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Dear Gentleman,
Thank you for the info and correct material. I would not like to Wong Fei Hoong a disservice by posting wrong pictures . We need to respect his contributions
Dear Family Members,
I made a mistake in posting the questions and answers. So please accept my apologies on this. I am now reposting the Q+A for the second question. So to get things back in chronological order here is parts 1 and 2 for Question 2
Peace
Mark
Question 2
I am very curious about the nature of the 12 bridges of Iron Wire in application when using techniques and strategies found within the Tiger-Crane 108, and Taming the Tiger. Could you please give us some examples of how they are used?
David
Answer
The 12 bridges of Iron Wire have puzzled many people, but the puzzle can be solved when we realize that the 12 bridges refer not to 12 different types of internal force, but the same internal force used in 12 different ways.
The same problem occurs in the 8 forces of Taijiquan. It is not 8 different types of force, but the same force used in 8 different ways.
As an analogy, you have the same money from your income, but you may use your money in different ways and classify them accordingly, like food money, rent money, entertainment money, and saving money. On some occasions, you may use the money initially reserved for one category for another. For example, to make your girlfriend happy, you may take some of the money reserved for saving to entertain her.
In the same way, the force used for “lifting bridge” in Iron Wire may be used for “retaining bridge” in another occasion, or the force used for “warding off” in Taijiquan may be used for “rolling back”. But because of the different ways of force training in Iron Wire and in Taijiquan, Iron Wire force and Taijiquan force may have different characteristics. Similarly the characteristics of the income from a manager, who receive a salary at the end of the month, may be different from those of a salesman, who receives a commission when he makes a sale.
Nevertheless, because of our ability of chi flow, we can readily convert Iron Wire force to Taijiquan force, and vice versa. In the same way, a skillful manager may make adjustment so that he can use his money whenever he likes, or a skillful salesman can make adjustment to receive a large sum of money at the end of the money.
The 8 forces of Taijiquan are ward-off force, rolling-back force, pressing force, contact force, spreading force, anchor force, shoulder force and elbow force.
The 12 bridges of Iron Wire which manifest 12 types of force are hard force, soft force, pressing force, straight force, separate force, stabilizing force, inch force, lifting force, retaining force, circulating force, controlling force, and matching force.
There is a poetic couplet in Cantonese to help practitioners remember the 12 bridges as follows:
Kong yow pik cheit fun ting chuin
Tai lau wan chai ding thien khuen
Word by word it may be translated as follows:
Hard soft press straight separate stable inch
Lift keep circulate control match the cosmos
“Hard” and “soft” are generic terms that can apply to all the other types of force. In other words, pressing force can be hard or soft, straight force and be hard or soft, etc.
(Part 2 follows)
(Continued from Part 1)
It is important to bear in mind that the classification of the 12 different types of force is to enable us to be more efficient in kungfu as well as in everyday life. It should not limit us. If we use a certain type of force in a particular pattern, it does not mean that only that force can be used in that pattern. This will be limiting ourselves, a mistake some students make. We can also use a different type of force for the same pattern. Knowing this possibility and being able to put it into practice enables us to be more proficient.
For example, hard force is usually employed in the pattern, “Black Tiger Steals Heart”. But a skillful exponent may also use soft force for this pattern. The type of hard force in “Black Tiger Steals Heart” is usually straight force. But if we want to use this pattern to press into an opponent, we may use pressing force.
With this in mind, let us examine some typical use of force, represented as the 12 bridges in the Iron Wire Set, in some of the patterns in the 108-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set and the Taming-Tiger Set. In the examples below, the first example is taken from the Tiger-Crane Set, and the second example from the Taming-Tiger Set. A picture series of the patterns of the Tiger-Crane Set can be found at http://www.shaolin.org/shaolin/kungf...-pictures.html and that of Taming-Tiger can be found at http://www.shaolin.org/shaolin/kungf...-pictures.html
Hard force is used in “Lohan Emerges from Cave” (in the Tiger-Crane Set, Picture 116) and in “Double Hanging Fists” (in the Taming-Tiger Set, Picture 54). When an opponent attempts to move away, you can press in with “Lohan Emerges from Cave”. If an opponent grips your arms, you can release his grip with “False Leg Lift Fists”, followed by striking him with “Double Hanging Fists”.
Soft force is found in “Right Circulating Soft Force” (Picture 31) and in “Bog Boss Offers Wine” (Picture 25). “Right Circulating Soft Force” is an excellent pattern to develop soft force. When an opponent grips your wrist, you release it with a sharp turn of your hand, followed by striking him with“Big Boss Offers Wine”.
Pressing Force is found in “Black Tiger Charges at Door” (Picture 37) and “Triple Stretching of Pearl Bridge” (Picture 4). In “Black Tiger Charges at Door” you control an opponent and simultaneously press on him. “Triple Stretching of Pearl Bridge” is an excellent technique to develop pressing force.
Straight force is found in “Double Dragon Emerges from Sea” (Picture 29) and “Dark Dragon Draws Water” (Picture 19). “Double Dragon Emerges from Sea” develops straight force, and “Dark Dragon Draws Water” applies it
Separate force is found in “Cross-Road Separate Gold” (Picture 128) and “Left Right Separate Bow” (Picture 28). If two opponents hold your arms, one on each side, you can release their holds using “Cross-Road Separate Gold”. An opponent attacks you with a sophisticated technique, “Rising Dragon Galloping Tiger”, striking your head and kicking you at the same time. You can respond with “Left Right Separate Bow”, followed with a kick to his groin.
Stabilizing force is used in “Tame Tiger Hide Dragon” (Picture 3) and in “Double Stability of Golden Bridge” (Picture 68). “Tame Tiger Hide Dragon” is applied as a taming hand to control an opponent. “Double Stability of Golden Bridge” is an effective to develop stabilizing force.
I really like this Answer from Sifu, it is an exellent platform to show the knowledge and experience of a Grandmaster
(Continued from Part 2)
Inch force is used in “Sink Bridge Shoot Palm” (Picture 45) and in “Continuous Pearl Punches” (Picture 95). As an opponent attacks your middle or lower body, you sink your forearm or elbow to intercept his attack, and counter-strike with a finger-thrust using the pattern “Sink Bridge Shoot Palm”. “Continuous Pearl Punches” is a series of pressing attacks on an opponent from close-quarters.
Lifting force is found in “Immortal Emerges from Cave” (Picture 50) and “Double Bows Tame Tiger” (Picture 86). As an opponent attempts to grip your head with his two hands, you lift them up using “Immortal Emerges from Cave”. When you are in contact with an opponent’s bridge, meaning arm, lift it up at his elbow and strike him using “Double Bows Tame Tiger”.
Keeping force, or retaining force, is found in “Wave Dragon Back to Cave” (Picture 10) and in “Yun Thian Tames Tiger” (Picture 121). If an opponent grips your right wrist with his left hand, you apply “Wave Dragon Back to Cave” to grip his wrist instead. As you move forward to attack your opponent, he tries to kick at you. You still move in but tame his kick using “Yun Thian Tames Tiger” while moving in.
Circulating force is found in “Bow Arrow Thread Bridge” (Picture 44) and “Horse Riding Hand Sweep” (Picture 104). In “Bow Arrow Thread Bridge”, you circulate energy to your fingers before shooting out. In “Horse Riding Hand Sweep” you circulate energy to your palm for the hand sweep.
Controlling force is found in the pattern, “Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain” (picture 98), and in “Comet Chases Moon” (Picture 122). In “Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain”, you control your opponent with a powerful sweep of your downward tiger-claws. In “Comet Chases Moon” you control your opponent’s both arms while striking him.
Matching force is used in “Four Fingers Towards Sky” (Picture 9), and in “Single Tiger Emerges from Cave” (Picture 128). Irrespective of whether your opponent’s movement is attacking or defensive, you match him using “Four Fingers Towards Sky” to sense his momentum and intention. If an opponent attacks you with his right hand, you match him with “Single Tiger Emerges from Cave”. Then you thread away his arm and strike him with “Golden Leopard Speeds through Forest” as in Picture 129.
As mentioned earlier, the types of force in these patterns are typical of their application, but variations are possible. For example, in the “Single Tiger Emerges from Cave” pattern above, using matching force is typical. But for some particular reasons, an exponent may use inch force if he wishes to strike his opponent at close quarters with his tiger-claw, or use controlling force if he wishes to grip his opponent.
The classification into 12 bridges, or 12 different types of force depending on its application, is meant to facilitate our efficiency; it is not meant to enslave us. For example, if we use the force developed from Iron Wire to grip an opponent in a chin-na technique, or to strike an opponent, and we call it gripping force and striking force, it would be enslaving for a critic to say, “No, there is no gripping force or striking force from Iron Wire. There are in total 12 bridges with 12 different types of force.”
Legacy of Wong Fei Hoong Question 3 - Part 1 and 2
To maintain continuity I have included Parts 1 and 2. So you get double the fun
Question 3
What are the characteristics of the predominant animals in Wong Fei Hoong’s Hoong Ka Kung Fu, the tiger and the crane (and of the other Shaolin animals), in combat application and especially in daily life?
For people with what kind of character and body type is Hoong Ka best suitable and therefore recommended to specialize in?
Sifu Leonard Lackinger
Answer
The Hoong Ka Kungfu of Wong Fei Hoong is famous for the following three kungfu sets – Taming-Tiger, Tiger-Crane and Iron Wire.
It is worthwhile to note that during his time, as well as during the time of his successor, Lam Sai Weng, the term “Hoong Ka” was not used. They described their kungfu as “Shaolin”. In the three modern classics by Lam Sai Weng on the three famous kungfu sets, he also described his kungfu as “Shaolin”. The term “Hoong Ka” became popular about 50 years ago in the 1960s, about one generation after Lam Sai Weng.
The prominent animal of “Taming-Tiger” is the tiger, especially the tiger-claw. Some examples of patterns for the tiger claw are Single Tiger Emerges from Cave, Black Tiger Guards Door, Separate Sea to Search for Shells, Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain, and Hungry Tiger Catches Goat.
The function of the tiger claw is not for stretching, like making claw marks on an opponent’s body, as some people mistakenly think it is. There are three main combat functions of the tiger claw, which in Cantonese are known as “fun ken”, “chor jeet”, “na yuit”, which means “separating tendons”, “dislocating joints”, and “gripping energy points”.
These attacks are combat-ending by themselves. In other words when a Hoong Ka exponent has successfully applied a tiger claw attack on an opponent, he can let go of the opponent and the opponent cannot continue fighting. It is unlike a lock. When an exponent lets go of the lock, the opponent can continue to fight. In a tiger claw attack, an opponent cannot continue to fight because his tendon has been torn, his joint has been dislocated, or his energy flow has been stopped due to a grip on his energy point. We shall have an introduction to the tiger claw at the Legacy of Wong Fei Hoong course at the UK Summer Camp.
When you apply Single Tiger Emerges from Cave, for example, it is not just warding off an opponent’s attack, which we learn at the basic level. The pattern can be applied to grip the energy points of an opponent’s head or arm. When you use Hungry Tiger Catches Goat, you tame your opponent with one tiger claw, and with the other tiger claw you rib off some tendons in his face, dislocate his neck or grip his energy points on his head.
Kungfu is meant for fighting. Making some marks on an opponent’s face with a tiger claw is child’s play. These tiger claw attacks cause serious injuries, and we would not like to use them if we can. We do not want to fight in the first place. But if we have no choice, like being forced into a challenge match by an arrogant martial artist who continues ridiculing our arts, we must not be afraid to use these techniques the way they are meant to be used. We practice kungfu, not children’s play. But in friendly sparring, including with opponents from other schools, we just place our tiger claw a few inches from target.
The tiger form trains bone, which means internal force. Internal force is not just for fighting. It has three main functions – maintaining life, enhancing life, and giving us better results no matter what we do. It is extremely useful in daily life.
As the name indicates, the “Tiger-Crane” set incorporates the tiger and the crane. While the tiger, which has been described above, is forceful and ferocious, the crane is graceful and elegant. Some examples of crane patterns are “Reincarnated Well-Fed Crane”, “Hungry Crane Search for Prawn”, “Crane-Thrusting Technique”, “Single Leg Hungry Crane” and “Single Leg Flying Crane”.
While the tiger is famous for its tiger claw, the crane is famous for its no-shadow kick. No-shadow kick is not just a kick, but refers to a genre of kicking techniques performed in a special way so fast or inauspicious that seems to have no shadow. This class of no-shadow kicks including the organ-seeking kicks, the thrust kick, the tiger-tail kick, and the clutch-kick.
The clutch-kick is not found in the 108-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set taught in Wong Fei Hoong’s lineage, but is found in the 36-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set I learned from Uncle Righteousness.
There are two kinds of tiger-tail kick, the straight-body tiger tail and the side-body tiger-tail. The tiger-tail kick is not found in the 108-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set, but the side-body tiger-tail kick is found in the Taming-Tiger Set. It is also found in the 36-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set. The straight-body tiger-tail kick is not found in the Tiger-Crane Set and the Taming-Tiger Set. I learned it from the Great Majestic Set taught by Sifu Ho Fatt Nam. It is also found in the Eighteen Lohan Set which I developed from the Big Bell Lohan Set I learned in Sifu Ho Fatt Nam’s school.
There are various patterns for the kicking techniques of the no-shadow kicks. An example each are as follows: Single Leg Hungry Crane for the organ-seeking kick, White Horse Presents Hoof for the thrust kick, and Lazy Tiger Stretches Waist for the side-body tiger-tail kick. Hence, no-shadow kicks are not limited to crane patterns.
A pattern for the straight-body tiger-tail kick from the Great Majestic Set is Fierce Tiger Springs Claws. In the 36-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set, there is no special pattern name for the clutch kick. It is just called a “clutch kick” and is part of the pattern “Old Tree Falls with Root”. This clutch kick pattern is called “Immortal Li Steps on Clutch” in the Drunken Eight Immortals Set.
It is interesting to note that some of these kicking techniques are found in our basic Shaolin and Taijiquan combat sequences. But in the combat sequences, these techniques are not used as no-shadow kicks, they are applied as ordinary kicks. They become no-shadow kicks with the introduction of certain tactics. The no-shadow kick, which is a special martial benefit of the Tiger-Crane Set, will be introduced in the Legacy of Wong Fei Hoong course.
The crane form trains essence. The Chinese term “essence” is quick tricky when translated into English. It implies that crane movements are free from unnecessary frills, and only the best or the necessary remains. It also suggests that crane movements are elegant, and free from muscular tension. To those used to Western culture, without muscular tension may suggest that there is no force. This is not true. Crane movements can be very powerful, full of internal force. But the internal force is not hard like that of a tiger, it is soft.
These characteristics of the crane are very beneficial in daily life. A practitioner trained in the Tiger-Crane Set will be courageous and powerful like a tiger, yet graceful and elegant like a crane.
There is no special animal in the Iron Wire Set, but if I have to choose one of the five Shaolin animal that is closest to the way we perform Iron Wire, I would choose the dragon. There are two main reasons for my choice.
The internal force developed from practicing Iron Wire is very powerful, and in our school it is close to dragon force. In most other schools Iron Wire force, if it is practiced correctly, is more like that of a tiger. If it is wrongly practiced as isometric exercise, the force is that of a leopard.
Why does our Iron Wire force resemble dragon force, whereas that of other schools resembles tiger force? It is because, our Iron Wire force, while still very powerful, is flowing, whereas that of other schools is consolidated. The flowing force of our Iron Wire is due to the magic of chi flow.
The tremendous force derived from Iron Wire enhances our combat application, irrespective of what techniques we use, in every way. Some martial artists wrongly think that techniques are of utmost important in combat. This is not true. Force is usually more important than techniques.
This fact is well illustrated in matching juvenile black-belts with adults who are not trained in any martial art in combat. The juvenile black-belts will be badly beaten in real fights. This is an invaluable lesson to parents who think that their children who have attained a black belt level are good fighters. The juveniles are only good at demonstrating forms or in no-contact point sparring.
Internal force is not just good for fighting. It is more beneficial in everyday life. It will ensure life goes on harmoniously, make all your organs and systems work more efficiently, and enable you to produce better result in whatever you do. When you play games, you won’t be tired easily. When you perform intellectual work, you can work for a long time without being fatigued
People who are humble, determined, morally upright, neither too fat nor thin, and are not muscle-bound are best suitable, and therefore are recommended, to specialize in the Hoong Ka Kungfu of Wong Fei Hoong, or in any other kungfu style.
If a person is vain, he will not learn well. If he lacks determination, he will not progress far. If he is not morally upright, his teacher and seniors will not teach him their secrets. His teacher may not accept him as a student in the first place.
Indeed, at an advance stage where training operates at the mind level, when his mind is crooked, the internal force developed would be detrimental to him. In other words, only those who are morally upright can reach the highest level of training. This is not moralizing. This is a cosmic truth. It is also nature’s way of preserving the highest art for the morally upright.
Why were there some kungfu masters in the past who were wicked? They reached a high level of their kungfu, but not the highest level.
Some people may think of Pak Mei. Did Pak Mei reach the highest level of kungfu? Yes, he did. Was he morally upright? Yes, he was!
Pak Mei did not abuse his kungfu. He did not kill unnecessarily. He did not cheat? He did not womanize? He did not oppress the weak? He did not bully the poor. He was the First Patriarch of three kungfu styles, Pak Mei Kungfu, Er Mei Kungfu and Dragon Style, honoured by thousands of disciples.
Many Shaolin practitioners may consider Pak Mei their arch enemy because he led the Qing Army to raze the Shaolin Temple on Nine-Lotus Mountain to the ground. This was a question of political difference, not of moral issues.
People who are too fat or too thin do not have the right bodily structure to get the best benefit from Hoong Ka Kungfu. But this weakness is only temporary. After some practice, their body shape will be restructured.
People who are muscle-bound are not suitable. Their muscles will block chi flow, hampering the development of internal force which is necessary for any kungfu at the highest level.
I am really enjoying this thread and I particularly like this Q+A as in my opinion it is showing the holistic aspect of Wong Fei Hoong's legacy, not just the combat efficiency but the moral aspect as well
Question 4
Wong Fei Hung is one of the great folk heroes of China, and nowadays is known throughout the world. Unfortunately, comparatively few people today practice the arts that he transmitted and systematized.
Supposing a young person was inspired by the films and stories to learn the Southern Shaolin of Wong Fei Hung;
Can you outline the general aims, path and benefits of the Art?
Can you also talk about the martial and holistic benefits of the particular sets to be taught at the upcoming U.K. Summer Camp?4
Sifu Andy Cusick
Answer
It is incorrect to say that few people today practice the arts Wong Fei Hoong transmitted. Indeed, the lineage of Wong Fei Hoong is one of the best established today, with students all over the world.
Wong Fei Hong’s stories have been made into more than a hundred movies, and are very popular amongst the Chinese, especially the Cantonese speaking people. The three books of his successor, Lam Sai Weng, namely Taming-Tiger, Tiger and Crane, and Iron Wire, have become modern classics.
Wong Fei Hoong is one of the best known of Shaolin masters today.
I am not sure whether he systematized his teaching. I thought he taught what he had learned from his father, Wong Kai Yin, who in turn learned from his sifu, Loh Ah Choy. Loh Ah Choy was one of the ten best disciples of the Venerable Chee Seen, the first patriarch of Southern Shaolin Kungfu.
The general aims, path and benefits of the Southern Shaolin of Wong Fei Hoong outlined by me for a modern young man might be different from those outlined by Wong Fei Hoong himself at his time.
From available records, I would guess the following would be the general aims, path and benefits of the arts he would teach to his students.
The general aims of Wong Fei Hoong for his students would be good health and be responsible citizens for society. As Wong Fei Hoong himself forbid his students to fight, it was unlikely that he placed much importance on combat efficiency, though there was no doubt that all his immediate students were great fighters.
Wong Fei Hoong placed much importance on his students becoming responsible citizens to society. He emphasized two qualities, “chong” and “hou”, or loyalty to the country and being filial to parents. It is significant to note that Wong Fei Hoong was different from many other Shaolin masters just a generation earlier who were pre-occupied with overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming. This was mainly because during Wong Fei Hoong’s prime time, the Qing had already been overthrown. Wong Fei Hoong was the Chief Instructor for the Civil Guards of the new Chinese government in Canton.
I believe the path Wong Fei Hoong would choose for his students was to learn the three unarmed set, namely Taming-Tiger, Tiger-Crane and Iron Wire, and weapon sets like the Fifth Brother Eight Trigram Staff, which Wong Fei Hoong was well known for. If the students progressed well, they might learn Wong Fei Hoong’s other weapon sets, namely Night-Journey Sabre and Three-Sectional Soft Whip. However, there were no records that these two weapon sets were taught to his actual disciples.
Wong Fei Hoong was an expert in tit-ta, or kungfu medicine. But records show that he did not formally teach kungfu medicine to his disciples.
The main benefits his students get from his teaching would be good health, vitality and longevity, combat efficiency and being good citizens to society.
The general aims, path and benefits of the legacy of Wong Fei Hoong I would outline for a modern young man who learns from me will be different from those of Wong Fei Hoong for his students. There are two main reasons for the difference.
While these arts were the main arts of Wong Fei Hoong, they are selective arts in our school. Secondly, the culture and needs of Wong Fei Hoong’s time and ours are different. For example, Wong Fei Hoong’s students would take a life time to learn these arts, whereas our modern young man would need only 5 days!
Please note that we are talking about the aims, path and benefits of this young man (or young woman) taking the legacy of Wong Fei Hoong course at the UK Summer Camp. We are not talking about his (or her) aims, path and benefits as a student in our school.
The main aims are to provide him with a comprehensive introduction to the three unarmed sets of Taming-Tiger, Tiger-Crane and Iron Wire, and the weapon set of Fifth Brother Eight Trigram Staff, including the special skills of tiger-claw and no-shadow kick, and to enhance his breadth and depth in kungfu training.
If he decides to specialize in these selective sets later on, he may pass the secrets and benefits of the arts to posterity, including internal force training and combat application. The need to preserve these great arts is more urgent considering that today many practitioners of these arts bounce about like Boxers in free sparring, and lift weights in force training.
The path is to have a good understanding and practice of the form, force training, combat application and philosophy of these sets, including the philosophy and application of tiger claw and no-shadow kick.
The benefits are that within just 5 days he will have an in-depth understanding and practical experience of all these famous sets, which made Wong Fei Hoong one of the best known Southern Shaolin masters in history. The young man may know and perform reasonably well 5 days in what some practitioners of these arts may not have attained after many years!
For example, many practitioners may not know the combat applications of some patterns like Fierce Tiger Crouching at Cliff, Reincarnated Well-Fed Crane and Sun Moon Shadow Hand, but our young man will know. Many practitioners may not be able to develop internal force using these sets, but our young man will be able to, using methods like the flow-method and triple-stretch.
The aims, path and benefits from learning these arts in the 5-day course will enhance his aims, path and benefits as a student of our school. For example, the internal force developed from these sets will enhance his health, vitality and longevity as well as peak performance in daily life. The combat applications learnt from these sets will combat efficiency in sparring and fighting. Because of the benefit of breadth and depth, he will have better results in whatever arts he choose to practice later on.
Four sets will be taught at the Legacy of Wong Fei Hoong course during the UK Summer Camp. They are Taming-Tiger, Tiger-Crane, Iron Wire and Fifth Brother Eight Trigram Staff.
Taming-Tiger was the fundamental set in Wong Fei Hoong’s school to teach combat. Many of the combat sequences Wong Fei Hoong and his students used in their successful fighting were taken from this set. Students attending the legacy course will have the martial benefit of knowing how these past masters fought, and of applying the same combat sequences in their sparring. The holistic benefit is to have a theoretical understanding and practical experience of Southern Shaolin, or Hoong Ka, combat application.
As the name indicates, Tiger-Crane incorporates the tiger form and the crane form, as well as Lohan Kungfu which was the prototype of Shaolin Kungfu. The tiger form is known for its hard force and tiger-claw, whereas the crane form is known for its soft force and no-shadow kick. The martial benefit from the Tiger-Crane Set is an introduction to more sophisticated combat application as well as training of hard and soft force. The holistic benefit is enhancing bredth and depth in any kungfu training.
Iron Wire is an advanced set usually reserved only for special students who have spent many years in the school and have won the trust of the master. It is probably the most powerful set to train internal force. However, in my opinion many practitioners have trained wrongly. They have practiced Iron Wire as isometric exercise and have developed big muscles instead. The martial benefit of this set is to train tremendous internal force. The holistic benefit is to have a deeper understanding of internal force training, especially its flow approach and its consolidating approach, which can be applicable to other methods of force training and to enrich daily life.
To be able to experience all of these aspects of Shaolin -- the specialties of Wong Fei Hung trained with the internal secrets -- is a wonderful opportunity!
Thanks also to Sihing Mark for mediating this series!
I am really loving this thread . So many gems of information in it
Enjoy
Question 5
Grandmaster Lam Sai Weng practiced Iron Wire, yet he also practiced everyday for hours the "Technique of Wave Breaking Hands".
My question's are:
Would it be beneficial to our practice if we also incorporated the Technique of Wave Breaking Hands into our training?
Would he have practiced other external methods, like our methods of Tiger Claw training?.
Why do you think he practiced Wave Breaking Hands, when Iron Wire is already very powerful? Is it because the standard was exceptionally high back in those days?
Sham.
Answer
For us in Shaolin Wahnam, while it is beneficial to incorporate the “Technique of Wave breaking Hands” in our practice of Iron Wire or any training, it is not necessary. It is because we have many other better methods to choose from.
Our choice of force-training methods is unprecedented in kungfu and chi kung history. Even masters in the past did not have our wide range of choice. They also might not have our philosophical understanding. We also have the benefit of chi flow, which not only automatically erase adverse effects due to deviation but also enhance our result. Past masters might not have chi flow the way we do.
An excellent method to complement Iron Wire is Yang Style Taijiquan. It is worthwhile to note that for other people, including masters, practicing Iron Wire and Yang Style Taijiquan at the same time will cancel out each other’s benefit. But for us practicing these two opposing arts together will enhance our result. This is because of the magic of chi flow, which even masters may not know.
Two other excellent force-training methods that can enhance Iron Wire are Wuzuquan and Baguazhang. Any other force-training method is also helpful.
Just enjoying a chi flow after Iron Wire or any other force-training method will enhance our result. It will also erase any adverse effects unwitting sustained due to deviation.
For those who may be interested, the Technique of Wave Breaking Hands practiced by Grandmaster Lam Sai Weng was as follows.
Tie a long plate of human hair (from the head) together to make a loop. Go into a Horse-Riding Stance. Place the two arms in the circle of the loop. Open the arms in various ways with the arms striking the plated hair.
With hindsight, I discovered that this training generated chi flow. I believe that it was the chi flow that enhanced the force developed from Iron Wire training.
The Technique of Wave Breaking Hands is not specially meant for the training of Tiger-Claw. It can be used to supplement any force training, but is specially good for the arms.
Two typical external methods of force training for Tiger Claw are gripping jars and jabbing fingers into beans. Grandmaster Lam Sai Weng was well known for his Tiger Claw, and I believe he would have trained these two methods.
When I was training Tiger Claw, my sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, taught me three other external methods besides gripping jars and jabbing beans. They were Taming Tiger, Hopping Tiger and gripping an iron ball.
In Taming Tiger, a practitioner does push-ups but using tiger claws instead of the open palms. When he has attained a reasonable standard in Taming Tiger, he hops about in all fours using his tiger claws and his toes form one end of a room to another. Gripping an iron ball is like gripping a jar except a small but heavy iron ball is used instead. These three external methods are not usually taught in most other schools.
But a superior force training method by a big margin for Tiger Claw training is “Fierce Tiger Cleanses Claws”. This is an internal method and has to be personally taught by a master. I do not know whether Grandmaster Lam Sai Weng practiced this method. If he did he might not mention it as it was a secretive method.
Tiger Claw trained from external methods may result in a powerful grip. But Tiger Claw trained from “Fierce Tiger Cleanses Claws” enables a master to direct his chi form his Tiger Claw into an opponent’s organs, meridians or any part of his inner body. In my sparring in my younger days, some opponents later reported to me that they left some form of electricity penetrating into their body making their limbs or the whole body numb even when I did not use much force.
I guess Grandmaster Lam Sai Weng did not practice Wave Breaking Hands as part of his Iron Wire training; he practiced it as a separate art. The standard of internal force and of combat was certainly higher in Grandmaster Lam Sai Weng’s days.
Once I asked my sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, who was a professional Muay Thai champion himself, whom he thought would win in a fight between Wong Fei Hoong and a modern international Muay Thai champion. After thinking for about a minute he said that Wong Fei Hoong would win. His Tiger Claw was so powerful, my sifu explained, that a single sweep by Wong Fei Hoong would tear off a knee of the Muay Thai champion.
We are now over halfway and still have a lot of great material to come
Enjoy
Question 6
1. Since we have the advantage of chi flow and being able to develop internal force from the first day, how long and what manner of practice would enable a Shaolin Wahnam student to reach the level of internal force of Wong Fei Hoong?
2. In Grandmaster Lam's Iron Wire book it says that it is possible to become 9 times your strength by practicing Iron Wire. What does this mean and how long and often do you think he practiced Iron Wire to attain that result?
3. What is your favourite story about Wong Fei Hoong?
Jas
Answer
Wong Fei Hoong’s tiger-claw was very powerful. He trained everyday. He would have trained daily for 20 years to have his powerful tiger-claw. 20 years is 240 months. Let us say Wong Fei Foong developed 1000 units of internal force per month. (We can allot any figure, and 1000 is an easy figure for calculation.). So in 29 years, presuming that the rate of progress was uniform, he would have 240,000 units of internal force for his tiger-claw.
Wong Fei Hoong developed 1000 units of internal force every month, but that did not mean he developed 33.3 units of internal force every day. This was because Wong Fei Foong did not understand the philosophy of internal force training as we now do.
This, of course, is no slight to Wong Fei Hoong. Most masters, now and in the past, do not know the philosophy of internal force training. They just practice their techniques dedicatedly. This was also how I developed my internal force. It was after 17 years before I could feel some internal force. Our students now, with understanding of the philosophy of internal force building, can feel internal force on the very first day.
Wong Fei Hoong also did not feel internal force initially. It would be after many years before he could feel some internal force. Since the start of the accumulation of his internal force, his accumulation was also not uniform on a monthly basis. In his initial years, the amount of internal force developed would be little, and far in between. As he became proficient in his tiger-claw training, the amount of internal force generated would be greater, and happened more frequently.
But for the sake of easy assessment, we presume his accumulation of internal force was uniform on a monthly basis. He developed 1000 units per month, but he did not develop 33.3 units every day because development did not occur every day; it occurred haphazardly whenever his practice became perfect, without his conscious knowing. Suppose such haphazard but perfect practice occurred 5 times a month, which is a reasonable estimate. So each time Wong Fei Hoong was successful, he developed 200 units of internal force, and it took him 20 years to develop his powerful tiger-claw with 240,000 units of internal force.
Because our Shaolin Wahnam student is able to generate a chi flow, which is a requirement to develop internal force, he can develop internal force every day. Suppose he is only half as clever as Wong Fei Hoong, and can develop 100 units of internal force a day instead of 200 unit. He will then develop 3000 units of internal force a month, or 340,000 units of internal force in 80 months. Thus he can reach the level of internal force of Wong Fei Hoong in about 6 to 7 years.
Becoming 9 times your strength by practicing Iron Wire means that when you are successful in training Iron Wire, you will be 9 times stronger than what you were before you started your training. If you have 10,000 units of internal force now, you will have 90,000 units of internal force after your successful Iron Wire training.
Like Wong Fei Hoong and all other masters, Lam Sai Weng’s development in his force training using Iron Wire did not start on the first day, and the progress was not continuous when the development had started. For the first few years, there was probably no internal force. Later when he could generate a chi flow, but without his conscious knowing, he could accumulate his internal force, but even then it was still haphazard, but becoming more frequent as he progressed. I guess he would need about 10 years to be 9 times stronger than when he first started Iron Wire training.
Our students, with a clear understanding of internal force philosophy, will need less time. Basing on the same estimation we used for Wong Fei Hoong, our students will need about 3 to 4 years training Iron Wire successfully everyday to be 9 times stronger than they were before they started training.
Interestingly, my favourite story of Wong Fei Hoong is not about his kungfu, but about his use of language.
Wong Fei Hoong came back to his school holding a letter in his hand. Showing much excitement, his favourite student, Leong Fhun, asked his master in Cantonese.
“Sifu, hai mn hai yow kow ta?”
In English, it means, “Teacher-Father, are we going to have some fighting?”, thinking that the letter Wong Fei Hoong was holding in his hand was a challenge letter.
Wong Fei Hoong replied, “Ta ta ta lei kor tau”, which means “Fight, fight, fight your head.”
“Lei kor tau” or “your head” is usually used by women in an endearing manner.
It is interesting that a great kungfu master also spoke such feminine, and amusing, language.
My favourite story of Wong Fei Hoong concerning kungfu was when he fought with another master, while the elder brother of the other master was watching. The other master executed a tiger-tail kick at Wong Fei Hoong, which incidentally was Wong Fei Hoong’s specialty.
Wong Fei Hoong dodged the kick, and the other master rolled away. It appeared to be a draw.
Later, when Wong Fei Hoong had left, the other master said to his elder brother, who was also a kungfu master.
“I thought Wong Fei Hoong was a great fighter. But his kungfu was just so so.”
“Not just so so,” his brother replied. “Wong Fei Hoong let mercy roll from his hand!”
“What do you mean, Brother?”
“Have a look at the underside of your pant,” his elder brother replied.
The other master looked at the underside of his pant and was very surprised to find a big hole.
“How did this happen? Why was I not aware of his attack?”
“You’re still mong-sang-sang,” his elder brother said. “Mong-sang-sang” is an endearing term used to tell someone that he is foolishly ignorant.
“His tiger-claw tore off your pant as you rolled away,” his brother explained. “Had Wong Fei Hoong not been merciful, you clan-house would have disappeared.”
“Clan-house” is a Cantonese idiomatic expression meaning genitals. Without his genitals, the other master would not be able to produce children to carry on the lineage of his clan.
Thank you Mark Siheng for posting Sifu's wonderful answers!
I loved the stories about Wong Fei Hoong. I had never heard of those, and it was a treat to read - I laughed out loud with the "Ta ta ta lei kor tau" comment
Somehow the story about the tiger tail kick and Wong Fei Hoong's invisible counter reminded me of the stories about Sigung Ho too!
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