Shaolin Pakua Set

[Kevin_B]

Dear Family,

As announced earlier today, Sigung will be teaching the Shaolin Pakua Set in Ireland next February. I am opening this thread to facilitate a discussion on the set and its training in order help us all prepare as best as we can for the course.

Who has started learning it? (or in Sifu Leo's case has learned it?)
Any thoughts or first impressions?
Has anyone any idea as to why this set in particular was the source of Sigung's enlightenment in Kung Fu combat application?

Looking forward to a good and lively discussion over the next few months!!

All the best,

Kevin

[Leo Shaolin]

Hi Kevin,

Great news!

The Shaolin Pakua Set is wonderful.

Who has started learning it? (or in Sifu Leo's case has learned it?)

Hmmm... I might have given it a try.


Have fun with the preparation everyone!

Best wishes,

Leo

[Frederick_Chu]

I have no plans to learn this set or attend the course, but even at the academic/intellectual level, this a rather fascinating set. In addition to being, as Sifu has often mentioned, the key to his understanding of all manner of martial arts combat applications, the structure, techniques, and strategies look as though they are a very natural out-growth from other sets in Sigung Ho's lineage, especially Cross Road at Four Gates, Big Bell Lohan, and Great Majestic Set.

Because I like doing this sort of thing for some reason (it's a fun mental exercise), and because some people I know are very keen to learn the set, I decided to draft a write-up collecting some useful links for the set as well as a brief pattern-by-pattern sequence of the set, more of a reminder and reference to videos than a complete "how-to." Hopefully it helps with people preparing for the course and possibly for some discussion regarding the set, its skills, and so forth.

[sancrica]

Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

Wonderful thread. Another great opportunity for learning! :-)

Since the first time I saw the Shaolin Pakua Set in a video, one pattern in particular has puzzled me: "68 - Gourd Rolling on Ground".

pakua68.jpg

Would anyone know why this Set includes such pattern? What is the practical application of this particular pattern? What is the advantage of using this pattern? In which cases would this pattern become an advantage?

I have been looking for more information about the Set in Sifu's Website but I could not find much.

It was very interesting to read Sifu's message explaining why this Set enlightened his Kung Fu Application:

The Pakua Set which I learned from my sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam,was the set that opened my understanding of kungfu application. Before the set, I knew little of how to apply kungfu techniques for combat. After the set, my understanding of kungfu application was enlightened. Now I could look at any kungfu pattern, including those I haven't seen before, and tell its application

I was wondering why was that so. Why with this Set and not other?

Does anyone know the history and background of this Set? How old is it?

Somewhere, I read that the complete name for this Set is "Shaolin Traveling Dragon Pakua Set". Is this correct? If so, would that mean that Dragon is the main animal/force of this Set?

It also surprised me what Frederick Sidai mentioned: "Sigung Ho Fatt Naam also taught this set to the sultan of his state as a health exercise, saying that training the set slowly and in a meditative state of mind would generate an energy flow that would be excellent for health". What would be the reason Sigung chose this Set and no other for teaching the Sultan? Wouldn't any Set performed slowly fulfill the purpose of generating energy flow and promoting health?

So many questions! Thanks for joining the discussion. Please share your thoughts. If would be wonderful to deepen our understanding of this beautiful Set.

With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

Santi

[David Langford]

Hey Santi!

In the four gates combo set there is a roll after a tiger tail kick as well. It is used to escape a cannon punch to the groin after they thread your kick.

It is also useful to know how to roll in case you get caught in a shoulder throw and can't counter.

Take care,
David

Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

Wonderful thread. Another great opportunity for learning! :-)

Since the first time I saw the Shaolin Pakua Set in a video, one pattern in particular has puzzled me: "68 - Gourd Rolling on Ground".

pakua68.jpg

Would anyone know why this Set includes such pattern? What is the practical application of this particular pattern? What is the advantage of using this pattern? In which cases would this pattern become an advantage?

I have been looking for more information about the Set in Sifu's Website but I could not find much.

It was very interesting to read Sifu's message explaining why this Set enlightened his Kung Fu Application:



I was wondering why was that so. Why with this Set and not other?

Does anyone know the history and background of this Set? How old is it?

Somewhere, I read that the complete name for this Set is "Shaolin Traveling Dragon Pakua Set". Is this correct? If so, would that mean that Dragon is the main animal/force of this Set?

It also surprised me what Frederick Sidai mentioned: "Sigung Ho Fatt Naam also taught this set to the sultan of his state as a health exercise, saying that training the set slowly and in a meditative state of mind would generate an energy flow that would be excellent for health". What would be the reason Sigung chose this Set and no other for teaching the Sultan? Wouldn't any Set performed slowly fulfill the purpose of generating energy flow and promoting health?

So many questions! Thanks for joining the discussion. Please share your thoughts. If would be wonderful to deepen our understanding of this beautiful Set.

With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

Santi

[Grimlock]

If I remember correctly, Sifu also used Gourd Rolling on Ground to evade the Muay Thai fighter he fought with years ago. Sometimes you just have to get out of the way quickly however you can. Gourd Rolling on Ground gives you a way to dive out of the way in a controlled enough manner that you can quickly transition to another pattern.

The Shaolin Traveling Dragon Pakua Set will be a fantastic course. The luck of the Irish is strong! I know Sifu has taught this set at Special Intensives, but is this the first time he is teaching a course dedicated to this set only?

[Kevin_B]

Thank you all your replies and discussions.

@Chris - yes, I do believe this will be the first teaching of the Pakua Set outside of Malaysia. The luck of the Irish indeed! We are very blessed and privileged.

@Leo - another wonderful performance captured in a video Leo! Thank you for sharing. While acknowledging you haven't learned it directly from Sigung, let me ask anyway: How does the set compare to the (many) others you have trained and practiced?

@Frederick - thank you for sharing your notes Fred. I see you have studied it in much detail! I have no doubt the set and your goodself will meet some in the future.

@David - great comments David and thank you for sharing. Really hope we get to share a course someday soon!

@Santi - very interesting questions Santi. I have been been thinking about the the set and Sigung's Kung Fu enlightenment this past days as well. The bottom line is that Sigung is an absolute genius of Kung Fu. I believe his enlightenment and tapping into the Universal Mind of Kung Fu would have occurred regardless of whether or not he learned the Pakua Set. It might have been further down the line, but we can say with certainty that it would have happened.

But of course it didn't happen down the line with some other set but happened with the training of the Pakua Set. To me this imbues the set with a unique distillation of Shaolin that is especially relevant to us in Shaolin Wahnam. This incorporates lineage, history, essence, the blessings of the host of Great Past Masters that look over us and guide us as well of course as the rarefied eternal dimensions of our art which transcend all that we do.

Most importantly of all in the here and now is that the Pakua Set is extremely special and can be learned and trained in the present day for our deepest benefit to enable us to become better people in everything that we do.

February can't come quick enough!!

Thank you to Sigung for providing us with the opportunity! Sincerely and openly and honestly, thank you Sigung!!

All the best,

Kevin

[Matt F.]

Tiger Tail kick followed by roll, an example and explanation can be found here (about 2/3 down the page): https://shaolin.org/combat/amazing.html

I could not find the particulars, but I seem to recall a story about "Person A" catching "Person B's" kick, as in the above example. When Person B tried the Tiger Tail kick, Person A countered by holding on to the trapped leg, driving "Person B" forward, and mashing his face into the ground. Person B did not know about the rolling away afterward portion of the technique. It was a good lesson!

I'm not sure if Sifu was Person A, B, or just witnessed the encounter.

-Matt

[Frederick_Chu]

Tiger Tail kick followed by roll, an example and explanation can be found here (about 2/3 down the page): https://shaolin.org/combat/amazing.html

I could not find the particulars, but I seem to recall a story about "Person A" catching "Person B's" kick, as in the above example. When Person B tried the Tiger Tail kick, Person A countered by holding on to the trapped leg, driving "Person B" forward, and mashing his face into the ground. Person B did not know about the rolling away afterward portion of the technique. It was a good lesson!

I'm not sure if Sifu was Person A, B, or just witnessed the encounter.

-Matt

Sifu was Person B in that story, if I remember correctly, and the story was about the pattern Fierce Tiger Springs Claws. Sifu was told by another classmate that his mistake in using Fierce Tiger Springs Claws was that his hands were too far away to effectively "spring" after his kicking leg had been caught.

That said, I seem to recall hearing somewhere that rolling away after a Side Body Kick like Lazy Tiger Stretches Waist can be used against an opponent who attempts to scoop or strike up at the groin after avoid the kick, ala Bail Moon From Sea Bottom, Reverse Plucking of Legumes, or Cannon From Ground. The tactic is used in Baguazhang as well, delivering a kick against someone trying to sneak in from behind from close quarters, and then rolling away to reassess. To be honest, I have not used this tactic a whole lot in sparring, partially because I've not yet needed it, and partially because I often spar indoors and don't want to wind up rolling myself into a wall.

[David Langford]

[/COLOR]@David - great comments David and thank you for sharing. Really hope we get to share a course someday soon!


All the best,

Kevin

It is quite possible you'll see me in February. A goal of mine is to practice Pakua now that I've been practicing Four gates.

Take care,
David