Grandmaster Chen Yongfa was born into difficult times in China in 1951. He learned Choy Lee Fut from his grandfather Chan Yiu-Chi (䱸㘰ະ 1888–1965) and his father Chan Wan-Hon (䱸Ӂ≹ 1919–1979), who were the third and fourth generation custodians of the style respectively. Grandmaster Chen remembers his grandfather’s accounts of how the Choy Lee Fut style was developed, including how the system of wooden dummies was handed down from Choy Fook to Chan Heung and then passed down to his son Chan Koon-Pak (䱸ᇈ՟ 1847–1920), second generation custodian of the style, who in turn was Chan Yiu-Chi’s own father. Though the house where the Chan family lived in Kwangchow was extremely small, Chan Yiu-Chi installed several of the dummies inside, which had to be assembled, disassembled and concealed every day during times of martial arts practice prohibition. *Grandmaster Chen Yongfa uses the pinyin romanization for Mandarin for his surname. His ancestors traditionally use ‘Chan’ from Cantonese.


1. Ching Jong (〔ẙ)

In the following pictures, Marcel Toutin will demonstrate a typical segrandmasterent of a wooden dummy routine, while his brother Raul Toutin will demonstrate the practical application of each movement.

2. Sui Sau Jong (⺾᡻ẙ)

The dummies are excellent tools for learning to make necessary adjustments so that students can increase the acceleration of their movements and maximize their striking power.


Grandmaster Chen also possesses the historical manuscripts and scrolls of the style that include clear descriptions of all the wooden dummies along with their usage and applications. It’s worth mentioning that such documents are not just one unique set of documents. On the contrary, the original manuscripts have been copied, modified and enhanced by each one of the five generations of masters many times. For instance, Grandmaster Chen is aware that the manuscripts given to him by his grandfather have been hand-copied more than 230 times and distributed among different groups and martial family members. This may explain why different branches of the style, such as the Hung Sing (⍚൓ǃ呯㜌ǃ䳴㜌) and Bak Sing (े㜌), as well as other sub-branches, claim to have the original set of documents – which, in essence, doesn’t exist. There are many copies.

The intricate design of the ching jong, with its counterweighted and movable arm and several padded targets, allows for the application of most linear and circular techniques of the style. This includes the Eye Catching Punch (cheung ngarn chui ᣒ⵬ᦦ), the Straight Body Blast (loi yum chui ᫲䱤ᦦ), the Knuckle Piercing Strike (charp chui ᨂᦦ), the Horizontal Palm Strike (charn jeung ᫁ᦼ), and the wide swinging angular techniques such as the Inward Sweeping Strike (sau chui ᥾ᦦ), the Downward Back Fist Strike (gwa chui ᤲᦦ), and

Variety and Uniqueness Chan family Choy Lee Fut is a system of structured learning proven over many decades and made available by Grandmaster Chen. Its three-level approach to training also applies to the wooden dummies, with the Balance dummy or ching jong (〔ẙ) usually taught first. Designed to develop ambidextrous physical strength, stamina, muscle coordination, speed, and posture, the ching jong allows for strikes to any part of the sam mun (Three Gates й䰘): the “upper gate” from the top of the head to the center of the chest, the “middle gate” from the center of the chest to the hips, and the “lower gate” from the groin all the way down to the feet.


3. Moi Fah Gwan Jong (ẵ㣡ỽẙ)

elbows, kicks and more – conveying the many amazing benefits of this supplementary training method.

Conditioning and Power Execution

The dummies are excellent tools for learning to make necessary adjustments so that students can increase the acceleration of their movements and maximize their striking power.

Mobility, Dynamism and Accuracy

One of the purposes of wooden dummy practice in Choy Lee Fut is to directly harden all our striking areas – such as fists, palms, elbows, knees – into effective weapons. The dummies provide an opportunity to practice the Note that without the necessary conditioning our characteristic footwork of the style to generate power striking techniques will not be as effective. Akin to behind each blow. Typically, Choy Lee Fut practitioners attempting to cut down a tree with a worn-down axe, stand in a classic Square Horse Stance (sei ping ma ഋᒣ punches and kicks will not deliver the expected impact 傜) with the torso turned sideways to be less vulnerable when hitting a real opponent. In fact, many injuries to attacks to their centerline, using the rear hand to guard can happen without the appropriate level of habituation the chin (upper gate), the front hand to cover the torso and toughening of bones, skin, and connective tissues of (middle gate) and the front leg to protect the groin (lower striking areas. Conditioning the Bridge Hand (kiu sau gate). Then, as they shift their body weight in the four ẕ᡻) is of utmost importance. This directions (ഋੁ) to walk their way is achieved through correct striking of around the dummy’s legs and arms, Brothers in arms, both with many decades of experience in the traditional the dummies, and by increasing the they can apply all principles present martial arts and combat sports. intensity and the amount of repetitions in the style such as opening and over time. closing (ᔰਸ), hard and soft (ࡊḄ), “swallowing” and “spitting” (੎ੀ), ups and downs (⎞⊹), and others. Most types of strike get their speed and power from the rotation of the waist and shoulders, assisted by proper Not all dummies are fixed to the footwork. After striking the wooden ground or static like the ching jong. dummies for a period of time, students Some, like the Sandbags dummy (sa methodically learn to apply the right bo jong ⋉वẙ), consist of a series of amount of force by correctly aligning swinging bags and pulleys; others, like their shoulders, elbows, wrists, the Smashing Hands dummy (sui sau jong ⺾᡻ẙ) are equipped with several etc., as required for each specific technique. If the joints are held too heavy sandbags, movable targets, a leg, and other moving parts such as loose or too tight, the resulting force vertical and horizontal swinging arms will be inadequate. If the alignment that work as propellers, forcing the is not correct, or the striking area not students to calculate precisely their properly aimed, the strike will not only striking to avoid being caught by the be ineffective but injury can occur. 26 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

rotating arms. Moreover, some dummies are entirely movable, such as the Horse Dummy (ma jong 傜ẙ), which is mounted on wheels and can be spring-loaded to charge the practitioner. There are many wooden dummy drills that allow students to increase their timing and accuracy.

least three millennia. As Prof. Kang Gewu (ᓧᠸ↖) mentions in his book, Spring and Autumn of

Chinese Martial Arts – 5000 Years, Emperor Wu Yi (Chinese: ↖҉), king of the Shang dynasty from 1147 to 1112 BCE, used a wooden man as a hitting target for daily sparring and a leather bag filled with sheep blood as a target for archery – an account+captured by Han dynasty historian Sima Qian (ਨ傜䗱 c. 145 or 135 – 86 BC) in his masterwork, Records of the Grand Historian (ཚਢ‫ޜ‬ᴨ).

Lastly, there are dummies for weapon training, like the Plum Flower Staff Dummy (moi fah kwan jong ẵ 㣡ỽẙ), designed to allow students to practice their basic weapon techniques and increase their proficiency. Hitting different solid and movable targets, as opposed However, there is something special about the 18 to just aiming at the air, is a fantastic way to learn wooden dummies of Choy Lee Fut. They allow us to to absorb the impact and develop a better grip on any travel back in time to the early 1800s in southern China weapon. But when precision is of highest importance, and see a vivid representation of that specific era in the Chan family offers the Copper Man Pressure Points Chinese martial arts history. What Grandmaster Chen Hitting dummy (toong yan dar dim yuet jong 䬌Ӫᢃ Yongfa has been able to achieve with the support of the ⛩イẙ), which features engravings members of the Wing Sing Tong (≨㜌 depicting the main meridians and vital า) office – a group of inner chamber Raul and Marcel Toutin, direct disciples of points of the human body. Hollow disciples and international master Grandmaster Chen Yongfa, directors of the inside, the dummy is built in a way instructors he started in 1996 – is to lay Choy Lee Fut Wing Sing Tong office for Latin America based in Santiago, Chile. that, when a pressure point is hit, it the groundwork for the preservation makes a distinctive sound, allowing of the Choy Lee Fut system. The students to test their accuracy with goal is to carry across those cultural certain weapons like the Iron Fan (tit traditions the knowledge and skills that evolved in response to that unique sin 䫱ᡷ) or with hand strikes. environment and possess a sense of identity and continuity of their own that would otherwise be lost or inaccessible. For all traditional martial artists around the world, the quest to preserve their cultural heritage should be a never-ending mission, and in that regard Grandmaster Chen leads by Training devices of many shapes and example!B materials have been used universally by armies and fighting sport derivatives since the beginning of Emilio Alpanseque teaches in El Cerrito, time. In China alone, we find written historical references dating back at CA, and can be reached through his website EastBayWushu.com

Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage


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WONG LAI’S By Donald Hamby with Victor Nordgren

THE

Night Tiger set is a rare Hung Gar set introduced to the martial arts world by Wong Lai (⦻࡙). The set opens with three salutes called Tiger and Dragon appearing together in three directions. The left hand is represented by a tiger’s claw and the first two knuckles of the right fist represents the dragon. When used in a fight the left hand will defend your middle gate (mid-section) from a punch by slicing and cutting downward to redirect the attack and follow up with a right punch to the opponent’s face or chest. The stances appear strong and solid utilizing the goat or sheep rider’s stance at the opening of the set as seen in the Steel Wire (tid sin kuen 䩥㐊ᤣ) set.

Master Wong Lai Origins The Night Tiger set migrated from mainland China to Hong Kong in the late 1920s by a Hung Gar master named Wong Lai. He fled his homeland in mainland China due to a physical altercation that led to a loss of life. According to Master Wong Jong Man (⦻Ԣ᮷), “It was common in China in the early 1900s to fight or challenge another martial arts master for dominance.” If the challenge resulted in death, the victor would flee to another province and would not be sought after for prosecution. Master Wong explained further, “Life was not as precious in China, then, as it is now.” During that time many martial artists migrated to Hong Kong as a result of political unrest and to eke out a better living for their families. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, Wong Lai sought out the renowned Hung Gar Master Lam Sai Wing (᷇ц㦓) and asked to be his student. Lam Sai Wing – a prodigy of Wong Fai Hung (哳伋卫) – refused due to old age but 30 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

referred him to his nephew Lam Cho (᷇⾆), who later became his successor when he retired from teaching. Lam Cho was well-known throughout Hong Kong for his dit da (䏼 ᢃ) healing and martial arts prowess. He eventually accepted Wong Lai as his student, and they would later become lifelong friends. Wong Lai’s martial arts training started in Guangzhou, China, under a Hung Gar master named Ngan Wuhan (仌ී). Ngan had learned his martial skills from a monk at Gam Sahn Si (Golden Mountain Temple 䠁ኡሪ). Wong Lai was a quick learner and eventually won the favor of his Master Ngan Wuhan. The style Master Ngan Wuhan taught Wong Lai was an old style of Hung Gar called Hung Gar Saam Jin (⍚ᇦйኅ), which refers to a bridging method unique to Hung Gar designed to defend the upper, middle and lower gates of the body and to develop power in the wrist and forearms. Wong Lai was a tall man with strong facial features and a robust and muscular physique. Photos of him hang in the Great Grand Master Lam Cho’s kwoon (school 佘) and clinic. After studying under Master Lam Cho for a number of years, Wong Lai opened his own kwoon in Hong Kong. He taught all that he had learned from Master Lam Cho (i.e., Wu Lung Ba Qua (ӄ 䛾‫ޛ‬খỽ) pole set and other weapon sets) and the rare style of Hung Kuen he had brought with him from mainland China. Called “Triple Stretch Hung Kuen

Master Donald Hamby demonstrates “Pull the bow to shoot the bird.”

(Saam Jin Hung Kuen),” it is a branch of old Hung Kuen (Lou Hung Kuen 㘱⍚ᇦ). His Master Leung Gam Gwong (ằ䪁‫ )ݹ‬was a direct disciple of the late Grand Master Wong Lai.

Wong Lai is seated on the end on the right and to Grandmaster Lam Cho’s left. Photo courtesy of the Wong Lai Research Society facebook group.

Night Tiger Emerges from the Forest is a closely guarded advanced set of Wong Lai’s lineage. Master Leung Gam had to train eight years before Master Wong Lai would teach him the set, and he is one of only a few disciples to learn it. Master Leung Gam Gwong carries on Master Wong Lai's teachings to this day, and people travel from different parts of the world to learn Wong Lai's rare style of Hung Kuen. Night Tiger (Ye fu cheut lam ཌ㱾ࠪ᷇) was later divided into two sets. The footwork of both sets are almost identical, but the hand techniques are different. Ye fu focuses on developing short bridges (dyun kiu ⸝ ẕ) and inch power (chyun ging ረ࣢). Some of the techniques are repeated three APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 31

Upper bridge hand defense

THESE

Breaking elbow

ST Y LES CAN

B E T R ACE D B ACK T O T HE R E D B OAT S

C H I N ES E T RO UPES ... OF

OPE R A

times to protect the upper, middle and lower gates of the body in three directions, which makes this set unique from other Hung Kuen styles. Rare techniques like pig hoof hand (jyu tai sau 䊜䑴᡻), teapot hand (cha wu sau 㥦༪᡻), horizontal palm slap (waang sou jueng ₛᦳᦼ) and the boot sword kick (gim heu geuk ࢽ䶤㞣) are unique to this old style of Hung Kuen. The teapot hand technique is most intriguing and deceptive. In a fight, grab the opponent’s left arm and apply a right elbow break, then immediately press your right arm down using the wrist with fingers extended like a crane’s wing on the opponent’s left forearm while your left hand descends from the sky (as though you were pouring tea from a teapot), using the fingertips to thrust into the opponent’s eyes or the base of the neck. There are various ways of applying the teapot technique, but to be effective, finger strength is important. Some people say this set resembles Wing Chun. This could be the common ancestor and predecessor of modern-day Hung Kuen and White Crane Kung Fu. These styles can be traced back to the red boats of Chinese opera troupes and Chinese secret societies in Fukien province, which was a hub for traditional Chinese martial arts that later developed into hybrid styles in Hong Kong. Left: Teapot block and attack hands.

The attacker (left) begins with a left hand punch which is grabbed by the defender’s own left hand before exicuting a right elbow break.

The defender rotates her arm and presses down upon the attacher’s left arm while attacking the eyes with a decending left hand finger jab. Continued on page 34


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Continued from page 32: Night Tiger

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1) When the attacker throws a right handed straight punch the defender counters with a right chop to the ribes while checking the elbow with a left palm block. 2) She continues with a left palm strike to ribs or kidneys continueing to check the elbow, now with the right hand.

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4) Finally the defender smashes the attacker face and left ear with a right palm strike.

3) The attacker is forced to defend her right side with an elbow block.

Cheut lam or the second half of Night Tiger’s foundation is sometimes referred as Fierce Tiger Emerges from the Forest. It is very similar to the southern tiger system of Hak Fu Paai (唁㱾⍮). Cheut lam employs poison hand techniques and aggressive tiger claw techniques for grabbing, tearing, piercing and thrusting as well as bone breaking (cho gwat 䭉僘), sinew separating (fan gan ࠶ㅻ) and vicious joint breaking techniques and holds (kam na ᬂ᤯) of the Tiger style. In Chinese martial arts, forms play an essential role in learning and practicing Chinese Kung Fu. A form can be seen as an encyclopedia of prearranged movements and fighting techniques aimed at teaching the student how to punch, kick, maim and even kill. The Night Tiger form begins with three salutes, using the right hand as the dragon and the left hand as the tiger, which represents the unification of heaven above, earth below and man in between. The salute was also the hand signature of a Ming loyalist and a rebel against the Qing regime. Thus goes the saying, “Restore the Ming, destroy the Qing (৽␵ᗙ᰾)!” 34 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

The stance and footwork patterns are somewhat different than Wong Fai Hung’s conventional style of Hung Kuen. After the three salutes, the practitioner assumes the famous sheep- or goat-rider’s stance, marked by turning both feet inward 5 to 10 degrees, with the toes gripping the floor, the knees slightly bent and the feet approximately one-and-a-half shoulder-widths apart. Tilt the pelvis upward, tightly squeeze the glutes and thigh muscles to make the sheep- or goatrider’s stance (yi ji kim yeung ma Ҽᆇ㇍㖺俜) solid and strong. The hand techniques are done with applied energy, harmonized with breath control and dynamic tension aimed at working the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the four extremities of the body. After a few short moments of performing the Night Tiger set, one feels a warming sensation throughout the

“i ts true essence is for the defense of the wea k.”

1

2

1) The attacker throws a right handed straight punch. 2) The punch is met with a right handed tiger claw block. 3) The defender’s counter-attack consists of a left-handed lifting palm using his fingers to claw the attacking arm’s elbow joint. 4) The following right hand arrow punch is blocked with a righthand pressing palm block.

3

4

5) Defender uses a left palm block on the attacker’s right hand and ends the exchange with a hard back fist to his opponent’s temple.

Chinese Martial Art Forms The Night Tiger form involves more than just energetic movements done by a skilled practitioner. In it lies the combined cohesive time stamp of history, spirit and cultural preservation. There are no wasted movements in the Night Tiger form. Its techniques lack the flamboyant movements seen in other Hung Kuen styles. Every movement is designed for combat. With the right understanding and training, the Night Tiger form is quite beneficial. Hidden within the form is everything needed to develop power, confidence and an arsenal of fighting techniques designed to maim, injure or kill. Wong Lai is the 3rd person seated to the left of Grandmaster Lam Cho (center). Photo courtesy of the Wong Lai Research Society facebook

body – especially in the four extremities. The forearms and shoulders are targeted for building strength to deliver strong punches and powerful blocks. The legs are developed due to rising and sinking in the low horse stance (mah bo 俜↕), the bow-and-arrow stance (gung bo ᕃ↕), etc. These two stances are the basic foundation of all Chinese martial arts and are used interchangeably during training and combat.

Although the Night Tiger was created for fighting, its true essence is for the defense of the weak and the preservation of life. To ensure the longevity of traditional Shaolin martial arts, flames of its legacy must continue to be fanned so that the next generation can effectively and responsibly carry the torch for the world to see. B Donald Hamby can be reached via email, [email protected], or his website: quandoman.net. APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 35

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32 YEARS


By Rick L. Wing 38 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

is rare that a Kung Fu weapon is named after a historical figure, but the Guan Dao is one such weapon. The literal meaning of Guan Dao (䰌࠰) is “Guan’s knife.” Guan Gong (160? – 220 CE) (䰌‫)ޜ‬, or Lord Guan, is a central figure in the Chinese consciousness and his legacy runs deep. Sculptured figures and temples to Guan Gong are prevalent throughout China. He is, in the Chinese mind, the embodiment of loyalty and righteousness and is a revered figure in the Chinese pantheon. Also called Guan Di (Emperor Guan 䰌ᑍ) and Guan Yu (䰌㗭), he is the patron saint of martial artists all over the world, especially in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and overseas Chinese communities. He (as second brother) is often shown in the company of his sworn brothers, the noble and eldest brother Liu Bei, and younger brother Zhang Fei. Liu Bei (161 – 223)(ࢹ‫)ۉ‬, the thoughtful leader and strategist, is typically depicted with double straight swords, as befits his leadership position and noble background. The weapon of choice of the impetuous Zhang Fei (166 – 221)(ᕥ伋) is said to have been the snake-head spear. Although a seated Guan Gong may be shown reading a book (reflecting his literary nature and sagacious side), Guan Gong when standing is almost always depicted holding the Guan Dao. In Chinese martial tradition his Guan Dao is given the name, “Green Crescent Bladed Knife (䶂喽‫ٳ‬ᴸ࠰).” In certain artistic renditions, if a seated Guan Gong is the central figure, he is typically flanked by two personal retainers. Though Guan Gong was an actual historical figure, many of the myths and legends surrounding him have their roots in the Chinese classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which was written in the 1300s and more than a thousand years after his death. Little factual information exists, and his life has been heavily romanticized with myths and legends. Some martial arts forms, especially in southern China, mimic his supposed actions in battle. Some say that what he used in battle was closer to a set of heavy double broadswords. Others say he used some type of long-bladed pole arm. During his generalship in China, halberds were certainly used in battle, but long spears were also appearing in large-scale organized warfare. The Chinese perception of Guan Gong is based more on artistic license than historical fact, and depictions of him in literature, art and opera have influenced the nature of Guan Dao forms in modern Chinese martial arts. The Guan Dao – at least as we envision it today – was first depicted in an 11th century military manual. The long blade is thick (to enhance its cutting power) and sharp on one side. The unsharpened back side has a small protrusion which may be used to catch or hook an opponent’s weapon. At the base of the blade is a guard used to shield the wielder’s hand. There are many variations to this weapon. For some Guan Daos, the base of the pole has a metal counterweight, while others have a circular ring, or perhaps a sharp spear-like attachment. This end can serve as a mini-battering ram against an opponent or his weapon, especially if weighted. The Guan Dao is essentially a doubleended weapon. The pole part itself, typically thicker than the shaft of a spear, can also be used to deflect an opponent’s strikes. Pole-arms were in use in China during the Warring States period, so there were many weapons similar to the Guan Dao. One was the Horse Cutter, literally “cut horse knife (ᯜ俜࠰),” which had a shorter staff and a longer blade. This blade was used to cut the legs out from under a horse.

If the opponent attempts a sideways slash with a Guan Dao, use the shaft of the Guan Dao as a shield wall, then counter by cutting with the blade or alternately, striking with a kick. APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 39

Block the spear with the back of the blade and strike with the front. The Guan Dao was used at various times by infantry, mounted cavalry and men on chariots. The rider would utilize momentum and the speed of the horse to slash at other horsemen or to cut infantrymen down. As for Guan Gong, since stirrups did not come into widespread use until later (the 3rd or 4th century), it seems doubtful Guan Gong himself would have had the stability to wield a Guan Dao effectively on horseback. The Guan Dao was often wielded by infantry as an anticavalry weapon, cutting at both the horse and rider. With the rise of stylized forms in the Manchu period, martial artists began to train with the Guan Dao to enhance strength, power, and coordination. The Guan Dao also served as a test of martial strength and skill for soldiers attempting to rise in rank during the Qing Dynasty. The heavier the Guan Dao, the higher the military grade one could achieve. Nowadays, the Guan Dao is mainly used to develop strength and coordination. Of the “eighteen classical weapons,” the Guan Dao easily ranks among the heaviest, and many students of traditional Chinese martial arts aspire to master it.

Southern styles such as Hung Ga and Choy Lee Fut greatly develop one’s power and muscular strength, so it is no wonder that Guan Dao sets in these styles emphasize low horse stances and strong slashing moves. Northern styles such as Eagle Claw, Northern Shaolin, and Lohan emphasize spinning the Guan Dao to cover ground and create space. The aphorism, “southern fist, northern leg,” still applies here. Southern Guan Dao sets emphasize cutting, slashing and spinning, while the northern sets intersperse their cutting and slashing with front kicks, sidekicks, and leaping kicks. Northern practitioners typically change their grip on the Guan Dao much more often than their southern counterparts. Some northern sets even have the practitioner doing a butterfly kick with the Guan Dao. This is in keeping with the common movements seen in northern styles. The facets of health and expertise emphasized by a particular kung fu style will continue to be emphasized when practicing with the Guan Dao.

Almost all sets done by northern and southern styles have the requisite cutting and slashing moves, and also the obligatory forward spins, backward spins, spinning over the head, behind the back, and sometimes even tossing it and rotating it above the head. All these twirls and spins are useful in developing arm, shoulder, and back strength. Some southern sets include pantomimes of Guan Gong in battle. The practitioner sits in a low horse while holding the Guan Dao in front of him and mimics the

Hook downward with the notch to drive the opponent’s spear into the ground, then cut upward at the opponent. Continued on page 42 40 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

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Continued from page 40: Guan Dao

If an opponent has a light weapon, such as a double saber, simply crash through the saber double X-block with the Guan Dao.

look of Guan Gong on a horse. Aside from the various cuts and thrusts, a practitioner can mimic Guan Gong wiping the sweat off his brow, holding and pulling the reins of a horse, riding a horse, stroking an imaginary beard (the beard of Guan Gong), and even wiping the blood off the blade. A practitioner can even glare straight ahead, mimicking Guan Gong’s intense concentration prior to combat. One can also mimic the anguish that one might feel during battle. Facial expression is very important in these forms. These sets are as much a performance honoring the legend of Guan Gong as they are demonstrations of Guan Dao techniques. This performance element is seen in styles varying from Hung Ga and Choy Lee Fut to Tibetan White Crane. In our Northern Shaolin Lohan Guan Dao set, called the “Spring Autumn Halberd” (᱕ ⿻࠰) – which is another name for the Guan Dao – one rolls the Guan Dao down the entire length of the body, from the hand to the arm to the upper torso and down the leg. The Guan Dao is caught at the instep, then kicked up to be caught again. This mimics a horseman who loses his grip on his Guan Dao and watches it fall

from his grasp, only to recover it by catching it on his instep and kicking it back up to his hands. This is a very inventive move and is as much opera as it is martial art. In terms of Guan Dao versatility, one can cut wide swaths using the long-bladed end, forcing the opponent to get out of the way or put up a very strong block – not possible unless one has an equally sturdy weapon. One can also use the knife-like notch on the back side of the blade, making small, subtle motions to hook another long weapon such as a staff or spear. Like a saber, the knife part of the Guan Dao can easily turn and cut at different angles with a turn of the wrist and forearm. Many modern-day Guan Dao forms done for performance include spinning the Guan Dao between and under the legs, something typically unnecessary in real combat. The Northern Shaolin curriculum of Gu Ru Zhang (亮⊍ㄐ) includes the form, “Guan Dao versus Spear.” Each weapon has advantages and disadvantages, and each is deadly. The Guan Dao weapon fights as if one had a saber at the end of a pole, whereas a spear fights as if one had a dagger at the end of a pole. The disadvantage

Use the guard defensively to push a spear to the side and then cut forward with the blade.


If the opponent attempts a sideways slash with a Guan Dao, use the rear end to parry and counter with the blade.

of using the Guan Dao is that it is that once it begins its swing, whether upward, downward, or sideways, one cannot easily change its trajectory. The Guan Dao’s strength lies in its weight and cutting power, while the spear is more maneuverable and has the ability to pierce at a distance and attack vulnerable areas more quickly. A light person may have trouble taking full advantage of the Guan Do, as it requires great strength to effectively wield. This is why so many martial artists practice with this weapon to build strength. In actual combat, some might hold the Guan Dao with the blade side held back, in preparation to deliver the most powerful blow of the Guan Dao. Others will stand with the pole-end forward, so that they might deflect with the back end, followed by the cut of the blade. This is analogous to a right-handed person deciding whether to put his right foot and right hand forward so that these can do most of the work, or putting his left foot forward and right hand back, essentially “cocking” the stronger hand for an even more powerful delivery. Similarly, some might put the blade end of the Guan Dao forward for an initial block with the dull side, to be followed by a cut with the sharp side, while others might lead with the butt end of the Guan Dao for blocking or striking,

to be followed with a big slash of the blade. Others will constantly alter their stance, hand position and Guan Do orientation while fighting. As many masters have said, “A weapon is only an extension of the hand.” Although few people fight with the Guan Dao in the modern era, training with it will increase one’s strength, endurance, and coordination. For Kung Fu practitioners who do not lift weights, Guan Dao practice comes closest to that activity. Such practice also trains fierceness and tenacity in any physical confrontation, evoking the spirit of Guan Gong, patron saint of martial arts, who stands proud and stern at the altar of many a Kung Fu studio. B

Rick L. (Bucky) Wing, in addition to authoring the e-book, Showdown in Oakland: The Story of the Wong Jack Man-Bruce Lee Fight, has also written many books on the Northern Shaolin style. His latest, Shaolin #7: Plum Blossom, should be available by the time this issue is on the newsstands and is available through his web page on Amazon.com. Rick L. Wing took over Wong Jack Man’s Jing Mo Athletic Association, and his group continues to perform Kung Fu and lion dance in shows and demonstrations throughout the Bay Area. He is assisted in these photos by Darren Lee and Terrence Trumbo.

Use the back end of the Guan Dao to parry another Guan Dao, then use the back end to strike the opponent in the face or chest. APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 43

By Peter Pena Photos by Anthony Ortega

O

n the streets, the terms backslap, backhand, and pimpslap all refer to using the back of the hand to physically and psychologically demoralize someone. The equally derogatory “bitch-slap” is differentiated from the others by its use of the palm to punish a person for disrespecting someone or something that the individual holds dear. Whatever the case, the open hand, or palm, is used to exact due respect. Martially, the palm is a highly effective hand position that can be found in essentially every Chinese martial art. Jeung faat (palm methods ᦼ⌅) represents the collection of openhand strikes which includes the interior surface of the hand from the wrist to the bottom of the fingers as well as all areas of the hand including the back, 44 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

sides and fingers. The various striking surfaces of the jeung are manifested by different hand formations that produce a variety of offensive possibilities. Within the Hakka-based martial art Pak Mei Kung Fu (ⲭⴹ↖㺃), eight primary palm compositions facilitate the system’s close-quarter combat strategies: gok (angle 䀂), cha (scour ᬖ), taan (to spread out ᭔), yun (soft 䔏), teui (push ᧘), laap (bring together ᬨ), kap (cover/stamp ੨), and paan (climb ᬰ).

The 5 Elements within the 8 Palms The palm’s pugilistic properties are unique in the sense that the palm can be used to strike, set up, or strip away an opponent’s offenses. In a rather methodical manner, these leading

palm structures can be categorized by ng hang (wuxing in Mandarin ӄ㹼), literally the 5 phases, more popularly known as the 5 elements – a Chinese metaphysical model used to express the cycles of productive and destructive behaviors found throughout nature. Each of the five elements – muk (wood ᵘ), fo (fire ⚛), tou (earth ൏), gam (metal 䠁), and seui (water ≤) – correlates to a directional feature and functional trait that each palm method assumes. Wood has a rising quality, always working its way upward. Fire is very linear and vigorous, paving a path toward the horizon. Earth maintains a centralizing attribute, drawing inward or acting as a counterbalance. Metal is unyielding with an outwardly reinforcing expression. Water suppresses, overwhelming in a downward manner.

Gok jeung (䀂ᦼ), angled palm, is typically used to attack an opponent’s jaw.

Cha jeung (ᬖᦼ), or scouring palm, is better known as a fu jaau (㱾⡚), or tiger claw, in most Southern Kung Fu systems. As the base of Sifu Williy Pang’s palm strikes the opponent Vance Vizcarrondo’s chin, his fingers can gouge, scrape or tear at Vizcarrondo’s face.

Gok jeung (䀂ᦼ), or angled palm, bears the qualities of wood, attacking with the lower outer edge of the hand to target areas located on the opponent’s jaw or neck. This is achieved while the opposite hand actively pulls the opponent into the strike. Even though it is typically a striking palm, gok jeung can readily transition to a throat grab in the form of a jaau (claw ⡚). Cha jeung (ᬖᦼ), or scouring palm, is classified under the fire element. It is the aggressive segment of a wholebody technique that uses the heel of the palm as a thrusting strike and the fingers to rake or claw the face. The fingers in the claw position can also attack the eyes or dig into pressure points such as those under the cheek bones. In other systems, this is usually called a fu jaau (tiger claw 㱾⡚).

Taan jeung (᭔ᦼ), literally outspread palms, also belongs to the fire element. Synonymous with ding jeung (top palm 串ᦼ) and pung jeung (offering palm ᦗᦼ), it is an upward-facing offensive palm typically executed as a stalwart pair. Characteristically an upper gate (seung mun к䮰) technique, taan jeung is designed to strike at the clavicles, neck, and jaw, or any combination of the three.

Yun jeung (䔏ᦼ), or soft palm, is anything but soft. Subscribing to the qualities of the earth element, yun jeung is always executed with the back of the palm. As a frontal counter, when the back of the palm smashes into the adversary’s face, the fingers act as a whip to attack the eyes. Should the technique blindside the opponent, the strike must incorporate the knuckles to reinforce the impact against the

The outspread palms of taan jeung (᭔ᦼ) can be used to suppress an attack while countering with an equally forceful attack to the enemy’s neck.

opponent’s face, particularly the temple. As a trapping technique, the inward-facing palm draws toward the center of the practitioner’s body, luring the opponent into a more compromising position.

Teui jeung (᧘ᦼ), pushing palms, is a central technique in the system’s signature form, Gau Bou Teui (9 Step Push ҍ↕᧘). Belonging to the metal element, teui jeung is an aggregate of striking palms that reinforce the shock at the points of contact. The hard-hitting push forcefully uproots or artfully shakes up the opponent to set up greater follow-up techniques. An alternative to striking with the palms is to let the environment be the striking source. Should the situation present itself, a concrete wall or corner of a table is as solid as, and possibly stronger than, the force of a fist or APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 45

knee. In this case, the push is designed to thrust the opponent into an immoveable object to inflict greater pain and injury. In this rendering of yun jeung, Sifu Pang simultaneously parries a punch and instinctively responds with a back-palm strike.

Laap sau (ᬨ᡻), or converging hands, is actually a palm and claw hybrid similar to cha jeung. This technique, based on the metal element, is unique in its clinching action, which can be applied in a variety of ways. Against an attacking arm, or kiu (bridge ⁻), the converging palms can tie up the bridge. When already on the inside, the opponent’s head can be manipulated to control the trunk of the body, then the legs. Kap jeung (੨ᦼ), stamping palm, is a suppressing force fashioned

Seung teui jeung (䴉᧘ᦼ), double pushing palms, as a striking technique is designed to attack an opponent’s chest and penetrate the lungs at close-quarter range.

after the qualities of the water element. The assistive hand dissipates the force of an incoming attack while the attacking palm literally surges into the opponent’s face. Depending on the degree of the application, the palm can act as a robust strike or convert to a claw that can gouge the eyes, rake the face, or scrape the skin. With kap jeung, the practitioner’s weight also strategically supports the technique by sinking the kiu and pressing the jeung to force the opponent into a conceding position.

Paan jeung (ᬰᦼ), literally climbing palm, is a twofold technique that crashes into an opponent with the force of a wave’s crest and seeks to pull the individual into the trough of its alternating phase. Classified as a water element technique, it emulates drowning an adversary with cham ging (⊹ࣱ) – literally the sinking strength derived from whole-body martial dynamics. The technique uses the contrasting aspects of climbing: as an individual digs and presses into the mountainside to go upward, the mountain is being overtaken by the climber. Continued on page 48

There are a variety of yun jeung (䔏ᦼ), or soft palm, methods. This version is used to clear away an unexpected punch toward Pang’s head.


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Continued from page 46: The Eight Principal Palms of Pak Mei Kung Fu

Kap jeung (੨ᦼ), stamping palm, is a suppressing attack. From the outside flank of Vizcarrondo, Sifu Pang can control the course of any further responses from his adversary.

The crossing palms of Sifu Pang’s laap sau (ᬨ᡻) aims to stun his attacker by cupping Vizcarrondo’s ear.

From the inside, Sifu Pang uses his elbow to restrain Vizcarrondo’s bridge while a powerful palm strikes the foe’s face.

Secondary Palms The eight aforementioned palms form a yang (yeung in Cantonese 䲭) set of techniques within the Taoist yin-yang dynamic (yam-yeung 䲠䲭). They are actively aggressive within the empty-hand arsenal of Pak Mei Kung Fu, and are found within the canon routines: 9 Step Push, 18 Stripping Bridges (Sap Baat Mo Kiu ॱ‫ޛ‬᪙⁻), and Fierce Tiger Leaves the Forest (Maang Fu Cheut Lam ⥋㱾ࠪ᷇). However, a second tier of jeung faat plays a greater role in the novice and intermediate phases of one’s learning and training with open-hand methods. These techniques tend to assume more defensive roles and establish the foundation for the more assertive eight palm methods. For example, kam jeung (covering palm ߊᦼ) typically blocks attacks to the centerline by suppressing the opponent’s bridge upon contact. Without this defensive component, the offensive counter cannot be realized. Furthermore, while the biu ji (spearing fingers 䨒ᤷ) emphasizes a finger-jabbing method, if the fingers are angled at 45 degrees, this same tactic becomes a palm-heel strike quite similar to cha jeung. That determination is dependent on the context of the situation, the readiness of the hands, and the skill of the practitioner. These mutable palms should not be viewed as merely a second class of open-hand techniques. In reality, their adaptive applications represent a practitioner’s larger metamorphosis – from wide-eyed pupil to seasoned student. The functional flexibility of these combative palm methods, and the manner in which they are executed, exemplifies one’s experience as a practitioner of Pak Mei Kung Fu.B

Peter Pena cofounded The New York Pak Mei Kung Fu Association along with his martial brother, Sifu Williy Pang, in 2005. He manages the association’s Facebook page, and can be reached at: [email protected]. Vance Vizcarrondo has an extensive background in Asian martial arts and is an extreme fitness competitor. Anthony Ortega is a New York-based freelance photographer whose original work can be followed on Instagram via Thevintagegent. Paan jeung (ᬰᦼ) has two phases; the first is a sudden flipping motion that will disorient the adversary.


The second phase capitalizes on the recovering stage of Vizcarrondo’s shock. While his attacker’s physical defenses and psychological guard is down, Sifu Pang pulls Vizcarrondo downward into a more compromising position. From here, he is open to further follow-up techniques.

By Gene Ching and Gigi Oh 50 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

M

odern Wushu has been a struggling sport from the start. A child of the Cultural Revolution, it was dismissed by many traditional Chinese martial arts exponents as propagandist and ineffective. But it’s the best shot that the Chinese martial arts has for getting an Olympic event. Last June, Wushu was teased with making the semifinal list of eight new contenders for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. But by September, the IOC announced that Wushu failed to make the next cut, rejected alongside Bowling and Squash. Baseball/Softball, Karate, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing moved on to the next round, and the ultimate winner will be decided this summer at Rio De Janiero. Just like at the Beijing 2008 games, Wushu’s Olympic pipe dream was crushed. The International Wushu Federation responded tepidly, saying that they “were disappointed although not completely surprised” and that they were optimistic about trying again in 2024. But with such a lukewarm attitude, does Wushu really have what it takes to be Olympic anymore? Although the Olympics have long been the ultimate goal of Modern Wushu, the measure of Wushu should not be judged by this alone. Today, Wushu is included in many other major sports events. In Asia, it is included in the Asian Games, East Asian Games, South Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games. Internationally Wushu is an event at the World Games, the Mediterranean Games and, of course, the World Combat Games. And in 2017, it is likely to be included at the XXIX Universiade (a.k.a. World University Games), which will be held in Taipei, Taiwan. And Wushu’s own internal events are still going strong. From November 11 to 18, the 13th World Wushu Championship was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, with special guest, Wushu’s golden star, Jet Li.

As a developing sport, Wushu is constantly changing its rules. Most of these changes are part of an attempt to make the sport more inclusive. Chinese martial arts encompass the most diverse traditions of any nation. It is impossible to compress all of those into a few divisions. Last year in Jakarta, four new divisions were added there. These were divided by sex: for men, Xingyiquan (ᖒ᜿ᤣ) and Guandao (䰌࠰); for women, Baguazhang (‫ޛ‬খᦼ) and Twin jian (䴉 ࢽ).

1992 International Wushu Outstanding Persons Championships.

L-R: Taoist Master You Xuande and Master Jia Shusen.

Xingyi and Bagua are traditional internal martial arts akin to Tai Chi. Tai Chi, or Taijiquan (ཚᾥ ᤣ) as it is formally spelled for Modern Wushu, is really the only style that has retained some of its uniqueness on the competition carpet. Beyond the Taijiquan division, the sport of Wushu is divided into northern and southern fist, or changquan (long fist䮧ᤣ) and nanquan (southern fist ই ᤣ), for empty hand routines. The weapons are all nondenominational in that they are not attached to a specific style, with the exception of the southern sword (nandao ই࠰) and Taiji sword (taijijian ཚᾥ ࢽ). Xingyi and Bagua are very specific. Like Taiji, they encompass several different lineages which vary dramatically. The architects of Modern Wushu are attempting to preserve these two traditions more genuinely than what was done with Taiji. The Modern Wushu version of Taiji mashed the dominant styles of Taiji together into a competition form and added extreme flying kicks, some of the most difficult moves in the entire sport, much to the chagrin of traditional Taiji players.

Master Jia Shusen (䍮ṁ἞) is one of the leading Baguazhang masters in the United States. He is a staunch traditionalist with an impeccable Baguazhang pedigree. A highly decorated champion The Guandao is a long halberd and the author of the book, Getting Started in and the Twin jian are double Bagua (Baguazhang Rumen ‫ޛ‬খᦼ‫ޕ‬䰘), Jia was straight swords; both featured on numerous programs, magazine weapons can be converted to articles, instructional posters in China before Wushu easily. Wushu has immigrating the United States in 2008. standardized its arsenal of Jia is enthusiastic about the promise of weapons to be lighter, flashier Modern Wushu Baguazhang. “I agree and noisier in an attempt to with the new competition,” says Jia in One of Master garner more audience appeal, so much Mandarin. “It’s easier to promote. Jia’s personal so that they can hardly be called weapons anymore. But they cannot deviate from their specialties, Emasculated of any lethality, they are closer to the props the Fly Whisk basics. Each system has its own (fuchen ᣲቈ). used in the Olympic sport of rhythmic gymnastics. characteristics.” APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 51

Bagua in Beijing Born in Beijing in 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was founded, Master Jia began his study of Baguazhang under Master Li Wenzhang (ᵾ᮷ㄐ) late in life, when he was thirty. However, prior to Bagua, Jia practiced several other styles of Kung Fu, beginning with Shaolin at age eight, so he was already skilled in the martial arts. In 1993, at the behest of Master Li, Master Jia became a disciple of Grandmaster Sun Zhijun (ᆉᘇੋ; born 1933). Grandmaster Sun is

the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor representing Baguazhang. Sun’s lineage is Cheng family Baguazhang, in direct line with Dong Haichuan’s (㪓⎧ᐍ; 1797 or 1813–1882) disciple, Cheng Tinghua (〻ᔧ㨟; 1848–1900). Grandmaster Dong founded the style, after which his disciples created variations on it. The other major lineage is Yin, named for Grandmaster Dong’s other disciple, Yin Fu (ቩ⾿; 1814–1909). Master Jia studied both Cheng and Yin from his first Bagua master, Master Li. As Master Jia explains, “Cheng and Yin family, Liang (ằ), Fan (㤳), there are more. Yin is more like changquan. It has movements that are very fast and crisp. Cheng Tinghua was originally trained in Shuaijiao (a throwing and grappling system ᪄䐔) and Xingyi. It’s more like a swimming dragon. I started with Yin and then switched to Cheng. I just like Cheng better.” Wikipedia lists over fifteen different styles of Baguazhang, but the four Master Jia named – plus Shi (ਢ) family Bagua – are considered the major five. Chinese love the number five. Yin style is described with five qualities: cold, springy, hard, crisp and fast. It is

also called the “hard palm method (gang zhang fa ࡊᦼ⌅).” Although Master Jia holds Yin style in great regard, his personal preference is Cheng style. This stems partly from his passion for another practice of his, Chen family Taiji (䲣∿ཚᾥ). Jia is also a disciple of Grandmaster Feng Zhijiang (ߟᘇᕪ; 1928–2012), the founder of Hunyuan Taiji (␧‫ݳ‬ཚᶱ), who was himself a pupil of the prominent exponent of the style, Chen Fake (Note: Fake is pronounced “fah-keh” 䲣Ⲭ、; 1887–1957). “There is a lot of similarity between Chen and Bagua. Chen Fake style – Chen Fake went to Beijing so his Chen is a little different. Beijingers call it ‘Chen Fake Taiji.’ Chen brought the 1st and 2nd routines from Chen Village and modified them. The signature moves are all the same but the transitions are different. The power of this Chen style is very similar to Bagua. You must open your joints and extend your tendons. You need to be more flexible. The original principle behind the fajing (emitting power Ⲭࣱ) was similar. Both are good for combat and longevity. Feng Zhijiang created Hunyuan Taiji, which is mostly for health and longevity. “Not all fajing is explosive. A lot of people use a lot of muscle for fajing with Chen style. After training Bagua, the muscles are not square, but long and soft. You need muscle for fajing , but the difference is whether you get your primary energy from your dantien (energy center ѩ⭠) and secondary energy from your muscles, or the other way around. The traditional Chen routine paoquan (cannon fist⛞ᤣ) uses more muscle. Doing changquan is like a stick – it’s straight. Bagua is more spiral, like a twisting rope. Chen Taiji spirals too.” Continued on page 54


Xingyiquan & Baguazhang Xingyiquan and Baguazhang are the two other dominant internal styles of Chinese martial arts akin to Taijiquan. Xingyi is known for its straight-forward fighting tactics and is one of the most popular internal methods used for combat by bodyguards. Bagua is the evasive circular style, an elegant approach to self-defense. MartialArtsMart.com offers a selection of Xingyi and Bagua instructional videos including the all-inclusive tutorials by Grandmaster Shou-Yu Liang and his daughter, Master Helen Liang, as well as some unique Xingyi videos from the Legendary Grandmasters of China: Grandmaster Lin Xuan, Grandmaster Ma Zhendai, and the centenarian Grandmaster Lu Zijian. Take the next step in your journey with these revealing tutorials, all exclusively from TC Media International.

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Continued from page 52: 8 Diagrams

Mixing Martial Arts Despite drawing these parallels, Master Jia firmly believes in discriminating between different styles of Chinese martial arts. Jia feels it is of the utmost importance to stay true to the tradition. “Lately you hear of Xingyi Bagua, Shaolin Bagua, Taiji Bagua – why create new styles? Bagua is Bagua. Chinese martial arts are like Chinese banquets. Each dish has a different flavor. Mix it all up makes everything bland. Most Xingyi Bagua, Taiji Bagua and so on, began because they see the benefit of Bagua. They just add it into their systems to make it look like they have more. Some just do a few moves of Xingyi, then a few of Bagua. I don’t agree with mixing. Stay within your system.” However, staying consistent within your system doesn’t mean to be constricted within it. You can study as many systems as you can remember as long as you don’t mix them up indiscriminatingly. Jia studied all three of the major internal styles of Chinese martial arts: Baguazhang, Taijiquan, and Xingyiquan. At the same time he was studying Bagua with Master Li, he was also studying Wu style Taiji (↖∿ཚᾥ) and Xingyiquan with Master Wang Rongtang (⦻㦓า; 1913–1996). Bagua and Xingyi are often paired, as Bagua is basically circular and Xingyi is fundamentally linear. They are the other two dominant internal styles of Kung Fu beyond Tai Chi. Jet Li’s The One (2001) dramatized this Xingyi and Bagua relationship in a unique science-fiction film. It was an exceptional portrayal for Hollywood, but only Kung Fu practitioners understood the underlying martial-philosophic allegory. (Jet discussed this with


Kung Fu Tai Chi in our November+December 2001 cover story). Master Jia views the relationship between the two styles far more simply. “In Xingyi, only piquan (chopping fist ࢸᤣ) is a palm. Bagua has only one fist – a back fist – in fanbeiquan (৽㛼ᤣ). The simple difference is this. Historically, Dong Haichun learned many styles. His most famous students were all famous in Xingyi first. Many say Xingyi and Bagua are one same family. Xingyi starts harder, but when you learn Chinese martial arts, you must have gang (hard ࢋ) before rou (softḄ). If you just try to learn soft, you cannot achieve anything. We say, ‘Under Heaven, martial arts are one family (tian xia wushu yi jia ཙл↖㺃аᇦ).’ You can learn all these different movements with one breath.”

“The Bagua dao is over four feet long, and weighs over three pounds.”

The Circles of Cheng Baguazhang Baguazhang literally means “eight diagram palm,” although diagram is a concessive translation. Gua refers to a very specific type of Daoist diagram, often referred to as a trigram. Gua is composed of solid and broken lines in three-line stacks that represent the dualistic principles of yin and yang. When the all-solid, all-broken and all the possible combinations of solid and broken lines are assembled, their sum comes out to eight. Each of these eight trigrams is associated with different cosmological meanings like elements, cardinal directions, emotions, parts of the human body, animals and so forth. When two trigrams are combined, the resulting sixtyfour hexagrams are used as a mystic forecasting tool akin to fortunetelling Tarot cards. This system of divination is known as I Ching (᱃㏃) or, as conventionally translated, the Book of Changes. The I Ching can be traced back to China’s Western Zhou period (1000–750 BCE).

The martial art of Baguazhang maps onto this Daoist classic with a foundation of eight techniques – or eight palms – that are the building blocks of the system. According to Master Jia, in Cheng Bagua, this begins with a stationary practice of Bagua that just focuses on the palm techniques called Dingshi Bagua (Dingshi means “fix style” ᇊᔿ‫ޛ‬খᦼ). The next level is the eight palms, each of which is combined with footwork. Then comes the Changing Palm (Bagua Zhuan Zhang ‫ޛ‬ খ䖜ᦼ) where the eight palms are combined in 16 turning techniques. After that, there are three more: Bagua Mother Palm (Bagua Mu Zhang ‫ޛ‬খ⇽ᦼ), Bagua Linking Palm (Bagua Lianhuan Zhang ‫ޛ‬খ䘎⧟ᦼ) and Swimming Body Palm (Youshen Zhang ⑨䓛ᦼ).

Above: Shots from the filming of the Chinese International Channel CCTV-4 2007 documentary Jia Shusen and His Foreign Students. Below: Students from the Beijing International Martial Arts Training Camp.

Master Jia Shusen and professor Jiang Shengwen, dean of the Puhan hospital of Los Angeles photographed at the Beijing Red Cross Balance Acupuncture and Moxibustion Training Class.


Above: Opening ceremony of the 9th Beijing Employees Sports Meeting, April 2006. Below: Members of the annual conference at the Ba Gua Zhang Research Institute.

Bagua has one of the most unique arsenals of any Chinese martial art. In addition to some of the Kung Fu core weapons like staff (gun ỽ), straight sword (jianࢁ) and spear (qiangᣒ), it has a unique singleedged sword, the Bagua dao (‫ޛ‬খ࠰). “Bagua doesn’t have a regular dao, only the Bagua dao. It’s big, over four feet long, and weighs over three pounds.” On top of that, Bagua has the distinctive Deer Horn Knives (lujiao dao 咯䀂࠰) solely practiced by this style. Deer Horn Knives are a pair of handheld weapons constructed from intersecting crescent blades with a handle. Bagua practitioners also still use very ancient pole arms, the double snakehead spears (shuang tou she ৼཤ㳷) and the yue (䢎), a broad axehead mounted atop a pole that was prevalent during China’s bronze age (roughly 2000–700 BCE). Bagua also has an unusual selection of short weapons like the Emei piercers (Emei ci ጘ፻ࡪ), which are long thin double-pointed spikes held in both hands with a swivel ring and named for Emei mountain in Sichuan Province, and the Judge’s Pen (panguan bi ࡔᇈㅄ), which is a small thick rod slightly wider than the fist with points on either end. Specific to Yin family Bagua is the Yin shi qianbang chui (ቩ∿Үἂῼ), a unique rod and hammer like weapon. And there’s one of Master Jia’s personal specialties, the Fly Whisk (fuchen ᣲቈ). Various Bagua lineages have even rarer unique weapons; this is only an overview from Master Jia’s experience. 56 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

Even overlooking the weapons, how can Modern Wushu resolve the variations in Baguazhang in a way that provides a fair playing field for competitors? Master Jia is fully aware of the challenges facing Modern Wushu Baguazhang and believes there is great potential. Although he was not involved in the development of Baguazhang into a Wushu sport, he was instrumental with another aspect of Wushu, the combative full-contact sport of Sanda. From the early ‘80s through to the ‘90s, Master Jia worked together with Professor Mei Huizhi (ẵᜐᘇ) on the development of Sanda. Jia served as Deputy Secretary General, overseeing the organization of teaching methods and competitions for Sanda. Nowadays, with the emphasis on health, the internal styles of Bagua, Xingyi and Taiji are often disregarded as practical combat methods, especially in sport fighting. However, Master Jia has participated in projects that were very combat-focused outside of the Sanda ring too. In 1998, Jia joined forces with Master Han Jianzhong (丙ᔪᘐ) and others to found the Beijing Badaling Great Wall Military Academy (ेӜ‫ޛ‬䗮ዝ䮯෾↖ṑ) in Yanqing County, Beijing. Jia was the first president of that Academy. His involvement in Sanda earned him recognition as one of the Top 100 Boxing Fighters (ᨿࠫⲮᶠ) by the Martial Research Association in 2007. “The founder of each Chinese martial arts system already passed the test of combat. These styles are not created from nothing. That’s the essence of each style. That should not change.”

Bagua has the distinctive Deer Horn Knives (lujiao dao 咯䀂࠰) solely practiced by this style.

From Harming to Healing Today, Master Jia is as focused on healing as he is on martial arts. Traditionally, many Kung Fu masters were also Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors. He began studying TCM in 1971 under Ma Zitong (傜ᆀ ᖔ) and earned his degree in TCM. In 2000, he became a disciple of one of the most renowned TCM exponents, Professor He Puren (䍪Პӱ), who was known as the Acupuncture Dean (zhenjiu taidou 䪸⚨⌠ᯇ). When local people in the martial arts community get injured or ill, they seek Master Jia. “There are four principles that govern Wushu. First, it must have a combat origin. Second, it must cultivate health. Third, it must cultivate the mind. It must increase peacefulness and spirituality. And fourth, it must promote wude (martial morality ↖ ᗧ). The Chinese martial arts propound Confucian ideals. I would add two more principles for today. Fifth, Wushu can be for performance. And sixth, it should be something that can be promoted to the general public. These last two are modern purposes.” As the Chinese martial arts continue to spread around the globe, it must change and grow. The sport of Modern Wushu has been one of the earlier attempts of China to meet the expectations of today’s competitive world. The evolution of Taiji into a health-promoting exercise has made it into one of China’s greatest exports. However, as the Taiji diaspora has expanded, the art has changed

radically, so much so that most of the general public has no idea that it is a martial art. Baguazhang has the potential to ride Taiji’s popularity coattails particularly now with Wushu. However, knowing how Wushu changed Taiji for competition, Bagua hopes to proceed more cautiously to protect its integrity. As Master Jia sees it, “A national governing body to regulate Bagua is a good idea.” B

For video of Master Jia Shusen’s Baguazhang, visit the KungFuMagazine.com YouTube channel in March 2016. APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 57

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Northern Shaolim Master Kisu

By Lucas Christopoulos

Bajiquan Early History Bajiquan, also known as “cultivator (tool) fist” or “rake fist” (Baziquan ᐤ ᆀᤣ) due to the curved fingers in practice, was probably created during the Ming dynasty (᰾ᵍ1368–1644). It became known as “bodyguard style” as most of its later generations worked as bodyguards for high-ranking officials or even emperors. Today it means Eight Extremes Boxing (Bajiquan ‫ޛ‬ᾥ ᤣ) or more exactly Eight-directions Farthest Extremes (Baji fangyuan ‫ޛ‬ᾥ ᯩ䚐). The first recorded ancestor of this system was Zhang Sicheng (ᕥഋ ᡀ 1642–1739) from Sichuan (ഋᐍ) province. Of Hui ethnicity, Zhang would dress himself as a wandering Buddhist monk when travelling from place to place during the wars – earning himself the nickname “the monk who is lazy to wear his monastic robe (Jiasha 㺸㼏)” (Lanpisha heshang ᠦᣛ㼏઼ቊ). According to some accounts, Zhang was a real Daoist monk. Zhang Sicheng lived at the time when Ming dynasty rebels fought against the Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty (␵ᵍ 1644–1911). Fighting against the Qing, Zhang was captured in Sichuan province but fortunately escaped. Dressing himself like a wandering Buddhist monk to hide his identity, he travelled secretly from place to place in 1727. Zhang reached the district of Haifeng (⎧䉺) in Shandong province (ኡᶡ) the same year. In the village of Houzhuangke (ᖼ㦺、) he became friends with Wu Tianshun (੹ཙ丶), who was also of the Hui ethnic minority. Wu Tianshun was interested in the martial arts, and Zhang taught him and his son Wu Zhong (੹䩈 1712–1802) the art of Bajiquan. Having transmitted his art to the Wu family, “the monk who didn’t like to wear his monastic robe” died at the age of ninety. Wu Zhong developed his art of Bajiquan in the village of Meng Cun (ᆏ ᶁ) in Hebei province where he had some relatives. After that, he traveled northern China in order to learn other martial arts. Learning the long spear


(changqiang 䮧´) from Master Laikui (䌤共) of the Yan’an district of Shaanxi province (䲍㾯ᔦ᤹ᓌ), Wu Zhong gained such proficiency as to earn the nickname “Divine Spear (shenqiang ⾎´).” Wu Zhong is believed to have travelled to the area of Beijing as well as to the Shaolin Temple in 1735 where he exchanged some techniques. In 1775, he went back to the village of Meng Cun and taught his art to a few family members. The three main disciples (and inheritors) of Wu Zhong’s Bajiquan were his daughter Wu Rong (੹Ḵ), the excellent Wu Yong (੹≨), and Ding Xiaowu (бᆍ↖). The third generation of disciples included Li Dazhong (ᵾབྷѝ 1810–1874) and Zhang Keming (ᕥ‫ݻ‬᰾ 1812–1882). Zhang Keming became a bodyguard for officials and was famous for his spear techniques. Li Dazhong, known as Iron Fingers, fought in many battles and became an army officer. He became good friends with Piguaquan and Tongbiquan Master Li Yunbiao (ᵾ䴢䨒), and they exchanged many techniques. In those days, Bajiquan and Piguaquan were often practiced together, despite being of separate lineage and independent schools. Among the fourth generation of disciples was the son of Li Dazhong, Li Guicao (ᵾ䋤㥹 1855–1927), Huang Sihai (哴ഋ⎧ 1829–1914) who would become an army officer, and Zhang Jingxing (ᕥӜᱏ 1843–1929), the son of Zhang Keming who would later teach in Tianjin. The style spread widely through the teachings of Zhang Yuheng (ᕥ ⦹㺑), son of Zang Jingxing, who had many disciples together with Han Huachen (七ॆ㠓), who was a student of Zhang Jingxing as well. In Cangzhou prefecture, Wang Zhongquan (⦻䩈⋹ 1846–1919),

disciple of Huang Sihai, became highly proficient in stick techniques and Bajiquan and taught his skills to many students.

Bajiquan is characterized by explosive power utilizing the entire body, mostly in “horse step (mabu 俜↕)” posture. It is often compared to the leopard (bao 䊩) due to its sudden and explosive “springing” attacks from a compressed position. Bajiquan is considered a hard “inner” style, with most of its strikes delivered at close range rather than long distance. The style nowadays is divided into two main branches: one from the Hui autonomous region of Mengcun (Mengcun Huizu zizhixian ᆏᶁ എ᯿㠚⋫㑓) in Hebei province; and the other from Beijing, Tianjin and Changchun (i.e., the Huo (䴽) family Bajiquan). The main school of Bajiquan is still represented within the Wu family by Master Wu Lianzhi (੣ 䙓᷍) in Mengcun area, and with the exception of the famous Huo family, it has spread as well into other branches in China: in Lanzhou, Gansu province, with the brothers Ma Yingtu (俜㤡മ 1898–1956) and Ma Fengtu (俜匣മ 1888–1973); in the port of Tanggu (ຈ⋭) near Tianjin by the Gao family; in Langerkou (⤬‫ݯ‬ਓ) village, south of Cangxian, by the Ji family; in the village of Zilaitun with the Qiang family; in Taiwan with the student of Li Shuwen, Liu Yunqiao (ࢹ䴢 ⁥ 1909–1992); near Yanshan within the Yin family and in Wangguan Tun (⦻ᇈኟ) village with the Sun family.

Bajiquan is a very powerful and famous style well-known all over northern China, and it has produced many skillful masters. The adepts of this close-range system of APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 61

times of the Boxing Rebellion. His main disciples were Li Etang (ᵾ㩬า), Huo Diange (䴽⇯䯓), Xu Lanzhou (䁡㱝⍢), his son Xu Jiafu (䁡ᇦ⾿), Zhang Dezhong (ᕥ ᗧᘐ), Zhang Zhilin (ᕥ㣍᷇), Gao Xichen (儈ௌ㠓), Ren Guodong (ԫ഻Ἇ), Liu Huchen (ḣ㱾㠓), Zhang Litang (ᕥ・า), General Li Jinglin (ᵾᲟ᷇), Liu Yunqiao (ࢹ䴢 ⁥), etc.

Huo Diange (䴽⇯䯓 1886–1942) “The Last Emperor's Bodyguard” fighting often complement their techniques with those of the long-range Pigua-style boxing (Piguaquan ࢸ᧋ᤣ) or Tongbiquan boxing for a complete long-and-short striking repertoire. A Bajiquan practitioner can gain fighting proficiency in a rather short period of time. Master Li Shuwen (ᵾᴨ᮷ 1864–1934), disciple of Huang Sihai, became one of the most popular teachers of Bajiquan in the early 20th century, disseminating his knowledge across many provinces and to many students (mainly in Tianjin, Beijing, Hebei and Henan provinces). Li Shuwen was born in Cangzhou province to a very poor family. In childhood, he was given to a theater group to perform acrobatic skills from village to village. This torturous education in theater ended with a leg injury, after which he started to study Bajiquan with Huang Sihai. Though of small stature, he became very skillful, and in fights he killed several opponents with palm strikes. His skills with the spear and in Bajiquan were outstanding, and he was nicknamed “One Strike Kill.” He participated in battles and duals during the troubled


Huo Diange was a sixth generation Bajiquan disciple. Born in the district of Cangzhou, he started his studies of the martial arts at age fourteen, learning the Shaolin styles of Erlang boxing (Erlangquan Ҽ䛾ᤣ) and the Thirty-six Fists (Sanshiliuquan йॱ‫ޝ‬ᤣ) with the Zhang family (Zhangjia ᕥᇦ). At age sixteen he studied with Li Shuwen, learning the art of the long spear of the Six Harmonies (Liuhe daqiang ‫ޝ‬ਸབྷ´) and Bajiquan. Huo Diange then became an “indoor” disciple of Li Shuwen and trained with him for twelve years. He developed his spear technique by hitting small objects with the tip, and he became very explosive and strong with his Bajiquan fighting skills. In 1924 Huo Diange taught martial arts in Tianjin together with his classmate Xu Lanzhou. When challenged by a Judo master and three other Japanese Karate masters, he gained fame by throwing them out of the fighting area. Huo Diange became the personal bodyguard of Puyi (ⓕܰ), the “Last Emperor,” after an incident with two Japanese members of Puyi’s secret service. As Huo had outstanding skills in the martial

ᯌᨂ䒽↕cecha yuebu) insert slanting with jump.

arts, the two Japanese disliked him and wanted to challenge his skills. He told them that they could prove themselves better by bending his fingers. The Japanese experts couldn’t bend Huo’s fingers. Seeing the encounter, the Emperor took him as a personal bodyguard. Huo then instructed Puyi himself and the imperial guards in Bajiquan together with Huo Qingyun and Xu Lanzhou.

і↕࠶᧐(bingbu fenlue) separating two feet together.

In 1932, when Puyi became the “Manchu Emperor” as assigned by the Japanese, Huo moved with him to the city of Changchun. In 1934, he and his students faced armed Japanese soldiers who came to challenge them in the Datong Park (Datong gongyuan བྷ਼‫)ൂޜ‬. Using long spears and large broadswords, Huo and his students injured ten Japanese soldiers. Great Master Huo continued to transmit his martial arts until he passed away at the age of fifty-six.

Huo Qingyun (䴽ឦ䴢 1905–1982) “The Leopard” ᠧᣡᅠ‫(ނ‬huaibao yinger) holding the child.

䵨⦻ᩜ䥈 (chenwang banchui) King Chen lifting his hammer.

Huo Qingyun was the nephew of Huo Diange, and he studied and stayed next to his uncle through most of his employment under Emperor Puyi. Huo Qingyun first studied Mizongquan (ᇶᇇᤣ) and then learned Bajiquan. In 1923, he went to Beijing together with Xu Lanzhou where he taught Bajiquan. In 1928, he taught at the Central Martial Arts Institute of Nanjing together with Huo Diange. In Tianjin the same year, he and Huo Diange defeated three Japanese martial arts teachers named Kudo (ᐕ㰔), Yamaguchi (ኡਓ) and Iwata (ዙ⭠). In 1932, while he and his uncle were serving as bodyguards of Puyi, he again defeated Judo and Kendo teachers. That same year, he traveled with Xu Lanzhou to visit the Shaolin Temple and the Wutai Mountains. After the foundation of the Peoples Republic of China, Huo Qingyun taught Bajiquan in the city of Changchun (䮧᱕) in northwestern China. Among the best of his three hundred disciples were Ma Deshan (俜ᗧኡ) and Yuan Qingchun (㺱ឦ᱕). Xu Lanzhou had four famous students in Tianjin: Zhang Shichong (ᕥцᘐ), Bao Yousheng (凁ᴹ㚢), Wu Baokun

俜↕ᢃ㱾 (mabu dahu) hitting the tiger in horse step (mabu) posture.


(੹ሣፁ) and Wang Shaoxian (⦻㍩‫)ݸ‬. Xu Lanzhou later moved to the Nanhai district of Beijing (ेӜই ⎧), near the Forbidden City, where he mainly taught Shaolin, Bajiquan, grasping techniques (qinna ᬂ᤯) and free-fighting (sanda ᮓᢃ) to many students.

Chen Xiang (䲣丵) Master Chen Xiang started his martial arts studies with Chinese wrestling (Shuaijiao ᪄䐔) and Bajiquan. He spent ten years learning these styles from Zhang Xuchu (ᕥᰝࡍ), the son of Li Shuwen’s disciple Zhang Litang (ᕥ・า 1893–1967). Zhang Litang had started to teach in Beijing in 1947. Later, Chen Xiang began to study Hunyuan Taijiquan and the Qigong of the Dragon Gate school with Master Feng Zhiqiang (俞ᘇᕪ1928–2012), becoming one of his students. Master Chen Xiang added the principles of qigong of the Dragon Gate School (or Hunyuan qigong) to improve his martial skills, and also to elevate natural Daoist hidden faculties. This school of inner-alchemy was founded by Qiu Chuji (ш㲅 ₏ 1148–1227) and passed down to Hu Yaozhen (㜑㘰䋎 1897–1973) in Shanxi province before being transmitted to Master Feng Zhiqiang and then to Chen Xiang. The Bajiquan of Master Chen Xiang became more explosive, as it included spiral-like inner qi circulation movements acquired from the Dragon’s Gate school and Hunyuan Taijiquan. As he often used to say concerning the addition of Qigong to his Bajiquan; “I gave wings to my leopard.”


Characteristics of Bajiquan If one were to compare Tongbiquan to an assault rifle or a Kalashnikov, then Bajiquan would be like a grenade or a piece of heavy artillery. Every attack is explosive, and as soon as the front foot touches the ground, the entire body blows out power in all directions (Baji), mainly in a “horse step (mabu)” posture. The application of Bajiquan techniques are mainly known as “one position, one strike (yizhao yishi).” The positions are simple and the attacks are too, making this style easy to learn and effective, just one strike at a time, focusing on “one power.” Bajiquan’s “six openings” (liudakai ‫ޝ‬བྷ䮻) are also six different powers to be trained with a partner: hitting-punching (ding 串), holding (bao ᣡ), whipping (dan ௞), lifting (ti ᨀ), carrying horizontal (kua ᤾) and carrying in spiral (chan 㒿). These six different powers have to be unified as one (heyi) at a higher level. Bajiquan must be “fierce and violent” (gangmeng baolie ࢋ⥋᳤⛸), “explosive and piercing” (benghan tuji ፙ᫬ケ᫺), “moving like tending a bow and exploding like a grenade” (dongru benggong faruo zhalei अྲ㏣ᕃ, Ⲭྲ⛨䴧).B

Lucas Christopoulos has been studying in China since 1992 under several masters including Master Zhang Zhicheng, Master Huang Baoshan, and Master Yu Baohua. From 1995 to present he has studied Hunyan Taijiquan, Bajiquan and Longmenpai Qigong with Master Chen Xiang. He did his PhD on Pre-Tang China combat sports history and has published academic articles. He now writes novels and trains in Japan.

T

aijiquan is a multifaceted discipline with a lot to offer those who search beyond the obvious. Each year new studies illustrate the health benefits gained by practicing Taijiquan. For example, on March 16, 2015, Plos One published an article showing evidence, based on clinical studies, of the health benefits of Taijiquan: “In conclusion, the existing clinical studies on various diseases/conditions suggest that the quantity and evidence base of clinical studies on Tai Chi is substantial. However, there is a wide variation of Tai Chi intervention in style, intensity, duration and learning and practicing methods. The reporting of Tai Chi intervention needs to be improved. Though the majority of studies report positive health-related effects of Tai Chi, further studies with better reporting are needed to confirm the effects of Tai Chi for frequently reported diseases/ conditions.” –Yang Guoyan, Wang Liqiong, Ren Jun, … Liu Jianping (2015) However, the pugilistic aspect is greatly overlooked – despite questions posed by a new generation of practitioners curious about their heritage and the original intent of their chosen discipline. Hopefully, articles like this one will assist those seeking answers, even though they may be a minority in the grand scope of things. Again to the naysayers: Taijiquan is a pugilistic art which grants health and psychological benefits. To survive the carnage of the battlefield, one must be physically fit and of sound mind. While this may sound old-fashioned, relevant only to ancient exploits and no longer valid, still, for some it is a stark reality on the streets of major cities – and even in some suburbs – of a world gone astray. Such knowledge is therefore priceless to possess in times of need. The golden age of the gentleman’s art was not the 1970s; actually, it was the Age of Modernism in Europe, a time when individuals were confronting a growing lawlessness. The gentlemen took this reality to heart and started to engage in the study of self-defense. Martial arts such as Judo, Savate, Bartitsu, and closequarter combat came into being at the same time as Taijiquan was evolving for the needs of contemporary Chinese gentlemen. Taijiquan is a true reflection of its time, because it possesses the ability to adjust with the times.

The Bump – So Simple Yet So Complex 66 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

B

One of the simplest tactics – and yet a powerhouse technique – found within the discipline of Taijiquan is the art of bumping. Though appearing very simple and direct, it is actually, like anything Chinese, very complex and profound. The art of bumping consists of using any part of the body to inflict pain on the opponent. The shoulders, hips, chest and back can all be used as a striking or pressing surface – a concept referred to in the Taijiaquan classics as “the lean (䶐).” Even the knee can be employed for a bumping technique, especially when it is simply lifted up, allowing the opponent to run into it. The same can be said of the elbow. A defensive motion becomes aggressive, embodying the important Taiji notion, “the harmony of passive and aggressive.”

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Postures for Bumping Numerous postures present opportunities for bumping: 1. Shoulder/Hip Bumps: Shed (᧔) from Grasping Sparrow Tail (ᨭ 䳰ቮ); Single Whip (অ䷝); White Crane Reveal Wings (ⲭ咔Ӟ㗵); Wild Horse Parting Mane (䟾傜࠶ 偓); etc. 2. Back: White Crane Reveal Wings; Wild Horse Parting Mane; Cloud Hand (Ӂ᡻); etc. 3. Knee Bumps: Lift Hand (ᨀ᡻); Brush Knee, Bending Footstep (ᨲ㟍ᤇ↕); Gold Roster Single Standing (䠁呑⤜・); etc. 4. Elbow Bumps: Lift Hand; Brush Knee, Bending Footstep; Gold Roster Single Standing; etc. 5. Head: Pressing (᤹) from Grasping Sparrow Tail; Brush Knee, Bending Footstep; Gold Rooster Single Standing; etc.

Rosario executes a Standing Strike to Chen’s face, which Chen intercepts with a Detain Hand.

Chen slips in a Bright Palm, allowing him to execute a left Single Character Palm to Rosario’s thigh.

Chen moves in to execute a Shoulder Bump.

Finally, Chen issues Energy, which hurls Rosario back. APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 67

Soft on the Outside, Hard on the Inside Here we enter murky waters. Bumping is physical; therefore, to be effective, the training and conditioning should be substantial. But this goes against the idea that Taiji is a soft and gentle art. Still, under that softness should lie a solid core, which is very similar to the composition of a baseball. Soft yarn covers a solid center. So although Taiji is soft, pliable, and relaxed on the surface, it should be solid, steady, and focused within.

Dewhurst and Swackhammer face off in guard position.

These core attributes were slowly removed by mainstream Taijiquan teachers ages ago; however, Chen style retained these attributes, which resemble a good game of Rugby. Training in bumping involves two particular exercises. One requires a partner while the other requires a heavy bag, post or something else solid to hit.

Partner Drills The first drill is referred to as Two Person Shoulder, Lean Hip Strike (є Ӫ㛙䶐僻ᢃ). It uses the posture known as Person Footstep (б↕). This is similar to an Empty Footstep (㲊↕), in which the weight is on the rear foot while the lead foot’s toes and ball of foot are slightly touching the ground. However, for Person Footstep, the lead leg is positioned beside the arch of the supporting leg. This particular footstep is found throughout the Taijiquan taolu as a shifting footstep between major footsteps, e.g., bow footstep (ᕃ↕).

Swackhammer executes a Going-Up Leg, which Dewhurst quickly intercepts with his arm, while moving in to execute an Embracing Palm to the leg.

Both practitioners stand upright, one facing east and the other facing west. Both then lower themselves into Person Footstep (i.e., leg facing one another). The arm is at the side, while the hand goes across the abs, trying to touch the hip bone. The other hand is in a posture referred to as Detain Hand (ᢓ᡻). Its objective is to intercept an incoming strike. This particular posture can be seen while shifting in Wild Horse Parting Mane. Also, the Detain Hand assists in sustaining the posture and to absorb impact. Now the lead leg steps out into a Horse Footstep, while bumping shoulders/hips. Next the lead leg steps back in a clockwise arc. Now repeat on the opposite side. The second drill is referred to as Leaning Back (䶐㛼). Both practitioners open to Horse Footstep (傜↕) with backs pressing against one another. Two methods can be employed: 1) Pressing back together; swirling up and down; 2) Bumping lightly against one another’s back.

Post Drills Post training is similar to the partner drills; however, the practitioner needs to be conscious of bumping a solid object; it has no give compared to a person. The body absorbs everything. Therefore, go light when starting out. If you grow comfortable with the solid object, you can intensify the bumping; but make certain not to knock yourself out. While embracing the leg, Dewhurst executes a Shoulder Bump knocking Swackhammer down to the mat.


A secondary attribute of this training is a notion referred to as paidagong training, or Striking and Slapping Achievement (᣽ᢃ࣏), which conditions the body for impact. Continued on page 70

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Qigong: Standing Post Training Some may assume bumping uses physical strength (li ࣋), but in actuality you do not want to be tense. Be relaxed to catch the opponent off guard. Come from a soft state to a solid state for the actual bump\strike. To train this ability, it is essential to practice at least two types of Standing Post: Everlasting Post (ᰐᶱ‱): Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, referred to as Two-Character Footstep (Ҽᆇ↕). The knees are slightly flexed, the arms hang naturally at the sides. This particular posture is seen in the beginning of most Taijiquan sequences and is referred to as Preparatory Gesture (亴༷࣯). Ramos and Brack face off in guard position.

Downward Press Post (‫᤹؟‬‱): Standing in Two-Character Footstep, raise the arms forward to chest level. Fingers are spread slightly open and the palms face down. Again, this comes directly from the sequence; it is found in Extremely Extremities Raising Gesture (ཚᶱ䎧࣯). The only difference from how it is performed in the sequence is that now you are sustaining the posture for a length of time. Note: Standing Post (ㄉẙ) stimulates the circulation of oxygenized blood in a relaxed state of being to reinforce the body. While sustaining these postures (2 to 5 minutes), place the tip of the tongue on the palate or the roof of the mouth, breathe through the nose, and keep the mouth closed. These postures will assist in regulating one’s breath, which in turn helps the body to relax and clear the mind. If done properly, saliva will gather within the mouth, which means that the two particular pressure points – baihui and huiyin – have connected, hence centering and calming the body/mind.

Brack throws a right Level Strike that Ramos intercepts with Detain Hand, while ducking under and striking with a Shoulder Bump and Elbow Bump.

An Unbroken Legacy Bumping is direct, to the point. It is upfront, eye-to-eye, not for the timid. A practitioner must learn to be comfortable so close to an opponent. Sometimes you simply have no alternative. At times, we need to possess that central core to plow into the reality before us; that’s what Michael Rosario-Graycar did. He used his knowledge of Taijiquan to battle a silent killer. That’s why this article is dedicated to him. In humility he demonstrated the notion of valor, confronting that surmountable void before him. But his roots extended from his training in Chen style Taijiquan, which allowed him to confront whatever obstacles were placed before him. His legacy continues to this day unbroken. Taijiquan has a lot to offer those willing to seek it, be it for health, pugilism, or fortifying one’s psyche.

Ramos executes Wild Horse Parting Mane, which hurls Brack toward the ground.

“Applying energy to such a level that it manifests itself as steel; so strong that it will be unbroken.” –Chen Weiming (䙻ࣱྲⲮ㐤䤬Ǆօีн᪗Ǆ䲣ᗞ᰾)B Arnaldo Ty Núñez has been a freelance journalist for the past 25 years and is the Acquisition Editor at Tambuli Media; he can be reached at TambuliMedia.com - [email protected]. Chen Bing is a highly regarded new generation master of Chen Style Taijiquan. He can be contacted through his United States representative Master Bosko Baek at [email protected] or by visiting the website: www.chenbing.org. Quentin Dewhurst is highly respected among the new generation of Taijiquan Shifus; he comes from world renowned Grandmaster Dan Docherty’s organization, under the instruction of Master David Baker, and holds classes in Nha Trang, Vietnam. He can be reached at: [email protected]. Paul Ramos is a highly esteemed master of Neiquan and the director and chief instructor at Wu Shen Tao. He can be reached at WushenTao.com - [email protected]. This article is dedicated to the memory of the late Michael Rosario-Graycar.


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ushu practitioners from around the world gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia, in November 2015 for the International Wushu Federation (IWUF)-sponsored World Wushu Championships. Hosted by the Indonesia Wushu Association, the Championships boasted a full week of exciting Wushu competition by men and women representing at least eighty different countries.

Traditional W

Events

Introduced th

at 13 World

Wushu Championships By Lori Ann White


But along with the high-flying action on the carpet that Wushu enthusiasts thrill to at every tournament, spectators had the opportunity to watch something new – yet very old. This year, the IWUF introduced four traditional events into the biennial competition: Xingyiquan (ᖒ ᜿ᤣ) and chunqiu dadao (also known as Guandao 䰌࠰) for men and Baguazhang (‫ޛ‬খᦼ) and shuangjian (double straight swords 䴉ࢽ) for women.

Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine caught up with Byron Jacobs of the IWUF to find out a little more about the reasoning behind adding the old to the new.

Good reasons, but Jacob's own experiences as a Wushu competitor have given him insight into the more subtle benefits.

Jacobs not only has a long history in both Wushu and traditional styles, he has decades of experience working in Wushu organizations for the betterment of the sport. As a competitive Wushu practitioner from South Africa, he helped found the South African Wushu Federation. He has been an IWUF-certified judge since 2004 in both taolu (empty-hand ྇䐟) and sanda (sparring ᮓᢃ) and was appointed to the IWUF Technical Committee in 2011 at the Ankara, Turkey, World Championships – a position he will hold until at least 2019. As a committee member, Jacobs was directly involved with the decision to add the events.

"Following some injuries and surgery, I started shifting away from competitive Wushu," he says, "and I started practicing Hebei Style Xingyiquan." Now Jacobs lives in Beijing, studying Xingyiquan and Baguazhang with Master Di Guoyong (䛨ഭࣷ) – both of the traditional styles for which taolu events have been added to the World Championships.

"There were a few reasons for the inclusion of traditional events," Jacobs says. "First, we wanted to increase the total number of events, which results in more countries having a chance to get a medal. Also, traditional Wushu is quite popular and well-developed outside of China, and without the nandu [degree of difficulty 䳮ᓖ] requirements found in the other events, these divisions open up the opportunity for participants without the acrobatic skills to execute some of the more difficult movements to compete in the World Championships."

“Currently the three main types of Wushu allowed are Changquan (long fist 䮧ᤣ), Nanquan (Southern fist ইᤣ), and Taijiquan. These are somewhat limited in what they can show, focusing on popular northern and APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 73

southern external styles along with the major styles of Taijiquan," Jacobs says. "Adding traditional events gives the opportunity to showcase the diversity of Chinese Wushu." With so many options to choose from, how did the IWUF ever manage to restrain themselves to just four additional events? "We selected Xingyiquan and Baguazhang because these two styles are quite different from the styles currently included in the World Wushu Championships," Jacobs says. "But they're both very well-developed and fairly unique, with a long history and refined content. And more recently they've been gaining popularity outside of China, too."

Audiences are not the only people the IWUF wants to expose to a wider array of styles, Jacobs says. “We also hope the methods used to practice these traditional events – which are quite different from training methods employed within Changquan, Nanquan, and Taijiquan, by the way – will be embraced by the sport Wushu practitioners who decide to compete in these events. “For example,” he continues, “Xingyiquan is based on a solid practice of zhanzhuang (post standing) to develop a unified structure, which then creates a type of whole body force generation, while Baguazhang is based on the circle walking, baibu (toe out step ᧠↕), koubu (toe in step ᢓ↕) and continuous changes and fluency led by specific body methods (shenfa 䓛⌅). Chunqiu dadao requires a strong, coordinated core to drive the weapon in its circular planes, and shuangjian develops coordination between the two hands, as well as the body. All these are aspects which many sport Wushu athletes don’t focus on due to the training requirements of the events in past World Wushu Championships.” What is to prevent certain athletes from focusing on the traditional events while their teammates continue with their high-flying ways?

The same reasoning applied to the weapons chosen. "Again, we wanted to show the diversity of Chinese Wushu. The shuangjian is a popular double weapon, and the dadao is arguably one of the most recognized and revered traditional weapons within Chinese Wushu. 74 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

“While we increased the total number of events, we didn’t increase the size of the teams,” Jacobs says. “We also limited the number of events each athlete could participate in. The result is that some athletes who usually compete in the standard events will also start competing in the traditional events.” Continued on page 76

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Continued from page 74: 13th World Wushu Championship

Jacobs says it may take some time for the traditional events - and the skills they can teach to the athletes – to spread throughout the competitive Wushu community, but he’s glad the IWUF has taken this initial step. How did the traditional events fare during the championship? “They went well,” Jacobs says. “While there weren’t many participants, the interest shown by the athletes was promising and something we can develop further in the future.” Jacobs himself witnessed the two weapons events, though not the Xingyiquan or Baguazhang events. “I was one of the two head judges this year,” he says, “and we drew lots for which ones we’d judge.” As is common with first steps, everyone involved in the traditional events at the World Championships focused on learning, including the coaches and judges. “For this first tournament we didn’t create specific deduction criteria and content requirements for the new events per se,” Jacobs says. “Our only requirements were that the content in each routine must come from and conform to the traditional methods employed in the style being presented, and that the routines should have a duration of between one and two minutes. We wanted to gauge the situation using this year’s event, and based on what we saw we’ll be compiling specific regulations 76 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

for these events, along with specific judging methods and so on.” There may not have been many competitors in the traditional events this first time up, but the medal winners show that Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, the chunqui dadao and the shuangjian are indeed popular the world over. In the men’s events, Tan Xiang Tian of Singapore took the gold in Xingyiquan, while Maxime Frankinet of France took the silver and Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz took the bronze, and Amir El-Sayed of Egypt bested the competition in the chunqui dadao while Wu Nok In of Macau came in second and Fung Jin Jie was third. In the women’s traditional events, Tania Sakanaka of Brazil took gold in Baguazhang, followed by Chen Suijin of Hong Kong in second and Hager Mohamed of Egypt in third, while Zheng Tian Hui of Hong Kong took first in shuangjian, followed by Elif Akyüz of Turkey and Daria Tarasova of Russia earning silver and bronze, respectively. B

Byron Jacobs is the IWUF Technical and Events Manager and an IWUF Technical Committee Member and experienced judge at IWUF events. Lori Ann White is a copy editor for Kung Fu Tai Chi. She is also a freelance writer who has studied Shaolin Kung Fu with her Sifu Wing Lam for so many years that she is now studying Sun-style Taiji with him instead.

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Please Note: Do not expose weapon under the sun too long. Contact during combat may create dents in Staff. (Any STAFF 60” or longer , extra shipping charges apply). Our Jo and Bo staffs are imported directly from China, the only source for authentic quality waxwood staffs.

B

B) Rattan Bo (no skin) ((MEQIXIVZEVMIWJVSQzXSz 31-60 No skin (60”) $26.99* - 31-72 No skin (72”) $32.68* C) Burned Rattan Bo w/Carved Design 31B-60 (60”) $35.49* - 31B-72 (72”) $37.39*

D) Rattan Bo (with skin) ((MEQIXIVZEVMIWJVSQzXSz

C

31S-60 with skin (60”) $28.99* - 31S-72 with skin (72”) $29.99*

E) Hardwood Jo (1” diameter) 25-36 Straight (36”) $15.99 - 25-50 Straight (50”) $17.98 25-54 Straight (54”) $19.98 - 25-60 Straight (60”) $26.89* 25-72 Straight (72”) $27.85* F) Hardwood Bo (zHMEQIXIV 30-50 Straight (50”) $17.49 - 30-60 Straight (60”) $23.49* 30-72 Straight (72”) $26.49*

D

G) Hardwood Bo Tapered 30-60T Tapered (60”) $24.49* - 30-72T Tapered (72”) $26.39* S/H charges apply *forExtra all over length staffs

E

Vinyl Bo Staff Case Holds two sticks 30-28 (72”) $17.99

F

Traditional Waxwood Staff Authentic staffs imported directly from China. Diameter of each weapon may vary slightly. 32-74 Waxwood (74”) $23.99* 32-84 Waxwood (84”) $24.99*

G

Ultra Light Waxwood Staff 32-70 Waxwood (70”) $19.99* 32-78 Waxwood (78”) $23.99* Shaolin Monk Shi Decheng

Southern Staff (nan gun) 32-75 Waxwood (75”) $26.25*

Cases

Staffs Rack

Protect your investment with any of these quality made cases. (Colors may vary)

Constructed of high-quality hardwood and finished with an elegant black lacquer.

Base: 44¼’ X 22” Height: 39” 30-01 $119.00 *Canvas Staff Case For single stick - 25-36C (36”) $6.99 *Canvas Staff Case For single stick - 30-50C (50”) $7.49

*Canvas Staff Case For single stick - 30-60C (60”) $7.93 *Canvas Staff Case For single stick - 30-72C (72”) $7.93

Elite Ultra Lightweight Metallic Competition BOs Designed for the flash and dazzle of a champion competitor! Trimmed with mylar metallic and glitter tape, with a no-slip center grip. Breaks down into two pieces for easy transport. Comes with fitted nylon carrying case.

Carrying case included

Red 27-R (48”, 54”) $49.99 - (60”, 66” & 72”) $53.79 Blue 27-U (48”, 54”) $49.99 - (60”, 66” & 72”) $53.79 Black 27-K (48”, 54”) $49.99 - (60”, 66” & 72”) $53.79


Wushu 7-Section Whip Chain (Stainless Steel)

NEW!

NEW! Traditional 9-Section Whip Chain (Stainless Steel)

45-27NSS $23.99

45-29SS $27.99

(Carrying case included)

(Carrying case included)

Master Dennis Brown

(Carrying case included) (Carrying case included)

7-Section Wushu Whip Chain 45-27N $17.99

9-Section Wushu Whip Chain 45-29N $19.99

7-Section Traditional Whip Chain 45-27 $19.99

9-Section Traditional Whip Chain 45-29 $21.99

Flying Weight 45-075 $32.99

Rope Dart 45-076 $32.99

Shaolin Whip (Approximately 90” long) 45-73 $24.99

Meteor Hammer 45-072 $32.99

Leather Whip (Approximately 90” long) 45-70 $59.99

Ultralight Wushu 3-Section Staff

3-Section Natural Rattan Staff

Approximately ¾” in diameter. Each section is approx. 22” in length. It is able to collapse into a short baton or expand into a long spinning staff. Great for beginners, kids or wushu practitioners. Note that these weapons are all handmade and subject to slight variations in measurements.

25-34N $24.99

This 3-section staff is made of natural rattan for light-weight smooth fast and reliable ball bearing swivels and solid link chains. Each section is approximately 26’’.

25-32 $39.99

3-Section Waxwood Staff Master Rick L. Wing The White waxwood 3-Section Staff for traditional Kung Fu practitioner. Approx. 26 inches per section.

25-34 $26.49

3-Section Black Hardwood Staff

This 3-section staff is made of hardwood and painted with chip-resistant lacquers. The ball bearing is smooth fast and reliable allowing for clean swivels and solid links. Each section is approximately 26’’.

25-31 $29.99

3-Section Black Foam Staff This 3-section black foam staff is perfect for training. It is covered with soft foam on a plastic core. Each section is approximately 26”.

25-33 $29.99

enturies ago Chinese sages explored the hidden world of energy that exists deep in our physical bodies. They experimented with diet, movement, breath, and magic – the results of which led to the discovery of an internal world of wonder, blurring the lines between science and mysticism. Historically, these practices were called “internal alchemy” and today are known as “Qigong.”

What Is Qigong (≓࣏)? According to my teacher, Dr. Benjamin Apichai, “Qigong is an exercise method with self introspection and perception to give play to one’s initiative. It cannot be expected to take effect in one day or overnight. Only with training and practice according to certain procedures can sure success be yielded through constant effort.” Essentially, Qigong is the “practice of qi (≓).” Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a Chinese word often translated as “energy” or “life force.” To understand what Qigong is, we must begin with this word. One of the challenges facing any translation of Chinese into English is that each

“Buddha Power” mudra featuring Alsia Soiset. Photo by Daniel Cashman.

By Daniel Cashman


character can have multiple nuanced meanings that render a one-word translation unsatisfactory. Qi is a good example of this. It is not inaccurate to define qi as “energy,” but it is a very limited definition. Qi is both matter and energy, form and function. The only real way to differentiate qi is by what kind of lens you are using to examine it. For example, the qi that you inherit from your parents is called yuan qi (‫)≓ݳ‬, and qi that is received from the food and drink you consume is called gu qi (僘≄). On a grand scale, qi is the stuff of the universe describing not only how the stars and planets move and interact with each other, but the very fabric of the universe itself. When we look at qi and how it pertains to the body, it is indeed a measure of the quality of your life force, but it is also the physical matter – skin, bones, organs, vessels – all are made from qi and their function is a product of the movement of qi. Looking a little closer, one finds that qi flows inside the body, between your internal organs, and

To be considered Qigong, a practice should involve three things: 1) it must work with your breath, 2) it must have an activity, posture, or somatic component (this doesn’t mean that you have to physically move your body, only that there should be some prescribed activity that takes place when you practice), and 3) it must engage the mind. For example, if your practice involves “tuning out,” it probably isn’t Qigong because the mind must be active during Qigong.

“Embracing the Tree” Qigong. Featuring Wanda Cashman, Damien Lim, Daniel Cashman, Eric Soiset, and Chiyon Lee. Photo by Miriam Cashman.

Full lotus position featuring Daniel Cashman and Chiyon Lee. Photo by Wanda Cashman.

in fairly standard conduits known as the acupuncture meridians (㏃㎑). It is these meridians, and the qi flowing inside them, that are a common (although not exclusive) focus of the practice of Qigong. The second word in this pairing, gong (࣏), is the process of putting in effort to develop a skill. When put together, the word “Qigong” means any set of practices done to cultivate your qi.

History of Qigong The practice of Qigong extends back to pre-history, and for thousands of years was likely intimately connected with the practice of magic. Ritualistic dance, gymnastics, and breathing have been practiced as far back as records exist. Prior to the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) shamanistic rituals were done to expel malevolent spirits, using a variety of movement and breath magic. Throughout the ages, as Chinese cultural and medical thought changed and advanced, these practices kept pace, culminating in the 1940s with the use of the word Qigong to mean any method of achieving health and balance through the cultivation of qi.

In the West, owing partly to confusion related to the translation of the word, qi is sometimes mistaken for magic, or some subtle and incomprehensible process with fantastical results. But this would be a very naïve interpretation. With regards to the energy we are working with in our bodies, qi quite simply comes from the food that we consume and the air that we breathe. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the mechanism is well understood and is in fact the basis for understanding and treating disease. Different internal organs are responsible for manipulating different aspects of this process. For instance, the Spleen turns the food that you eat into qi, the Heart turns this qi into Blood, and the Liver is responsible for moving the qi throughout your body. Somewhat different from the common definition of health as “absence of disease,” TCM defines health as “balance.” Specifically, the TCM doctor helps the patient to identify imbalances to their qi, and uses acupuncture, herbs, and tuina (therapeutic massage) to create the changes. Furthermore, your TCM doctor may recommend Qigong exercises to do as homework. Once balance is re-established, the symptoms disappear. An example of a healing Qigong taught to patients is called “Zang Fu Qigong.” In this set you find Qigong exercises that are prescribed when one or more of your internal organs have an energetic imbalance. Each Zang Fu Qigong set has three parts: one is visualization using color, the second is the use of sound vibration, and the third is a physical movement. These simple exercises are accessible by novices of any fitness level, and can be used for both treatment and prevention of disease. In addition to the health benefits, Qigong can be used as a cultivation practice. Cultivation practices seek to increase the amount of available qi. Some of these practices are done for longevity; some are done as part of martial arts training. Generally speaking, cultivation Qigong focuses on putting qi into a special storage area called the dantien (ѩ⭠). The dantien is an energetic Group seated “Open Wisdom” Qigong practice featuring Wanda Cashman, Damien Lim, Daniel Cashman, Curt Small, Eric Soiset, and Chiyon Lee. Photo by Daniel Cashman.

Different Types of Qigong Today, there exist myriad practices called Qigong. Some are internal, some are external. Some are for combat, some are for enlightenment. Qigong can be found in medicine, martial arts, and religion. These practices are diverse and represent many different approaches, but they all share one thing in common – they work with your qi. APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 81

Group “Embracing the Tree” Qigong practice outside featuring Nava Gazitt, Ruth Emerson, Roy Niznik, Marcus Williams, Barbara Canada, Mary Smith, Carol Pouss, and Jane Mickelson. Photo by Daniel Cashman.

center located in your lower abdomen where qi is stored like a battery. It also serves as the marker for your center of gravity. The actual location of the dantien is not clearly defined, but it is a three-dimensional area located in the lower abdomen situated in front of the kidneys and three finger-widths below and behind the belly button. A useful technique for orienting new students to their dantien is to have them lie on their backs with their hands crossed over their lower abdomen. With their eyes closed and their body relaxed they can coax their breath to the lower part of their belly until they feel their hands moving up and down with their respiration. It is not unusual for students to report a sense of wellbeing and connection after being introduced to this exercise. Over time the Qigong practitioner is able to take qi from their dantien and move it around their body. In Taiji and Kung Fu practices, it is common to circulate the qi from your dantien and put it into your bones. When qi accumulates in your bones, they get strong and heavy resulting in both healthier bones and a powerful weapon. It is also common in Chinese martial arts to talk of enlivening your training by combining muscle and correct body alignment with qi to make your strikes more powerful and effective.

Group Qigong practice outside. Photo by Marcus Williams.

㋮, ≓, ⾎). Each can be considered a different facet or manifestation of qi. Used in this way, Qigong becomes a path towards harmony, balance, and happiness.

How Does Qigong Work? Armed with the information described above, we can now show how Qigong works. The process is very easy to describe, but very challenging to do. Most practices require the student to feel qi. This sensation can be experienced differently by different people, but is generally described as being heavy, warm, distending, moving, or achy. Some students are able to connect with their body’s qi immediately, but for most it takes time and patient practice. Having a teacher will be immensely helpful and will save a great deal of time and effort. Once the student is able to feel the qi, they will learn how to visualize using the Minds-Eye, or shen. It is the shen that allows you to “see” what is happening inside your body during Qigong practice. Closely associated with the shen is yi (᜿) or intention. Your yi allows you to move qi inside your body and circulate it through the

Another reason for practicing Qigong is for the cultivation of the “Three Taoist Treasures” – jing, qi, and shen (very loosely translated as body, mind, and spirit

Hand in mudra. Photo by Daniel Cashman.

Half lotus position. Photo by Wanda Cashman.


Hands over dantien with thumbs touching. Photo by Wanda Cashman.

meridians. We say that “yi leads qi,” which means that if you want your qi to go somewhere, you have to use your yi to make it happen.

Example of Practice – Minor Universal Circulation One of the safest and most effective methods of Qigong is called Minor Universal Circulation Qigong. In this exercise one practices circulating qi through two acupuncture meridians called the “Governing” and the “Conception.” These channels make a complete circle around the torso, with the Governing meridian running up through the spine and the Conception meridian completing the circle by running down the length of the front of the body.

“Lifting the Sky” Qigong. Photo by Daniel Cashman.

This exercise is performed in two parts. The first part involves clearing the mind, regulating the breath, and inhaling qi from the outside. As you exhale, use your yi to push this qi into your dantien. With each breath, form this qi into a ball. Do this until your dantien is filled. The second part of this exercise is to circulate this ball of qi through the Governing and Conception meridians. Once completed, move the ball of qi back into your dantien. “Open Wisdom” Qigong. Photo by Daniel Cashman.

This is a basic qi cultivation exercise, and it is done to regulate and harmonize qi as well as to cultivate yin and yang, and improve health and vitality.B

Daniel Cashman is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is the co-owner of Seattle Asian Medicine and Martial Arts where he teaches Chun Kuo Kung Fu. He can be reached at 206-363-0471 or [email protected].

Seated Qigong practice. Photo by Miriam Cashman.

Harmonizing the Triple Burner. Photo by Daniel Cashman.

“Shaolin Monastery” Qigong. Photo by Daniel Cashman.


FEATURED WEAPON

Blade length: 30” Overall weight: 5 lb. Date unknown

T

he Guandao is one of the most iconic weapons of Kung Fu. It is named after General Guan Yu (䰌㗭) (?-220 CE), whose heroism was depicted in the Chinese classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms (й഻╄㗙), attributed to Luo Guanzhong (㖵䋛ѝ). Guan Yu is highly venerated in Chinese culture and is considered the patron saint of martial arts and literature. According the legend, General Guan’s signature weapon was the Green Dragon Crescent Blade (qinglong yanyuedao 䶂喽‫ٳ‬ᴸ࠰) which weighed a whopping 82 jin (ᯔ). The jin is an ancient unit of measurement, and there’s some discrepancy of its exact weight across different dynasties, but it is most commonly converted using the Ming Dynasty standard because that was when Romance of the Three Kingdoms was written. Using this measurement, Guan Yu’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade would have weighed over 100 pounds. This example is not nearly so heavy. When it comes to Guandao, there are examples that are excessively heavy that are used for temple altars, Chinese acrobatics and Kung Fu training. There are also examples of a more practical combat weight like this one. Note that when a Guandao is really heavy, it is largely due to having a solid metal shaft. For this example, only the blade head is original. The shaft is newly restored. However, it’s unlikely that this was ever excessively heavy as if the original shaft was constructed from solid metal, it probably would not need restoration. The blade is fairly uniform in width which is another indicator that this was a more practical example of the weapon. Modern Guandao blades tend to flair out dramatically near the hook. This lends itself to a more caricature example of the blade, appropriate for Chinese opera because it will read well from stage, but unwieldy for actual combat. The blade is in excellent shape, with several unique scallops on the spine and a long tang that is double-peened deep into the shaft of the handle. The dragon-head throat piece is cast of a brassy metal with a coppery collar behind the guard. The restorers did an excellent job keeping the weapon well balanced.B From the private collection of Arthur Chin.

Traditional Solid Steel Spear

NEW Overall length is approx. 91 inch; spear head is approx. 9 inch. 45-054 $59.99 (+ $15 S/H)

Wushu Guandao

Wushu Pudao

2-Pieces Dragon Head Guandao

Lightweight Steel, overall 60”, 21/2 lbs. 45-82WU $84.99 (+ $15 S/H)

8 lbs. Solid brass fitting, Steel, overall 80”)

Lightweight Steel, overall 75”, 4 lbs. 45-81WU $105.25 (+ $15 S/H)

45-88SS $199 (+ $15 S/H)

2-Pieces Wushu Pudao Dragon Head Guandao 8.5 lbs. Solid brass fitting, Steel overall 82” 45-88 $127.99 (+ $15 S/H)

Lightweight Steel, overall 65”, 4 lbs. 45-82WUC $94.99 (+ $15 S/H)

Single Headed Spear overall 84” 45-051A $39.99 (+ $15 S/H) Carrying case NOT included

Also available:

Lightweight Wushu Spear overall 80”

45-051B $39.99 (+ $15 S/H) Carrying case NOT included

Wushu Spear Head Lightweight spearhead w/red tassel

Spearhead Tassel small

medium

large

45-01WS

45-01WM

$10.49

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$11.39

$12.29

traditional 45-01

45-051ST

$10.49

$2.49

MartialArtsMart.com advocates caution and courtesy in training and disclaims all liability from the use of our products.

Grandmaster Chen Tongshan Most long weapons come with a durable, custom-fitted, black nylon carrying case. (Unless stated otherwise)

Please Note: Long weapons may incur extra shipping charges. Contact us for details. Wushu Steel is usually lightweight, chrome-plated and rust free. Wushu swords are flexible with a 90180 degree bend.

KUNG FU TAI CHI CALENDAR 72851$0(176 *$7+(5,1*6 2016-02-26 (3 Days) 2016 Compete Nationals Held at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario California. Karate, Sparring and Grappling. Bring out your best! Come to COMPETE! The largest, most prestigious martial arts championship on the West Coast! We look forward to welcoming you again at the beautiful Ontario Convention Center in Ontario California for a world class martial arts competition. TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Amanda Jahanvash 909-860-6503 Ontario, CA 91764 www.compete-karate.com 2016-03-12 24th Annual Chinese Martial Arts Tournament at Berkeley The Chinese Martial Arts Tournament, also known as CMAT is held by Cal Wushu every Spring U.C. Berkeley. In the tournament, about 500 martial artists will compete in divisions such as Contemporary/Traditional Wushu, Taiji, and Pushhands. TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: University of California Martial Arts Program: CMAT 2301 Bancroft Way, Rm 145, Berkeley, CA 94720 [email protected] - http://cmat.calwushu.com 2016-03-19 41st World Health Fitness Wellness and Martial Arts Expo Workshops in Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Karate, Jiu Jitsu, MMA/UFC techniques by UFC ranked fighters, Tai Chi, Qigong, Krav Maga, Competition Bo, Kick Boxing, Long Boxing, Innovative Self defense, Pressure points, Locks, Hapkido, Wrestling, Breaking, Nutrition, Health, Personal Training, Martial Arts Business, White Crane, Kenpo, Shaolin techniques, Ground fighting, Fighting Katas, Okinawan Techniques and much more. Helping the “Wounded Warriors Project”. Contact: Dr Ibraham Ahmed 313-815-8767 Hilton Orlando 6001 Destination Parkway, Orlando, FL 32819 [email protected] - http://www.starsforcharityexpo.com


For the most up-to-date listings, visit our online interactive calendar at KungFuMagazine.com 2016-05-21 (2 Days) 2016 Tiger Claw Elite Championships & KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY Held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, South Hall (150 West San Carlos Street). Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship is Saturday & Sunday. The 2015 Tiger Claw Elite Championships drew over 1100 competitors and 1100 spectators. This year will be even bigger! KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY is on Sunday and free for spectators. There are ongoing demonstrations from noted masters and local schools, as well as workshops in Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qigong. This year, the Showcase and Internal division competition for Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship will be held on KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Gigi Oh 510-656-5100 X141 or Gene Ching 510-656-5100 X137 40748 Encyclopedia Circle, Fremont, CA, 94538 [email protected] or [email protected] www.TigerClawElite.com & www.KungFuTaiChiDay.com

To get listed in our NEWS section, go to our official website at www.KungFuMagazine.com and click “Calendar” to register. Online listings are edited for content. Events are transferred to our print magazine if posted before deadline (up to 3 months in advance). If you cannot access the Internet, send your event information to: Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine 40748 Encyclopedia Circle, Fremont, CA 94538 or FAX 510-656-8844 ATTN: Gene. This is a public service to the Martial Arts Community. The publishers expressly disclaim any and all liability relating to these events.

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7RHQVXUHEHVW¿WSOHDVHWU\RQSURGXFWZKHQSRVVLEOH,IVL]HE\KHLJKWLV GLIIHUHQWWKDQVL]HE\ZHLJKWXVHWKHODUJHUVL]HUHFRPPHQGHG SINGLE WEAVE JUDO NINJA KEIKOG HAKAMA SILK K/F TRAD. K/F HVY WT. LT. WT. WEIGHT

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UP TO 34A

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34B & UP

CUP & SUPPORTER WAIST SIZE


80 LBS.

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3. Returns/Exchanges/Repairs: •Please have your Invoice No. and/or customer No. ready and call us to get a RETURN AUTHORIZATION NO. within 7 days of receipt. Unauthorized returns will be rejected without liability. •Unless it is proven to be a manufacturer’s defect, improperly used merchandise will not be accepted for refund or exchange. •We will repair or replace manufacturer’s defective merchandise at no charge. •Videos and books can be only exchanged for the same title if defective from the manufacturer.

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65 LBS.

CUSTOMER SERVICE 1. Delivery/Ship-A-Gift We will ship your order out the same day if payment is made upon receiving a money order or by Credit Card before 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Personal Checks have to be held for 10-14 working days before shipping. Normal methods of shipping are UPS ground service and 3RVW2I¿FHVHUYLFH*LIW&HUWL¿FDWHVDOVRDYDLODEOHEXWRUGHUVDUHQRW sent gift-wrapped. Need it fast? Please ask our sales person to review the quick delivery options that are available.

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HEIGHT

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18” - 23” CHS

23” - 26”

26” - 32”

32” - 36”

37” - 42”

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Elite Competition Swords

Sharpened Ninja Sword (sharpened stainless steel blade 26”)

16-30 $134.99

Ninja Series DVD by Grand Master Harunaka Hoshino Ninja Style Kenjutsu: Part I - DVD-HH001 $24.95 Ninja Style Kenjutsu: Part II - DVD-HH002 $24.95 Ninja Shuriken - DVD-HH003 $24.95 Tanto-Jutsu - DVD-HH004 $24.95 Vol. 1 & 2: DVD-HH010 $39.95

Long Sword (Sword length 38”) 35-15L $132.99

Short Sword (Sword length 34”) 35-15M $123.49

Yawara

Rubber Stars

16-12 (wave) 16-13 (8 Points) 16-14 (4 Points) $ 1.49

*Ninja Star Pack 12 assorted stars 16-12PAK $17.88

Wood (45-25) $9.99

Ninja Keychain

Black Aluminum (45-24) $16.65

16-11K Black 16-11C Chrome $7.99 each

Manriki Chains

Ninja shogee

Hanwei Sword Oil

Solid steel with a 115 inch chain and a 13 inch hook head

Alicia Forbrich

45-2110 $9.99

45-20C Chrome 45-20K Black $11.99 each

16-20 $31.99

Ninja Boken (34”) 16-05 $12.49

Grappling Hook (30 - 33’) 16-25 $33.49

heavyduty plated steel (2’)

Foot Spikes 16-10 $17.99/pair

Hand Claw 16-09 $17.99/pair Products may vary slightly due to different shipments by the manufacturers.

Ninja Uniform Set Includes: Jacket, Pants, Hood, Mask & Arm Guards. Sizes: XXXS-XL

Black 16-01 $41.99 - $52.99

Steel Fan 16-06 $46.99 Lacquer Wooden Sword Stand Black or Natural 35-09 $22.99 ea.

Single Sword Stand (Sword not included)

Hi-Top Tabbi 35-08 $22.99 ea.

Sizes: 7–13 16-08 $48.99/pair

Kusara Kama 16-21 $31.99

CHOLLYWOOD RISING

By Gene Ching

L

ast year, two martial heavyweights duked it out over the Asian box office: Jackie Chan versus Donnie Yen. Both Jackie’s Skiptrace and Donnie’s Ip Man 3 opened on the Christmas weekend. Skiptrace marks Jackie’s return to what he does best – action comedy. Starring alongside him are comedian Johnny Knoxville, WWE Diva Eve Torres, and China’s top starlet, Fan Bingbing, who Forbes named as the fourth-highest paid actress in the world this year, right behind Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johannsen and Melissa McCarthy. Production was plagued by accidents: cameraman Chan Kwokhung drowned and Jackie was almost drowned. Skiptrace joins Jackie’s cluster potential cross-over films like his Indian-China cooperative venture, Kung Fu Yoga, and The Foreigner, which recently signed former Bond star Pierce Brosnan. At this writing, the U.S. release date of Skiptrace is unknown.

Ip Man 3 continues Donnie’s most successful franchise, co-starring former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson as the villain for added international appeal. Donnie has been getting good Hollywood press with his upcoming roles in Star Wars: Rogue One and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2. He has worked on Hollywood projects before, such as Highlander: End Game (2000) and Blade 2 (2002), but really hit it big in Hong Kong where he is now considered the top action star. With over sixty films to his credit and having perfect English (he was raised in Boston), Donnie has been poised to become a major Hollywood star for some time now. The U.S. theatrical release of Ip Man 3 was slated for January 22, 2016, while this issue was at press. Just prior to Christmas, Mojin: The Lost Legend enjoyed a limited U.S. theatrical release. A martial fantasy full of magic and tomb raiding, the film stars Angelababy, Chen Kun, and Shu Qi. Shu Qi is still enjoying the accolades of her gorgeous work in The Assassin, which also had a limited U.S. theatrical release two months prior. Not only did it do well at Cannes, it won five of its eleven nominations at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards last November. Look for The Assassin at the Oscars as it is Taiwan’s submission for Best Foreign Film, but at this writing it is unknown if it will make the cut. On the same day as Mojin, Gina Carano’s film Extraction, costarring Bruce Willis and Kellen Lutz, premiered. Both Mojin and Extraction hardly stood a chance; released on December 18, they were completely overshadowed by the same-day


premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Just a month prior, Gina had another film debut. Heist, costarring Robert DeNiro, Kate Bosworth and Dave Bautista, had a limited theatrical release of only two dozen theaters. That’s surprising given an all-star cast, but on par with most Asian-imported films reported here. Perhaps it was poor timing, opening on Friday the 13th, the day of the Paris bombings and a week ahead of Spectre and Mockingjay Part 2. If that seems tough on Gina, never fear. She has some potentially bigger films lined up for 2016: the next Marvel franchise, Deadpool, premiering on February 12, and the remake of Kickboxer: Vengeance, co-starring with Dave Bautista (again) and the founder of the franchise, Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Monkey King Madness While the Christmas holiday rush always brings big blockbusters, the biggest Asian films come out over Chinese New Year, and this year it’s all about the Monkey King. It’s the Year of the Monkey, after all. AMC’s Into the Badlands, which debuted last November, was loosely based on the Monkey King (see our previous issue) and served as a forerunner of the troop of Monkeys to come. Last July, Monkey King: Hero is Back became China’s highest grossing animated film ever. It was picked up for international distribution in 60 countries, and Ned Lott is working on an English translation. Lott was voice director for the English-translated version of My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and several other Studio Ghibli films. The U.S. release date has yet to be announced. Monkey King 2, sequel to the effects-laden 2014 spectacle, Monkey King, is slated for release on Chinese New Year. The original starred Donnie Yen in the titular role, with Chow Yun-Fat as the Jade Emperor and Aaron Kwok as the Bull Demon King. It was released over Chinese New Year in IMAX and earned the biggest box office take in the world for that weekend. Originally scheduled for U.S. release in September 2014, Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven’s Place is releasing on February 2, 2016, on Digital HD. In Monkey

King 2, Aaron Kwok takes over the lead role and the cast boasts the luminous Gong Li as the White-Bone Demon. The sequel is set to be released in Asia for Chinese New Year but no word yet on a U.S. release. Monkey King 2 will face off against Kung Fu Panda 3, which will be released globally this Chinese New Year. That’s extraordinary as most films have significantly different premiere dates in different countries. Director Jennifer Yuh Nelson produced this installment in China with the intention of making a much more authentically Chinese film than its predecessors. Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu all return to the cast for the English version. But in the Chinese version, Jay Chou replaces Jackie as Monkey and Jackie will voice Po’s father. The Chinese cast is made up of all A-list stars: Huang Lei, Jiang Wu, Yang Mi, Zhang Guoli, Zhu Zhu and the Chopstick Brothers. What’s more, an untitled Chinese-American partnership project about the Monkey King was announced last September, bringing Lord of the Rings designer Richard Taylor together with Thor screenwriter Christopher Yost. At this writing, the project was still searching for a director.

Ng, a former contributing writer for this magazine, did a stellar job of echoing Bruce in his 2014 film, Once Upon a Time in Shanghai. Directed by George Nolfi, this project began filming in Vancouver in late November. Li Bingbing (not to be confused with Fan Bingbing) has been tapped by Stan Lee for another Chinese-American cooperative project titled The Realm of the Tiger. It is promoting itself as the first Chinese Superheroine; however, there are plenty of precedents such as Michelle Yeoh’s Silver Hawk (2004) and Bauhinia Heroine (2013). The project has yet to be green lit by China. Tiger Chen and Robin Shou are teaming up for yet another Chinese-American co-production, an action comedy titled Kung Fu Cowboy. The film begins production in early 2016.

Coming Soon

Last, but far from the least, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny releases in China on February 8, 2016 for Chinese New Year. The U.S. premiere is later, February 26, 2016, on both IMAX and Netflix.B

Master Fant-ASIA director Tsui Hark is teaming up with leading fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping for a remake of The Miracle Fighters (1982). The original was directed by Yuen and is a campy yet beloved Kung Fu flick replete with Daoist magic. The new film promises to be an entirely new story.

To keep up with the latest martial arts films, read reviews and discuss, vision our KungFuMagazine.com Martial-Media-andPopular-Culture forum.

Birth of the Dragon, a project inspired by the infamous Bruce Lee versus Wong Jack Man duel, has cast Philip Ng as Bruce.

“One elephant is killed every 15 minutes for its ivory. You have the power to make DGL̆HUHQFH´ –LI BINGBING, CHINESE ACTRESS

KUNG FU TAI CHI DISTRIBUTORS

Kung Fu Tai Chi is distributed by the following fine locations ARIZONA -----------------Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun of Arizona 1805 E. Elliot Rd. STE110 Tempe, AZ 85284 Mark Jones 480-820-2428 Shaolin Arts 4330 W. Union Hills Dr. B8 Glendale AZ 85308 Chris Workman 623-581-2000 www.shaolinarts.com CALIFORNIA -------------Chinese Shaolin Center Los Angeles 14823 Oxnard St. #1/2 Van Nuys, CA 91411 Sifu Brooks Nelson 818-783-2356 www.shaolinla.com Shaolin Temple Cultural Center 9143 La Rosa Dr. Temple City, CA 91780 Shi Yanxu 626-292-1355 http://shaolinus.com Shaolin Temple Cultural Center 3628 Nogales St., West Covina, CA 91792 Shi Yanxu 626-292-1355 http://shaolinus.com Tai Mantis Kung Fu 758 E Highland Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92404 Don Newton 909-881-2226 www.taimantis.com John Cho’s Kung Fu School 2435 N. Fresno St., Fresno, CA 93720 John Cho 209-225-9796 Lily Lau Eagle Claw 1651 El Camino Real Millbrae, CA 94030 Sifu Kalman Wong 510-201-3098 www.lilylaueagleclaw.com Gee Yung Fut Ga Assoc. 922 Jackson St., San Francisco, CA 94133 Ricky Der 415-725-8700 Wow Cool® Alternative Comics 21607B Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014 Marc Arsenault 408-921-5164 wowcool.com O-Mei Tai Chi Culture Academy 10070 Imperial Ave Cupertino, CA 95014 Yun Jian Zou 408 252-3988 USA Shaolin Kung Fu Zen 1161 Redmond Ave. San Jose, CA 95120 Xing Le Ye 408-806-0155 www.shaolinkungfuzen.com

CALIFORNIA (continued) USA Wu Chi Kung Fu Academy 40924 Fremont Blvd Fremont, CA 94538 He Tao 510-226-6813 COLORADO -------------U.S. Wudang Tai Chi Kung Fu Academy 2601 S. Lemay Ave. #7233 Fort Collins, CO 80525 Yun Xiang Tseng 970-221-3130 www.wudangtao.com Bob Cook Tai Chi Kung Fu Chi Kung 18076 Currant Creek Rd. Cedaredge, CO 81413 Bob Cook 970-234-1085 CONNECTICUT ---------Malee's School of Tai Chi & Kung Fu 249 Broad Street Manchester, CT 06040 Sifu Malee Khow 860-646-6818 www.malees-tai-chi-kungfu.com FLORIDA ------------------Wah Lum Temple of USA 851 N. Goldenrod Rd. Orlando, FL 32807 Sifu Pui Chan 407-275-6177 www.wahlum.com Wah Lum Kung Fu of Melbourne 662 N. Wickham Rd. Melbourne, FL 32935 Harry Lo 321-255-1048 Imperial Martial Arts 5116 US HWY 19 New Port Richey, FL 34652 Roger J. Roger 727-488-7985 ILLINOIS ------------------Lee's Martial Arts Supply and Academy of Martial Arts 15546 S. Cicero Oak Forest, IL 60452 Danny Lee 708-687-8707 www.leekungfu.com Academy of Chinese Martial Arts 9109 S. Western Suite #6 Chicago, IL 60620 Karl Knoble 773-723-2795 www.aocma.com KANSAS -------------------Ryukyu Imports 5005 Merriam Dr. Merriam, KS 66203 Bill Wiswell 913-384-3345 Grace Wu Kung Fu School 122. N. St. Francis Wichita, KS 67202 Grace Wu-Monnat 316-264-9640 gracewu.com

LOUSIANA ----------------American Kung Fu Academy 88 MacArthur Dr. Ste.# A Alexandria, LA 71303 Chuck Perry 318-442-9422 MARYLAND --------------U.S. Wushu Academy 701 Russell Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Christopher Pei 301-869-7519 www.uswushuacademy.com Flying Dragon 10730 Connecticut Ave. Kensington, MD 20895 Tai Yim 301-946-0462 Chen Pan Ling World Family Maryland Chapter 5831 Buckeystown Pike Evergreen Plaza Frederick MD 21701 Sifu John Scott 240-675-1718 www.scottacademykungfu. com MASSACHUSETTS ------Mark Warner's Professional Martial Arts 43 Market St Ipswich, MA 01938 Mark E.Warner 978-356-9800 www.markwarnerpma.com Wu Dao Kung Fu & Tai Chi 675 Concord Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138 Tim Hartmann 617-812-2180 MISSOURI ----------------Wu Hsing Chuan 5 Animal Academy 6740 Olive Blvd. University City, MO 63130 Sifu Larry Adams 314-721-6003 Shaolin Lohan Pai 8348 Olive Blvd. Suite C St. Louis, MO 63132 314-432-4218 www.shaolinkungfu.org Midwest Chinese Martial Arts Center HQ 8201 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114 Sifu Scott Winokur 816-444-4777 www.kungfukc.com NEVADA -------------------Warrior Spirit Martial Arts Academy 8974 Slippery Rock Way Las Vegas, NV 89123 Robert L. Jones 702-260-4552 www.wsmaa.com NEW JERSEY -------------Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy 68 Union Ave., Clifton, NJ 07011 Pedro Cepero Yee 973-772-8988 www.yeeshungga.com

NEW JERSEY (continued) Tibetan Lama Dragon Crane 13-A Basswood Plaza Monroe Township, NJ 08831 Sifu Green 973-714-2748 NEW MEXICO -----------Mountain Path Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy 7717 Roberts St. NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 Sifu Rob Bibeau 505-681-5603 www.shenabq.com NEW YORK ---------------Goodland Trading, Inc. 823 6th Ave. New York, NY 10001 Alex 212-643-8216 International Xin Wu Men Martial Arts Association /DID\HWWH6WUHHW$WKÁU New York, NY 10003 Long Fei Yang 917-577-5158 www.xinwumen.org City Wingtsun 1024 Sixth Ave. 4 FL New York, NY, 10018 Sifu Alex Richter 212-354-9188 Yee's Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy 366 7th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215 Sifu Peter Berman 718-768-7762 Sitan Tai Chi & Martial Arts / America Taiji Health Qigong 227 Michael Drive Syosset, NY 11791 Lynn Lin 516-677-1798 www.sitantaichi.com NORTH CAROLINA ----Hung Gar Kung Fu Academy Rt. 21 North, Mooresville, NC 28115 Rick Panico 704-663-6305 David Chin’s Hop Gar and Tai Chi Center 2444 Dunn Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28301 Sifu David Chin 910-485-0039 OHIO ----------------------Ving Tsun Museum 5715 Brandt Pike Dayton, OH 45424 Benny Meng 937-236-6485 www.vtmuseum.org

OKLAHOMA -------------Academy Of Self Defense, Siu Lum Pai Gungfu 2603-D S. Memorial Dr., Tulsa, OK 74129 Ray Hildreth 918-664-8202 PENNSYLVANIA ---------Academy of Ving Tsun Kung Fu 424 3rd Ave New Brighton, PA 15066 Dale Steigerwald 724-847-3300 www.academyvingtsun.com Philadelphia Wing Chun Kung Fu 117 North 10th St. Suite #4 Philadephia, PA 19107 Art E. Eng 215-351-6227 www.philadelphiawingchun.com RHODE ISLAND ---------Way Of The Dragon 877 Waterman Ave. E.Providence, RI 02914 Wen-Ching Wu 401-435-6502 SOUTH CAROLINA ----Shaolin Kung Fu Studios 196 Stonebridge Drive Myrtle Beach, SC 29588 Shifu Fred Christie 843-597-5634 www.kungfu-sc.com TEXAS ---------------------USA Chin Woo Federation 899 East Arapaho Road Richardson TX 75081 Jimmy K.Wong 972-680-7888 www.chinwoo.com International Shaolin Wushu Center 6515 Corporate Drive #L2 Houston, TX 77036 Shifu Shi Xingying 713-272-0276 www.internationalshaolin.com The Kung Fu School 8811 Emmott Rd. Ste 1600 Houston, TX 77040 Sifu Houston Fuqua 713-474-6660 www.thekfschool.com USA Kung Fu Academy 4327 South First St. Suite 104D Austin, TX 78745 Jeff Hughes 512-707-8977 www.usakfa.com

Become a Kung Fu Tai Chi distributor & get your school listed here. Call Joan Chien at 1-800-628-6552 92 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

Kung Fu Tai Chi is distributed by the following fine locations TEXAS (continued)-------Shaolin Wushu Kung Fu 1721 Saulkleinfeld Dr. Ste H El Paso, TX 79936 Jaime Perez 915-820-8192 www.shaolinwushukungfu. com VIRGINIA ------------------Jow Ga Shaolin Institute 600-D Carlisle Dr. Herndon, VA 20170 Lee/Momenan 703-742-7800 www.jowgashaolin.com First Defense Martial Arts Center 291 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon,VA 20170 Nick Masi 703-835-9054 U.S. Wushu Academy 2979 Prosperity Ave. Fairfax,VA 22031 Christopher Pei 703-698-8182 www.uswushuacademy.com

VIRGINIA (continued)---Laughing Dragon Kung Fu 3006 Berkmar Drive Charlottesville,VA 22901 Chris Goodbar 434-973-0318 Jow Ga Kung Fu Assn. HQ. 3221 Virginia Beach Blvd. Virginia Beach, VA 23452 Sifu Hoy Lee 757-463-8888 www.jowgakungfu.com WASHINGTON ----------Seattle Kung Fu Club 658 S. King St. Seattle, WA 98104 Master John Leong 206-624-3838 WISCONSIN --------------Shao Lin Boxing Methods 202 Travis Ln., Waukesha, WI 53189 Sifu Steve Kleppe 262-548-8824 www.shaolinboxingmethods.com

PUERTO RICO -----------Lily Lau Eagle Claw Latin America Headquarters Calle Ricci #40 Patillas, Puerto Rico 00723 Shifu Raul J. Abreu Tanon 787-647-5063 [email protected] SOUTH AMERICA ------Lily Lau Eagle Claw Rua Halfeld, Galeria Pio X 8-4 Piso, Sala 413 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais BRASIL 36.010.240 Sifu Clodoaldo de Silva Castro 32-3213-5778 EUROPE -------------------Lily Lau Eagle Claw Lesvou 12, T.K. 11 47 Galatsi, GREECE Sifu Christos Papachristos 69724-04665 [email protected]

EUROPE -------------------China Sports & Culture Heemskerkstraat 3 6971 DW, Brummen NETHERLANDS Patrick Willemse (0031) 6 1345 73 81 www.shaolinstore.nl

EUROPE -------------------Lily Lau Eagle Claw 48 Gainsborough Road Great Barr, Birmingham B42-1NA UNITED KINGDOM Sifu Hari Singh Dhesy 44-07739-536739 [email protected]

This list is available online! Join today and your school or store will be listed on KungFuMagazine.com. Listings include live hyperlinks to your website! Contact Joan Chien 1-800-628-6552 [email protected]

Our mats are constructed of High Density EVA foam for a safe, non-slippery surface. The Puzzle Mat’s notched edges form a secure joint that is easy to assemble and install. Our reversible mats allow you to change the color of your floor, either to designate rings or to freshen up your school’s look occasionally. It’s like having two mats for the price of one! Red / Blue

Reversible Mats Size: 3.3’ x 3.3’ x 20 mm thickness 20-24RU


KUNG FU HOROSCOPES: The Year of the Fire Monkey

C

hinese New Year Day is celebrated on February 8, 2016, but according to the Feng Shui calendar, the first day of the zodiac year is February 4, 2016, the start of spring. This is the Year of the Fire Monkey. Expect hot weather in the first half of the year and high winds in the second half. Drought, volcanic eruptions, mudslides and similar natural disasters will be prevalent. In personal health, anticipate an increase in kidney disease, reproductive disorders, bone and head ailments, sports injuries or broken bones due to falls. Humanity will be impatient. Large populations will be forced to relocate. World conflicts will intensify. Religious and peace organizations around the world will be calling for peace at an unprecedented level. Recommended foods include black beans, black sesame, walnuts, black rice, lily buds, black fungus and white fungus.

This year is called bing shen (3rd heavenly stem, 9th terrestrial branch щ⭣). February and March will be very turbulent. Anticipate increases in traumatic injuries as well as liver and gallbladder issues. Focus on safety, especially when traveling. April brings an increase in gastrointestinal issues and in May; watch your back as spine trauma is predicted. In June and July, be wary of cardiovascular and head ailments. For August, guard against respiratory issues, for September, it is kidney, bone and reproductive maladies, and for October, gastrointestinal issues reach epidemic proportions. Expect traffic accidents in November. Finally, in December, harmony will return, and by January 2017 there will be positive advances toward world peace. The geomantic prospects indicate there are two lucky cardinal directions and two fearsome ones. The lucky ones are southwest and east. According to eightdiagram theory, southwest stimulates wealth and career development. To get rich, seek a southwest location. Companies and homes with southwest-facing front doors have the advantage. Keep all southwest facing doors clean, neat, bright, aesthetically appealing and unobstructed in any way. This is a great year for mothers to assert their authority and manage their families. Recognize when mothers are speaking. In marital relationships, wives take the dominant role. Companies will thrive with women in senior positions, especially if they are over fifty. Do not offend them or there is liable to be trouble. Rams and Monkeys will be blessed with good luck and have grand opportunities to exhibit themselves. East is good for communication and emotion. Businesses and homes with east-facing front doors will be lucky. Marketing and sales take a turn for the better. Seize the opportunities by giving it your best. The eldest son stands tall this year. It’s also a good year to improve relationships and for matrimony. Company men over forty will be more effective, but only on condition that they improve their communication skills and travel. Standing still and waiting brings no luck. People in this group must think more mindfully; do not parrot others or just go with the flow or you will lose the best of luck. Rabbits must go all out for their careers – it’s now or never. 94 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

By Wilson Sun (with Gigi Oh and Gene Ching)

The two fearsome directions are northeast and the center. The northeast brings poor health and suffering. If your front door faces northeast, be especially careful. Make Feng Shui counter arrangements to remedy the situation. The third son is headed for emotional distress and frequent health problems. Young company men are likely to make mistakes and lack concentration. Give them a little more calm space to rest and attend to their mood to avoid catastrophe and lost work. Dwelling in the center will affect health. Do not take this lightly. Resolve this negative influence in advance with Feng Shui rearrangements. Otherwise, the probability of accidents and health problems is very high. The other cardinal directions are as follows: Southeast is good for wealth. Homes and companies with southeast-facing front doors are auspicious, so remember to ride this luck. If the eldest daughter is diligent, she will be lucky. Speak good and auspicious words, but do not bluff or exaggerate or it will backfire. Speak simply and pragmatically. Be positive to be lucky. Snake and Dragon females will have a lot of opportunities, but Snakes might stir up trouble, so better not to take the risk. South is also good for wealth. Homes and companies with south-facing doors will have good fortune. The second daughter will be lucky if she is more socially active. Bold companies will hire women in their thirties and forties. Females in this demographic, especially second daughters at home, must dress fashionably. Female Horses should upgrade their fashion and look to improve family relationships. The north must avoid recklessness. Be careful with knives and other sharp objects in locations facing this direction. The eldest son must beware of injuries. For those who are too keen on romance or learning, don’t sit on the west side. Don’t get easily fascinated or overwhelmed. For males, especially fathers or bosses, avoid sitting to the northwest because you’ll be prone to quarrels with others. Make Feng Shui arrangements well in advance. This period belongs to the element of wood and is associated with liver and gall bladder. Accordingly, afflictions of the liver and gall bladder are prevalent, along with gynecological issues, eye problems and mental illness. Traditional Chinese medicine believes it is easy to be invaded by evil winds in spring, resulting in colds, diarrhea and vomiting. Traditional Chinese medicine advocates going to sleep and waking up early during winter. Sleeping earlier nourishes the blood, benefits the liver and improves the immune system’s ability to resist disease. Get up earlier and go outside for exercise. Breathe the fresh air and absorb qi from wood. This strengthens the liver, brightens your eyesight and increases overall health.

FEBRUARY 4 TO APRIL 4, 2016

Astrologist Wilson Sun is a Feng Shui Master from Shanghai – [email protected]. Read more Kung Fu Horoscopes online at KungFuMagazine.com

In spring and autumn, temperatures change quickly, making it difficult for the human body to adapt. Your immune system is weaker so it is easy to get sick. It is best to dress in many layers of warm clothes. Keeping warm is of the utmost importance. Find a place with plenty of trees and grass to do your exercises. When spring arrives, it will be a good time to travel. More physical exercise will surely benefit your health. The following recipes are recommended for this time of year:

Walnut Sesame Porridge (Ṩṳ㣍哫㋕) 50 gm walnuts, Sugar to taste

60 gm rice, 50 gm powdered sesame seeds

Add crushed walnuts, sesame seed powder and rice into a pot with water and cook into porridge. Sugar to taste. Benefits: Nourishes kidneys and liver, stimulates brain and darkens hair. Reduces insomnia, forgetfulness, kidney and back pain, dry cough, dry skin, premature graying, constipation and turbid urine. Consume in the morning or evening as a snack.

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Porridge (⮚㯟⠅哖㋕) 100 gm sweet potatoes

50 gm oatmeal

50 gm rice

Dice sweet potatoes and add them to oatmeal and rice into a pot with water and cook into porridge. Benefits: Strengthens spleen and nourishes the five internal organs. Harmonizes spleen and stomach, reduces dry skin, pale complexion and weakness in the legs. Consume for breakfast or as a daily snack.

Tiger 㱾: 1926 Fire, 1938 Earth, 1950 Metal, 1962 Water, 1974 Wood, 1986 Fire, 1998 Earth, 2010 Metal 2016: This year is chongtaishui (offensive tyrant ⋆ཚ ↢) for you, which will fall into negative aspects. Keep a low profile and control your emotions. Don’t seek fame or wealth. Go to bed early. Don’t stick your nose in family business to avoid bringing trouble on yourself. Tigers love to travel, but this year is not conducive for it because you are prone to injury and disaster. Control your temper so as not to offend. The first rule is be calm. 2/4–3/5: You are prone to car accidents. Avoid all adventures. You will be extremely unstable emotionally, so take this time to rest and convalesce. 3/5–4/4: Your popularity will get an uptick. It’s a good time for advanced study, but don’t stay up late. If you feel like you want to vomit, try not to do so. Speak softly. “I would have probably felt better if I'd had a body double.” -Tiger Dustin Nguyen Hare ‫ބ‬: 1927 Fire, 1939 Earth, 1951 Metal, 1963 Water, 1975 Wood, 1987 Fire, 1999 Earth, 2011 Metal

Rat 啐: 1924 Wood, 1936 Fire, 1948 Earth, 1960 Metal, 1972 Water, 1984 Wood, 1996 Fire, 2008 Earth

2016: This year will be very smooth for you, much more so than previous years. The wind is at your back so let it fill your sails and carry you onward. You can yield twice the harvest with half of the effort. Get good treatment if you get sick. A business venture is imminent. Act quickly on job changes and many opportunities will appear. For the best results, play your interpersonal skills to usher in good luck.

2016: You’ll be looking glorious. Communication, cooperation and love are positive. You can’t sit still. You’ll have some speculative luck but it’s easy to do things unwisely. Young male rats must guard against overly emotional reactions. Deal with things calmly. Be especially serious with feelings. Avoid being too romantic. Otherwise, emotional problems will affect your health and career. You are prone to sports injuries so be careful.

2/4–3/5: Increase your contacts and communication with others. More opportunities will come your way but you’ll miss them if you act depressed or undecided. 3/5–4/4: Take any vulnerability very seriously. Don’t miss oncoming opportunities. Concentrate on your work. Don’t approach things half-heartedly.

2/4–3/5: Avoid getting into a war of words. Speak and act cautiously. Be careful what you eat as you are prone to illness from food. 3/5–4/4: Expect some emotional turmoil and a lot of changes. Don’t get grumpy about it. You’ll get into trouble if you don’t watch what you say. Be more patient as well.

“There is a reason for everything.” -Hare Bailee Madison

“If you could cross a lion and a monkey, that's what I'd be, because monkeys are funny and lions are strong.” -Rat Marlon Wayans Ox ⢋: 1925 Wood, 1937 Fire, 1949 Earth, 1961 Metal, 1973 Water, 1985 Wood, 1997 Fire, 2009 Earth 2016: You will be thought of highly by your boss, but it is easy for you to get carried away with these accolades and mess everything up. Speak very carefully. Give yourself sufficient wiggle room so as not to stick your foot in your mouth. For young male oxen, make great efforts not to be arrogant. Work with other people to heed your words and observe your deeds. If you don’t work well with others, it will bring big trouble. 2/4–3/5: L ove is in the air. It ’s a good time for you to socialize. B u t b e c a re f u l a s y o u a re p ro n e t o f l a t t e r y a n d i n j u r y . I f you are pregnant, get rest and avoid being overactive. 3/5–4/4: You are still prone to flattery and injury so be on your guard. Be careful driving and avoid spending evenings out. Stay away from anyone who brings you down. “Don't get mad. Get everything!” -Ox Ivana Trump

Dragon 喽: 1928 Earth, 1940 Metal, 1952 Water, 1964 Wood, 1976 Fire, 1988 Earth, 2000 Metal, 2012 Water 2016: You will be more disturbed for love. Manage things well and happy events will come in quick succession. Manage things poorly and there will be a dilemma. Human effort is decisive. Grasp the underlying principle. Be honest. Act for the sake of each other. Stubbornness cannot replace capability. To listen to the views of others, when walking with three people, one can certainly be the teacher. Be careful of driving. 2/4–3/5: You’ll be lucky with wealth but it is poor for your health. Focus on getting proper nourishment and keeping yourself healthy. Seek wealth, but only moderately. 3/5–4/4: You will still be lucky when it comes to wealth. However, don’t let your emotions muddle your thinking or you will lose a good opportunity. “What I say now is that the way the world underestimates me will be my greatest weapon.” -Dragon Calista Flockhart APRIL 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 95

Snake㳷: 1929 Earth, 1941 Metal, 1953 Water, 1965 Wood, 1977 Fire, 1989 Earth, 2001 Metal, 2013 Water 2016: This year is very special for you. It’s a mixed bag of good and bad. Success comes not from luck but from overlooking weaknesses. Your weakest place will be exposed this year and it may leave you completely powerless. There will be unexpected misunderstandings between you and your partners and friends. Your guiding principle is to be prepared. Wait in the wings. Do your own thing. Do what you are good at. 2/4–3/5: Financial temptations lie ahead for you. Be opportunistic. However, don’t focus solely on your own self-interests or it will cost you some friendships. 3/5–4/4: You are headed towards a period of loneliness. If you spend more time focused on the concerns of others, it will bring more friendships into your life. “Most of the time, people who appear to be evil are really victims of evil deeds.” -Snake Max von Sydow Horse 俜: 1930 Metal, 1942 Water, 1954 Wood, 1966 Fire, 1978 Earth, 1990 Metal, 2002 Water, 2014 Wood 2016: This is the year for working hard to make money. Be pragmatic and realistic. This wealth-seeking strategy will probably offend some of your friends. Be truthful with yourself – ask yourself, “What is the meaning of seeking wealth?” But you must not be unscrupulous. Concentrate on doing the things you should do. Do what you must do. The most important key to success is perseverance. 2/4–3/5: Work on attaining a clear understanding of your career direction. The main goal for you now is to not get distracted. 3/5–4/4: Watch your tongue. Trouble and disputes lie in your forecast. Your winning strategy will be to maintain an optimistic outlook and a positive state of mind. “The measure of life is not its duration, but its donation.” -Horse Peter Marshall Ram 㖺: 1931 Metal, 1943 Water, 1955 Wood, 1967 Fire, 1979 Earth, 1991 Metal, 2003 Water, 2015 Wood 2016: Display your talents and brilliance, and you will be blessed with the help of others. However, you must overcome unplanned obstacles and your own arbitrary habits to succeed. To be good at your job, use the strengths of others and avoid any of your own shortcomings. Be smart. Be sure to get a lot of regular exercise. The more you exercise, the more you will relax. Balance tension with relaxation for the win. 2/4–3/5: Good fortune lies ahead. You’ll have great luck with some real estate investments. Everything will go smoothly. Go all out now and you’ll have a great start. 3/5–4/4: Beware of getting food poisoning. Pay close attention to your diet. Be regular with your meals. Stay inside and avoid the wind and cold. “Honesty will never break you.” -Ram Kate Hudson Monkey⥤: 1932 Water, 1944 Wood, 1956 Fire, 1968 Earth, 1980 Metal, 1992 Water, 2004 Wood, 2016 Fire 2016: This is the benmingnian (source of fate year ᵜભᒤ) for monkeys. Do not aim too high. Take a calm approach and finish your unresolved issues as quickly as you can. Be more realistic as well; otherwise, you’ll have endless troubles. This year you must hold back on your emotions. Do not let yourself become fascinated by distractions. If you do, you’ll start a fire in your own backyard. 2/4–3/5: You’ll suffer from hyperactivity and wanderlust; beware, because you are prone to accidents. Avoid impact sports. No sparring for this period. Get plenty of rest. 3/5–4/4: Eat right because if your diet is poor now, you will get sick. Beware of emotional entanglements. Don’t ask for trouble. “Stay wise and the mind is untouchable.” -Monkey Rakim 96 KUNG FU B TAI CHI APRIL 2016

Rooster 䴎: 1921 Metal, 1933 Water, 1945 Wood, 1957 Fire, 1969 Earth, 1981 Metal, 1993 Water, 2005 Wood 2016: This is a year for romance, good communications, and more interactions with others. However, be very clear on the object of your affections. If you aren’t clear, you will give up halfway. Be open to receive help from many others. Choose who you associate with wisely. Stay among more positive people to receive more positive energy. Once negative energy interferes, you will repeat the same old mistakes again. 2/4–3/5: You may feel very sentimental. Make sure everything is properly handled and get help if needed. It is likely you will catch a cold unless you are aggressively preventative. 3/5–4/4: Home is annoying. Deal with children and emotional issues properly or you’ll repeat stuff you don’t want to repeat. Don’t be passive. “The further you fall, the greater the opportunity for growth and change.” -Rooster Julie Newmar Dog ⤇: 1922 Water, 1934 Wood, 1946 Fire, 1958 Earth, 1970 Metal, 1982 Water, 1994 Wood, 2006 Fire 2016: This is a year of safety and stability, but don’t let yourself relax so much that you lose your initiative. Take advantage of your spare time for self-improvement. Learn quickly how to make up for your own deficiencies. Many guiding angels will come to help. They will be your saviors in a critical moment by improving your relationships with all of your sincere friends and fostering goodwill to everyone. 2/4–3/5: Be on your guard. There are thieves about. Take any extra steps to make your life burglarproof to avoid loss. When things get entangled, handle them calmly. 3/5–4/4: Be proactive so you don’t lose what is yours, especially your property. Avoid disputes. The best preventative is to keep a cool head. “If you act scared, your body produces adrenaline.” -Dog Rebecca Hall Pig䊜: 1923 Water, 1935 Wood, 1947 Fire, 1959 Earth, 1971 Metal, 1983 Water, 1995 Wood, 2007 Fire 2016: This year, you are prone to disorder, confusion and suspicion. Move cautiously and carefully. Do not rush into anything. Seek multiple references and sources of information. Look and listen more to gain more knowledge. The well informed will not be blindsided. It will be easy to get into disputes with other people. Do not be so attached that you fret the small losses. Have the courage to look at the big picture. 2/4–3/5: Anticipate a lot of cooperation along with a lot of emotional situations. Don’t rush into anything. Investigate it fully first. 3/5–4/4: Many opportunities are on your horizon. But don’t get carried away. Know yourself. A moment of vanity might undo the prospects that fate has in store for you. “Staying humble has always been really important to me, and always being proud of what you're representing.” -Pig Jordyn Wieber

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Huang jin ren mai 哳䠁Ӫ㜸 By Zhang Song ᕐᶮ Huang jin (2nd tone, 1st tone 哳䠁) means ‘yellow gold’. Ren (2nd tone Ӫ) means ‘man’ or ‘mankind’. Mai (4th tone 㜸) means ‘arteries’ or ‘veins’ but when ren mai is combined, it means ‘well connected’. This can be translated as ‘Human connections are as precious as gold’. It’s a comment on social networking. This calligraphy was presented to Kung Fu Tai Chi’s publisher, Gigi Oh, from Zhang Song when she visited Chen Village last October (a full report of her trip was made in our previous issue). Zhang is also known by his pen name Guanyu (㿰䴘). He is a renowned modern Chinese calligraphy master, the Vice-Chairman of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Union, Vice-Chairman of Chinese Zen Calligraphy Union, Vice President of Maoshan Taoism Painting and Calligraphy Institute, and a registered calligraphy instructor with Chinese Calligraphers Association.


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