More Singapore pics.

Oookay, I am sorting out all my pics from the trip for filing – you know, burn them onto DVDs blah blah blah….

I thought you might like these taken in Singapore.

Taken at the (in)famous Orchid Road where every available space is either a mall or billboard, we took some time to visit the latest “Ion” shopping mall that got many tongues waggling with the facade……..

I know I know, looks like something out of a sci-fi movie…..

You can check in anytime you like but you can’t never leave.

I have this “conspiracy” theory – all shopping malls are  the same     everywhere, put up by the “Illuminati” as monitoring posts to study human behaviors for devising control methods.

Chas….ooops….I mean Scarlett Johanssan on a billboard.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” – the real apple Chas & not the Iphone……

All Kung Fu and no play ……

And before anyone goes thinking it’s all kung fu, kung fu and more kung fu in Penang….. Here is a clip to prove you wrong.

Like I mentioned, Peter Lum, my Zhou Jia sihing manages a café along the famous beachfront Gurney Drive where the beers are cold and the ladies are hot!

In the clip, you’ll hear me yelling “What is tiu tiu?” in Fukien, 2 words that are heard all over the song.

Well, believe it or not, Carnation Café like wine shops you see in wuxia movies, also doubles as a meeting ground for Wulin high hands…

It was there that I first met many masters and discussed our 2007 Martial Arts Gathering that was held in Penang town.

Anyway, I still got no clue what is “tiu tiu”……….guess I shall have to go back again to investigate…….hahahaha….

Peter Lum, my Zhou Jia sihing.

Chas looking all “drunk”…..eerrh maybe not with the beers …………..

Chinese operas, red boats, Crane & Snake.

Since uploading the Cho Gar Bun Chung WCK clip on to youtube, I’ve gotten a few emails from folks asking me a bunch of questions?

Questions such as:-

• History of this system?
• Is this a variant of Yip Man WCK?
• Is this a uniquely Malaysian evolution?
• Are the forms the same as in other WCK lines?
• Where can one learn this?

And so on and so forth…..

I even got a mail saying that I seem to spotlight the most on Cho Gar and whether I think this is the most “effective” ………

Ooookay……..

Por Suk, the present custodian of this system in SE Asia has got his own blogsite which caters only to those who understand Mandarin.

Talking to him in Penang last week, we agreed for me to work on translating his site into English so give me some time to work on it.

And no, I don’t think any system is the most “effective”.

That is completely up to the person.

I firmly believe that the man makes the art and not the other way around, regardless of which style we may be talking about.

I guess you could say that I have a special predilection for Por Suk’s Cho Gar because of the lucidity shown in his techniques that reflects the history so visibly.

This system, which dates back some 200 – 300 yrs ago, recognizes Shaolin’s Jhee Shim as the founder.

During that tumultuous period of Shaolin’s history, the art found shelter with the red boats opera troops and was later brought to Poon Yu – the ancestral home of the Cho family where it remains until today.

Fundamentally based on Shaolin Crane and Snakes fighting, the art took on distinguishing “opera” postures and movements during the hideout days on the boats.

The main form or “mother form” is something known as 108 techniques Siu Nim Tau using clearly identifiable Shaolin’s “Praying to the Buddha 3 times” Ming salutation.

The “Crane” techniques, personally, are standards used by Crane styles all over Fukien and Zhejiang.

Karate folks will find many techniques common to your “Tensho” kata, for instance.

The Snake is also defined and for those familiar with southern Snake, you’ll see much overlapping.

Then there is the “opera” component and nowhere is this more pronounced that in the closing posture.

With one hand on the waist and the other held above the head, this is something that you’ll see in many Chinese operas.

But just like in Chinese cooking, knowing the “ingredients” is just but one pre-requite.

To cook well, you’ll need the “art”.

Or Kung Fu.

And in this case, Cho Gar Siu Lum Ban Chung Wing Chun Kuen.

Here’s a clip showing the closing segment of 108 Siu Nim Tau and you’ll see the “snake” and closing sequence with that signature “opera” posture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cho Gar Ban Chung WCK.

Aaaaarrrggghhhh, with so many clips shot in HD, it took a while to convert to the format I need for editing ……

Anyway, here’s a clip that I assembled that features Por Suk, one of his students in Penang and some scenes of him teaching Chas Cho Gar Wing Chun.

It’s a good thing that Chas got some years of WCK and White Crane in his background or otherwise, this short training stint with Por Suk would have resulted in little.

But then again, if his cup is already “full” there would be little space for any new experience.

Enjoy.

Hips don’t lie.

Was about to power down my machine but I thought I better check my mails first – backlogged for the last couple of weeks …….

Found a mail from Stacy, one of my students in Colorado, and she sent a youtube link with the message “check this out, you’ll like it”…….

Now now now, whatever gave her this notion ??? hahahahaha …….

Taking it (not so) easy in Penang.

I knew from the very onset that the Penang leg of the trip will be nothing short of running around and getting as much done as possible ….. eerhh like short breaths …….

What with Por Suk prearranged to pass on some Cho Gar Ban Chung Wing Chun to Chas, me meeting with Peter (my Zhou Jia sihing) to discuss the many programs for next year, gathering with masters from the various styles for a dinner discussion and courtesy calls to some of the schools in Penang …. Arrrrghhh there’s hardly any time to savor the many foods that Penang is well-known for.

Then, this being Chas’ first ever visit, I got to make time for him to be a tourist – you know the tourist attraction sites that are so glossily described in brochures and now that Penang is awarded the Unesco World Heritage Site status, you just gotta see everything!!!

Take Kek Lok Si, the awe-inspiring Buddhist temple and without doubt the largest and best known temple in Penang staggered on the hillside overlooking the town of Ayer Itam.
Since the olden days, the hills of Ayer Itam are regarded as important geomantically. Known as He San, or Crane Hill, they are recommended as a retreat for Taoist practitioners striving for immortality……okay okay got that off a site about Kek Lok Si ….. I don’t write that well ….hahahaha….

The new bronze status of the Goddess of Mercy and according to some, a potential entry into the Guinness Book of Records for being the tallest is almost completed. I got to tell you that if this don’t inspire awe in you, something is not right somewhere ….blown light bulb somewhere you understand???

And of course Peter got to run a restaurant/pub along the famous Gurney Drive that serves Carlsberg ……….

What can I say???

Well, nothing else except that I will let the video clip show you more……..and if you are planning to visit Penang, go for at least 10 days.

Now for some sleep…..zzzzzzzz……and I’ll work on the video that I took zzzzzzzz………

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures from Singapore.

Hi folks,

Just as promised, here are some pics from Singapore.

Eerrh, you only see Chas in the pics because I am behind the camera ……

 

Breakfast Singapore’s style – Indian pancakes (roti prata) dipped in hot curry.

 

Chas and TaiZu/Grand Ancestor Sifu Teo Choon Teck.

 

My Fuzhou White Crane Sihing, Tien Ngoon.

 

Got more but it is getting late and I got to get up early tomorrow to meet my White Crane Sihing again and then it is off to the airport to catch a plane to Penang……

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the road again …. again.

So folks, once again I find myself packing to get ready to fly tomorrow morning to Singapore.

Will be there for 3 days and then it is off to Penang…..

2 cameras, 1 notebook and 10 days’ clothes change ….. aarrggghhhh !!!

Again, I am not sure how much time I got moving from place to place, so if you find this blog unattended during that time window, its okay – I did not binge out on Carlsberg somewhere.

I will try to upload some pics at least using my notebook and wireless modem.

Anyway, before all that …… those who know me know that I am a big stick fighting fanatic.

Starting when I was just a little boy and watching my dad/uncles and other folks in the small farming village in Singapore in the 60s, stick fighting was the choice weapon for most village “protectors”. Make sense too, you are not violating any laws walking around with a stick and those days, after the British left Singapore, things were a little chaotic and village guardians are expected to keep the community safe. Except that in any actual confrontation, sharpened lead pipes replaced the wooden sticks – same techniques but bigger kill “factor”.

So it’s no wonder that stick fighting left a profound impression with me and all thru my kung fu learning days, this is the one weapon that I put the most effort in.

Jeeze, can’t even remember how many forms and how many teachers, some just for stick skills, I studied with. I remember even trading forms, you know, my knife form for your stick form barter…… kids hahahaha……

So there you go, you’re a product of your environment, well at least, in my case …. I think.

Even now, when I chance upon stick forms / fighting videos on any mainland sites, I would download and study them.

Here’s one – “Beggar Stick” and by the looks, it appears to have Northern origin. Well, for one thing, the stick that you see is more associated with styles like Hsing Yi, some Tai Chi, Chaquan etc etc  …… like I say mainly “Northern” where it is more commonly know as “bian” .

Some southern styles also do “Beggar Stick” but typically using the “eyebrow” level or “Chi Mei” sticks.

We do one in Fuzhou Crane but then, we call it “walking stick”…..

The only “Beggar stick” that I’ve seen around here in Sarawak is the “Wanderer Stick” that is passed down thru the Hakka Grand Ancestor lineage.

And interestingly, comparing that and the one in this clip, I see parallels except maybe in the length of the sticks used.

Well, before I start to bore you, here is the clip :-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Golden Armor” by Chairman Jay Chou.

Eeeerh, got a youtube message asking about the music in the “Wushu Association Sarawak” clip that I uploaded few days back…..must be from outside Asia …hahahaha      :)

That track is “Golden Armor” by Jay Chou and here’s the MV :-

散打 Sǎndǎ

From Wiki :-

Sanshou (Chinese: 散手; pinyin: sǎnshǒu; literally “free hand”) or Sanda (Chinese: 散打; pinyin: sǎndǎ; literally “free fighting”) is a Chinese hand to hand combat, self-defense system, and combat sport. Not seen as a style itself, but is rather considered as just one of the two components (taolu and sanshou) of Chinese martial arts (Kung fu) training and is often taught alongside with taolu training. It may simply be seen as the practice of martial applications in a realistic environment or simply free fighting. However at the same time the modern standard taolu curriculum was created by theChinese government. They created and formalised a standard curriculum for sanshou as well. This curriculum was developed by experimenting with the Chinese military experiences in close range and hand to hand combat with reference to traditional Chinese martial arts. Chinese martial arts masters that were still in China (prior to the abolishment of traditional martial arts during the Cultural Revolution) gathered to contribute the creation of the standard curriculum.

Click here.

Something that I hope to see rekindled in Sarawak and looking at the clip, you are going to see that Sanda is not that far away from traditional training.

During the organized “lei tai” days, the scoring system is different and in some cases, imho, pretty “disordered” often ending in disagreements …..

Well, talking to both GM Sim and James Ting, Sanda is something that is planned for induction into the Wushu Association and you are going to hear more about this and my involvement.