Flying Dragon Tiger Stick.
July 23, 2009
Here’s another rarely heard stick form – “Flying Dragon Tiger” form.
Created by Northern Stick Expert, Zhiang De, this form, through the passage of time, is now practiced in Canton in the south.
This book credits the form to a Lei Ren Shen, apparently a authority in numerous styles that include Choy Li Fut, Choy Gar, Fukien Monkey-Crane Bozxing, Jin Wu, Shaolin Left/Right 13 Spears etc etc….
With a name like “Flying Dragon Tiger”, the form is refreshingly devoid of any flowery fanciful techniques – you know Wushu-ish impractical movements.
In fact, going thru the book, many of the techniques bring to mind some Hakka kind of single head rat tail poles.
Most of the counter techniques involve striking opponent’s leading hand holding his weapon.
“Defanging the Snake” CKF’s style.
Nice……
CCTV – Choy Li Fut.
July 23, 2009
Here’s another superbly done CCTV documentary, this time talking about beginning, development and current state of this aggressive southern system that has followers numbering in the millions worldwide.
Ya, ya I know I posted segments of this before … but I am “pre-empting” any request for the whole thing…..
Founded some 170 years ago in a small village, Xin Hui, by Chan Heong (I am using both Mandarin and Cantonese when I spell), this documentary did a fantastic job in tracing the early days of the style from Xin Hui to SE Asia and then back.
Historically illustrious due to involvements in fighting the British and subsequently the Manchurians during the Taiping Revolution, this is one battle-proven system with many farming and daily implements improvised into effective battlefield weapons.
I love the way one of the Sifus explain the cultural importance of some of the postures found in their forms.
We all know about the palm and fist “Ming” salute but how many are aware that the palm also symbolize the Heavens and the fist, Earth?
So besides “Overthrow the Ching to restore the Ming”, the salute also denotes “Heavens and Earth Society”.
I said this many times before, if you are doing kung fu only for the “keeping fit” and “fighting” aspects, leave the cultural facet alone.
It might not mean anything to you but to a lot of us, it’s everything!
Don’t criticize what you can’t understand……
