SHAOLIN JACKIECHAN MARTIAL ARTS

black belt awarding program...at thiruvalla

2013-11-02T10:29:00.002+05:30

SHIE SHIE

2013-07-03T19:43:00.001+05:30

It's the time to recognise and to applause our very efficient Master Saji saleem
we are proud to be his students and now we are taking this opportunity to
bow him down his foot and say shie shie.

shie shie

The Formation of Shaolin Kungfu

2012-08-21T09:19:00.003+05:30

Shaolin kungfu is the shining jewel of Chinese kungfu. It is the Shaolin Temple's precious cultural inheritance. It is also one of the most ancient and famous martial arts systems. Because it combines the soft and the hard, it is simple, plain and sincere. The fist techniques always travel down a straight line. Your fist or palm tumbles outward or inward. It is famous amongst the martial circles. With its unique technique, Shaolin kungfu has earned its fame in the martial world. The Shaolin system is self-contained, unencumbered by too many branches. Beginning in China's Northern and Southern dynasty period (420-589 CE) Shaolin blossomed in several following dynasties: Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. After this long period of continued development, Shaolin disciplines have now spread all over the world.

Everyone knows that Shaolin is deep, broad and long. But recently within the martial world, martial arts enthusiasts have asked me the same question. Why do all the Shaolin monks have such good kungfu? Who established the Shaolin method so they could achieve that kind of ability? This question has not had a satisfactory answer until now. Even some Shaolin monks, along with other Shaolin masters, have only a vague idea.

Among all those hundreds of Shaolin kungfu forms, many bear Tamo's name, such as Tamo yijinjing (muscle tendon change), Tamo xisuijing (marrow-purification), Tamo jian (sword), Tamo zhang (staff), and Tamo fanbianchan (monk spade.) Because of these forms, some people have come to the conclusion that Tamo should have established all Shaolin kungfu. The reason Tamo made all those forms was to help the monks exercise their jing gu (tendon and bones) or that because they lived in the mountains, they had to defend themselves against wild beasts. But others would contend that this is not the true origin, since there were already famous martial monks at Shaolin before Tamo, such as Monk Sen Tao or Monk Hui Guang and others. But no matter what, those still cannot explain how Shaolin martial arts were formed.

I want every martial enthusiast to understand how Shaolin kungfu developed, so let's dig at the past. First let's examine the geographical influence. Shaolin Temple is located near the center of China. In ancient times, this area was the center of Chinese culture. It was also a region that was fought over by many empires. Construction began on Shaolin Temple in 495 CE. In the eighty years that followed, 20 emperors rose and fell.

This period of disunion was the most unstable time in the history of China. All of China was at war. Not even one day was peaceful. The people were so poor and hungry. Under these circumstances, many people took refuge at Shaolin Temple in order to survive; especially good warriors who were set up by political intrigue and had to escape. Some were generals, but because of evil governors, they had to go there. Some were just martial people who tried to help the poor, but then got in trouble with the law. They escaped and shaved their head to become a monk. Most of those people had a good martial background. Even though they had taken refuge to become a monk, they still kept their martial practice. And when they practiced, they exchanged skills and improved upon them. This is one source of Shaolin kungfu.

According to the Shaolinsibiao (Shaolin Temple register) in the Song dynasty, Abbot Fu Zhu Chansi invited the highest grandmasters from 18 martial arts systems to come to Shaolin Temple and exchange skills for 3 years. Shaolin kungfu picked up the best parts and composed a lot of quan pu (martial lyrics - the poetic names for the moves in forms.) By documenting kungfu in this way, they could pass it down the generations. Also in the Yuan Dynasty, Jue Yuan Chansi invited a famous master named Li Shou Quanshi (Quanshi means "martial teacher") from far away to come to Shaolin and teach. Li Shou invited another famous master, Bai Yu Feng to accompany him. They learned from each other and created some special forms. Later, Jue Yuan Chansi also established the ten rules for the practice of martial arts. Fu Zhu and Jue Yuan are two very important figures that developed and improved Shaolin martial arts.

Personally, I believe Shaolin martial arts have a very close relationship with Tamo's Chan (Zen) Buddhism. According to the Shaolin Temple tome, Chan Quan Yi Ti, the purpose of Shaolin monks learning martial arts is not to achieve the highest martial power. More important is that from the practice of opposites such as offense and defense, forward and back, empty and full, you will gain a deep understanding of your own psychological status and control of your mental states. The conflicts that these combinations present teach you about the nature of change and impermanence. When you practice martial arts, you must achieve a singular unity. Your heart and mind cannot be at two places at one time. Your spirit must be very focused, not beyond your boundaries. You can control your body and mind completely. Your spirit, body and martial arts all combine into one. This is why Shaolin achieved a very unique martial arts system. It is based on Chan

In conclusion, the formation of Shaolin martial arts comes from historical influences, geographical location, Chan Buddhism and other martial arts that came from all across China. These factors converged together to form this special unique art of Shaolin kungfu.

Chinese Martial Arts

2012-08-21T09:18:00.002+05:30

Chinese Martial Arts

Martial Art and Chinese Culture

Martial arts are a genuine native sport of China. The Chinese people take pride in it, both because of its age and many aspects of Chinese culture that it reflects. Martial arts incorporate traditional Chinese philosophies, aesthetic sense, ethics and medical science.

Development

Ancient Chinese martial arts are different from modern ones. The ancient martial arts were developed for military use. Not until after the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) did martial arts begin to incorporate sophisticated aspects of ancient Chinese culture.

The precise origin of martial arts is too remote to identify When the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) conquered contending states and united China 2000 years ago, the ruler ordered all weapons be put in storage. Discouraged by the Qin government, Chinese martial arts developed very little during this period.

Martial art development picked up during the Han Dynasty (206 BC ¨C AD 200), a period noted for its advanced political, economic and cultural development. Different schools appeared and many monographs were published. Broadswords gradually replaced swords as main weapons, and other weapons were developed, such as long halberd, double halberd, spear, long-handled broadsword, battle-ax, batter-hammer and barbed cudgel.

During the Western and Eastern Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties (265-589), warfare was rampant. Minority ethnic groups such as the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di and Qiang from northern China were constantly invading the Central Plains. The battlefield provided a good environment for the development of martial arts and for blending southern and northern martial arts schools. During this period, martial artists developed routines and began to emphasize the character of practitioners.

The Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties were politically stable and economically strong and flourished with foreign trade and cultural exchanges. This period saw modifications of martial arts weapons and improvement in the appearance of demonstrative exercises. The prevailing imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty was also adapted for the selection of martial arts champions. Soldiers with outstanding martial arts skills were honored with commendation and titles. Martial arts were encouraged and promoted among ordinary people.

During this period, the long-handled weapons were gradually replaced by short-handled ones. Although swords had already been replaced by broadswords as primary weapons, sword exercises were still popular. More emphasis was being placed on the spear, though, and spear contests were often held.

By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), martial arts had become an art separate from military drills. Routine and apparatus exercises developed quickly, and many theoretical works were published. Practitioners studied both fighting skulls and theory and introduced the theory of yin and yang into martial arts.

During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Mongol ruling class and soldiers practiced not only horse riding, archery and wrestling, but also martial arts skills, such as spear, cudgel, ax, single and double sword, and broadsword exercises. There martial arts skills were performed on stage and were gradually more artfully refined.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), different martial arts schools flourished. In this period, there were more martial arts schools than at any other time. The appearance and development of the Inside Family Boxing in the Ming Dynasty had great influence on the development of Taiji, Eight Diagram and concept boxing. Routine exercises became means to maintain health, and systematic routines for offensive and defensive techniques were developed. There exercise routines were closely related to actual combat skills.

The Qing Dynasty outperformed the previous dynasties in developing martial arts skills. Many exercises that are still famous today, such as Taijiquan (Taiji Boxing) and Baguazhang (Eight ¨C Diagram Palm Exercise), were created during the period.

Connection with Ancient Academic Studies

Martial arts were developed under the great influence of ancient Chinese culture and borrowed widely from various academic studies, such as ancient philosophy, aesthetics, ethics and medicine.

Chinese martial have benefited from ancient Chinese philosophy. The Spring and Autumn Period was golden age of academic study and resulted in different schools of philosophical thinking that would lay a solid foundation for the subsequent formation of Chinese culture. The period also nourished the theoretical aspect of martial arts, providing conditions for the formation of the system of martial arts and supplying inspiration and insight for its continued development. Chinese martial arts have adapted aspects of Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, strategists and geomancers.

Ancient Chinese philosophy advocated the theory of dao, or ¡°way¡±, and held that the dao was connected with both the heaven and the earth and was the source of everything. Martial arts practitioners begin with ht e irregularity and infinity of dao and seek to reach a stage in which he or she blends harmoniously wirh nature. The arts teach practitioners to ¡°train the inner spirit and mind as well as the external muscles, bones and skin.¡± Martial arts stress the combination of the physical being with the mental being and emphasize a close relationship between physical exercises and the surrounding environment. Practitioners are advised to use different methods of exercises according to the changes of natural environment and the conditions of the body. These practices reflect martial arts¡¯ understanding of he ancient philosophy, ¡°let the mind swin freely in dao¡± and the ¡°oneness of man and nature.¡±

Ancient Chinese aesthetics advocated a balance between hardness and softness, voidness and solidness, notion and stillness, and negative and positive, as well as the expression of the spirit of an object through its form. Under this influence, Chinese martial arts have formed their own aesthetic standards that incorporate a stage of conceptual contentment, harmony, and nature, as well as beauty and elegance. For example, Changquan (Long Boxing) features fully extended, elegant and unrestrained movements; Nanquan (South Boxing) demonstrates steadiness and momentum of movements; Shaolin Boxing expresses resolution and strength in its quick and rhythmical movements; and the beautifully and smoothly stringed movements of Taijiquan remind viewers of floating clouds and flowing streams.

A distinct aspect of Chinese martial arts is the advocacy of morals and emphasis on benevolence, fidelity and sincerity. As a result, practicing martial arts not only implies building health and strength, but also purifying one¡¯s soul. Benevolence is the core of Confucianism. It includes love, generosity and Ieniency. Chinese martial arts work for those who are benevolent, brave, and courageous. Those who are brave and courageous but morally inferior will finally be rendered to a stage of disorder and incompetence. The arts stress that the moral level of a practitioner is as important as his or her martial arts skills.

Martial arts practices are closely related to those of traditional Chinese medicine. Besides improving people¡¯s health, cultivating their minds and souls and bringing out the potential of the human boby, martial arts are also believed to be able to help cure diseases. Such health benefits are achieved through breathing exercises and improved circulation.

The influence of ancient Chinese culture on martial arts is manifold. Apart from what has already been mentioned, religion, politics, economics, geography and folklore have also contributed to the formation and development of martial arts.

Today, martial arts are a part of the physical education curriculum of universities, high schools and grade schools, Many martial arts clubs, societies and associations have been established across China. Since 1980, a large number of graduates majoring in martial arts have been assigned to teach in schools.

While carrying on the tradition of this ancient art, specialists today are trying to turn martial arts into a scientific sport that combines fighting skills with health building. They hope that one day, martial arts will become an event at the Olympic Games.

Martial Arts Techniques

2012-08-16T20:48:00.002+05:30

Martial Arts Techniques

Traditionally, martial arts were identified as fighting arts that originated in Asia. However, as the understanding of martial arts has expanded, combative arts created outside of Asia began to be labeled as martial arts.

Martial arts techniques come in many shapes and sizes. There are empty-hand techniques during which the practitioner does not have a weapon. Theses generally involve strikes, kicks and grappling techniques. There are techniques for various weapons—knife, stick, blunt and other edged weapons. There are also disarming and self-defense techniques during which the practitioner is specifically trying to overcome an aggressor.

Martial arts techniques also can include “softer” techniques, like breathing exercises, chi-disruption techniques and meditation.

Chokes
Chokes—which also are called chokeholds or strangleholds—are grappling holds applied to an opponent or attacker’s neck that can cause unconsciousness or death. They are commonly used in combative sports, close-quarters and hand-to-hand combat, law enforcement, martial arts and self-defense. In classic films, the villain or monster wraps ...
Joint Locks
Joint locks manipulate wrists, elbows, knees, etc., beyond their normal range of motion in order to break or dislocate bones, injure muscles, tear tendons or rip ligaments. These grappling techniques, used in martial arts such as chin na, jujutsu, judo and Brazilianjiu-jitsu, force an opponent/attacker into a submissive, nonthreatening position. ...
Kicks
Kicks are strikes that involve the legs, knees, feet or toes. Depending on the intention of the practitioner, his power and/or speed, simple kicks, like the front, side, back or roundhouse kick, can generally be performed one of two ways. First, the practitioner can deliver the kick with a quick snap of the knee and hips. Second, he can deliver it ...
Strikes
Characterized as a physical hit with any part of the body or an inanimate object, strikes are meant to cause pain, injury or death to an opponent. For martial artists, striking usually involves hitting with the legs or arms. For the legs, the practitioner strikes with his foot or knees. He also can stomp. For the arms, the practitioner uses his ...
Throws/Takedowns
In the past, throws were commonly associated with judo and takedowns with wrestling. However, with the spread of martial arts into mainstream America and the rise of mixed martial arts, throws and takedowns have become synonymous with most martial-arts-influenced combative sports like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, jujutsu, sambo, shuai ...
Weapon Techniques
Martial arts weapon techniques refer to nonballistic weapons. Historically, the earliest known weapons were simple clubs (wood, bone, stone); the individuals with clubs discovered they had an advantage over their unarmed adversaries. This led to armed conflicts in which both parties carried weapons. With both opponents armed, it became necessary

Five principles of martials arts............

2012-08-11T20:38:00.002+05:30

1. Planning
The foremost element in teaching is careful planning. Plan the objectives for each class and delegate the amount of practice time you will allow for each. For effectiveness and safety, carefully consider the type and number of exercises and skills you will teach in every class. Set goals for each class. Students can perform better and learn more quickly when they have goals to work toward. In setting your classroom goals, it is best to identify each individual’s strengths and weaknesses whenever possible. This insures smooth progress and avoids unnecessary frustration. For the greatest motivational value, goals must be specific and reasonably difficult to accomplish.

2. Motivation

It will make your job easier and more successful when you have students who are motivated to learn. The desire to change and acquire new skills is necessary for a student to continue studying martial arts for a long period of time. The single best way to motivate others is to be a highly motivated person yourself. (For a more detailed discussion of motivation,

3. Recognition of Individuality

Every individual has a different way of perceiving and understanding the world around him. Since you are teaching a group of individuals you must consider every person individually and as a part of the whole. Every individual learns at his own pace and to the best of his ability. Inherent to being a good instructor is the aptitude for teaching the class as a unified whole while giving each individual the specific instruction he needs to improve.

You must master the ability to balance the need for individuality with the need for conformity. While there are many things that all students perform uniformly, an overemphasis on conformity can stifle a student’s natural talent. Because we are all unique persons with unique physical and mental characteristics, we each have special talents and weaknesses. By accurately recognizing these strengths and weaknesses, we can maximize our potential. We are both confined and compelled by our uniqueness.

Yet, within the martial arts there is a special tradition and heritage that have been handed down to us. It is our duty to preserve the character of our art and to pass it on to our students. Therefore, we require that students practice certain skills in a specifically designated way, without digression. A good example of this is the practice of forms. Every white belt in a particular style practices the same form in the same way that every white belt before him practiced it. This is a way of preserving the tradition of our art. Of course some people kick higher or punch faster than others, but this does not mean that to showcase the kickers we demand that everyone kick high or to accommodate the punchers, we substitute punches for kicks. This would be time consuming and detrimental to the martial arts as a whole. To teach effectively we must set the standards for students as well as encourage their individuality.

4. Practice

Regardless of their individual needs and differences, all students need the opportunity to practice what they have learned. Repetition is the best method of practice to perfect a skill. Supervise your students’ practice sessions whenever possible. This will prevent them from practicing flawed techniques that could lead to bad habits or injuries. When a student reaches the advanced level, practice becomes even more important because of the broad scope and difficulty of techniques being learned. Many advanced students tend to stop practicing basic techniques. Remind them to continue to keep their foundation strong. Every good instructor recognizes that fundamental skills are prerequisite to success in the martial arts.

In addition to regularly scheduled classes and supervised practice sessions, many students may need specific guidelines for their personal practice sessions. For tournament competitors, for example, two or three classes per week are not enough. At least five or six periods per week must be spent in a well planned and consistent practice program. If a competitor practices three times a week in the school, he should practice two or three times by himself. His additional practice sessions might include things not fully covered in class such as interval training, stamina work, short and long distance running, speed training, weight training, etc.

A practice program should be planned with diversity. The program must include training for power, speed, endurance, strength, flexibility, and reflexes. It is best to train one day concentrating on physical intensity and next day with emphasis on mental skills such as accuracy, reflexes or strategy.

When a beginner must practice alone, let him practice with emphasis on slow, correctly performed techniques. He should not have anxiety over mastering techniques overnight or with great speed. More beginners get injured when they practice alone than when they practice in class. The reasons for this are improper warm-up, incorrect execution of movements, and overanxiety.

The best way to prevent injuries and setbacks is to practice under a qualified instructor’s supervision. With an instructor’s guidance, students can maximize their power and speed so that they can break through their present limitations and move on to the next level of skills. If a student experiences a plateau in his training help him overcome it by reassuring him that it is a normal step on the path of learning. You also can provide him with alternative practice methods such as meditation, traditional conditioning exercises or reading materials that may give him insight into his situation.

Practicing is the road to mastery. There are many paths to take. Some are uphill, some are downhill, and some are long flat stretches of smooth sailing. As an instructor you have to be able to visualize the entire path for every one of your students. When a student is progressing well, let him go along by himself. When he is struggling uphill, gently push him higher. When he is rushing downhill, give him your hands to slow his ride.

Be creative in motivating your students to continue practicing. If you make them consistent in their practice, they will reach the destination they dreamed of on the first day of class. (For a more detailed discussion of practice, see Chapter 3)

5. Performance Assessment

Performance Assessment is a data collection process that is used to comprehensively check a student’s progress and correct errors in his performance. It is an essential technique that should be used daily by all instructors. Performance Assessment has four progressive steps: (1) Appraisal and Analysis, (2) Feedback, (3) Reinforcement and (4) Follow-up. Once you begin using this process to check your students’ performance, you will find that the four steps follow each other naturally and that you use them constantly in your teaching.

The first step in Performance Assessment is Appraisal and Analysis. This is actually two separate but related steps. Appraisal takes place when you watch an individual student’s performance and determine his current skill level. In doing this, note his general condition and improvements made since his last Performance Assessment. If a student is performing a specific movement incorrectly or that he generally has a bad habit, analyze exactly where the difficulty lies. Accurate analysis is very important because if you incorrectly diagnose the problem, the student will continue to perform poorly.

Step two is Feedback. Feedback simply means telling the student how he is progressing. In learning a new skill, a student cannot accurately judge if he is executing it properly. Guide him toward the correct movement through verbal and physical reminders. Correct a mistake as soon as it occurs to prevent it from becoming habitual. If the error does become a habit it can still be corrected through consistent feedback. Using negative feedback for incorrect actions and positive feedback for correct actions will considerably accelerate student learning.
Feedback must be followed by Reinforcement. For some students, the enjoyment of performing well can be enough reinforcement to make them continue to improve. But even highly motivated students occasionally need some kind of external reinforcement. Reinforcement is similar to feedback, in the sense that there are two types of reinforcement you can employ - negative and positive. Positive reinforcement includes individual praise or, less frequently, a material reward for desired behavior.

Negative reinforcement means ignoring or discouraging undesirable behavior. In extreme situations, especially when the safety of other students is at risk, punishment may be required. Only use negative reinforcement or punishment only when a person fails to respond to positive techniques. Unlike positive guidance, negative reinforcement discourages the student’s undesirable behavior, but it fails to provide him with an alternative behavior.

The final step of Performance Assessment is Follow-up. Check each student’s progress regularly with particular attention to his or her previous difficulties. Follow-up is used to ensure that the student can and is performing in the way that he was taught. It also prevents the student from slipping back into bad habits that could result in a loss of effectiveness in his training.

modern history.............

2012-08-02T10:31:00.000+05:30

Modern history

late 19th to early 20th century

The mid to late 19th century marks the beginning of the history of martial arts as modern sports developed out of earlier traditional fighting systems. In Europe, this concerns the developments of boxing and fencing as sports. In Japan, the same period marks the formation of the modern forms of judo, jujitsu, karate, and kendo (among others) based on revivals of old schools of Edo period martial arts which had been suppressed during the Meiji Restoration.^{[citation needed]} Modern Muay Thai rules date to the 1920s. In China, the modern history of martial arts begins in the Nanjing decade (1930s) following the foundation of the Central Guoshu Institute in 1928 under the Kuomintang government.

Western interest in Asian martial arts arises towards the end of the 19th century, due to the increase in trade between the United States with China and Japan.^{[citation needed]} Relatively few Westerners actually practiced the arts, considering it to be mere performance. Edward William Barton-Wright, a railway engineer who had studied jujitsu while working in Japan between 1894–97, was the first man known to have taught Asian martial arts in Europe. He also founded an eclectic style named Bartitsu which combinedjujutsu, judo, boxing, savate and stick fighting.

Fencing and Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the 1896 Summer Olympics. FILA Wrestling World Championships and Boxing at the Summer Olympics were introduced in 1904. The tradition of awarding championship belts in wrestling and boxing can be traced to the Lonsdale Belt, introduced in 1909.

20th century (1914 to 1989)

The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, is an adaptation of pre–World War II judo developed by the brothers Carlos and Hélio Gracie, with a large focus on groundwork. Jiu-Jitsu gained fame quickly in Brazil because of the popular fights with Capoeira fighters.^[9]

As Western influence grew in Asia a greater number of military personnel spent time in China, Japan, and South Korea during World War II and the Korean War and were exposed to local fighting styles. Jujutsu, judo and karate first became popular among the mainstream from the 1950s-60s. Due in part to Asian and Hollywood martial arts movies, most modern American martial arts are either Asian-derived or Asian influenced.^[10] The term kickboxing (キックボクシング) was created by the Japanese boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi for a variant of Muay Thai and Karate that he created in the 1950s. American kickboxing was developed in the 1970s, as a combination of boxing and karate. Taekwondo was developed in the context of the Korean War in the 1950s.

The later 1960s and 1970s witnessed an increased media interest in the Chinese fighting systems, influenced by martial artist Bruce Lee. Jeet Kune Do, the system he founded, has its roots in Wing Chun, western boxing, savate and fencing. Bruce Lee is credited as one of the first instructors to openly teach Chinese martial arts to Westerners.^[11] World Judo Championships have been held since 1956, Judo at the Summer Olympics was introduced in 1964. Karate World Championships were introduced in 1970.

Following the "kung fu wave" in Hong Kong action cinema in the 1970s, a number of mainstream films produced during the 1980s contributed significantly to the perception of martial arts in western popular culture. These include The Karate Kid (1984) and Bloodsport(1988). This era produced some Hollywood action stars with martial arts background, such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris.

Also during the 20th century, a number of martial arts systems were adapted for self-defense purposes for military hand-to-hand combat. World War II combatives, Kapap (1930s) and Krav Maga (1950s) in Israel, Systema (Soviet era Russia), San Shou (People's Republic of China). The US military de-emphasized hand-to-hand combat training during the Cold War period, but revived it with the introduction of LINE in 1989.

1990 to present

Jackie Chan one of the best known Hollywood actor and martial artist.

During the 1990s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE.^[12]

The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced in 1993, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominent movie figures who have been responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts in recent years.

With the continual discovery of "new" Medieval and Renaissance fighting manuals, the practice of Historical European Martial Arts and other Western Martial Arts are growing in popularity across the United States and Europe.

November 29, 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyeon (traditional Korean martial art) onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List^[13]

[edit]Testing and competition

Testing or evaluation is important to martial art practitioners of many disciplines who wish to determine their progression or own level of skill in specific contexts. Students within individual martial art systems often undergo periodic testing and grading by their own teacher in order to advance to a higher level of recognized achievement, such as a different belt color or title. The type of testing used varies from system to system but may include forms or sparring.

Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook Kick

Various forms and sparring are commonly used in martial art exhibitions and tournaments. Some competitions pit practitioners of different disciplines against each other using a common set of rules, these are referred to as mixed martial arts competitions. Rules for sparring vary between art and organization but can generally be divided into light-contact,medium-contact, and full-contact variants, reflecting the amount of force that should be used on an opponent.

[edit]Light- and medium-contact

These types of sparring restrict the amount of force that may be used to hit an opponent, in the case of light sparring this is usual to 'touch' contact, e.g. a punch should be 'pulled' as soon as or before contact is made. In medium-contact (sometimes referred to as semi-contact) the punch would not be 'pulled' but not hit with full force. As the amount of force used is restricted, the aim of these types of sparring is not to knock out an opponent; a point system is used in competitions.

A referee acts to monitor for fouls and to control the match, while judges mark down scores, as in boxing. Particular targets may be prohibited, certain techniques may be forbidden (such as headbutting or groin hits), and fighters may be required to wear protective equipment on their head, hands, chest, groin, shins or feet. Some grappling arts, such as aikido, use a similar method of compliant training that is equivalent to light or medium contact.

In some styles (such as fencing and some styles of Taekwondo sparring), competitors score points based on the landing of a single technique or strike as judged by the referee, whereupon the referee will briefly stop the match, award a point, then restart the match. Alternatively, sparring may continue with the point noted by the judges. Some critics of point sparring feel that this method of training teaches habits that result in lower combat effectiveness. Lighter-contact sparring may be used exclusively, for children or in other situations when heavy contact would be inappropriate (such as beginners), medium-contact sparring is often used as training for full contact

[edit]

[edit]Martial Sport

Main article: Combat sport

Several martial arts, such asJudo, are Olympic sports.

Martial arts have crossed over into sports when forms of sparring become competitive, becoming a sport in its own right that is dissociated from the original combative origin, such as with western fencing. The Summer Olympic Games includes Judo, Taekwondo, western archery, boxing, javelin, wrestling and fencing as events, while Chinese Wushu recently failed in its bid to be included, but is still actively performed in tournaments across the world. Practitioners in some arts such as kickboxingand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu often train for sport matches, whereas those in other arts such as aikido andWing Chun generally spurn such competitions. Some schools believe that competition breeds better and more efficient practitioners, and gives a sense of good sportsmanship. Others believe that the rules under which competition takes place have diminished the combat effectiveness of martial arts or encourage a kind of practice which focuses on winning trophies rather than a focus such as cultivating a particular moral character.

The question of "which is the best Martial Art" has led to inter style competitions fought with very few rules allowing a variety of fighting styles to enter with few limitations. This was the origin of the firstUltimate Fighting Championship tournament (later renamed UFC 1: The Beginning) in the U.S. inspired by the Brazilian Vale tudo tradition and along with other minimal rule competitions, most notably those from Japan such as Shooto and Pancrase, have evolved into the combat sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Some martial artists compete in non-sparring competitions such as breaking or choreographed routines of techniques such as poomse,kata and aka, or modern variations of the martial arts which include dance-influenced competitions such as tricking. Martial traditions have been influenced by governments to become more sport-like for political purposes; the central impetus for the attempt by the People's Republic of China in transforming Chinese martial arts into the committee-regulated sport of wushu was suppressing what they saw as the potentially subversive aspects of martial training, especially under the traditional system of family lineages.^[16]

[edit]Health and fitness benefits

Training in martial arts imparts many benefits to the trainee, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.^[17]

Through systematic practice in the martial arts a person's physical fitness may be boosted (strength, stamina, flexibility, movement coordination, etc.,)^{[citation needed]} as the whole body is exercised and the entire muscular system is activated. Beyond contributing to physical fitness, martial arts training also has benefits for mental health, contributing to self-esteem, self-control, emotional and spiritualwell-being. For this reason, a number of martial arts schools have focused purely on therapeutic aspects, de-emphasizing the historical aspect of self-defense or combat completely.^{[citation needed]}

According to Bruce Lee, martial arts also have the nature of an art, since there is emotional communication and complete emotional expression.^{[citation needed]}

[edit]Self-defense, military and law enforcement applications

Main articles: Hand to hand combat and Self-defense

U.S. Army Combatives instructor Matt Larsen demonstrates a chokehold.

Some traditional martial concepts have seen new use within modern military training. Perhaps the most recent example of this is point shooting which relies on muscle memory to more effectively utilize a firearm in a variety of awkward situations, much the way an iaidoka would master movements with their sword.

During the World War II era William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes were recruited by theSpecial Operations Executive (SOE) to teach their martial art of defendu (itself drawing on jujutsu and Western boxing) and pistol shooting to UK, US, and Canadian special forces. The book Kill or Get Killed, written by Colonel Rex Applegate, was based on the defendu taught by Sykes and Fairbairn. Both Fairbairn's Get Tough and Appelgate's Kill or Get Killed became classic works on hand-to-hand combat.

Traditional hand-to-hand, knife, and spear techniques continue to see use in the composite systems developed for today's wars. Examples of this include European Unifight, the US Army's Combatives system developed by Matt Larsen, the Israeli army's kapap and Krav Maga, and theUS Marine Corps's Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).

Unarmed dagger defenses identical to those found in the manual of Fiore dei Liberi and theCodex Wallerstein were integrated into the U.S. Army's training manuals in 1942^[18] and continue to influence today's systems along with other traditional systems such as eskrima andsilat.

The rifle-mounted bayonet, which has its origin in the spear, has seen use by the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the British Army as recently as the Iraq War.^[19]

[edit]Martial arts industry

2012-08-01T22:09:00.001+05:30

Modern history

Further information: Modern history of East Asian martial arts

late 19th to early 20th century

20th century (1914 to 1989)

The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921.

1990 to present

Jackie Chan one of the best known Hollywood actor and martial artist.

During the 1990s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE.^[12]

The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced in 1993, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominent movie figures who have been responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts in recent years.

November 29, 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyeon (traditional Korean martial art) onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List^[13]

[edit]Testing and competition

Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook Kick

[edit]Light- and medium-contact

[edit]Full-contact

Further information: Full-contact

Full-contact sparring or competition, where strikes are not pulled but thrown with full force as the name implies, has a number of tactical differences from light and medium-contact sparring. It is considered by some to be requisite in learning realistic unarmed combat.^[14]

In full-contact sparring, the aim of a competitive match is either to knock out the opponent or to force the opponent to submit. Where scoring takes place it may be a subsidiary measure, only used if no clear winner has been established by other means; in some competitions, such as the UFC 1, there was no scoring, though most now use some form of judging as a backup.^[15] Due to these factors, full-contact matches tend to be more aggressive in character, but rule sets may still mandate the use of protective equipment, or limit the techniques allowed.

Nearly all mixed martial arts organizations such as UFC, Pancrase, Shooto use a form of full-contact rules, as do professional boxingorganizations and K-1. Kyokushin karate requires advanced practitioners to engage in bare-knuckled, full-contact sparring while wearing only a karate gi and groin protector but does not allow punches to the face, only kicks and knees. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and judo matches do not allow striking, but are full-contact in the sense that full force is applied in the permitted grappling and submission techniques.

[edit]Martial Sport

Main article: Combat sport

Several martial arts, such asJudo, are Olympic sports.

[edit]Health and fitness benefits

Training in martial arts imparts many benefits to the trainee, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.^[17]

According to Bruce Lee, martial arts also have the nature of an art, since there is emotional communication and complete emotional expression.^{[citation needed]}

[edit]Self-defense, military and law enforcement applications

Main articles: Hand to hand combat and Self-defense

U.S. Army Combatives instructor Matt Larsen demonstrates a chokehold.

The rifle-mounted bayonet, which has its origin in the spear, has seen use by the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the British Army as recently as the Iraq War.^[19]

[edit]Martial arts industry

modern history

2012-08-01T22:09:00.000+05:30

Modern history

Further information: Modern history of East Asian martial arts

late 19th to early 20th century

20th century (1914 to 1989)

The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921.

1990 to present

Jackie Chan one of the best known Hollywood actor and martial artist.

During the 1990s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE.^[12]

The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced in 1993, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominent movie figures who have been responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts in recent years.

November 29, 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyeon (traditional Korean martial art) onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List^[13]

[edit]Testing and competition

Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook Kick

[edit]Light- and medium-contact

Martial Sport

Main article: Combat sport

Several martial arts, such asJudo, are Olympic sports.

[edit]Health and fitness benefits

Training in martial arts imparts many benefits to the trainee, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.^[17]

According to Bruce Lee, martial arts also have the nature of an art, since there is emotional communication and complete emotional expression.^{[citation needed]}

[edit]Self-defense, military and law enforcement applications

Main articles: Hand to hand combat and Self-defense

U.S. Army Combatives instructor Matt Larsen demonstrates a chokehold.

The rifle-mounted bayonet, which has its origin in the spear, has seen use by the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the British Army as recently as the Iraq War.^[19]

[edit]Martial arts industry

Modern history

2012-08-01T22:06:00.001+05:30

Modern history

Further information: Modern history of East Asian martial arts

late 19th to early 20th century

20th century (1914 to 1989)

The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921.

1990 to present

Jackie Chan one of the best known Hollywood actor and martial artist.

During the 1990s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE.^[12]

The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced in 1993, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominent movie figures who have been responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts in recent years.

November 29, 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyeon (traditional Korean martial art) onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List^[13]

[edit]Testing and competition

Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook Kick

[edit]Light- and medium-contact

[edit]

[edit]Martial Sport

Main article: Combat sport

Several martial arts, such asJudo, are Olympic sports.

[edit]Health and fitness benefits

Training in martial arts imparts many benefits to the trainee, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.^[17]

According to Bruce Lee, martial arts also have the nature of an art, since there is emotional communication and complete emotional expression.^{[citation needed]}

[edit]Self-defense, military and law enforcement applications

Main articles: Hand to hand combat and Self-defense

U.S. Army Combatives instructor Matt Larsen demonstrates a chokehold.

The rifle-mounted bayonet, which has its origin in the spear, has seen use by the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the British Army as recently as the Iraq War.^[19]

[edit]Martial arts industry

Modern history

2012-08-01T21:50:00.003+05:30

Modern history

Further information: Modern history of East Asian martial arts

late 19th to early 20th century

20th century (1914 to 1989)

The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921.

1990 to present

Jackie Chan one of the best known Hollywood actor and martial artist.

During the 1990s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE.^[12]

The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced in 1993, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominent movie figures who have been responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts in recent years.

November 29, 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyeon (traditional Korean martial art) onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List^[13]

[edit]Testing and competition

Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook Kick

[edit]Light- and medium-contact

[edit]

[edit]Martial Sport

Main article: Combat sport

Several martial arts, such asJudo, are Olympic sports.

[edit]Health and fitness benefits

Training in martial arts imparts many benefits to the trainee, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.^[17]

According to Bruce Lee, martial arts also have the nature of an art, since there is emotional communication and complete emotional expression.^{[citation needed]}

[edit]Self-defense, military and law enforcement applications

Main articles: Hand to hand combat and Self-defense

U.S. Army Combatives instructor Matt Larsen demonstrates a chokehold.

The rifle-mounted bayonet, which has its origin in the spear, has seen use by the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the British Army as recently as the Iraq War.^[19]

[edit]Martial arts industry

Historical martial arts

2012-08-01T21:46:00.004+05:30

Historical martial arts

further information: History of boxing and History of fencing

While evidence show that martial arts have roots in prehistory, the earliest evidence of systematic training in specific martial arts traditions emerges in antiquity (late 1st millennium BC) in both Asia and Europe. The foundation of modern Asian martial arts is likely a blend of early Chinese and Indian martial arts. During the Warring States period of Chinese history (480-221 BC) extensive development in martial philosophy and strategy emerged, as described by Sun Tzu in The Art of War (c. 350 BC).^[4] Legendary accounts link the origin of Shaolinquan to the spread of Buddhism from India during the early 5th century AD, with the figure of Bodhidharma, to China.^[5]

In Europe, the earliest sources of martial arts traditions date to Classical Antiquity.

Boxing (pygme, pyx), Wrestling (pale) and Pankration were represented in the Ancient Olympic Games. The Romans producedgladiatorial combat as a public spectacle.

Systema has its roots in the combat skills of the medieval Russian warriors

During the Middle Ages, the development of the cossacks as self-governing warrior communities in the current region of Ukraine and Southern Russia resulted in an accumulation of fighting skills passed through generations. Due to a wide variety of climate and enemies, these people developed versatile and fast-learning martial habilities, which are considered to be the roots ofsystema.^[6]^[7]

A number of historical combat manuals have survived from the EuropeanMiddle Ages. This includes such styles as sword and shield, two-handed swordfighting and other types of melee weapons besides unarmed combat. The most famous of these is Johannes Lichtenauer's Fechtbuch (Fencing book) of the 14th century, which today forms the basis of the German school of swordsmanship. Likewise, Asian martial arts become well-documented during the medieval period, Japanese martial arts beginning with the establishment of the samurai nobility in the 12th century, Chinese martial arts with Ming era treatises such as Ji Xiao Xin Shu,Indian martial arts in medieval texts such as the Agni Purana and the Malla Purana, and Korean martial arts with Joseon era texts such as Muyejebo (1598). "Historical martial arts" in both Asia and Europe are mostly based on such records of the late medieval to early modern period (15th to 17th centuries; see also Koryū).

European swordsmanship was trained for duels until the Napoleonic era, and developed into sport fencing during the 19th century. Modern boxing originates with Jack Broughton's rules in the 18th century, and reaches its present form with the Marquess of Queensberry Rules of 1867. Europe's colonization of Asian countries also brought about a decline in local martial arts, especially with the introduction of firearms. This can clearly be seen in India after the full establishment of British Raj in the 19th century.^[8] Similar phenomena occurred in Southeast Asian colonies such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines

Bodhi Dharma and Oceanic Silk Road

2012-07-21T21:00:00.000+05:30

Bodhi Dharma and Oceanic Silk Road
Tstuomu Kambe
Historical Background
Bodhi-Dharma (菩提達摩) was an Indian Buddhist monk who came to China from India in the first quarter of the sixth century. He brought Mahayana Buddhism to China. Coming to China, he stayed nine years at the Shao-lin Temple (少林寺), located in He-nan Province (河南省). Bodhi-Dharma is well-known in connection to a story expressed by the phrase “Wall Contemplation Nine Years (面壁九年)”. From the philosophy and practice represented by this phrase, the Chinese Zen Buddhism originated and developed in ensuing generations. The Bodhi-Dharma is respected as the First Zu (First patriarch) of Chinese Zen Buddhism.
It is said that he was born as the third prince of a kingdom of south India. Name of the kingdom is expressed with two Chinese characters 香至. Late in his life, he left India. It was the year 520 CE (or 527 CE) when he arrived at Guang-zhou of south China by taking a sea route. It is not welll known which course he took on the way. This article proposes a tentative account that the route he took was the Sea Silk-Road.
Chinese historical literature describes what took place at the time when he left India. “He met the King and told him of his wish to go to China. The King tried to persuade him to stay in his home land, but Bodhi-Dharma was determined to go. There was no longer anything for the King to do but to prepare a large boat with necessary items for a safe voyage. His hope was for the future return of Bodhi-Dharma (preferably with the same boat). On the day of departure, the King accompanied Bodhi-Dharma up to the harbor, together with the families of his relatives and vassals. At this moment, there were none who were not in tears.
After a three-year voyage, the ship of Bodhi-Dharma arrived at Guang-zhou of south China. There, the local governor came to greet him. It was September of the year 520. It was the time of Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty (梁朝, 武帝)。He was informed of this event. Knowing it, the emperor invited Bodhi-Dharma to the capital Jian-kang (now Nan-jing). During his stay at the capital, it is said that there was the following dialogue between the Emperor Wu and Bodhi-Dharma. The Emperor asked: “I have constructed many temples for Buddhists and used to serve for transcribing a number of Buddhism sutras. What karmic merit is promised?” Bodhi-Dharma replied: “No merit (無功徳)”.
The kingdom where Bodhi-Dharma was born is recorded as ”香至” in Chinese literatures. At the time of Tang dynasty (618 - 907) established a hundred years later from the time of Bodhi-Dharma, it is likely that 香至 is pronounced as “Kang-zhi”. This is close to “Kanchi” (-puram), an old capital town in the state Tamil-Nadu of south India (the part ‘puram’ means a town or a state in the sense of earlier times). It was a capital of Pallava Dynasty at the time when Bodhi-Dharma was living. The Pallava Dynasty is recorded as an oceanic state, trading with Mediterranean countries to the west and with China, Siam, Fiji and others to the east. It is conjectured that Bodhi-Dharma departed from Kanchipuram to the nearest port Mamallapuram and embarked from there.
On the other hand, from the time of Former Han Dynasty (前漢, established in 206BC) more than two thousands years ago, China also traded by sea with south-east Asia, India, Middle-east and Mediterranean countries by using large oceanic boats. It is said that return journey took four years or so between China and Middle-east. In China at the time of 3rd century, oceanic boats were called “Konron-chuan”. “Konron (崑崙)” meant the area of south-east Asia in general. A picture shows that an early-time trading boat is equipped with wooden arms on its both sides (supposed, for stability). It is noteworthy that there are remains described as China-Pagoda in a trading harbor-town (Nakapattinam) of south India near Sri-Lanka island. This was built by the order of a Chinese king for the sake of Chinese Buddhists who came to India from China for trade or for pilgrimage (perhaps in the 8th century). Kanchipuram is famous now in India as a town of quality silk cloths. Even Indian Buddhist monks used silk goods. This is written in the travel record [2] by Yi Jing (義浄, 635 - 713). Original silks were likely imported from China, although mulberry trees (for silkworms) were planted in south India too. Some sources record that Yi Jing wrote a letter during his stay in Java (691) and sent it to the authorities of Tang Dynasty (at the time of Wu Zetian武則天), in which he asked to construct a China Pagoda in India. This corresponds to the above record in India.
Sea Route of Fa-Xian (Buddhist monk, 335 -423)
A number of Buddhist monks visited India from China and vice versa. A record of most famous travel is that of Xuan-Zang (629-645), who took the land route both ways to and from India. In an earlier travel by Fa-Xian (399 - 412), he took a land (mountain) route on his way to India and returned back by a sea route. Why Fa-Xian took the sea route on his return is not written in his travel record. It is conjectured that he wanted to avoid steep and dangerous mountain routes because his age had advanced to over seventy at the time.
Beginning his way back to China, he stayed at a town at the mouth of the Ganges river and waited for two years to take a large commercial ship. During his stay, he has transcribed Buddhism texts (and possibly looked for a person or a merchant who would assist him on his return journey). By taking advantage of seasonal (monsoon) wind in the
2
beginning of winter, his ship arrived at the island of Simhala (now Sri-Lanka) after fourteen days. It is well known that there is a seasonal wind from the north-east along the east coast of India in the Bengal Bay. After he had stayed for two years in Sri-Lanka too, he took a large ship (possibly helped by another merchant). The number of passengers on board was more than two hundreds. They embarked for the east. In the beginning there was favorable seasonal wind, but from the third day a storm occurred. After thirteen days, they arrived at an island. It is speculated that it was one of Nicobal islands. Tending to repairs due to flooding of the ship, they resumed their journey. After nine or ten days (or ninety days by another reading) by passing through the Strait of Malacca, they arrived at a harbor in Sumatra or Java islands. Fa-Xian stayed there for five months.
Route of Fa-Xian (thick solid line) and a speculated route of Bodhi Dharma (dotted line)
Helped by another merchant, he took a large ship bound for China where two hundred passengers were on board. Guessing the size of the ship, it could be one corresponding to two carriage cars of a modern electric train connected side by side and one underneath them. A relief of a big ship remains in Borobudur’s Buddhist structures (below) on the Java Island, which suggests such a ship as Fa-Xian took.

Ship relief in Borobudur.
They embarked with food on board of fifty days, but they encountered a storm on the way and drifted on the East China Sea. Eighty days after their departure, they arrived at a place on the south coast of Shan-dong Peninsula of China.
This was a voyage that occurred at a time a hundred years before Bodhi Dharma. At
3
his time, it appears that voyages across the Indian Ocean by using the monsoon seasonal wind are well-known. It is likely that such a sea route would have been recommended to Fa-Xian. According to modern data of observation, there is Monsoon wind in the Indian Ocean from Indian side to Malay Peninsula from May to September every year.
Sea Route of Bodhi Dharma
Bodhi Dharma’s ship departed Mamallapuram, a main port closest to Kanchipuram, and headed for Sri-Lanka. This is just a conjecture. It is likely that they stayed there a couple of months waiting for favorable monsoon wind, preparing for the great journey crossing the Indian Ocean. It might take another couple of months to get to a port in Sumatra or Java island. It may have taken a half or more of a year (depending on circumstances) since he departed his home country Kanchipuram. It is likely that he may have been invited by a royal family at the place he was staying, or that he stayed at a temple for rain retreat in summer time according to the Buddhist custum, or that he spent half a year by preparing his next journey, waiting for a favorable wind, or trading. Once everything was ready, they finally embarked for Guang-Zhou, China. It may have taken two months or so to get to their destination. Two years should have been sufficient time for the whole journey. The “three years” written in the record may imply that it was the third year since he departed his home country, rather than that it took full three years.
Bodhi Dharma according to old records was born in Kanchipuram of south India., and his final place of rest was at the Bear-Ear Mountain of He-Nan Province of China, where there is a temple Kong-Xing Si to commemorate Bodhi-Dharma. However, in the ancient town Kanchipuram where Bodhi-Dharma is supposed to have grown up, there is nothing to remind us of him. It is considerd that there were many Buddhist structures in Kanchipuram, but most of them were destroyed by the ravages of time and by the opponents of Buddhism. At the present time, it is a sacred town of Hinduism. Historical remains related to Buddhism found in that region are very limited in number, although one can come across a large number of Buddhist remains in the Hindu temples of this antique city.
Devotees and interested individuals from different countries may wish to be informed and experience some sense of this great person Bodhi-Dharma in Kanchipuram. Currently, a project is being planned by those who intend to build a memorial structure at the land (in Kanchipuram) owned by the Institute of Asian Studies (Chennai, India). This article is written with the hope and confidence in worldwide spiritual support for this endeavor.

more history come true........ta -mo we like you

2012-07-21T10:43:00.000+05:30

Travels of Bodhidharma

According to Southeast Asian folklore, Bodhidharma travelled from south India by sea to Sumatra, Indonesia for the purpose of spreading the Mahayana doctrine. From Palembang, he went north into what are now Malaysia and Thailand. He travelled the region transmitting his knowledge of Buddhism and martial arts^[29] before eventually entering China through Vietnam. Malay legend holds that Bodhidharma introduced preset forms to silat.^[29]

[edit]Appearance after his death

Three years after Bodhidharma's death, Ambassador Song Yun of northern Wei is said to have seen him walking while holding a shoe at the Pamir Heights. Song Yun asked Bodhidharma where he was going, to which Bodhidharma replied "I am going home". When asked why he was holding his shoe, Bodhidharma answered "You will know when you reach Shaolin monastery. Don't mention that you saw me or you will meet with disaster". After arriving at the palace, Song Yun told the emperor that he met Bodhidharma on the way. The emperor said Bodhidharma was already dead and buried, and had Song Yun arrested for lying. At the Shaolin Temple, the monks informed them that Bodhidharma was dead and had been buried in a hill behind the temple. The grave was exhumed and was found to contain a single shoe. The monks then said "Master has gone back home" and prostrated three times.

For nine years he had remained and nobody knew him;
Carrying a shoe in hand he went home quietly, without ceremony.^[30]

[edit]Modern scholarship

Bodhidharma has been the subject of critical scientific research, which has shed new light on the traditional stories about Bodhidharma.

[edit]Biography as a hagiographic process

According to John McRae, Bodhidharma has been the subject of a hagiographic process which served the needs of the Chinese Ch'an movement. According to him it is not possible to write an accurate biography of Bodhidharma:

"It is ultimately impossible to reconstruct any original or accurate biography of the man whose life serves as the original trace of his hagiography - where "trace" is a term from Jacques Derrida meaning the beginningless beginning of a phenomenon, the imagined but always intellectually unattainable origin. Hence any such attempt by modern biographers to reconstruct a definitive account of Bodhidharma's life is both doomed to failure and potentially no different in intent from the hagiographical efforts of premodern writers"^[31]

McRae's standpoint accords with Yanagida's standpoint:

"Yanagida ascribes great historical value to the witness of the disciple T'an-lin, but at the same time acknowledges the presence of "many puzzles in the biography of Bodhidharma". Given the present state of the sources, he considers it impossible to compile a reliable account of Bodhidharma's life".^[32]

Several scholars have suggested that the composed image of Bodhidharma depended on the combination of supposed historical information on various historical figures over several centuries.^[33] Bodhidharma as a historical person may even never have actually existed^[34]

[edit]Origins and place of birth

Dumoulin comments on the three principal sources. The Persian heritage is doubtful, according to Dumoulin:

"In the description of the Lo-yang temple, bodhidharma is called a Persian. Given the ambiguity of geographical references in writings of this period, such a statement should not be taken too seriously".^[35]

Dumoulin considers Tan-lin's account of Bodhidharma being "the third son of a great Brahman king" to be a later addition, and finds the exact meaning of "South Indian Brahman stock" unclear:^[36]

"And when Tao-hsuan speaks of origins from South Indian Brahman stock, it is not clear whether he is referring to roots in nobility or to India in general as the land of the Brahmans"

These Chinese sources lend themselves to make inferences about Bodhidharma's origins. "The third son of a Brahman king" has been speculated to mean "the third son of a Pallavine king".^[3] Based on a specific pronunciation of the Chinese characters 香至 as Kang-zhi, "meaning fragrance extreme",^[3] Tsutomu Kambe identifies 香至 to be Kanchipuram, an old capital town in the state Tamil-Nadu. According to Tstuomu Kambe:

"Kanchi means 'a radiant jewel' or 'a luxury belt with jewels', and puram means a town or a state in the sense of earlier times. Thus, it is understood that the '香至-Kingdom' corresponds to the old capital 'Kanchipuram'."^[3]

[edit]Indian caste system

In the context of the Indian caste system the mention of "Brahman king"^[37] acquires a nuance. Broughton notes that "king" implies that Bodhidharma was of a member of the Kshatriya caste of warriors and rulers.^[38] Brahman is, in western contexts, easily understood as Brahmana or Brahmin, which means priest.

[edit]Bodhidharma's name

According to tradition Bodhidharma was given this name by his teacher known variously as Panyatara, Prajnatara, or Prajñādhara.^[39]

Bodhidharma is associated with several other names, and is also known by the name Bodhitara. Faure notes that:

"Bodhidharma’s name appears sometimes truncated as Bodhi, or more often as Dharma (Ta-mo). In the first case, it may be confused with another of his rivals, Bodhiruci."^[40]

Tibetan sources give his name as "Bodhidharmottāra" or "Dharmottara", that is, "Highest teaching (dharma) of enlightenment".^[41]

[edit]Bodhidharma's abode in China

Buswell dates Bodhidharma abode in China approximately at the early 5th century.^[42] Broughton dates Bodhidharma's presence in Luoyang to between 516 and 526, when the temple referred to—Yǒngníngsì (永寧寺), was at the height of its glory.^[43] Starting in 526, Yǒngníngsì suffered damage from a series of events, ultimately leading to its destruction in 534.^[44]

[edit]Martial arts

Traditionally Bodhidharma is being credited to be the founder of the martial arts at the Shaolin Temple. However, martial arts historians have shown this legend stems from a 17th century qigong manual known as the Yijin Jing.^[45]

The authenticity of the Yi Jin Jing has been discredited by some historians including Tang Hao, Xu Zhen and Matsuda Ryuchi. This argument is summarized by modern historian Lin Boyuan in his Zhongguo wushu shi:

As for the "Yi Jin Jing" (Muscle Change Classic), a spurious text attributed to Bodhidharma and included in the legend of his transmitting martial arts at the temple, it was written in the Ming dynasty, in 1624, by the Daoist priest Zining of Mt. Tiantai, and falsely attributed to Bodhidharma. Forged prefaces, attributed to the Tang general Li Jing and the Southern Song general Niu Gao were written. They say that, after Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years at Shaolin temple, he left behind an iron chest; when the monks opened this chest they found the two books "Xi Sui Jing" (Marrow Washing Classic) and "Yi Jin Jing" within. The first book was taken by his disciple Huike, and disappeared; as for the second, "the monks selfishly coveted it, practicing the skills therein, falling into heterodox ways, and losing the correct purpose of cultivating the Real. The Shaolin monks have made some fame for themselves through their fighting skill; this is all due to having obtained this manuscript." Based on this, Bodhidharma was claimed to be the ancestor of Shaolin martial arts. This manuscript is full of errors, absurdities and fantastic claims; it cannot be taken as a legitimate source.^[23]

The oldest available copy was published in 1827^[46] and the composition of the text itself has been dated to 1624.^[23] Even then, the association of Bodhidharma with martial arts only became widespread as a result of the 1904–1907 serialization of the novel The Travels of Lao Ts'an in Illustrated Fiction Magazine^[47]:

One of the most recently invented and familiar of the Shaolin historical narratives is a story that claims that the Indian monk Bodhidharma, the supposed founder of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism, introduced boxing into the monastery as a form of exercise around a.d. 525. This story first appeared in a popular novel, The Travels of Lao T’san, published as a series in a literary magazine in 1907. This story was quickly picked up by others and spread rapidly through publication in a popular contemporary boxing manual, Secrets of Shaolin Boxing Methods, and the first Chinese physical culture history published in 1919. As a result, it has enjoyed vast oral circulation and is one of the most “sacred” of the narratives shared within Chinese and Chinese-derived martial arts. That this story is clearly a twentieth-century invention is confirmed by writings going back at least 250 years earlier, which mention both Bodhidharma and martial arts but make no connection between the two.^[48]

[edit]Practice and teaching

Bodhidharma is traditionally seen as introducing dhyana-practice in China.

[edit]Pointing directly to one's mind

One of the fundamental Chán texts attributed to Bodhidharma is a four-line stanza whose first two verses echo the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra's disdain for words and whose second two verses stress the importance of the insight into reality achieved through "self-realization":

"A special transmission outside the scriptures,Not founded upon words and letters;
By pointing directly to [one's] mind
It lets one see into [one's own true] nature and [thus] attain Buddhahood."^[49]

The stanza, in fact, is not Bodhidharma's, but rather dates to the year 1108.^[50]

[edit]Wall-gazing

Tanlin, in the preface to Two Entrances and Four Acts, and Daoxuan, in the Further Biographies of Eminent Monks, mention a practice of Bodhidharma's termed "wall-gazing" (壁觀 bìguān). Both Tanlin^[51] and Daoxuan^[52] associate this "wall-gazing" with "quieting [the] mind"^[9] (安心 ān xīn).

In the Two Entrances and Four Acts, traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma, the term "wall-gazing" is given as follows:

Those who turn from delusion back to reality, who meditate on walls, the absence of self and other, the oneness of mortal and sage, and who remain unmoved even by scriptures are in complete and unspoken agreement with reason".^[53]^[a]

Daoxuan states: "The merits of Mahāyāna wall-gazing are the highest".^[54]

These are the first mentions in the historical record of what may be a type of meditation being ascribed to Bodhidharma.

Exactly what sort of practice Bodhidharma's "wall-gazing" was remains uncertain. Nearly all accounts have treated it either as an undefined variety of meditation, as Daoxuan and Dumoulin,^[54] or as a variety of seated meditation akin to the zazen (坐禪; Chinese:zuòchán) that later became a defining characteristic of Chán. The latter interpretation is particularly common among those working from a Ch'an standpoint.^[55]

huo yuanjia story one of the famous martial artists

2012-07-15T08:31:00.000+05:30

Huo Yuanjia 霍元甲
Huo Yuanjia
Born	January 18, 1868 Xiaonanhe Village, Jinghai County, Tianjin
Died	August 9, 1910 (aged 42) Shanghai possible arsenic poisoning
Style	Wushu Mizongyi
Rank	Grandmaster
Notable relatives	Huo Endi (father)
Notable students	Liu Zhensheng, Chen Gongzhe

Huo Yuanjia (January 18, 1868 – August 9, 1910^[1]) was a Chinese martial artist and co-founder of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, a martial arts school in Shanghai. A practitioner of the martial art mizongyi,^[2] Huo is considered a hero in China for defeating foreign fighters in highly publicized matches at a time when Chinese sovereignty was being eroded by colonization, foreign concessions, and spheres of influence. Due to his heroic status, legends and myths about events in his life are difficult to discern from facts

Huo was born in Xiaonanhe Village in Jinghai County, Tianjin, as the fourth of Huo Endi's ten children. The family's main source of income was from agriculture, but Huo Endi also made a living by escorting merchant caravans to Manchuria and back. Although he was from a family of traditional wushu practitioners, Huo was born weak and susceptible to illness (he had asthma and at an early age he contracted jaundice, that would recur periodically for the rest of his life), so his father discouraged him from learning traditional wushu.

Huo Endi hired a tutor named Chen Seng-ho from Japan to teach his son academics and the values of humility and perseverance. In return, Chen was taught the Huo family's style of martial arts, mizongyi. Against his father's wishes, Huo still wanted to learn wushu. He secretly observed his father teaching students martial arts during the day and practiced them at night with his tutor.

In 1890, a martial artist from Henan visited the Huo family and had a fight with Huo's older brother. Huo's brother was defeated and to the surprise of the family, Huo fought against his brother's opponent and defeated him. As Huo proved that he was physically able to practice wushu, his father accepted him as a student. In later years, Huo went on to challenge martial artists from neighboring lands and his fame grew as he defeated more and more opponents in bouts.

Huo joined his father at work as a caravan guard. One day, while escorting a group of monks, Huo was confronted by an aggressive bandit leader who threatened to attack the monks with his bandit followers. Huo fought against the bandit leader and defeated him. News of his feat spread and added on to his growing fame. In 1896, Huo went to Tianjin and made a living there by working as a porter in the Huaiqing pharmacy there and by selling firewood

Rise to fame

In 1902, Huo responded to a challenge advertised by a Russian wrestler in Xiyuan Park,Tianjin. The wrestler openly called the Chinese "weak men of the East" as no one accepted his challenge to a fight. The Russian forfeited when Huo accepted his challenge. The Russian told Huo that he was merely putting on a performance in order to make a living and made an apology for his earlier remark in the newspaper.^{[citation needed]}

Between 1909 and 1910, Huo traveled to Shanghai twice to accept an open challenge posed by a British boxer, Hercules O'Brien. The two of them had arguments over the rules governing such boxing matches and eventually agreed that whoever knocked down his opponent would be the victor. O'Brien fought Huo and lost. Huo's victory was a great inspiration to the Chinese people and had them questioning the basis of imperialistic dominance. There is a lot of controversy denying that the fight ever took place however. Even recently an article stated the same, that O'Brien^[4] opted to leave town instead.

Chin Woo Athletic Association

Between 1909 and 1910,^[6] Huo founded the Chin Woo Physical Training Center (later known as Chin Woo Athletic Association) with his close friend Nong Jinsun as president of the association.^[7] Huo was encouraged by close friends and sponsored by Sun Yat-senand Song Jiaoren who were living in Tokyo, Japan. The center was meant to be a school for learning the art of self-defense, improvement of health and mind.

Huo suffered from jaundice and tuberculosis and started seeing a Japanese physician for medication and treatment. The physician, a member of the Japanese Judo Association based in Shanghai, invited him to a competition upon hearing of his fame. Huo's student Liu Zhensheng competed with a judo practitioner. Although there were disputes over who won the match, both sides generally agreed that the disagreement culminated in a brawl and members of the judo team were injured, some with broken fingers and hands, including the head instructor.

Death

Huo died on August 9, 1910, at 42 years of age. In 1989, the tomb of Huo and his wife was relocated. Black spots were discovered in the pelvic bones, and Tianjin Municipality Police Laboratory confirmed that they contained arsenic.^[8] Consequently, it is difficult to ascertain whether his death was caused by malicious poisoning or the prescription of medicine. This was because arsenic trioxide has been used therapeutically for approximately 2,400 years as a part of traditional Chinese medicine.^[9]

Historian Chen Gongzhe, who was also one of Huo's students, believed that the cause of his master's death was hemoptysis disease. Chen wrote that Huo was introduced to a Japanese physician by the judo instructor as his health declined. The physician prescribed some medicine for his condition, but Huo's health continued to deteriorate. Huo was admitted to Shanghai Red Cross Hospital, where he died two weeks later. Although Chen did not mention that the medicine prescribed by the Japanese physician contained arsenic or any other poison, some leaders of the Chin Woo Athletic Association speculate that Huo was poisoned around the time of his death.

Huo's life story has been adapted into a number of films and television series. In these adaptations, Huo is depicted as a heroic martial artist who fights to uphold the dignity of the Chinese people in the face of foreign aggression. His death is portrayed dramatically: he is secretly poisoned to death by foreigners, usually the Japanese, who see him as a threat to their interests in their exploitation of China.

A notable feature in some of these adaptations is the appearance of Chen Zhen, a fictional student of Huo, who brings his teacher's murderers to justice and continues to uphold Huo's legacy.

The Legendary Fok, a 1981 Hong Kong television series produced by RTV, starring Wong Yuen-sun as Fok Yuen-gap (Cantonesefor Huo Yuanjia) and Bruce Leung as Chan Zan (Cantonese for Chen Zhen).

Legend of a Fighter, a 1982 Hong Kong film starring Bryan Leung as Huo Yuanjia.

Fist of Fury, a 1995 Hong Kong television series based on the 1972 film of the same title that starred Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen. Produced by ATV, the series starred Donnie Yen as Chan Zan and Eddy Ko in a supporting role as Fok Yuen-gap.

Huo Yuanjia, a 2001 Chinese television series starring Vincent Zhao as the titular character and Wu Yue as Chen Zhen. It was followed by a sequel Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen.

Fearless,^[11] a 2006 film starring Jet Li as Huo Yuanjia.

Huo Yuanjia, also known as The Legendary Fok 2008, a 2008 television series starring Ekin Cheng as Huo Yuanjia and Jordan Chanas Chen Zhen. Jordan Chan reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the sequel Jingwu Chen Zhen.

The History of Wing Chun-By Yip Man

2012-07-14T10:05:00.003+05:30

The Origin of Wing Chun-by Grandmaster Yip Man

The founder of the Wing Chun Kung Fu System, Miss Yim Wing Chun was a native of Canton Kwangtung Province in China. She was an intelligent and athletic young girl, upstanding and forthright. Her mother died soon after her betrothal to Leung Bok Chau, a salt merchant of Fukien. Her father, Yim Yee, was wrongfully accused of a crime and, rather than risk jail, they slipped away and finally settled down at the foot of Tai Leung Mountain near the border between Yunan and Szechuan provinces. There they earned a living by running a shop that sold bean curd.

During the reign of Emperor K’anghsi of the Ching Dynasty (1662–1722) Kung Fu became very strong in the Siu Lam (Shaolin) Monastery of Mt. Sung, in Honan Province. This aroused the fear of the Manchu government [a non-Chinese people from Manchuria in the North, who ruled China at that time], which sent troops to attack the Monastery. Although they were unsuccessful, a man named Chan Man Wai, a recently appointed civil servant seeking favor with the government, suggested a plan.

He plotted with Siu Lam monk Ma Ning Yee and others who were persuaded to betray their companions by setting fire to the monastery while soldiers attacked it from the outside. Siu Lam was burned down, and the monks and disciples scattered. Buddhist Abbess Ng Mui, Abbot Chi Sim, Abbot Pak Mei, Master Fung To Tak and Master Miu Hin escaped and went their separate ways.

Ng Mui took refuge in the White Crane Temple on Mt. Tai Leung (also known as Mt. Chai Har). It was there she met Yim Yeeand his daughter Yim Wing Chun from whom she often bought bean curd on her way home from the market. At fifteen, with her hair bound up in the custom of those days to show she was of an age to marry, Wing Chun’s beauty attracted the attention of a local bully. He tried to force Wing Chun to marry him, and his continuous threats became a source of worry to her and her father. Ng Mui learned of this and took pity on Wing Chun. She agreed to teach Wing Chun fighting techniques so she could protect herself. Wing Chun followed Ng Mui into the mountains, and began to learn Kung Fu. She trained night and day, until she mastered the techniques. Then she challenged the bully to a fight and beat him.

Ng Mui later traveled around the country, but before she left she told Wing Chun to strictly honor the Kung Fu traditions, to develop her Kung Fu after her marriage, and to help the people working to overthrow the Manchu government and restore the Ming Dynasty.

After her marriage Wing Chun taught Kung Fu to her husband Leung Bok Lau. He in turn passed these techniques on to Leung Lan Kwai. Leung Lan Kwai then passed them on to Wong Wah Bo. Wong Wah Bo was a member of an opera troupe on board a junk, known to Chinese as the Red Junk or Red Boats. Wong worked on the Red Junk with Leung Yee Tei. It so happened that Abbot Chi Shin, who fled from Siu Lam, had disguised himself as a cook and was then working on the Red Junk. Chi Shin taught the Six-and-a-half-point Long Pole techniques to Leung Yee Tei. Wong Wah Bo was close to Leung Yee Tei, and they shared what they knew about Kung Fu. Together they shared and improved their techniques, and thus the Six-and-a-half-point Long Pole was incorporated into Wing Chun Kung Fu. Leung Yee Tei passed his Kung Fu on to Leung Jan, a well known herbal Doctor in Fat Shan. Leung Jan grasped the innermost secrets of Wing Chun, attaining the highest level of proficiency. Many Kung Fu masters came to challenge him, but all were defeated. Leung Jan became very famous. Later he passed his Kung Fu on to Chan Wah Shun, who took me and my elder Kung Fu brothers, such as Ng Siu Lo, Ng Chung So, Chan Yu Min and Lui Yu Jai, as his students many decades ago.

It can thus be said that the Wing Chun System was passed on to us in a direct line of succession from its origin. I write this history of the Wing Chun System in respectful memory of my forerunners. I am eternally grateful to them for passing to me the skills I now possess. A man should always think of the source of the water as he drinks it; it is this shared feeling that keeps our Kung Fu brothers together.

Is this not the way to promote Kung Fu, and to project the image of our country?

Yip Man

Sources:

Leungs Publishing
Various accounts and translations of this Text passed down by Yip Man.

Chow Tze Chuen Version: The Origin of Wing Chun By Yip Man

The founder of the Kung Fu system, Miss Yim Wing Chun was a native of Canton China . As a young girl, she was intelligent and athletic, upstanding and manly. She was betrothed to Leung Bok Chau, a salt merchant of Fukien . Soon after that, her mother died. Her father, Yim Yee, was wrongfully accused of a crime, and nearly went to jail. So the family moved far away, and finally settled down at the foot of Tai Leung Mountain at the Yunnan-Szechuan border. There, they earned a living by. All this happened during the reign of Emperor K’anghsi (1662 ¡V 1722).

At the time, kungfu was becoming very strong in Siu Lam Monastery (Shaolin Monastery) of Mt. Sung , Honan . This aroused the fear of the Manchu government, which sent troops to attack the Monastery. They were unsuccessful. A man called Chan Man Wai was the First Placed Graduate of the Civil Service Examination that year. He was seeking favour with the government, and suggested a plan. He plotted with Siu Lam monk Ma Ning Yee and others. They set fire to the Monastery while soldiers attacked it from the outside. Siu Lam was burnt down, and the monks scattered. Buddhist Abbess Ng Mui, Abbot Chi Shin, Abbot Pak Mei, Master Fung To Tak and Master Miu Hin escaped and fled their separate ways.

Ng Mui took refuge in White Crane Temple on Mt. Tai Leung (also known as Mt. Chai Har). There she came to know Yim Yee and his daughter Yim Wing Chun. She bought bean curds at their store. They became friends.

Wing Chun was a young woman then, and her beauty attracted the attention of a local bully. He tried to force Wing Chun to marry him. She and her father were very worried. Ng Mui learned of this and took pity on Wing Chun. She agreed to teach Wing Chun fighting techniques so that she could protect herself. Then she would be able to solve the problem with the bully, and marry Leung Bok Chau, here betrothed husband. So Wing Chun followed Ng Mui into the mountains, and started to learn kungfu. She trained night and day, and mastered the techniques. Then she challenged the local bully to a fight and beat him. Ng Mui set off to travel around the country, but before she left, she told Wing Chun to strictly honour the kungfu traditions, to develop her kungfu after her marriage, and to help the people working to overthrow the Manchu government and restore the Ming Dynasty. This is how Wing Chun kungfu was handed down by Abbess Ng Mui.

After the marriage, Wing Chun taught her kungfu to her husband Leung Bok Chau, and he passed his kungfu techniques on to Leung Lan Kwai. Leung Lan Kwai passed it on to Wong Wah Bo. Wong Wah Bo was a member of an opera troupe on board a junk, known to the Chinese as the Reb Junk. Wong worked on the Red Junk with Leung Yee Tei. It so happened that Abbot Chi Shin, who fled from Siu Lam, has disguised himself as a cook and was now working on the Red Junk. Chi Shin taught the Six-and-a-half Point Long Pole Techniques to Leung Yee Tei. Wong Wah Bo was close to Leung Yee Tei, and they shared what they knew about kungfu together they correlated and improved their techniques, and thus the Six-and-half-point Long Pole Techniques were incorporated into Wing Chun kungfu.

Leung Yee Tei passed the kungfu on to Leung Jan, a well known herbal doctor in Fat Shan. Leung Jan grasped the innermost secrets of Wing Chun, and attained the highest level of proficiency. Many kungfu masters came to challenge him, but all were defeated. Leung Jan became very famous. Later, he passed his kungfu on to Chan Wah Shan, who took me as his student many decades ago. I studied kungfu alongside my kungfu brothers such as Ng Siu Lo, Ng Chung So, Chan Yu Min and Lui Yu Jai. Wing Chun was thus passed down to us, and we are eternally grateful to our Kungfu ancestors and teachers. We will always remember and appreciate our roots, and this shared feeling will always keep our kungfu brothers close together. This is why I am organizing the Wing Chun Fellowship, and I hope my kungfu brothers will support me in this. This will be very important in the promotion of Kungfu.

The Chronical of Yip Mans Life-By Yip Chun

2012-07-14T10:04:00.002+05:30

The Chronical of Yip Mans Life-By Yip Chun

Born October 1893, died December 1972 Aged 79 years.

Grandmaster Yip Man spent his whole life as champion of the cause of Wing Chun Kung Fu. He was responsible for advancing Wing Chun Kung Fu to its’ eminence today. Throughout the world, students of Wing Chun Kung Fu continue to publish articles about Grandmaster Yip Man, his life and achievements. Therefore to celebrate the 100 anniversary of the birth of Grandmaster Yip Man this chronicle is being produced for all those interested in Wing Chun Kung Fu.

This chronicle is about Yip Man and his contribution to the style of Wing Chun Kung Fu. Therefore the details of his life, his education and profession, will be only be covered in brief. There are thousands of practitioners of Wing Chun Kung Fu and those who are not mentioned in this tribute must bear with the author for lack of space.

He was born on October 14th 1893 in the Ching Dynasty (Kand Shoui - September 5th in the Chinese calendar) in Fut Shan town in Kwong Tung province which was then in Lam Hoi county. So Yip Man’s birthplace is often referred to as Lam Hoi in Kwong Tung.

Grandmaster Yip Man’s father was called Yip Oi Dor, his mother was Ng Shui, he was one of four brothers and sisters. His brother was called Gei Gak (Grandmaster Yip Man was originally called Gei Man). His sister’s name was Wan Mei (Sik Chung)

1899 to 1905 (Ching Kwong Shui).

Grandmaster Yip Man 6 to 12 years old.

Location: Fut Shan.

Grandmaster Yip Man studied Wing Chun Kung Fu with Chan Wah Shun

(Money Changer Wan). The location was in Fut Shan town main street (song Yun Dai Gai) in the Yip family hall. The garden in now owned by the government and the hall is no longer there. At the time studying together with Grandmaster Yip Man were Lui Yui Chai, Ng Chung Sao, Ng Siu Lo and others.

1905 (Ching Kwon Shui).

Grandmaster Yip Man at 12 years old.

Location: Fut Shan.

Chan Wah Shun passed away, but before he died he asked Ng Chung Sao to helpYip Man to complete the Wing Chun system. Chan Wah Shun’s body was taken by his Kung Fu disciples to Chan village in Shun Dak, for burial.

1937 (Man Kwok year 26)

Grandmaster Yip Man 44 years old.

Location: Fut Shan.

The Japanese invaded south China.

1937 to 1945 (Man Kwok year 26 to 34)

Grandmaster Yip Man 44 to 52 years old.

Location: Fut Shan.

For 8 years Yip Man fought the Japanese but Fut Shan was occupied and ruled by a puppet government. The Grandmaster swore not to be used by the puppet government so he became very poor and often he went hungry. Luckily his good friend, Chow Cheng Chung, gave him food from time to time. Grandmaster Yip Man wanted to repay his kindness and so accepted his son, Chow Kwang Yiu, as his student. From 1941 to 1943 he taught Wing Chun Kung Fu in the cotton mill at Wing On. At this time studying with Chow Kwong Yiu were Kwok Fu, Chan Chi Sun, Ng Ying, Lun Kai, Chow Sai and others. These were the firstgeneration of students that Grandmaster Yip Man taught. Kwok Fu and Lun Kai are still alive and teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu in China today, in Kwong Chow, Fut Shan.

1945 (Man Kwok year 34)

Grandmaster Yip Man is 52 years old.

Location: Fut Shan.

The year Japan surrendered.

1945 to 1949 (Man Kwok year 34 to 38)

Grandmaster Yip Man 52 to 56 years old.

Location: Kwong Chow, Fut Shan.

During this period of time, Grandmaster Yip Man was at his busiest at work, even though he loved Wing Chun Kung Fu he had to leave it for a time. Until, in 1948, through his very good friend Tong Kai, he was introduced to Pang Lam who begged Yip Man to teach him Wing Chun Kung Fu. Through this busy time, Yip Man coached Pang Lam on the form at the Fut Shang Cheung Yee Athletic Association.

1949 (Man Kwok year 38)

Grandmaster Yip Man is 56 years old.

Location: Macao and Hong Kong.

Grandmaster Yip Man went through Macao to Hong Kong but while in Macao he stayed for two weeks at Cho Doi Street with friends who owned a bird shop.

1950 to 1953 (Man Kwok year 39 to 42)

Grandmaster Yip Man 57 to 60 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

In July 1950, through Lee Man’s introduction, Grandmaster Yip Man started teaching in Dai Lam Street, Kowloon. The first Wing Chun Kung Fu class was for the Restaurant Workers Association. When he opened the class there were only 8 people including Leung Shang and Lok Yiu. All these were restaurant workers, but later he was joined by Tsui Shan Tin, Yip Bo Ching, Chiu Wan, Lee Yan Wing, Law Peng, Man Siu Hung and others. This period of time was called the forefront of the Restaurant Workers Association. Grandmaster Yip Man also taught in the Restaurant Workers, Shang Wan branch, Union HQ in Hong Kong. Students included Lee Wing, Yue May Keng, Lee Leung Foon and others.

1953 to 1954 (Man Kwok year 42 to 43)

Grandmaster Yip Man 60 to 61 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

When Leung Sheung was defeated in the union elections, Grandmaster Yip Man moved the school to Hoi Tan Street. Learning at that time were Wong Shun Leung, Wong Kiu, Wong Chaok, Ng Chan and others. Yip Man also taught private lessons at Three Prince Temple on Yue Chow Street. Students were Lee Hong and others.

1954 to 1955 (Man Kwok year 43 to 44)

Grandmaster Yip Man 61 to 62 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

Leung Sheung was re-elected chairman of the Restaurant Workers union and so Grandmaster Yip Man moved back to the union HQ. This is called the later stage of the Restaurant Workers Association. At this time he was joined by Lee Kam Sing, Kan Wa Jeet (Victor Kan), Lo Man Kam, Cheung Cheuk Heng(William Cheung) and others.

1955 to 1957 (Man Kwok year 44 to 46)

Grandmaster Yip Man 62 to 64 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

Grandmaster Yip Man moved the school to Lee Tat Street, Yao Ma Tei in Kowloon.

The students here were Lee Siu Lung (Bruce Lee), Chan Shing, Haw Kin Cheung, Siu Yuk Man, Poon Bing Lid, Pang Kam Fat and others.

1957 to 1962 (Man Kwok year 46 to 51)

Grandmaster Yip Man 64 to 69 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

During this 5 years Yip Man moved the school to Lee Chang Oak Chuen. At this time students were Mek Po, Yeung Hei, Moi Yat, Ho Kam Ming and others. During this period of time Grandmaster Yip Man taught mostly private lessons. Sau Kei Wan, Shun Kei pottery shop. Students were Wong Pak Yee, Wong Wei, Yeung Chung Han, Chow Lok Gee, Wong Kwok Yau and others.

Tsim ha Tsui, Bong Lak Hong. Students were Tong Cho Chi, Lee Fat Chi, Chang Tak Chiu, Tam Lai and others.

3 Tai Po Road. Students were Chung Kam Chuen, Chung Wing Hong.

1962 to 1963 (Man Kwok year 51 to 52)

Grandmaster Yip Man 69 to 70 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

Grandmaster Yip Man moved the school to 61 Tai Po Road, a unit in the Heng Yip building. Students were Cheung Yiu Wing, Ho Luen, Jun Ching On, Chan Woon Lam, Chang Tai Yim and Kwok See Yan. Private lessons were taught at Yee Wa tailor’s shop at Tsim Sha Tsui. Students were Peter Chang and a group of people from Po Lak Hong.

1963 to 1965 (Man Kwok year 52 to 54)

Grandmaster Yip Man 70 to 72 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

The school was moved to the top floor of the Tai Sang restaurant on Fook Chuen Street, Tai Kok Tsui. Originally this had been the storeroom. The owner was called Ho Luen who let them use the room. Most of the people from the school at the Heng Yip building also moved here. As well as Ho Luen there were also Yeung Chung Hon, Wat Yung Sung, Pang Kam Fat, Jun Ching On, Lee Yan Wing and Yau Hak So. During this period of time Grandmaster Yip Man also taught students, mainly from the police, privately at San Po Kong, Hin Hing Street. These included Tang Sang, Lam Ying Fat, Yuen Chi Kong, Lee Yiu Fei, Wong Kok and others.

1965 to 1972 (Man Kwok year 54 to 61)

Grandmaster Yip Man 72 to 79 years old.

Location: Hong Kong.

The school at the Tai Sang restaurant finished and Grandmaster Yip Man moved to live on Tung Choi Street residence because he was getting old. Although he was already partly retired he was still teaching one to one private tuition. Going to Yip Man’s home during this period of time, were Wong Chung Wah (Yat Oak Goi Tse), Wong Hei,Hong Jap Sum and others. He also went out teaching to three places:

1 The Ving Tsun Athletic Association, which, in 1967, was the first martial arts society to be officially registered with the government. The Ving Tsun Athletic Association then decided to open Kung Fu classes at the association’s address. The association placed Grandmaster Yip Man in charge of the instruction. Assisting him were Jun Ching On, Fung Hon, Wong Hon Chung and others. This was only about three months.

2 Chan Wei Hong’s home on Waterloo Road, Learning here were Chen Wei Hong, the Siu Lung brothers, also Wong Chi On, Chan Kam Ming, Chung Yau, Lau Hon Lam,Man Yim Kwong and others.

3 Chi Yau Road. When Chan Wei Hong had other business and could not continue at Waterloo Road, Grandmaster Yip Man moved to the roof top of Lau Hon Lam’shome. Joining here were Wong Chi Ming and he also officially accepted a female student called Ng Yuet Dor.

4 Siu Fai Toi. At solicitor Yip Sing Cheuk’s house. Apart from Yip Sing Cheuk the rest of the students were also mostly solicitors. This was the last place that Grandmaster Yip Man taught Wing Chun Kung Fu.

Grandmaster Yip Man passed away at his home on Tung Choi Street on the 1st December 1972 (Man Kwok year 61). 26th October in the Chinese lunar calendar. He enjoyed 79 years of life.

The History of Wing Chun According to Lo Kwai-By Chao Family

2012-07-14T10:03:00.002+05:30

The History of Wing Chun According to Lo Kwai - By Chao Tseng-Ming and Brian Scanlon

“We make no claims to be the first, best or original wing chun. There are many families of wing chun, we are but one. I have been appointed the public speaker for the family. All information comes from Chao Tseng-Ming”

This article is the first in a series, detailing a rare system of Wing Chun, that descends from Leung Jan’s Foshan Student, Lo Kwai. Kwai the Pork Seller’s Family left China with the Nationalists, moving to Taiwan, living to this day, preserving Leung Jan’s Foshan System. The study of this system sheads new light on Wing Chun history, for the first time substantiating Oral traditions passed down by Cho Gar, Kulo Village, and Yuen Kay Shan Wing Chun Clans. This article is a brief introduction to a system that has never been taught publicaly, and has only been passed down to one non family member.

Wing Chuns Ancestral History is shrouded in the Mists of time. Lo Kwai Oral Tradition picks up at the time of the Opera Boats.QiongHua Guild anchorage, in Foshan, was where the Wing Chun system was known to have began. The 2 main methods that went into forming wing chun were White Crane and a snake boxing style, plus parts of 3 other sub styles, as well, to a lesser degree. This was the place where the different opera troupes would meet and exchange information. The guild was burned down in the xiang fong period of the Qing Dynasty by the government. This was due to the rebellion led by Lee Man Mou and other members of the Opera Troupes.

After this and the end of the rebellion members spread to different towns and took up various occupations.

Our Wing Chun tradition begins with Leung Jan. Leung Jan had 2 Sifu, Leung Yee Tai and Wong Wah Bo. Leung Jan learned 2 different interpretations of wing chun. The small frame from LYT and large frame from WWB. WWB was considered the best fighter of the wing chun group of Opera members. WWB taught 1 form and LYT taught short forms or San Sik.

Leung Jan wanted to combine everything he learned from his 2 Sifu into one complete method. WWB worked with LJ to combine everything into a teachable progressive system. LJ was very educated and wanted to have an organized method for remembering and teaching. The 1 form had 4 parts to it. This was divided into 3+1 forms . This allowed moving of some sections from the begining to the end and allowed the insertion of the material of LYT.

After this the 3 forms of SLT, CK, BJ became more or less set. The Muk Yan Jong, Yee Gee Dao and Look Dim Boon Gwun were not fully set at this point. As they became more set the 4th form was felt to be uneeded as much of what it contained was put into the Jong and Dao. Several san sik came from the 4th form or as some might say the 4th section of the 1 form.

Chan Kwai began learning from Leung Jan . He taught his son and 2 nephews Chao Cheng Lei and Chao Chong Lin. Chao Chong Lin survived and taught his son Chao Jian Yu he taught a few others. His successor was his son Chao Qiang Kwai ( 1904–2003). He had several students including Chao Feng his successor and my father Chao Gang and his last student and only westerner to be taught Hunter von Unschuld. My father and grandfather taught me Chao Tseng-Ming.

foshan

2012-07-14T10:02:00.001+05:30

¡¡¡¡Foshan, which “was founded in Jin Dynasty and was given the name in Tang Dynasty “, is a famous cultural city with a long history. As early as in Qin and Han dynasties, this was already a considerable inhabiting village of people engaging in agriculture and fishery. At the Zhenguang Second Year of Tang Dynasty (A.D. 628), three Buddhist figurines were dug out at Tapogang in the city, hence the city was named ¡°Foshan¡±. In the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, Foshan was already famous for handicraft, commerce and culture, which was an important trade port in Southern China. In the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, it evolved into an economically developed town in Lingnan area, which together with Hankou Town in Hubei, Jingde Town in Jiangxi and Zhuxian Town in Henan were listed as Four Famous Towns in China. It was also the biggest commodities terminal, listed as one of the ¡°Four Terminals¡± (Beijing in North, Foshan in South, Suzhou in East and Hankou in West). From the old, Foshan has been enjoyed the reputation as ¡°Guang Yard Center¡±, ¡°Southland Ceramic City¡±, ¡°Cradle of Lingnan Medicainal Materials¡±.

Wing Chun Kuen and the Secret Societies-Collected Info by Rene Ritchie

2012-07-14T09:51:00.002+05:30

Wing Chun Kuen and the Secret Societies-Collected Info by Rene Ritchie

The hui (wui, societies) encompassed groups organized for a range of goals, from mutual-aid and protection, to criminal enterprise and predation, to cult expansion and rebellious sedition. They were distinguished by their drawing of members with different surnames, lack of regard for traditional hierarchies, and their practice of initiation involving blood-oath.

The Evolution of the Societies The origins of the hui are found in equal parts fact and fiction. Historically, elements of the societies can be traced as far back as the Tang dynasty when local villages formed yishi (associations of adopted social groups formed from above) for the pooling of funds (for the purchase of equipment and livestock, and the paying of funerals and child birth related expenses).

The characteristic of jiebai xiongdi (sworn brotherhoods) of differing surnames is deeply embedded in the culture due to popular stories such as Sanguo Yanyi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) and Shuihuzhuan (Outlaws of the Marsh). During the early-Qing period, they gained prominence due to the xiedou (collective violence), or the internecine feuds between shi (lineages) that spread from Fujian. When smaller lineages faced the threat of larger lineages, they were forced to band together into huizu (ancestral associations). At the same time, the destruction wrought during the dynastic transition and the following shifts in population densities led many youths to migrate in search of economic opportunity. For survival and protection, these youths banded together into non-elite groups of differing surnames, in stark contrast to the hierarchies of age and divisions of wealth and lineage that had so characterized earlier societies.

The blood-oath aspect of the societies is said to trace back even further. Accounts exist from the time of the Warring States (475–221 BC) when the passing from feudal to proto-bureaucratic society led to ritualized violence, where a climate idealizing heroic honor and martial prowess, mired in inter-state, inter-lineage, and inter-personal feuding, combined with the breaking down of old institutions, led men to ally themselves into elite groups through the taking of blood-oaths.

Early on, the Qing cracked down on the societies. By 1646, membership in a blood-oath society was made punishable by a flogging of 100 lashes. By 1661, belonging to a non-blood oath society was punishable by the lash, and membership in the blood-oath society was punishable by death. This crack down led to considerable resentment among the societies and, following the end of dynastic transition in 1683 and the driving of the anti-Qing resistance underground, elements of sedition began to surface. By the turn of the 18th century, societies were already being organized in Taiwan to jushi (rise-up).

Over the next decade, the rebellious brotherhoods, mutual aid organizations, bandit groups, pyramid-structured financial enterprises, cults, and other forms of the societies continued to evolve. And, for the first time, these societies began to gain formal names. In 1728, the Fumuhui (Father & Mother Society) formed in Zhuluo, Fujian. In 1735 the Tiechihui (Iron Ruler Society) formed in Ninghua, Fujian. These new societies, and others, paved the way for the most far reaching of them all - the Tiandihui (Tien Dei Wui, Heaven & Earth Society), later and more expansively known as the Hongmen (Hung Mun, Vast Gate).

The Coming of the Heaven & Earth Society The Tiandihui began when Zheng Kai (known primarily as Ti Xi but with numerous aliases including Monk Wan, Monk Hong Er, etc.), Li Amin (a boxing master), Zhu Dingyuan, and Tao Yuan left their homes in Zhangpu, Fujian to seek better lives in Sichuan. There, they joined a group of “monks” led by Ma Jiulong who practiced magic and exorcism. The group did not fair well, however, and Ti Xi soon went to Guangdong and organized a group of followers in Huizhou. In 1761, Ti Xi returned home to Fujian and took up residence in the Guanyinting (Goddess of Mercy Pavillion) and transformed his group of followers into the society known as Tiandihui.

By 1766, the Tiandihui had spread through Zhangpu and Pinghe counties, and by 1767, one of the early members, Lu Mao, created a brotherhood for what may have been the first Tiandihui uprising. Their plan was to engage in theft (robbing storehouses, treasuries, and homes of the well do to) in order to raise money for their rebellious activities. In 1768, the time finally came for their uprising and they attacked the western gate of the county seat, but were easily defeated by the local guard.

Li Amin followed this uprising by forming a society to rob wealthy households and rise up in 1769. Before they could complete their uprising, however, they were discovered and executed. Ti Xi was said to have lain low following this, until he passed away in 1779, handing down the register of his society to his son, Zheng Ji, who later became a monk.

As the Tiandihui spread through different counties and provinces, it branched off into many groups and became known by many names. Along with its increasingly complex rituals, it also developed a rich, legendary, back-story, filled with allegory, symbolism and numerology that served to inspire recruits and lend direction to the movement. The story held that the Tiandihui/Hongmen’s roots traced back to the Shaolin Temple, betrayed by jealous Qing officials after they helped the dynasty suppress the Xilufan (Western Barbarian) revolt. The temple burned down, the monks scattered, five survivors met with Ming loyalists at the Honghua Ting (Hung Fa Ting, Vast or Red Flower Pavilion), and received a sign from Heaven to “fan Qing fu Ming” (“fan Ching fook Ming”, “overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming”).

By referencing an apocryphal Fujian Shaolin Temple and its warrior monks (molded from Tang dynasty accounts of Songshan, Henan Shaolin), feigning connections to Buddhist societies (from tales of the Bailian (White Lotus), and Yuan Dynasty Qing Lian (Green Lotus) and Wuwei (Motionless) Societies), and weaving in fictitious Song or Ming scion, they created a compelling counter-culture where the disenfranchised could seek some measure of pride, self-empowerment, and political significance. They also swelled their ranks and motivated their followers.

By 1802, the Tiandihui was well established in Guangdong province, with over a thousand reported members involved in mutual aid, financial gain, criminal activity, and rebellion. The latter began in Yongan (Wing On). Organized by Chen Lanjisi, head of the Tiandihui (Increase Brotherhood Society), they wore a hong jin (hung gam, red turban, perhaps in homage to the Red Turban Rebellion that had threatened the Mongol Yuan dynasty before it fell to the Ming) as a way of identifying themselves, and attacked several local villages. The Qing massed troops to meet them under the command of Li Hansheng and Sun Quanmou and, eventually, by the army of General Huang Biao. The fighting went on for a short time until Chen was captured.

The Formation of the Three Harmonies Society In 1812, the Tiandihui went through another important phase in its evolution. On January 4, in Shunde (Shundak), Yan Guiqiu (Yim Kwai-Kiu), Yan Peiyu (Yim Poi-Yuk), and two others agreed to form a society for mutual protection. By January 9, they had 66 recruits, and adopted the name Sanhehui (Saam Ho Wui, Three Harmonies or Triad Society). Yan continued to recruit, bringing 151 more members. These members spread and founded their own chapters until, by 1831, the Sanhehui covered much of the south, divided into 5 fang (branches) - Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Huguang, and Zhejiang.

While the societies grew from within, pressure mounted from without as well. The tea trade causing a huge deficit with China, England looked increasingly to opium to help balance the scales. The Qing began prohibitions against the opium trade in 1729 and outlawed it in 1796, but failed to make any real headway in restraining its use. By the 1830s, lower prices and led to a surge in opium imports, and in late-1838, the Qing sent Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu to Guangzhou to handle the problem. The Opium War began in 1839.

While small successes by local militia in support of Qing forces, such as in Sanyuanli in 1841, led to new blossoming in heroic tales, Peach-Garden inspired oaths, increased reliance on braves and militia, and a general build up of moral, the overall defeat at the hands of the British (including the ceding of Hong Kong) in 1842, only caused anti-Qing sentiment to increase among the population.

In 1843, the Three Harmonies Society rose up under the cry of “Red Pole (leader) aboard the stage, acting in the opera (meeting the association), speaking the 36-mantras, cutting the finger and taking the blood-oath.” They levied their own taxes and engaged in banditry to raise money, and feuded with the rival Wolunghui (Sleeping Dragon Society). Under the watch of gun-wielding guards, they encouraged peasants, farmers, and eventually entire villages to join them. Police, magistrates, and others joined until, in 1844, they threatened to take control of the county seat. Only the intervention of gentry-raised militia, led by Zheng Guihong, stopped them.

The Great Peace Rebellion In 1845 the societies took pause again when the quasi-religious movement known as Taiping (Tai Ping, Great Peace) emerged. Taiping was founded by Huayuan (Fa Yuen), Guangdong native Hong Xiuquan (originally named Huoxiu). Hong, after several failed attempts at passing the licentiates exams and exposure to the translated bible tracts of Chinese Christian converts, fell gravely ill and had a dream where he was the second son of God, charged with driving the Qing demons from the land and establishing the Taiping Tianguo (Tai Ping Tien Kwok, Great Peace Heavenly Kingdom). When he recovered he began a movement that spread from his own, Keijia (Hakka) people, throughout the south. The Taiping Rebellion would rage until 1864, when Hong Xiuquan died in disgrace among his concubines, one of over 20 million deaths that would occur during the struggle.

The Red Turban Rebellion In 1854, Liu Duchuan (Lao Doo-Chuen), brother of Guangdong Three Harmonies Society member and Shanghai Xiaodaohui (Siu Do Wui, Small Knife Society) leader, Liu Lichuan (Lao Lee-Chuen), was sent back to Guangdong (which had been charged with paying 80.6% of the Opium War reparations) to help organize an uprising in support of the Taiping. In June, He Liu (Ho Lok), a smuggler and society member whose brother had been murdered in a prefectural purge, began to raise a band of men in search of vengeance. Helped by Liu Yingcai (Lao Ying-Choi), he prepared to attack the Dongguan county seat.

They moved on Stone Dragon town. Thirty thousand members and six hundred boats worked towards the goal of “taking down the Dragon, lifting the tiger, stopping the goat, bowing the Buddha, and reaching the Western paradise.” In this code, dragon signified the Stone Dragon, tiger the Tiger Gate, goat the Goat City (Guangzhou), Buddha the Buddha Mountain (Foshan), and Western Paradise the province of Guangxi.

He Liu’s uprising began a chain reaction through the region, and on June 11, 1854, Chen Kai (Chan Hoi) and Liu Duchuan lead 7000 Three Harmonies Society members to revolt in Foshan. On June 12th, members of the Precious Jade Flower Union, under the direction of Li Wenmao, took to the streets in full costume, waving red banners. Known practitioners of yongchunquan (wing chun kuen) at the time who could have participated in this uprising included:

Huang Huabao (Wong Wah-Bo), who was sometimes said to have been a native of Gulao (Koolo), Heshan (Hoksan). Considered the dashiheng (dai sihing, senior) of the troupe, he played the wusheng (mo sang, male martial lead), and was particularly skilled in the roles of General Kwan and the Monkey King, and in the use of the gun (kwun, pole). Liang Erdi (Leung Yee-Tai), who played the wudan, (mo deng, ‘female’ martial lead). Dahuamian Jin (Dai Fa Min Kam, Painted Face Kam), also known as Xin Jin (San Kam, New Kam), and sometimes said to have properly been Luo Jin (Lok Kam) of Jinju (Kamjuk), Sanshui (Saamshui), who played the wujing (mo jing, martial painted face). Yijin (Yik Kam, Wing Gold) who played the qingdan (ching deng, proper ‘female’), a virtuous leading role. Li Fushun (Lai Fook-Shun), also known as Xiao Fu (Siu Fook, Young Fook), who played the xiaosheng (siu sang, young male), the beardless scholar-lover. Cao Shun (Cho Shun), known as Dayan Shun (Dai Ngan Shun, Cross-eyed Shun), a native of Panyu (Poon Yee). He played the xiaowu (siu mo, Little Martial), and was a disciple of Yijin. And others, including mentions of Liang Langui (Leung Lan-Kwai), Gaolao Zheng (Go Lo Chung, Tall Chung), Huazi Ming (Fa Jee Ming, Flower Mark Ming), Huamian Biao (Fa Min Biu, Flower Face Biu), etc. A few hundred at first, within a few days, tens of thousands of common people joined as well, showing their allegiance with red turbans. And the Hongjin (Hung Gam, Red Turban) Rebellion was born.

The rebels burned the Qing offices, and on July 4, took control of the town and ushered in the Daning (Dai Ning, Great Peace). Their troops came to be known as the Hong Bing (Hung Bing, Vast Army), with Chen Kai as the Chen Nan Wang (Chan Nam Wong, Subdue the South King) and Li Wenmao as his second.

Hill bandits soon began to move on the Guangdong capitol, Guangzhou. On July 14, Kan Xian, who had previous started a revolt in Huayan, assaulted the north gate. He Liu marched to join them, and from Panyu, Red Turbans camped on the Manchu parade grounds outside the east gate. Bannermen and local militia defended the city. On August 19 and 24, Chen Kai and Li Wenmao tried to crush the militia forces between Foshan and Guangzhou but failed. Soon thereafter, rebel infighting began to take its toll. By September 5, He Liu pulled out, by September 7, the siege began to falter, and by November 5, it broke.

The Wrath of the Qing The take over of Foshan lasted until January, 1855 when, following mistreatment at the hands of some of the rebels, the locals became solidly pro-government. On January 18, Bannermen and local braves succeeded in routing the rebels and taking back the city. Then Governor-General Ye Mingchen’s purge began.

Li Wenmao retreated to Guangxi. His forces captured several cities, including Liuchow, where he established the Da Sheng (Great Achievement) Kingdom. Li’s regime enjoyed popular support, but in 1858 he was wounded in a failed attempt to seize Guiling. He died soon thereafter. Chen Kai died in 1861.

Following the destruction of the Precious Jade Flower Union, while some of the surviving members hid in Foshan and surrounding towns and villages, they first taught their martial arts to non-Red Junk members.

Latter Day Rebels Rebel activity among the latter day wing chun kuen ancestors is more the realm of rumor than fact. Some suggest that Huo Baoquan (Fok Bo-Chuen), the student of Huang Huabao, and Feng Shaoqing (Fung Siu-Ching), the student of Dahuamian Jin, used their positions in order to work as neimen (inside gate) rebels, gathering information and performing assassinations not possible for the standard rebels.

Succeeding decades of turmoil, including the Boxer Rebellion, Nationalist Movement, Japanese Occupation, and Communist Takeover of China also provided opportunity for involvement with the societies, and to this day, rumors persist even about some of the late masters of the 20th century.

References: Origins of the Tiandihui by Dian Murray and Qin Baoqi, Hongmen Real History by Qin Baoqi, Secret Societies Reconsidered by David Ownby (Editor), et al, God’s Chinese Son by Jonathan D. Spence, Historie de la Kiang Nan by A.M. Colombel, Twelve Years in China by John Scratch, Strangers at the Gate by Frederic Wakeman, and the oral and written histories of Cho Family, Sum Nung, Yip Man, Pan Nam, Gulao, and other branches of wing chun kuen.

About the Authors Rene Ritchie, Robert Chu and Hendrik Santo, between them, have written dozens of columns and articles for Inside Kung Fu, Martial Arts Masters, Martial Arts Legends, Martial Arts Illustrated, WingChunKuen, and other publications. Robert Chu and Rene Ritchie are co-authors, along with Y. Wu, of Complete Wing Chun, published by Charles E. Tuttle.

Rene Ritchie began studying the Yuen Kay-San/Sum Nung system of wing chun kuen under the guidance of Ngo Lui-Kay (Ao Leiqi) in 1990 and is author of Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun Kuen available from Multimedia Books/Unique Publications. He maintains the WingChunKuen site on the Internet World Wide Web, and is co-administrator of the Internet Wing Chun Mailing List.

Robert Chu has been involved in the martial arts since 1972, specializing in wing chun kuen and its weapons. Having learned Yip Man wing chun kuen from several prominent instructors (including his current teacher, Hawkins Cheung), and the Yuen Kay-San and Gualo systems from his good friend and teacher Kwan Jong-Yuen, he has also researched several other branches. In addition, he has a background in the weapons of Hung ga kuen and is a successor to Lui Yon-Sang’s flying dragon tiger gate combat pole in the United States. A licensed Acupuncturist / Chinese herbalist, he is available for consultation on pain management, sports injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, and internal medicine.

Hendrik Santo began learning the wing chun kuen of Cho Hung-Choy in Malaysia in the 1970s. Since then, he has spent much time researching both the nature of the art and the nature of Buddhism.

short story about wingchun

2012-07-14T09:34:00.003+05:30

What is Wing Chun?

Wing Chun is a very unique and scientific form of martial arts. Wing Chun is a style of Kung Fu that originates from China, the martial art was later refined in Hong Kong. Wing Chun's specialty is in close contact combat, using quick punches and kicks with a tight defence, coordinated through agile stances and footwork for a quick advance. The effectiveness of Wing Chun is achieved by well coordinated attacks with simultaneous defence and vise versa. Due to its effectiveness this martial art makes for an effective form of self defence. The student must learn to deliver the correct amount of energy, whilst staying relaxed when possible. A good Wing Chun Sifu (instructor / teacher) will teach the student to overcome force with positioning and turning rather than meeting it head on. The style uses kicks, sweeps, palm strikes, punches, trapping and control techniques as part of its fighting arsenal.

nothing is impossible for a girl ...(student of shaolin jackie chan martialarts)

2012-07-03T20:36:00.000+05:30

The Life of the Martial Arts Legend

2012-06-02T22:39:00.002+05:30

The Life of the Martial Arts Legend

Learn about the life of the martial arts legend who has influenced millions of martial artists around the world including many famous martial artists like the late Bruce Lee.

Ip Man is often referred to as Yip Man. He was born on the first of October, 1893 and died on the second of December, 1972.

Ip Kai Man was one of the first martial arts instructors, or Sifu, to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun Kung Fu openly. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee. He was born to Yip Oi Dor and Ng Shui, and was the third of four children. He grew up in a very wealthy family in Foshan, Guangdong province, and received an exceptionally high standard of education. His older brother was Ip Kai Gak. His older sister was Ip Wan Mei and his younger sister was Ip Wan Hum. Ip is the family name which is said first in Chinese culture.

Biography

When Ip Man was thirteen years old he started learning Wing Chun from Chan Wah-Shun. Because of his sifu’s old age, Ip Man had to learn much of his skills and techniques from his master’s second eldest disciple Ng Chung-Sok. Three years into Ip Man’s training Chan Wah-Shun died. One of his dying wishes was to have Ng continue training Ip.

At the age of 15 Ip Man moved to Hong Kong with help from Leung Fut Ting, a relative. At age sixteen, Ip Man attended school at St. Stephen’s College in Hong Kong. It was a secondary school for wealthy families and foreigners who lived in Hong Kong. According to Ip Man’s two sons (Ip Ching and Ip Chun), while at St. Stephen’s Ip Man intervened after seeing a foreign police officer beating a woman. The story goes that the police officer tried to strike Ip Man who used his martial arts to strike the officer down, at which point Ip Man and his classmate ran to school. The classmate is said to have told an older man who lived in the same apartment block. Ip Man was invited to see this man and the man asked Ip Man what martial art he studied. Ip told him, but said he would not understand. The man then asked Ip Man to show him his first 2 forms (Sil Lim Tao and Chun Kiu). The man then told Ip Man that his forms were “not too great.” Ip Man was then invited to Chi Sau (a form of training that involves controlled attack and defence). Ip Man saw this as an opportunity to prove his Kung Fu was good, but he was beaten after just a few strikes. It turned out that the old man was his master’s elder fellow-disciple (and so, by Chinese tradition Ip Man’s martial uncle or Sibak), Leung Bik , son of his master’s master Leung Jan . After that encounter, Ip Man continued his training lessons from Leung Bik. By the age of 24, Ip Man had returned to Foshan, his Wing Chun skills tremendously improved.

In Foshan, Ip Man became a policeman. He did not formally run a Wing Chun school, but taught several of his subordinates, his friends and relatives.

Kwok Fu and Lun Kai (2 of Ip Man’s students and friends) went on to teach students of their own. The art of Wing Chun in the Foshan and Guangdong area was mainly passed down from these two individuals.

Ip Man went to Kwok Fu’s village house during the Japanese Occupation. He only returned to Foshan after the war, to once again take up the job of a police officer. At the end of 1949, the Chinese Communist party won the Chinese civil war. Ip Man being an officer of the opposing Kuomintang political party, decided to escape to Hong Kong without his family when the Communists had come to Foshan. In Hong Kong, Ip Man opened a Wing Chun martial arts school.

Initially, business was poor because his students typically stayed for only a couple of months. He moved his school twice, to Hoi Tan Street in Sham Shui Po, and then to Lee Tat Street in Yau Ma Tei. By then, some of his students were skilled enough that they were able to start their own schools.

Some of Ip Man’s students and descendants compared their skills with other martial artists in combat. Their victories over other martial artists helped to bolster Ip Man’s reputation as a teacher.

In 1967, Ip Man and some of his students established the Hong Kong Ving Tsun Athletic Association.

In 1972, Ip Man suffered cancer and subsequently died on the 2nd of December that same year. About 6 weeks before he died he asked his 2 sons and his student Lau Hon Lam to film him performing the Wing Chun system as practice by him. He only managed Sil Lim Tau, Chum Kiu and the Dummy form. This is because he was in a lot of pain and was weak and unsteady on his feet. He was going to do Biu Gee, the Knife form and long pole. However Grandmaster Ip Chun and Ip Ching and Sifu Lau Hong Lam stopped Ip Man because Biu Gee, the knives and full pole form require a lot of energy to perform. Ip Man had many students and worried some of them were adapting the system due to their own incomplete knowledge and felt that filming it was the only way to stop the frauds and cheats.

Memoriezzzzzz ......Bruce Lee and his story of kung fu.

2012-06-02T22:37:00.003+05:30

There is a saying in kung fu that “it is hard for a student to find a good sifu, but it is even more difficult for a sifu to find a good student” It is also said that there are systems of kung fu that have been lost over the passage of time because the masters could find no worthy student to whom to pass the traditions and heritage.

This could well have been the case for Wing Chun, had Leung Bik, son of the famous Wing Chun Master Leung Jan, not met Ip Man, his only student. Ip Man proved not only to be a great student, but a genius in fulfilling the responsibility of passing the art on to the future generations of masters.
It was due to Ip Man’s innovations that Wing Chun was able to spread from a little city in Southern China to become one of the most popular and sought after systems of Martial Arts in the world.
Ip Man was born in Foshan, China, at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Foshan was situated in the most prosperous region of the Zheyleng Delta of Guangdong province. Wong Fai hung, Cheung Hung-shing, Leung Jan, Leung Siu-Ching, etc., came from Foshan. So Ip Man, grew up hearing the stories of the exploits of these great kung fu men. It’s not surprising that he would develop into one of the greats himself.
Ip Man’s education in Wing Chun began as a youth when he became a student of Chan Wah Shun, who was a student of the famous Leung Jan. Chan Wah Shun accepted Ip Man as a student towards the end of his teaching career, when he was quite old. Master Chan was a big man by Chinese standards. So his Kung fu was powerful. Ip Man learned from Master Chan until the masters, death, and continued his training with one of his senior Kung Fu brothers (si-hing) until Ip Man left Foshan for Hong Kong.
p Man moved to Hong Kong to attend school. Here, he had a chance meeting with an old gentleman who was a martial artist. This old man crossed hands with Ip Man and beat him soundly. This disturbed Ip Man very much, as he had developed his kung fu to a high level and considered himself to be quite proficient. As it turned out, the old gentleman was Leung Bik, the son of Master Chan Wah Shun’s teacher, the famous, Leung Jan.
Master Leung Bik’s Wing Chun was much more refined than what Ip Man had leaned from Master Chan. While Chan Wah Shun had been a big man, Leung Bik was much smaller. There also was a pretty wide gap in the education level between the two masters. Chan Wah Shun was nor very well educated, while Leung Bik’s father was a well-educated doctor of Chinese medicine. This education was passed to his son. Thus, Leung Bik was better able to understand the underlying principles of the Wing Chun system. This knowledge was passed to Ip Man.
Upon learning all that Leung Bik had to teach him, Ip Man went on to explore ways to simplify Wing Chun, making it easier to understand. In addition to his education in Wing Chun, Ip Man received an advanced formal education in his youth. He learnt the theories and principles of modem science and could therefore make use of modem technological knowledge, such as mechanical and mathematical theories, to expand the principles of Wing Chun. Ip Man even changed terminology, such as the Five Elements and Eight Diagrams (Ba Gua) that were commonly used in metaphysics. This helped to demystify Wing Chun, thus making it easier for the common student to understand and apply the system.

It is thanks to Master Ip Man that the modern Wing Chun system is so popular. Among the kung fu systems, Wing Chun is considered one of the simplest to learn and understand. The system is known to be direct, simple, economical in application, and highly effective in combat. Master Ip Man’s contributions to the evolution of Wing Chun can be credited for building the systems reputation. These innovations demonstrated the intelligence of Ip Man.

Yin and Yang Theory

2012-05-30T21:56:00.001+05:30

Yin and Yang Theory

The theory of yin and yang is the most fundamental concept of traditional Chinese medicine. One of the major beliefs of TCM is that all things in the universe are either yin or yang. However, there are no absolutes: nothing is ever all yin or all yang, but a balance between the two forces. For example, when day changes into night, it is an example of a yang object changing into a yin object; when winter turns into spring; it is considered a changing from yin to yang.

These forces are opposite and yet complementary, and share an interdependent relationship without yin, there would be no yang, and without yang, no yin

Yang is generally associated with items or concepts that are bright, warm, and in motion. Yin is generally associated with objects or ideas that are dark, still and cold. Any given frame of reference can be divided into opposite factors, i.e. a yin side and a yang side. For instance, a human body can be divided into exterior and interior sections; the temperature can be divided into hot or cold; time can be divided into day or night; animals can divided into hot-blooded or cold-blooded, and so on.