LingNan Hong Quan – 5 elements 7 stars.

Here’s a form that I posted in one of my other sites – something known as “5 Elements 7 Stars” done in LingNan Hung Gar.

Viewing the techniques, I see a  ”standard” Hung Gar techniques composition – must be somekind of a basic form…. I think.

GM Wan Lai Sheng.

The Martial Arts of Wan Lai Sheng

Wan Lai Sheng (also known as ChangQing or nick named XuanWei) was born in FuZhou, Hubei province. He graduated from PeiPing Agricultural University. He was known as a master of the Liu He (Six Harmony), Ziran (Natural) and Shaolin branches of martial arts. He was the disciple of Du XinWu, chief inheritor of the ZiRan or “Natural” school. He was also a student in the Shaolin Six Harmonies style with Zhao Xin Zhou. Exposed to much martial arts he also worked with Luohan Shaolin and masters of specific weapons.

In 1928 the Republic government of China established the famous Central Guo Shu Institute in NanJing. The Institute was headed by five chosen master. Wan was one of these five along with Gu Ru Zhang. He had also be a qualifying finalist, along with Gu Ru Zhang and Guo Cheng Yao in the highly competitive tournament of that year. Then he was brought to fame by winning the Five Provinces North China Tournament in 1928. He also captured First in the First Nanjing Wushu Arena Contest, a well publicized event. He was very active in Kung Fu producing such works as “Teaching Course of Practical Combat”, “Wushu Collected”, “School of Chinese Bone and Traumatology Medicine” and others. His work made him a “literary star” of the Wushu community. He was known to be honest, persistent and kind, especially to his students.

From Plumpub. For more, click here.

I think the late GM Wan needs no introduction.

We all know him as one of the greatest boxers of Liu He Quan and ZiRan Men; most books he published talk about these 2.

His Shaolin Luohan (Lohan) is interesting; LuoHan Shen Da or Spiritual Lohan Fist.

Can’t say I know much about this system apart from for a few articles that I’ve got.

The other art that he did was something known as “Taiji Old 13 Postures” – another form that I have not much info………

Shock.

This entry is really more to respond to a question asked by Chas, my senior student in Seattle.

But I thought it is good to share as I am doing a little contrasting between Fuzhou Crane and Hakka Mantis.

The article scans are from an old Hong Kong Magazine and on the first page, in bold, are the 2 Chinese characters meaning “shock” followed by “spring”.

Shock, in Fuzhou Crane, could be both contact kind of shocking like inflicting sudden pain on opponent usually limbs and then follow thru with actual strikes.

Or it could be just deception of any form as a set up for follow thru….

I got no direct experience with the Southern Hakka Mantis in the article but almost all the Hakka masters I worked with in Borneo talk about roughly the same thing.

Shocking and then application of the various “jings” or “energies” that Hakka boxing is so famous for , expressed in a very fast explosive manner within a range that is hard for you to elude.

Just like an arrow ejected from a bow and that’s why the Chinese character for “spring” has a “bow” on the left……

In Fuzhou Crane, we don’t shoot from a bow but rather “crack a whip”……………

Saturate before use.

Got an email from a gentleman asking – why are you putting up mainly forms and not “fighting”?

Well sir, timing, timing …… there is a time for everything.

But since you asked, here is a sneak preview ……

Just so you know, Sanda, sanshou or free sparring books make up the biggest segment of my library.

Even my own research notes working with masters in SE Asia these last 2 -3 yrs is mainly concentrated on fighting principles of their systems.

“To learn and not use is poor scheme” so goes one Chinese saying………

The scans are from an excellent book illustrating all the ranges of fighting and the best part is that most of the techniques are “classical techniques” – culled from traditional forms.

You see techniques from Monkey, Lohan including iron-head fighting, Chen Tai Chi and throughout the book, many other classical techniques presented in a Sanda format.