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The Essence of Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan

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  • The Essence of Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan

    Of the various well known styles of Taijiquan, Sun Style is the latest. Please note that "Sun" here is pronounced like "Soon", and not like"sun", our nearest star that gives us life, as pronounced by English speaking people, nor like "son", your male offspring if you have joyfully produced another human being.

    Sun Style Taijiquan was invented by Sun Lu Tang in the early 20th century in his later years. He was already an expert in Baguazhang and Xingyiquan before he learned Taijiquan from Hao Wei Zhen, a third-generation master of the Wu Yu Xiang Style, who spread Wu Style Taijiquan especially in South China, and hence Wu Style is sometimes called Hao Style. Hence, Sun Style Taijiquan contains much of Wu Style, especially its short stance.

    When I first saw Sun Style Taijiquan I was not impressed with its combat application. Because of my kungfu background, I could still see combat application in this style, but at that time I found other Taijiquan styles more combat effective. I had no doubt that many people, including many Sun Style practitioners, would have no idea how Sun Style Taijiquan could be used for fighting.

    This was, of course, no slight on kungfu practitioners. I was only being honest with my opinion. Most kungfu practitioners could not use their kungfu for combat. If they had to fight, they would use Kick-Boxing or fight wildly.

    But there are not even patterns in Sun Style Taijiquan that practitioners could use to fight like Kick-Boxers or fight wildly. I knew that Sun Lu Tang, the founder of this style, was a good fighter even before he learned Taijiquan. According to his daughter, Sun Jian Yun, a second-generation master of the Sun Style, Sun Lu Tang mainly practiced Taijiquan in his later years.

    I also knew that many masters hid their secrets in the open. Combat applications were purposely distorted, and sometimes made flowery to hide their effectiveness. I recalled that Sun Lu Tang was an expert in Baguazhang and Xingyiquan, and that Sun Style Taijiquan incorporated the best of the three fighting arts.

    This thought gave me an "aha" experience. I suddenly realized the effective combat applications hidden in the seemingly dance-like patterns. To me, then, many of the Sun Style techniques, which looked simple, were more effective than many similar Taijiquan techniques of other styles. These Sun Style techniques enable exponents, if they know how, to hit their opponents as soon as their opponents made a move, as in Xingyiquan, or hit them at the back, as in Baguazhang.

    To make these techniques understandable to our Shaolin Wahnam members, I have modified some patterns in the set, but keeping the same routine as created by Sun Lu Tang. In this way I hope to realize two objectives. Our Shaolin Wahnam members will be able to decipher the effective combat application of Sun Style Taijiquan, and have a lot of fun doing it, while the secrets will still be hidden in the open to most other people, which I believe was the intention of Sun Lu Tang while creating this set.

    Wong Kiew Kit
    8th January 2016


    Sun Style Taijiquan_00004.jpg
    少林華南台灣 Shaolin Wahnam Taiwan

    Facebook

    "Then how could chi kung overcome diseases where the cause is unknown or when there is no cure? The question is actually incorrect. The expressions "the cause is unknown" and "there is no cure" are applicable only in the Western medical paradigm. The expressions no longer hold true in the chi kung paradigm. In the chi kung paradigm the cause is known, and there is a cure."

    -Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

  • #2
    Dear Mark,

    Thanks for sharing this. A quick question: Is Sifu planning on teaching Sun style Taijiquan? And if so, when and where?

    Yrs.

    Chas.
    Charles David Chalmers
    Brunei Darussalam

    Comment


    • #3
      Dear Charles Siheng,

      It would be great to learn Sun Style Taijiquan from Sifu! I don't know if Sifu plans to teach Sun Style Taijiquan, but I hope we can have the opportunity.
      少林華南台灣 Shaolin Wahnam Taiwan

      Facebook

      "Then how could chi kung overcome diseases where the cause is unknown or when there is no cure? The question is actually incorrect. The expressions "the cause is unknown" and "there is no cure" are applicable only in the Western medical paradigm. The expressions no longer hold true in the chi kung paradigm. In the chi kung paradigm the cause is known, and there is a cure."

      -Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

      Comment


      • #4
        Thank you for sharing the video here and on Facebook.

        It would definitely be fantastic to learn this as well as the other "new" style specific sets from Sigung. I am exploring the patterns of the Sun Tai Chi Chuan set at the moment and I really like it.

        Andrea
        Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

        Evening Classes in Zürich
        Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


        Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
        Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

        Comment


        • #5
          Thank you Sigung, as always, for bringing life to Sun-style Taijiquan! Sigung's interpretation of Sun-style certainly better highlights the hidden aspects of this simpler, less-flowery, style.

          Here is a video of Sun Lu Tang's daughter performing:



          Best wishes,
          Stephen

          Comment


          • #6
            I, too, have very much enjoyed watching the new videos of Sifu doing the "new" (to us) taijiquan sets. Does anyone know what brought this about? Or maybe it would be more fun to speculate
            Chris Didyk
            Shaolin Wahnam USA


            Thank You.

            Comment


            • #7
              Dear Mark, dear Family and Friends,

              Thank you for posting the article by Sifu on Sun Style Taijiquan. His performance of the set is exciting and eye-opening!

              It is quite a contrast to many other performances by other masters, making me wonder if they were, like Sun Lu Tang himself, hiding secrets in the open, or if they simply did not know what the applications are.

              It goes without saying that it would be a privilege and rare opportunity to learn this from Sifu!

              Shaolin salute, love and respect,

              Emiko
              Emiko Hsuen
              www.shaolinwahnam.jp
              www.shaolinwahnam.ca

              INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
              Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
              4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
              Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
              Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
              Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
              Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
              To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

              Comment


              • #8
                Dear Mark, dear Family and Friends,

                I have been combing video clips on youtube, and surely there is nothing out there that comes close to the combat application revealed by Sifu in this clip of Sun Style Taijiquan. The combat applications that are shown by others out there seem to work in a specific set-up, but in reality do not close/finish off the actual 'fight', and they do not take into the account whether or not the entry of the opponent is realistic or not.

                It would really be such a rare gift if Sifu were to teach the secrets hidden in this set one day!

                From the heart,

                Emiko
                Emiko Hsuen
                www.shaolinwahnam.jp
                www.shaolinwahnam.ca

                INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
                Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
                4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
                Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
                Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
                Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
                Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
                To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

                Comment


                • #9
                  Dear Mark,

                  Thank you for posting Sifu's eye opening article. Sun Style is probably the style of Taijiquan I knew the least about, and it was wonderful to read about its origins and to watch how Sifu has made the applications very clear in the set.

                  Before meeting Sifu I did one year of Wu style Taijiquan (one of the two Wu styles, although I don't quite know which one), and I remember actually being shocked to discover that Taijiquan was a martial art! (I originally started before I thought it would be good for my joints - which indeed it was).

                  As Emiko Sije mentioned there is nothing on the internet (that I know of) that shows the "big picture" understanding of combat applications that Sifu demonstrates in this video.

                  I can recognize some of the Xingyiquan influence, and although I have never done Baguazhang some of the footwork look very Bagua-like

                  It would be interesting to find out more about what looks like this commonly misunderstood Taijiquan style.

                  With warmest wishes,
                  Hubert Razack
                  www.shaolinwahnam.fr
                  www.sourireducoeur.fr

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Looking at the Sigung's Sun style Taijiquan performance brought joy and excitement in my life. I am really looking forward for the opportunity to learn this amazing style. Every movement looks so gentle, flowing and powerful at the same time. Thank you for sharing the video, it is just amazing!

                    From the Heart

                    Katia

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Dear Family and Friends,

                      I have been re-reading and studying Sifu's words on Sun Style Taijiquan and have been focusing recently on this part of his writing:

                      This thought gave me an "aha" experience. I suddenly realized the effective combat applications hidden in the seemingly dance-like patterns. To me, then, many of the Sun Style techniques, which looked simple, were more effective than many similar Taijiquan techniques of other styles. These Sun Style techniques enable exponents, if they know how, to hit their opponents as soon as their opponents made a move, as in Xingyiquan, or hit them at the back, as in Baguazhang.
                      One of the aspects that I have found fascinating from the 2015 Xingyiquan course that Sifu taught in Toronto is the point at which one makes contact with the opponent. As Sifu writes here, 'These Sun Style techniques enable exponents, if they know how, to hit their opponents as soon as their opponents made a move, as in Xingyiquan...' Sun Style must be a style of Taijiquan that enables an exponent to execute single moves that are finishing moves, just like 'piquan'.

                      How exciting it would be to learn this directly from Sifu!

                      Shaolin salute - from the heart,

                      Emiko
                      Emiko Hsuen
                      www.shaolinwahnam.jp
                      www.shaolinwahnam.ca

                      INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
                      Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
                      4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
                      Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
                      Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
                      Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
                      Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
                      To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi Sijie,

                        I have often heard about people practicing Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang together because they complement each other so well, but the idea of the three being further condensed/simplified/crystallized into a single art is both impressive and awesome!
                        Chris Didyk
                        Shaolin Wahnam USA


                        Thank You.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Dear Chris,

                          It is great to hear from you!

                          Yes, I completely agree with you. It crosses my mind as a passing thought, 'what kind of warrior Sun Lu Tang must have been' to try to put the best of the three styles together.

                          I can also only wonder how it must be for Sifu, who is such a skillful exponent of so many 'hard' and 'soft' styles!

                          I am still seeking non-SW videos on youtube of decent combat applications of Sun Style Taijiquan, and am coming up empty-handed...

                          Hope all is well with you and your loved ones.

                          All the best,

                          Emiko
                          Emiko Hsuen
                          www.shaolinwahnam.jp
                          www.shaolinwahnam.ca

                          INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
                          Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
                          4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
                          Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
                          Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
                          Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
                          Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
                          To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Dear all,

                            Sun-style Taijiquan continues to baffle me. Since I practice Xingyiquan, Baguazhand and Taijiquan, I know how complicated each style's movements are. Yet, Sun style Taijiquan is the most simple style there is to physically perform!

                            Talk about hiding secrets in open!

                            Best regards,
                            Stephen

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Dear Family,

                              I am thrilled to announce that Sifu has kindly agreed to teach "Sun Style Taijiquan - the essence of Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan", in Toronto this fall!

                              He will teach on Nov 4, 5, and 6, from 9:00am to 12:00pm, and from 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

                              Please stay tuned for more exciting details in the Announcements Section! Thank you!

                              Shaolin salute,

                              Emiko
                              Last edited by Emiko H; 5 June 2016, 09:02 AM.
                              Emiko Hsuen
                              www.shaolinwahnam.jp
                              www.shaolinwahnam.ca

                              INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
                              Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
                              4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
                              Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
                              Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
                              Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
                              Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
                              To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

                              Comment

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