ChangWuJi

The Number 108 in Wing Chun wooden dummy is explained below. It also associated with 108 Heroes of Shui Hu Zuan. Look at this website for more info: http://www.geocities.com/nguyenvfr/English/papiersx.html According to legend, Wing Chun was invented during the Ching Dynasty (1644-1912) by a Shaolin nun named Ng Mui. Ng Mui passed the art on to another woman called Yim Wing Chun in about the year 1772. Although the exact history of Wing Chun cannot be verified, much can be learned about it's historical origins by analyzing the art itself. Wing Chun comes from a region in Southern China called Kwantung. The art was named after Yim Wing Chun who introduced it in Southern China. According to Master Wang Kiu, the art of Wing Chun is also known in the North of China, but there it is simply referred to as "ORTHODOX SHAOLIN". This means that Wing Chun is basically a systematized collection of the good movements and principles from the various Shaolin arts. In China there were many monasteries where martial arts were practiced. The Shaolin monastery actually had many branches throughout China. Various books mention that the harder external systems come from Shaolin, while the softer internal systems, like Tai Chi, come from a monastery at Wu Dong mountain. However, Dr. Khoe, a student of Master Wang Kiu, feels that Wu Dong was actually a branch of Shaolin and that all Shaolin arts have an internal and external part. Because the monasteries were like universities, the monks spent much of their time in analyzing and classifying various martial arts. The monks at Shaolin grouped techniques and principles according to early Chinese theories about nature and the universe. An important early theory about the universe was known as the Yin/Yang theory. This theory teaches that all things are part of a whole. This whole is composed of two complementary but opposite parts called Yin and Yang. Yin represents qualities such as cold, dark, internal, and passive; while Yang represents the more positive qualities such as warmth, light, external, and active. From this theory, any complete martial art would have both extemal and internal characteristics. From the Yin/Yang theory it became popular to group things into categories of 2, 4, 8 or 64. Another system of grouping was called the 'Five Element Theory'. This system was first documented in the fourth century BC. In the Five Element theory, nature is understood to be a cyclic process of creation and destruction. This process was thought to consist of five phases labeled Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The Yin/Yang theory and the Five Element theory were used in both the development of Chinese medicine and Chinese martial art. In fact, all of Chinese thought was influenced by these two theories. In China, the number three was also popular. The Chinese associated this number with Heaven, Man, and Earth. Western science also noted that there were three primary colors, three states of matter, and three dimensions. The numbers 2, 3, and 5 were thought to be the fundamental building blocks of nature. The fact that there were three primary colors, and that we have two eyes and five fingers, gave this concept added support. Because of the importance of these facts, the number 2, 3 and 5 were used in combination to number the techniques of the various Shaolin arts. For example, there was the five animal form, the five element form, and the pattern ten form. In addition, there were 18 (2x3x3) classical weapons, 36 (2x2x3x3) chambers in Shaolin, and various patterns based on the number 72 (2x2x2x3x3) and on the number 108 (2x2x3x3x3). The number 108 was thought to be especially important. A mathematical look at this number reveals why 108 may have been so popular: it consists of five factors (two 2's and three 3's). In addition, when you divide a circle into five equal parts, each pentagon angle is equal to 108 degrees. Furthermore, the central angles are 72 degrees while the circle has 360 degrees. When the circle is divided into 10 sections, you get the number 36. The circle was used to represent perfection, or the whole. Therefore, Heaven was associated with the circle and the number 36, Man was represented by the number 108, and Earth was represented by the number 72. Because of the importance placed on the number 108, this number was associated with 108 famous martial arts heroes in a 17th Century Chinese novel, called the Water Margin. Many martial arts patterns were constructed of 108 movements. For example, there is the 108 movement Tai Chi sequence, the 108 movement wooden hoop, and there are 108 points used for hitting. The Wing Chun system being a Shaolin art, also used the same 108 numbering system. This system seems to have been constructed very meticulously as to also include the numbers 2, 3, 5, 8, and 10. The early version of Wing Chun passed on by Master Wang Kiu, consists of 10 formal sets. These formal sets are logically grouped into five categories, each consisting of 108 movements which, in turn, are grouped into 8 or 10 sections. Like modem computer error correcting codes, this numbering system has kept one version of the art intact by making modifications easy to detect.

I found this cool interview on Shaw Brothers website http://www.shawstudios.com/liuchialianginfrenchtext.html

No hard feelings guys. I guess some of us aree to disagree. But I would like to add, do the training that suits you, you enjoy most, and see results the most. [ This Message was edited by: ChangWuJi on 2002-03-08 21:20 ]

Ok Now you're using what I said to you about understanding/comprahension against me:lol: You really need to start making up your own post. The Kwai Chang Kaine act is really good for a laugh, but you still aren't answering anything I bring up. You know, these enormous leaps in your logic. How could you ruin my wekend? I do't even think about you until i see that you've replied And you're talking about someones vocabulary becoming simple?? You're using 'u' instead of 'you, and 'Ur' insteatd pf 'your' . Is that what you meat by becoming simple? 'thru' for through? Your "very first original post" hahaha. Go home kid. Preach your nonsense to rookies. If you're arguing a point, you don't just start making judgements on the other persons mood and sentence structure. Argue your damn point!

What the crap are you talking about? Didn't I say that i train using modern methods also? I have a weight machine,stationary bike, and a treadmill in my house for crying out loud! I CLEARLY said that I was against your post that basically said traditional horse stance training was useless and harmful. Can you read? Gosh i hate getting into it with someone and they aren't paying attention to what i'm saying. You're just rambling on and on. Ok pay attention to the next paragraph. My problem was with you basically saying that horse stances for 2 hours were for nothing more than showing that you could squat for a long time and that they were damaging to your joints. BTW Angus, wouldn't full contact training of toddlers fall into your category of traditional and dangerous? Wouldn't hitting your shins and elbows on banana trees or other hard objects in Muy Thai fashion (explaining why Muy Thai fighters have short careers) be dangerous to your health? Isnt that putting the kids joints and bodies in danger? Make up your mind.

Everything is eventually watered down to fit the desires of the masses because everyone wants to be included. Everyone wanted to be a blackbelt so MCdojo started popping up by the thousands, everyone wanted to be exotic so Tai Chi pops up everywhere being taught by everyone and their cousin Seefus. You know, kickboxing aerobics as a means to learn self defense. Because it's fun. So yeah, if you think tae bo will give you the same benefits as hardcore martial arts training, more disillusion to you my friend, more of it to ya. It's like if Thai Fighters stopped kicking banana trees just because someone showed them the heavybag. Would it really even be thaiboxing anymore? maybe, but the power would suffer. Of course i won't abandon tradition, because I'm training traditional arts i prefer to train them the traditional way. If I'm training mopdern arts, I train them the modern way. Martial arts aren't a hobby for me man, they're one of the bigger parts of who I am. And believe you me, i know for a fact that what works for me won't work for everyone else. But some things aren't merely 'copying someone', It can also be doing things the way they're meant to be done. I don;t care what your teacher or training tells you. Martial arts aren't easy, and one day the easy way is probably gonna bite you in the ass.

That's hogwash. Why is eveything seen as so harmful these days @_@ One minut egs have way too much cholestorol, the next minute they're saying they're ok. It's all malarky. People are just soft. Im using intense horse training to strengthen my sxrewed up knee and it's working like a charm. Look at those 60 year ol masters using 80 pound kwan Dao and then look at your 60 year old neighbor and tell me who has the screwed up joints. I'll tell youu wahat ruins your joints. Electric toothbrushes and pre fried clam strips!

What? You don't sit in the horse to show that you can squat for a long time! You do it because it strengthens your body and mind. It strengthens every muscle in the lower half and works alignment in the upper half. It teaches you perseverance, how to hold strong despite the pain, and that's directly related to fighting. If someone is gonna give up after holding a horse for a few minutes what are they gonna do when things get tough in a fight? Quit? How do people train martial arts and not understand the training You know, back in the day the horse stance is the only thing some masters taught for 6 months or more to test a students dedication. That's exactly what's missing today. Dedication. It seems like everybody wants the easy way, everyone thinks they know better than the teacher. Tsk Tsk Tsk. Get your arse in Horse Stance and build that strength. Relying on yer guns and your jkicks in the groin. Are you guys men or little girls? Pfft. If you train for the lowest common denominator, you become the lowest common denominator. As simple as that.

To emphasize one over the other is incomplete. All aspects of the training must be done equally . Forms work, conditioning, sparring, etc. one without the other is always lacking in something. Imagine how good you really could be if you had a bigger technical foundation. It's too bad that your forms don't do much for you. If you are trying to use your forms verbatim, so to speak, then you are mistaking in how to use your system. It isn't good enough just to know your forms. They must reach a level of true understanding to the point that you can see the "negative space" in the form and use it on the instinctual level. Your teacher can use his form beacause he can see the other person in the form. To me there is nothing pretty about kung fu forms. It makes me cringe when I see the extent of the damage that is being inflicted. As far as the "pretty" people in your school; they will always be inferior fighters because the emphasis in their forms, mentally., isn't about fighting. So when they do their forms the strike emphasis is not there. Which also means that they will not get the conditioning the form has to offer due to a lack of power. One of CLF's most powerful moves is the plum blossom fist. I've used the capture and swing that comes before that shot effectively a thousand times in fighting, but I would never even have known how to do it if I didn't train the form hard. The only reason I defend forms so is because I have seen the power they have to transform a persons body. If you do your forms hard,like a fight, then they will help you and give you speed and power. Remember the pretty people, where are their minds........ [ This Message was edited by: ChangWuJi on 2002-03-05 16:20 ]

"Yang Lu-ch'an originally born in Yongnian, Henan, was really poor as a youth. He worked at anything, finally as an apprentice to a pharmacist, who was also the house teacher to Chen Chang-hsing's sons. Young Yang was then sent as a house servant to Chen's household, or he just befriended the two sons. Either way, he saw Chen Boxing and was probably bested in a friendly fight. But it was impossible for an outsider to be allowed to learn the family style. So Yang Lu-ch'an watched in secret, absorbing the nightly secret practice sessions of the Chen family. He soon became quite proficient at this acquired secret; once then when he saw the public lessons given by Chen Chang-hsing, he could not hold himself back and remarked upon the poor quality of the boxing. Obviously he was put to the test, where he bested Chen's pupils and his sons. He confessed to having watched and practised alone, and having mastered all of it. Much impressed, Chen Chang-hsing allowed him to become a pupil, and even later Yang came back to even learn more and was taught more secrets, after which he became known as Yang Wu Di, Yang the Unbeatable. Yang was said to be so flexible he could pick up a coin from the floor with his mouth while doing the posture Snake Creeps Down, or he could do the whole form under a table. He was so fast his opponents didn't know what hit them, let alone which technique. He also once knocked a young challenger 30 feet across the room by simply expelling his breath with a laugh when the boxer punched his stomach. He could concentrate his Chi into a very small area as quickly as lightning, a feat only duplicated by his sons and grandsons. Another astounding ability seems to have been something akin to levitation, and of course the unsurpassable act of sticking Chi, where the opponent, once touched, simply cannot get away, no matter what he does. Yang Lu-ch'an did not like to make enemies, so he always tried to make his opponents' defeats look as least humiliating as possible; one should be at least three times as good as the opponent for this. He needed this ability a lot when he became the official instructor to the imperial family and guards. He became a target for challenges, and of course he had to fight (there is even a reported duel with Tung Hai-chuan, Pa Kua´s founder, which he made appear like a draw, so as not to anger the powerful eunuch). One day a monk arrived unannounced at Yang Lu-ch'an's doorstep in Peking. He was powerfully built and over six feet tall. The monk saluted and expressed his great admiration. But during Master Yang's reply, the monk suddenly shot at him like a cannonball with clenched fists. Master Yang evaded with his chest and lightly patted the attackers fist with his own soft palm, and – as if struck by a bolt of lightning – the monk flew back to land behind a wall screen. He took a long time to get up and said very solemnly, "I've been extremely rude, please forgive me." Master Yang still invited the monk in for a chat. His name was Ching-te, a Shaolin boxer. The Monk asked "Why was I surprised and unable to display my prowess?" Master Yang replied, "This is because I´m always on my guard." The Monk asked, "How were you able to respond so quickly?" Master Yang said "It is called issuing energy like shooting an arrow (Fa Jing)." The Monk said, "I've roamed many provinces and met many masters, but I've never met your equal, Sir. Please teach me." Master Yang did not reply at once, but saw a sparrow fly in through the window. He quickly caught the bird and said to the monk, "I'm going to play a bit with this bird." He removed his left hand after stroking the bird to assure it he would not hurt it, and let it sit freely on his right hand. When the bird tried to take off , it could not, for Master Yang listened to its ever so slight energy when it straightened its legs to push off, and lowered his hand accordingly, making it impossible for the sparrow to take off – even as its wings were beating. After the bird tried this three times, the Monk exclaimed, "Master Yang your art is truly miraculous." To which Master Yang replied, "There is nothing to be called miraculous; if one practises T'ai Chi Ch'uan correctly for a long time, the entire body becomes so light and sensitive that not even the weight of a feather can be added without setting the whole body in motion, and not even a fly can set off. This is all there is to it." - The monk stayed for three days, then quietly departed. Master Yang often said about Fa Jing: The Energy is released, but the mental continuity (Yi) is maintained, like the lotus root is broken but the fibres are still intact. Master Yang once walked several blocks to a friends home, just after a heavy rain. When he arrived there, his friend noticed there was no trace of mud on Master Yang's shoes... . There was an old wealthy man living west of Peking named Chang, who had a giant estate which people called Chang's little prefecture. He was enthralled with martial arts and kept a lot of boxers as bodyguards. He heard about master Yang Lu-ch'an and asked a friend named Wu Lu-ching to arrange an invitation for Yang Lu-ch'an. When Yang arrived Chang saw a little man of no special strength, no imposing muscles and quiet demeanour, who wore plain clothes. Chang ordered only a small dinner in the guests honour with little ceremony; Master Yang understood this, and drank by himself, quietly laughing to himself. Displeased with this, Chang said to him, "I've often heard my boxers speak of you in awe; but can this soft art called cotton fist or T'ai Chi Ch'uan really be used to defeat strong boxers?" To which Master Yang replied, "there are three kinds of men that are difficult to beat, namely those made of iron, bronze and wood (meaning a Chinese wordplay suggesting cast statues), but all others are no problem at all." Chang said, "I have 30 Boxing Masters, and Sifu Liu is the best of them. He can lift 500 pounds. How about if You cross hands with him?" Master Yang agreed and Liu attacked at once with fists whizzing through the air. Master Yang used his right to deflect, and with his left lightly patted Liu's chest causing him to fly backwards three yards. Chang immediately ordered a big banquet for Master Yang who said, "Clearly, you now see it is not pure muscle that prevails" Chang then considered himself to be Yang's pupil. When Master Yang Lu-ch'an was in Peking, a Master of Dim Hsueh (pressure point grappling) came to test his skills. He charged, trying to grab Master Yang's arm, who simply intercepted the attack, and used a grip on the other's wrist utilising the sinew grabbing technique, at the same time he swept the other to the ground, then using Needle at he Bottom of the Sea to attack a point on the chest, which caused the Dim Hsueh master to lose. As he was unable to extend his fingers or to get up he acceded defeat, without being injured. Master Yang said to him, "Don't be ashamed; remember your many years of practise, for without them you would certainly have been seriously injured. But would please you not teach me more of your art of pressure points?" At some time, when he was not yet famous, Yang worked as a dock hand. Once he was ambushed by around 20 men because he did not want to join the local dock gang. As there was a great number of opponents at the same time, Master Yang would have had to heavily injure at least some of them; so he decided just to wrap his cloak around himself, roll into a ball and let them beat him. The next day when he was at work as usual without a trace of injury all of his attackers were not at work – they were sick in arm, limb and body. When Master Yang was still in Yongnian, just having returned from Chen village, a famous boxing master wanted to test skills with him. This boxer suggested they sit both on stools, pitting their right fists against each other. A short time later the boxing master was sweating and shaking profusely, his chair creaking and nearly coming apart - whereas Master Yang still sat there as if nothing was happening in a relaxed position, drinking tea with his left hand. After the boxer had given up Master Yang said, "This masters skill is superb. Only his chair is not as well made as mine." Yang Lu-ch'an learned Chen boxing from Chen Chang-hsing and mastered Old School Chen; 4 years later when Yang was beaten once or twice, he returned to Chen Chang-hsing, who taught him something different this time, complete with inner principles, which no longer resembled Chen Boxing but rather the current Yang style with 37 figures, 8 postures and 5 steps (which all correspond to Taoist tradition and were not to be found in Chen Boxing at that time)." http://itcca.org/english/masters/YangLuChan.htm

What the Gracies have done was take away most if not all of the other tributes of Japanese Jiu Jitsu and concentrate on ground fighting. Look at the way they strike, I mean they can't punch for shi@. Japanese Jiu Jitsu has everything bjj has plus alot more, and is alot more well rounded art. And Japanese Jiu Jitsu stems from Chinese martial arts, and Chi'n Na which is joint locks. According to Robert W. Smith the Chinese only revealed the most primitive techniques.

LOL Kimura broke Helio Gracies arm in a challenge match in Brazil with the Kimura Lock. as far as the Gracies not being beaten in a challenge match, think of the time this was done? no one knew anything about BJJ, most of Ricksons fights were shady especially the ones against Hugo Duarte, like when they fought on the beach with Ricksons boys with him, one minute Hugo has the advantage, the next the camera mysteriously cuts off and comes back with Hugo out with sand on his face, Ricksons Posse is always with him when he fought the challenges, you dont know for sure if they lost or not the Gracies are good business men and they market things to make them look good like the first UFC's, look at Ryan Gracie he dosn't even want to fight Wallid Ismail now days when the level of fighting and jiu-jitsu is beyond levels they were fighting in the past. blah blah blah who cares? i don't, they are a thing of the past, you've got better BJJ players now days like Sperry, Noguiera, Carlsons students and so on. Royler got schooled buy Barett Yoshida at Abu Dahbi, though he lost cause of the ridiculous point scoring, Barett had Royler hanging on for dear life with his techniques.

Kung Fu just means skill through hard work. Anything can be Kung Fu. The correct term for Chinese martial arts is either Wushu or Chinese Boxing. Some Chinese call traditional styles old Wushu and modern New Wushu.

"Hung fut is another hybrid system, which originated over 300 years ago as a combination of hung gar and fut gar Kung Fu. Founder : Hung gar's founder Hung Hei Gung had a student who was a Shaolin monk named Loy Yuen. Loy Yuen founded Fut gar system. One of the Loy Yuen students, a monk called Chit Sin, combined Hung gar and Fut gar techniques into a new style which he called Hung fut. Features : The techniques in Hung fut look very similar to those of Hung gar, except for one important feature. All Hung fut practitioners strike first with their left hands. The idea behind this unique practice is that most people are right handed and will attack initially with their right hands. When the Hung fut stylist steps to the left of that right punched blocks it, he has closed any opening for the attacker to use his own left hand as follow up punch. When the Hung fut practitioner blocks, he pushes his opponent's right arm to the left, which forces the opponent's body to turn in that direction. From there, the adversary can't use left hand to counterattack. Hung fut stylists also believe that to use the left hand first makes it easier to surprise and confuse the opposition. Footwork follows in the same order as hand techniques. The left foot always advances first. Stances are wide and low. Fifty percent of movements are kicks and leg sweeps. Hung fut footwork moves in all four directions. Hung fut's power is developed from stances and footwork. there is no waist action involved. Hung fut system uses dynamic tension exercises to develop strength and low stances for power and balance. Their type of power is referred to as hard ging or inch power and is strictly external power." http://www.wugar.com/hung_fut.htm [ This Message was edited by: ChangWuJi on 2002-02-24 17:14 ]

Any of you guys read 'The Magus of Java : Teachings of an Authentic Taoist Immortal' or 'Nei Kung: The Secret Teachings of the Warrior Sages' by Kosta Danaos? According to the reviews and book descriptions on Amazon here is what people/publishers wrote: "Kosta Danaos was accepted as an apprentice by John Chang, a Chinese-Javanese Taoist immortal and a master of nei kung. Unlike c'hi kung and other methods of mastering c'hi, nei kung uses the body's yin energy reserves to compress solar yang energy into the region of the body known as the dantien through meditation, breath retention, and physical exercises. The stored yang energy literally alters an individual's mental and physical makeup--it even modifies DNA structure--and gives the practitioner superior powers such as pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation, telepathy, and more." "With objective skepticism, Mr Danaos seeks out Chinese internal master John Chang and is accepted as his disciple. The resulting book reveals the lessons and experiences that challenges Mr Danaos beliefs and eventually changes his whole reality. Master Chang could heal, can burn paper with Chi, being able to ignite newspaper by touch, feats like holding seances with the spirits ala Mesdame blavatsky and uses ki energy to knock down empty cigarette packets. Upon finding The Magus, he documents his study with him and often assures the reader how he tested the demonstrations to rule out trickery or scientific gadgetry or phenomenon. His engineering background gives credence to this. The author claims that additional experience and investigation with these pheonomena would benefit many people, and that it is time to open them up to the world. But at the same time Master Chang made a vow to his Master that he would never demonstrate his power for public display. He accepted the "Ring of Fire" documentary film only because he thought it was for scientific documentation and not for commercial use which he later found he was tricked by Dr. Blair, the producer of the "Ring of Fire". And that his address must be protected otherwise other chinese masters like him would come to challenge him in a duel." I think you should use a magician rather than a scientist to test them as scientists have a poor track record in this area. In my experience very few of these 'masters ' will test their skills under controlled conditions. But maybe anything is possible especially since stuff as lightskill qigong can and has been done. [ This Message was edited by: ChangWuJi on 2002-02-23 02:22 ]

I can't think of a best one because there are so many, but I can think of an awesome one I just saw. Warriors Two, the best Wing Chun captured on film, I even think it's better than Prodigal Son.

Come on now, what is the chance of a massive Samoan dude attacking a normal civilian on the streets? Even better what is the chance of him attacking anyone, or you even spotting a dude like that? Do you not know there are actual laws, and punishments these days when it comes to fighting and attacking people? We don't live in old times anymore, when we need martial arts to survive. People mostly learn these arts for other reasons these days. Alot of martial arts teach awerness these days, so when a situation like that would become evident you can avoid it. Also I would like to add, that the gun is the most effective and easiest form of self defense today (it's also the most popular). And, you can obtain a gun fairly easil these days. So when someone threatens you all you have to do is take out the gun, and most likely they'll run. [ This Message was edited by: ChangWuJi on 2002-02-19 23:36 ]

There are three branches of old Muay Thai: Muay Chaiya, Muay Koraad, and Muay Lopburi(heard there is only one teacher left). Old styles teachers get paid next to nothing..beside there is no support from thai government at all. I think that's why no one seems to interest in older stuffs. Compared to the old styles, those Nuk Muay in Lumpini or Ratcha dum nern are just a bunch of clowns. There are many styles in Thailand that are derived from combining MuayThai,Tai chi, Shaolin, Karate,Judo and blah blah blah....(one of them is called Tai Fu Do). Yes it is a shame these styles are dying! My friend has been to Thailand several times to research and train in the old style. The lack of interest and dedication to maintain the art by the new generation will make these arts extinct. There are a few people still training but not like the old days. Although I love Chinese martial art the most, but I do think old style of Muaythai is powerful indeed!

“ ...My discussion on fearlessness is intended only for those willing to exert effort. First: Do not fear bitter work If you do you will never progress....Second: Do not fear losing. The fundamental principle in taichi is:“Yield to follow others.”....Third: Do not fear ferocity...When you penetrate the basic principles of taichi you possess a spirit of great fearlessness.” "In the chapter entitled “Swimming on Land” from my Thirteen Treatises, I spoke of envisioning the air we breath to be like water. Water can swirl and accumulate into a powerful force--its insubstantiality waxes into substantiality. Conversely, if we can imagine a powerful opponent as inconsequential as a puff of air, we can make his substantiality wane into insubstantiality.” “ ...There are some ignorant individuals in the world who foolishly believe they can skim off the cream of taichi and apply it to other martial arts, but they merely lack the capacity for serious study. It takes total dedication and a commitment to taichi alone to ever approach the level where your sinews harmonize with your vessels or marrow hardens your bones. Such profundities cannot be penetrated by a casual approach to taichi.” “ ...The human body has three layers of membranes-outside the muscles, outside the tendons, and outside the bones. These membranes act like an inner tube, and t'aichi strengthens these membranes so that they become impervious to blows.” “ ...Carry your head atop your body with the same sensation as if your were suspended by your braided hair from the rafters above. If your head bobs and swings you may practice taichi fruitlessly for thirty years.” “ ...I have distilled my forty years of teaching experience into twelve simple words: Swallow the heavens ch'i; tap the earths's strength; prolong life through softness. Each of these three principles has a specific body point to develop ch'i. Remember that ch'i is transported by blood, so that circulating your blood invigorates your ch'i” “ ....T'ai Chi Ch'uan is consistent with both philosophy and science.” “ ...The only true secret in taichi is the phrase:Your mind is the commander. Your mind moves the chi and chi transports your body through an initial impetus. Your hands and feet never move independently but wait until your waist clearly receives the mental command-then they follow the waist. So when we read that in taichi the hands should not move, this includes the feet. Also, remember to move as if every part is strung together on a single thread.” “ ...To learn T'ai Chi Ch'uan, it is first necessary to learn to invest in loss.” “ ....To invest in loss is to permit others to use force to attack while you don't use even the slightest force to defend yourself.” “ ...Can taichi really be learned solely from a book, without any teacher? An excellent question! The ancients believed firmly in an oral tradition and the absolute necessity of personal instruction. So though taichi self-cultivation is an arduous task, success is certainly possible if your goal is health and vitality. If taichi's self-defense application interest you, however, you must take every opportunity to practice push-hands with others.” “ ...The most important point in t'aichi is relax. Many people can't relax, and when they meet an opponent, they become tense. A single twist and pull, and they're finished; they've closed their door to learning and have stopped progressing.” “ ...Taichi is the crystallization of mankind's most profound philosophical ideals. Its subtle and essential elements raise it above every martial art, and makes perfection more elusive than any beaux-art.” “ ...How can you “use four ounces to deflect 1000 pounds”? It is accomplished by causing the weight at the opponent's center of gravity to be off balance. Then, even if you don't use four ounces to deflect him, he will topple anyway.” Here is an interesting site dedicated to him: http://www.chengmanching.com/index1.html BTW Jiggy have you read "Chinese Boxing: Masters and methods" and what did you think of Smith's book? Smith also wrote a recent book called "Martial Musings : A Portrayal of Martial Arts in the 20th Century". For him to personally try out many skilled martial artists and then to conclude that Cheng Manqing was the best of them is significant. Cheng Manqing was taught by Yang Cheng Fu, grandson of Yang Wu Di. During the War of Resistance, Cheng was invited by the British Counsel General to give demonstration of his martial art at a reception held in Chungking at the British Embassy. Attending the demonstration was a British military delegation, and two or three of the men accepted invitations to test themselves against Cheng. With but a raise of his arm and turn of his body, Cheng sent every opponent tumbling several feet away. Cheng later held a demonstration at a reception for American forces stationed in Chungking, with mutch the same results. [ This Message was edited by: ChangWuJi on 2002-02-15 22:13 ]

Boztepe went on to challenge other people such as Gracies as well. Here is what he wrote: A WORLD-WIDE OPEN CHALLENGE TO THE GRACIE-FAMILY Los Angeles, 26th October 1994 Emin Boztepe 5th level Practician EWTO / IWTMAA Headman of the AWTO (American WingTsun Organization) "After having watched your "Ultimate Fighting Championships" held by the Gracie-Family, I cannot find them very "ultimate" but only amusing. These so-called "ultimate fights' may impress laymen or beginners, but in fact they are no more real than the professional Wrestling shows on TV. What depresses me is that I heard of some rumors that I would not dare to accept your challenge. In fact I have never received any such challenge! Do you want me to appear like a coward? When I talked to Benny Urquidez in Germany, he told me that you people had played him the same dirty old trick for propaganda. Not long ago you even challenged the great man of American wrestling Gene LeBell. A very brave act indeed, since Mr. LeBell is over 60 years old. Now in the second "Ultimate Fighting Championships"-Show you people even (ab-)used two stupid wing chun-men to perform some funny movements so as to represent "Kung Fu". And at the same time you claimed to have defeated two "wing chun'-fighters in the first bout. Although I am a WingTsun-Fighter of the Leung Ting WingTsun-System, which is very different from the generic wing chun-style in theory and practice and is highly compatible in ground-fighting, I feel bad that you brothers use these kinds of dirty tricks to put down the late Great Grandmaster Yip Man's other students, their schools as well as other respectable martial arts styles or stylists! I keep the record of over 300 bare-hand fights and have never been defeated. However, I have never talked bad about my losers and all the other styles. But so as to educate you Gracies to respect the others, my students I hereby turn the tables on you by challenging all you people of the Gracie-Family. I can send 5 or more fighters from the AWTO to fight the Gracies. If you have more fighters in the Gracie-Family, just inform me and I shall report this to the International Headquarters and we will satisfy you with as many fighters as necessary. We like the so-called "No rules at all" Game as advertised in your propaganda. No gloves, no time-limit, the person who knocks out his opponent is the winner. This is exactly the way we WingTsun-people fought in China in the olden times. We do not mind fighting you people in the ring set up by your own organization. The only thing that we want is to fight openly, so all the audience, reporters, TV-people and martial artists can see if you can really fight against us. We only want two conditions: 1) We only fight you Gracies. For we do not want to give you the chance to use any helpful idiots to protect you as "shields". So we will only fight you directly and no others! 2) The winner takes all the money. We only want our expenses paid. The rest of the money will all be used for charity. If you Gracie-brothers dare not to accept our challenge, I do not mind. But remember: Never put down any other martial art styles from now on. This letter was sent to the Gracies and published in many (international) ma magazines. I have added here a question and an answer of this related matter. This 'fragment' came from a complete interview that was placed in the OCT 95 edition of the Martial Arts Illustrated, Frank Schäfer Sifu. Thomas Nilsson: "People have often claimed that if you don't compete, you can't prove how good (or bad) your martial art is..." Emin Boztepe: "Well, I think this attitude is beginning to change a bit now. I challenged the Gracie brothers because of their big mouth and now they are only excusing themselves, they only want to fight in their own environment. They no longer accept any challengers outside the UFC or even outside the state of California. The truth of the matter is, Gracies never fight outside of their own school and their own environment. Now, when they say they won't accept any outside challengers any more, I say "what any more?" I never saw them fight outside of their own organisation in America! Basically, they are just talking around and I don't want to get too deep into this now. But in short, I recently had a phone call from Rorion Gracie who respected everything that I had said, two of my friends listened in on a speaker phone. And Rorion said that this thing would go on and on forever, letter would be sent back and forth forever and the fight will never take place. I said: Listen, Mr. Gracie, you are the one who has called me a coward, but it's not on me, it's you who is the coward. Just take off your suit and tie and come out on the street! And now he even refuses to admit that he once challenged (Mike) Tyson, but he did just that in an article entitled "The Amazing Gracies", published in American Kung Fu and Karate Illustrated. Obviously they (the Gracies) did this for publicity and now they are accusing me of challenging them as a publicity stunt! I'm alone in the USA. I don't have a family to hide behind and everyone who knows me, knows that I didn't challenge the Gracies just to get personal publicity. Now they (Royce Gracie) are calling me a circus clown, but look who's fighting in a cage! I am not a clown, I'm a serious martial artist and I have many famous martial arts champions backing me up as my friends; Gene LeBell, Bob Wall, Bill Wallace, Benny Urquidez as well as my own students who know I'm for real. I didn't go out looking for personal publicity. Okay, I beat up William Cheung once because he was trying to pull the same stunt as the Gracies are doing now. The point is, the Gracies are hiding out in their own environment or they go out five, six brothers together..." http://www.wingtsun.nl/chal-grc.htm Here are some clips of Boztepe: http://www.weboutsourcing.com/wingtsun/wt_defenses.mpa http://www.weboutsourcing.com/wingtsun/sifuemin_chi-sau.mpa What do you guys think? [ This Message was edited by: ChangWuJi on 2002-02-14 23:51 ]

"At the time of his death in 1973, Yip Man could not have imagined that his name would be remembered among those of the most distinguished international grandmasters in the annals of martial arts history: Dr. Jigoro Kano, Gichin Funakoshi, Moriehi Uyeshiba. Yip Man's name belongs on that list of immortals. As the rightful patriarch of the Wing Chun style of kung fu, he succeeded in spreading his obscure but dynamic fighting art first throughout the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong and then throughout the world. His teaching has become a cornerstone of the modern martial arts era. The bare-boned efficiency of his fighting techniques, coupled with the knowledge that he was Bruce Lee's instructor, caused millions to regard his art with awed curiosity. Wing Chun means magic to them. Throughout the world, wherever instruction is not readily available, martial artists have at least attempted to imitate the subtleties of the art's sticking and trapping techniques. Today Wing Chun is the most influential martial art to emerge from 20th century China. Unfortunately, the art did not achieve international acclaim during Yip's lifetime, so he did not foresee the need publicly to name an heir to his role as leader of the Wing Chun clan. He still held and transmitted much of his art through vows of secrecy. Now that more than two decades have passed since his demise, many glory-seekers will invent intricate tales, misrepresent Yip photographs, and literally fight for the right to become known as his personal disciple and heir. Dozens of second and even third generation practitioners have advanced such counterfeit claims ... a bizarre phenomenon once the facts are revealed that Yip Man did not begin teaching until after his 50th birthday, that he did not like to teach and that he rarely did so. Yip Man was born in the year 1898 in the town of Fatshan in Namhoi County, Kwangtung Province, in Southern China. He was the son of a wealthy merchant named Yip Oi Doh and his wife, Madame Ng. As is still the custom, businesses and corporations in China were often built around family groupings of fathers, sons, sons-in-law, cousins, uncles, granduncles and grandfathers. The Yip family was no exception. Collectively, they owned a large farm and a merchandise exporting business which played an important role in bringing domestic renown to fabrics made from the Fatshan silkworm. The Yip family lived in some 20 old-style Chinese estates which lined both sides of Happiness and Scholarship Avenue. On one side of the avenue, in the centre of the estates, stood the Yip ancestral temple. Inside the temple, the Yip family permitted Wing Chun master Chan Wah Shun to live and teach a small group of disciples, since Chan's local reputation as a fighter discouraged thieves and highwaymen from attacking the family business. As a boy Yip Man was tutored in the traditional Chinese classics. He was forced to memorize ancient poems and Confucian philosophy, to learn to paint as well as to write his own poems. But whenever he could escape from the surveillant eyes of his tutors, he would wander over to the ancestral temple and watch Chan Wah Shun drill his disciples in the ways of Wing Chun. Soon the boy's visits became more regular until, finally, when Yip was about nine years old he approached Chan and asked to be accepted as a student. Chan did not take the boy's request seriously. "Chan Wah Shun was about 60 years old at the time," explains William Cheung, one of Yip Man's oldest and most devoted disciples, "and most of his students were already over 30." Besides, many wealthy families of the day did not want their sons' attention drawn away from academic pursuits by the practice of kung fu, especially after the Boxer Rebellion fiasco in 1900. So to spare the boy's feelings, Chan diplomatically told Yip that he would admit him as a student as soon as he could pay the tuition price of three taels of silver. Chan did not think that a nine year old boy, from a wealthy family or not, could produce that much money anytime in the near future. "But when my master Yip Man returned the next day," says Cheung, relating the story as told to him by the Grandmaster, "he went up to Chan Wah Shun with 300 pieces of silver. That was a lot of money! You could have bought a good-sized house in those days for 300 pieces of silver. "But Chan Wah Shun did not simply accept the money. Instead he thought that this little kid had just pinched 300 pieces of silver to give to him. So he took Yip Man to his parents to try to find out where the silver had come from. "Then they realized that the 300 pieces of silver were his whole life savings. So once they saw that this boy had such a strong desire to learn Wing Chun that he'd given away all his money, his parents agreed to let him study. And Chan Wah Shun accepted him." Yip Man became the last of Chan's 16 disciples. He also became the youngest in a direct line of Wing Chun practitioners dating back nearly 200 years to the art's fabled beginnings at the original Shaolin Temple in Honan Province. At that time in Chinese history, the Shaolin Temple was a hotbed of revolutionary activity. "You see, 400 years ago when the Manchus took over China," recounts Cheung, "about 90 percent of the Chinese people considered themselves to be members of the Hon nation. The Manchus, on the other hand, came from the Northern border areas. So in order to prevent the people from overthrowing their government, the Manchus placed a lot of restrictions on the Han. "They forced the Han men to shave their foreheads and to wear pigtails so that they could be easily identified. They made the Han women bind their feet so that they became completely dependent on the men. And since the women could not walk very far, the men could not wander off. High positions in the government had to be held only by Manchus, or by Hans who had been made Manchus through a special ceremony. They even limited the number of knives that could be kept in a Han household." Outside of the government imposed restrictions, the Manchus encouraged the populace to continue with business as usual, engaging in all normal forms of cultural endeavour, including monastic pursuits. Buddhist and Taoist monks were permitted to travel and participate in religious rites virtually unencumbered by the new regime. Thus the Shaolin Temple, with its long-established tradition of martial arts training, became the obvious sanctuary for dissidents, revolutionaries, and secret societies dedicated to the overthrow of the government. Meanwhile many members of the Han officer corps who survived the collapse of the Ming dynasty re-swore their loyalties and aligned themselves with the new Manchu leadership. These professional soldiers were highly skilled in the martial arts and well-versed in the fighting tactics of the Shaolin Temple. Whenever they were sent into an area of Shaolin activity to enforce the Manchu will, they quickly put a halt to the Robin Hood operations of rebellious monks. "In those days it took at least 18 years to train a full-fledged Shaolin martial artist," describes William Cheung. "They had to do ten years of a hard physical style, and then eight years of internal style. During that time they also had to practise swords and spears, and various other kinds of weapons. "So for the revolutionaries to train someone in Shaolin to match the skills of the Manchu soldiers, it would take 18 years ... and even then they were doing basically the same thing (with regard to fighting technique). They had to find a solution to this problem. So about 280 years ago, the oldest and most knowledgeable elders of the Shaolin Temple got together and decided to develop a style which would overcome all the other styles, and which would take a much shorter time to learn. "Then with that purpose in mind, they met repeatedly and engaged in lengthy discussions. Each elder was the master of his own style. And each master revealed all his secrets. Eventually, they developed a theory from which they derived a set of fighting principles." The combat theory of the elders was as simple as it was profound. Since their objective was to invent a technically superior system of self defence, they began by examining the two existing types of martial arts. They noted that the hard or external styles - Shaolin, traditional chuan-fa, modern karate - committed the body's placement well before a kick or punch impacted with its target. In this way the technique accumulated maximum momentum, and imparted maximum force. Of course the weakness of the approach was that the early commitment left the hard stylist vulnerable to an assortment of throws and perpetual unbalancing techniques. On the other hand, the soft or internal styles - tai chi chuan, pa kua, hsing-i - kept the body's weight elusive, and committed only at the instant of impact. But the problem with this approach was that the soft stylist did not strike with enough penetration or power. The elders reasoned, then, that if they could devise techniques which landed repeatedly with both the unpredictable swiftness of a soft style and the violent penetration of a hard style, then no enemy would be able to plan an effective counter. All styles would be defeated. Consequently the monks agreed that the new fighting art should contain only those techniques which could be thrown with total commitment, halted abruptly, then instantly re-thrown from another angle with another committed technique. They called their new approach the theory of interruption. Next, since close-range techniques are both easier to interrupt and faster to learn, they determined that the new art would tend to emphasize in-fighting. Any attempts on the part of the enemy to use flashy, long-ranged movements such as high kicks and controlled swings, would be frustrated through a system of jams, straight-line hand strikes and quick, interrupted footwork patterns. The new stylist would be able to obtain favourable in-fighting distance safely, and with little effort. Finally, once the proper in-fighting range was secured, the new stylist would have to be trained to use physical contact with the enemy's limbs to sense the enemy's next technique spontaneously. Then both hands could be used as a team for either interrupted strikes, combined with limb traps or for simultaneous parry-and-open hand with its slaps, grabs, parries, finger pokes and palm strikes, which would be favoured over the closed fist. This process of interruption would continue with increased fury until the enemy had been vanquished. The Shaolin elders became so encouraged by the progress of their theoretical discussions that they renamed the martial arts training room in which they met "Wing Chun Hall" or "Forever Springtime" Hall. The words "Wing Chun" expressed their hopes for a renaissance in Shaolin martial arts instruction, as well as for a more effective weapon in their struggle against the Manchus. "But before they could completely develop their system," continues William Cheung, "someone tipped off the government and they raided the Shaolin temple. Everybody scattered. "The founder of our style, the nun Ng Mui, had been one of the temple elders. She escaped the raid and hid herself in a nunnery on Tai Leung Mountain between Szechwan and Yunan provinces. She spent her time there developing the movements of the new system. When she finished she decided to call it "Wing Chun" after the Wing Chun Hall in which the Shaolin elders had held their discussions." Says Cheung, "One day when Ng Mui travelled down to the village at the bottom of the mountain, she met the daughter of bean curd vendor Yim Yee Gung. The girl and her father were in a lot of trouble because the town bully wanted to marry her. The bully was the leader of a gang and threatened to ruin Yim Yee Gung's business, so eventually Yee Gung and the girl would have to agree. "Ng Mui told them to play along with the bully, but agree to the marriage only if he could then defeat the girl in a kung fu contest. And since in those days it took several months for a marriage to take place anyway, the bully agreed. Meanwhile, the girl started learning Wing Chun with Ng Mui. "Six months later, the girl stood on a five foot in diameter platform waiting to respond to the bully's challenge. As he ascended onto the platform, he attacked with a wide roundhouse punch. The girl quickly used a Tan Sao block and palm strike, knocking him to the ground. That was the end of it. She had won! "After the contest, Yim Yee Gung asked Ng Mui to take care of his daughter. So the girl followed Ng Mui to the nunnery. And then Ng Mui gave the name "Wing Chun" to the girl, since she now became the future of the art. Yim Wing Chun stayed with Ng Mui until she died." Years later, Yim Wing Chun taught the new art to her husband, a salt merchant named Leung Bok Chau. He in turn taught the art to the herbalist Leung Lan Kwai, who taught the art to a Chinese opera star named Wong Wah Bo. Wong Wah Bo then exchanged kung fu techniques with another member of his opera troupe named Leung Yee Tai. Together, Wong and Leung then added the long-pole techniques to the system. And finally, Leung Yee Tai taught the art to Dr. Leung Jan, who passed it on to Chan Wah Shun. Yip Man studied with Chan Wah Shun for four years, until the old master's death. Yip subsequently spent another two and a half years training with his senior, Ng Chung So, and Ng's two students, Yuen Kay Shan and Yiu Choi. Sometimes they would strap on jackets padded with horse hair and feathers and spar with full-contact techniques directed to the body. Apparently young Yip developed a passion for realism during these early sparring sessions. When Yip was 16 years old, his parents sent him to Hong Kong to attend St. Stephen's College. There, he quickly fell in with a clique of classmates who liked to offer and accept kung fu challenges. He welcomed the opportunity to put his Wing Chun training to the real test. Within a short time, he developed a reputation as a superlative fighter. He had stood up to hard stylists and soft stylists, to instructors and students, and even to a foreign devil or two. Yet despite his small five foot, 120 pound frame, never once had he lost. Yip discovered, in fact, that he liked to fight. He would accept a challenge on the slightest provocation. On one such occasion, a classmate named Lai dared Yip to go after an old kung fu practitioner who worked at the silk company of Lai's father. The man was well into his 50s and very eccentric, but, Lai insisted, his kung fu was very good. That evening Yip Man found the man living on a fishing boat anchored near the typhoon breakers in Hong Kong Bay. "Hey, old man!" yelled Yip. The old man did not answer. Yip Man picked up a stone and threw it in the man's direction. "Hey, old man!" he yelled once more. "What do you want, youngster?" "I've heard that you are a great kung fu master and I've come here to find out. I'd like to spar with you." No answer. "Old man," Yip said again, "I'd like to spar with you." The man stood silent. He stared into Yip's eyes, then moved his gaze up and down the boy's length. "I don't know, youngster," he said at last, stroking his chin. "You look pretty puny. I might be wasting my time. I'll have to see you do a form first." This request irritated Yip Man. "All right, old man," he said, dropping into a pigeon-toed horse stance. "Watch!" Yip performed the entire Shil Lim Tao form of Wing Chun, with its long isotonic motions which always seemed punctuated by a sudden combative pop. The old man smiled. "Okay, youngster. Come on board. We'll spar." No sooner had the two squared off than Yip Man raced after the old man in a blaze of punches. The old man met Yip's attack, stepped to the side, then ... SPLASSSHHH! The old man looked down at Yip in the waters of Hong Kong Bay. "What's the matter, youngster?" he said. "I thought you wanted to spar!" Yip climbed out of the bay, onto the dock, and back onto the boat. "Don't worry, old man," he said. "I'll show you sparring!": He launched after the old man, a jet on takeoff. A few techniques were exchanged at a furious pace, then ... SPLASSSHHH! "Hey, youngster! Do you want to spar or do you really want to swim?" Yip Man could not understand what had gone wrong. He had done so well against other supposed 'masters', but he didn't even know what this guy was doing. Yip began to visit the old man at every opportunity. He would bring him wine and roast duck. Sometimes he would wash the man's clothes, then leave. But not a word was spoken between the two. After about a month, the old man confronted Yip. "Look, youngster," he said, "I know that you are a Wing Chun practitioner. And I know that you aren't bad. I also know that you show me all this kindness because you want to learn from me ... Well, okay, I'm going to teach you, rather than let the art pass away. You see, I too am a Wing Chun practitioner. My name's Leung Bik. I am the son of your teacher's teacher." Leung Bik then explained how his father, Dr. Leung Jan, had withheld key elements of the Wing Chun system from Chan Wah Shun. Chan had been over six feet tall, whereas Dr. Leung's two sons, Leung Chun and Leung Bik, only stood at about five feet. So in order to give his sons a slight technical edge, Dr. Leung did not teach Chan Wah Shun the proper interrupted footwork patterns. Further, he held back many techniques even from the three forms. After Dr. Leung died, the two sons and Chan Wah Shun argued over who would become the next grandmaster. Chan challenged the two sons, and because he was so much bigger, he was still able to defeat them. Chan then chased the two sons out of the Fatshan area. Yip Man studied with Leung Bik for two and a half years. Meanwhile he continued to accept challenges. During one encounter, he badly injured his opponent. The police threatened to prosecute, so Yip fled to Japan for a year until the commotion had subsided. When Yip Man finally returned home to Fatshan to take a wife and assume his responsibilities in the family business, he was only 20 years old, but already a Grandmaster of Wing Chun. He lived a leisurely life there, practising Wing Chun with either a few select students or on the wooden dummy he kept in his flower garden, until the Communist takeover in 1949. He subsequently fled to Hong Kong, penniless, where he spent the remainder of his life teaching. Today, 90 percent of Wing Chun schools in the world can be traced directly to his efforts." http://www.cheungwingchun.com/YipMan.html

"Read how five separate styles bacame one deadly art! Usually, whenever anything is written on Chinese kung-fu, the material is either based more on hearsay or previous writings rather than on direct experience. That is why there are often many controversies surrounding a given art’s history and the techniques behind the style. Ngo cho kun, likewise, was not spared from this predicament. There exists various versions regarding the origin of ngo cho kun. The most popular version is that it was invented by Chua Giok Beng. This was the history handed down to me by my sifu, the late Tan Ka Hong, whose father Tan Kiong Beng was a direct in-door disciple of the founder. The history presented here came from a direct lineage of actual transmission from founder Chua Giok Beng to Tan Kiong Beng to his son, my sifu, Tan Ka Hong. I’ll try to present the other versions in a future article. Ngo cho kun was invented by Chua Giok Beng (1853–1903?) during the declining years of the Ching dynasty (1644–1911). Chua combined the best of the existing five famous styles of kung-fu from Fukien at that time into a composite style. It was therefore made up of the following styles: peho (white crane), Tai Cho (Sung dynasty emperor boxing), lohan (Buddhist arhat methods), kao kun (monkey), and tat chun (Bodhidharma’s method). Chua called his style ngo cho kun, or "fist of the five ancestors," in honor of the five styles he combined. Chua came from a wealthy family. His father invited the Shaolin master Ho Yang to become Chua’s private teacher by providing food and shelter for the master. When Master Ho Yang died of old age, Chua fulfilled his duty as a disciple by giving Master Ho Yang a proper burial. Since the Shaolin master came from the north, Chua escorted his teacher’s remains back to Honan, as it was customary for the Chinese to be buried back at their place of birth. Chua took advantage of the journey by seeking out kung-fu teachers on his way home. When Chua finally came back home he had spent all his family fortune on his quest for kung-fu. Not bothered by his loss of fortune, Chua concentrated his efforts on combining his knowledge of kung-fu into a new style called ngo cho kun. Chua classified his style techniques into finger strike of the white crane, palm technique from the monkey, kicking technique from emperor boxing, footwork from lohan boxing , and body posture of Tamo. As a founder of a new style, Chua was not spared from the common practice of kung-fu at the time, which was to face challengers who will come to test your technique. Chua was able to defeat all his challengers. He became a phenomena among teachers of his era. Undefeated in his time, the people nicknamed him Beng Lo (elder Beng) and also Mua Lo Hiong (Popular all the Way). Many of those masters who suffered defeat from Chua in turn became his disciples. Famous among those are Lim Kao Say, a Tai Cho master, and Wan Tian Pa, a constant trouble maker who was famous for his expertise in foot sweeps. As Chua’s reputation grew, he accepted many disciples. The more famous ones are known as the "Ten Tigers of Ngo Cho." Among them is Tan Kiong Beng, a wealthy merchant. Tan went to the Philippines in the early 1900s, where he made his living as a bone setter. Tan’s expertise in ngo cho kun was soon discovered by the overseas Chinese in Manila, who persuaded him to teach ngo cho kun. Tan accepted a few disciples. In 1935, Tan’s students in Manila requested him to formally open a school in the Philippines. But Tan wanted to enjoy his twilight years in his hometown in Fukien, China. So instead, he sent his son Tan Ka Hong to Manila. Before leaving for Manila, Tan made his son swear before the altar of the sijo (founder) that he would follow the code of kung-fu and spread ngo cho kun in the Philippines. Equipped with only a few kung-fu weapons and a sworn promise to spread the art, Tan Ka Hong set sail for the Philippines. He established the Beng Kiam school in 1935 with the help of some of his father’s disciples. This school was to become the pioneer kung-fu school in Manila. Ngo cho kun has since spread from Manila to different parts of the Philippines and America through the students of Tan Ka Hong." http://www.cyberkwoon.com/html/article.php?sid=197&mode=&order=0

The Germany Incident: Ten years After Written by Marty Goldberg Interview by Russ Urquhart "10 years ago, what many consider to be the most degrading crime ever committed in martial arts history occurred in Cologne, Germany. Grandmaster William Cheung, of Traditional Wing Chun, had been asked to take time out of his busy seminar schedule to give a special two day seminar in Germany. Always happy to accommodate people, Grandmaster Cheung added the two days, unknowingly stepping in to a detailed plan set up by Leung Ting to defame him. The end result was an illegally distributed and highly edited video clip that wound up as an addition to Leung Ting's video tape Dynamic Wing Tsun, and did nothing more but to further hurt the image of Wing Chun Kung Fu. This article, composed of interviews with the Grandmaster done over 1994-95, will explain for the fist time in the pages of IKF, Grandmaster Cheung's explanation of what went on that day in Cologne. Also for the first time in print, a detailed account of Leung Ting's four stage plan for the Germany ambush that was recently exposed by another senior student of Grandmaster Yip Man's that resides in northern Europe. ---------- Background ---------- At the time of the Germany ambush, there was much turmoil going on within the Wing Chun family as to who had seniority, who was most qualified, etc. The general public was exposed to this through letters back and forth between many of the seniors and juniors, that appeared in this magazine as well as others. GM Cheung: "Well, many many years prior (to the incident), Leung Ting and I were on speaking terms. But, I think it was just some misunderstanding or something. And also, the other...there was a lot of question and answer back and so on, on the magazines. Relating to who's seniority, and who's more qualified. So..you know, it never was in my mind that he would try something like (the Germany ambush)." The missunerstanding in question is a result of two pieces of misinformation. One was an incorrect interpretation of one of Grandmaster Cheung's letters to state that he would "fight anyone, anywhere, anytime". Those knowledgable in tradition, know that you can not challenge a senior. One of the first things taught in any Kung Fu is that no members of the same family should fight amongst themselves, and secondly to respect your seniors. The second misinterpretation was an incident that occurred in New York, several months before the Germany ambush. Leung Ting was giving a seminar in New York on his art Wing Tsun. Unknown to Grandmaster Cheung, several of his students had chosen to attend this seminar. Leung Ting wanted a volunteer to help him demonstrate his superior reflexes. He chose one of GM Cheung's students, who happened to be wearing a World Wing Chun Kung Fu Association (the governing body of Traditional Wing Chun) t-shirt. The student managed to get through Leung Ting's guard and slap his face a couple of times. One of Leung Ting's bodyguards immediately jumped in, several other of GM Cheung's students jumped in to help, and a large confrontation occurred, until one of GM Cheung's students finally calmed the situation down. The event was not planned, and later upon hearing of the disturbance that occurred, GM Cheung severely reprimanded the students who had taken part. -------------------------------- What Actually occurred in Germany -------------------------------- GM Cheung: Several months later, somebody asked me to organize a seminar in Germany for Traditional Wing Chun.The person who asked it, doesn't practice Wing Chun, so he teamed up with a Wing Chun instructor that had a school there. So they organized two days, Saturday and Sunday. Russ: Now the seminar that they asked you, was this part of kind of what you're doing now, this was a set of seminars you were doing, and someone said we want one in Germany? GM Cheung: Yah, yes. Russ: Had you been to Germany before this? GM Cheung: No.....yah, I've been there once before, but it was just on tour. Russ: Did you have much of an organization or a lot of Traditional Wing Chun people in Germany at that time? GM Cheung: No, not one single person. It was just someone that came out from the blue and said "Look, let's do a seminar in Cologne". Before I went to Germany, I was warned by a friend to keep out of trouble with the law there because they dealt barbarically with foreigners, putting them in jail for months without even questioning them if they broke the law. This was a fact that stuck in my mind. Also, as I was only in Germany to do one seminar, I did not obtain a work permit, so I knew if this was discovered I would be in a lot of trouble and probably be detained there for a long time. On Saturday, the seminar began at 11am, and the organizer, Augustine Yiu was late to pick me up. By the time I arrived at the university basketball stadium (gym) where the seminar was to take place, the participants were already inside. We were approached by two people, a photographer and a journalist, from a German martial arts magazine who said they wanted to interview me during the break. They wanted some photos straight away and asked me to change in to my Kung Fu suit and slippers. I complied and they took some photos of me in various poses. Because things were running very late, I didn't have time to change back to my normal track shoes and outfit. It was time for the seminar to start and there were almost a 100 people there. So I started with some warm-ups, light warm-ups, Wing Chun punching, and coordination drills. So after about fifteen or twenty minutes, I sort of went around to check everybody's movements. So, one chap came up with a couple of other guys walking behind him. One of them introduced himself as Emin Boztepe, a student of Keith Kernspecht. He was holding an issue of Combat Magazine in his hand that contained a copy of an open letter which I had written to Lok Yiu, Leung Shung, Tsui Shun Tin, and Wong Shun Leung some time ago. He wanted to ask some questions about what I had previously said in the article. So I said, "Look, you just read it, it's very clear". He said, "No, no, no, I want to challenge you." I said although he did not have the seniority, by all means I would humour him after the seminar. But let's please do it after. And then I just walked away and didn't take much notice. When I started the second sort of technique drill, he came over again, and I noticed there's about 10-15 people walking behind and around him. And as soon as he came up, they went and formed a circle around us. And he said, "I want to fight you now." And I said, "Well, that's different. You said you wanted to spar and now you want to fight." I said, "Let's do it after class." And he began mumbling something, and I said, "Look, you know, I granted you the fight after the class. And strictly speaking, you're not even in my seniority." So I walked away, but I knew he more or less was going to try something. So after I walked away, the third step he rushed in and threw a round punch with his right arm. Russ: What did you think when this happened? Had you ever been in a situation like this where you're teaching and someone had done this to you before? GM Cheung: No. In the exact same terms, when I first came to New York (in 1983), in the seminar, they always want to test this and test that. I always give them a chace. But this one, I knew it was different because he had a whole group of people. When the second time he came up, there's another 14-15 people with this time I noticed. So when I started to walk away, the circle had been formed. They sort of put their arm up, so that the other students could not get close. I had a German interpreter standing next to me, and as it happened, someone put him in a headlock and pulled him back behind the circle. And I knew it wasn't one person at that moment, though I didn't know what the numbers were. So, you know, he just jumped in and threw the punch and then I swung around and shot out a Bil Sao (thrusting arm), which stopped his sucker punch. At the same time, I front kicked him. It was always in the back of my mind, if I hurt somebody it will involve the law and it will be so complicated. So I more or less kicked just to push him away. But because I was wearing the Kung Fu slippers, and the floor was polished timber and very slippery, I slid away on impact. That was the other thing in my mind, that is why I wanted to do it after the class (besides the reason that it was not proper to interrupt other people's time that they are paying good money for), that way I could change my shoes. Boztepe rushed in again throwing punches furiously, so I sidestepped. I did the Jut Sao (jerking arm) and Huen Sao (rotating wrist) to diffuse his punches. Then I used Pak Sao (push block) to control his elbow. Because the floor was so slippery, I wound up behind him. So I put him in a headlock, because my intention was only to restrain him, not to fight him. Then I thought for a moment I was going to...you know, might as well poke him in the eye and finish it right there. He was struggling like a wounded mule because he had no countering technique against the headlock. Because of the slipperiness of the floor and my shoes, I was sliding around like I was on roller skates. At that time, I started slipping, and then he fell as well. He was more or less lying on top of me. Then he was sitting on my stomach, and tried to throw a few punches which I blocked with Bil Sao's to the elbow. Then I arched my body so he was trying to balance more or less, and then I kneed him a couple of times. After that, somebody called out, Boztepe got up and ran away. And as I got up, then I saw at least 20 people run out from the gym. Somebody said that they had video cameras and regular cameras. Russ: Did anyone try and do anything? GM Cheung: No, because they already formed a circle. And also, I knew at least some of them had weapons. When they formed the circle, that's when I got some indication from their belts that they had something there. Russ: By weapons, you mean guns or? GM Cheung: No, they were armed with knives or something. See, and only during the last month or six weeks when I talked to another Wing Chun -- modified Wing Chun -- instructor, and he told me there's no way they would let me win, because they would come one after one after one for five or six times. If I beat up one, the other one would jump in straight away. And then another one, and another one. And then even after five or six, then the whole lot would jump in. There's no way they would let me win. Russ: So was he saying that he knew this was going to happen? GM Cheung: Yah, it was all planned. You know, they deliberately set the interview before...so that the journalists was there. Russ: Do you feel this was a plan just by these guys that did this, or do you feel that Leung Ting was aware of this and had something to do with this? GM Cheung: Leung Ting was for sure behind it, and then this Keith Kernspecht, Leung Ting's student in Germany. They were behind it. But, because, well he didn't land any punches. I just happened to slip on the ground, and he was on top. And so, after they ran away, there was a little bit of chaos. But I told them "Don't worry about it, we'll carry on with the seminar." So everybody, apart from those people who ran away, everybody stayed. So we carried on for another 3 1/2 hours. In fact, during the break, after another hour and a half, during the break the journalist was asking for more photo's. So I had to pose for more photo's. And I'm sure at least one or two..maybe not all of them ran away.. because we don't know who they were, so they're still in the seminar. And then when I was posing for photo's for the camera, some guy yelled out-- oh, what about he got beaten up, what about this or that. So the journalist started asking questions. But I said, "There was a little situation, you know." I told them what happened. Russ: So what was your feeling at that time? Were you very angry? GM Cheung: Well, I was a bit disappointed more than angry. I was disappointed that...firstly, in Kung Fu, the respect towards elders, towards seniors is very strong. And they claim to be Wing chun people. Then to set up such an ambush. You know, I was a bit disappointed. And also, I felt that was a bit low because I knew there's no way they would let me have a fair fight because they had all these people there. And more so, because there were other disciplines there, there was some Karate and some Tae Kwon Do disciplines there.....to witness such behaviour. You know in fact, because I didn't know they were going to try something the next day, so I cancelled the next day. And about two weeks later, I got back to Australia, I had received about 10 letters offering their support, the people that attended the seminar. Russ: So once you returned to Australia, did you try and contact Leung Ting? GM Cheung: No, no, because I had some commitments in Sydney. So it happened to be Dave Cater and one of Black Belt's journalists was in Sydney. And we had lunch there. This was just like two weeks after the event. Russ: So they had heard.... GM Cheung: Oh, they knew about it. Russ: What do you think, or what happened as a result of it? GM Cheung: Well, it just let everybody find out how low can Leung Ting get to. But I did have a meeting with my Association people, and we decided we would not go down to that low. Russ: I would assume a lot of your people wanted to retaliate? GM Cheung: Oh yah, but I told them no, I don't want that. See, you can only fight a dog down to the dog's level. So I told them no. But they did send letters, because they weren't satisfied. And this guy Emin, he sent a few letters stating he wanted another rematch or something. And I just told him, I said, "Look, you're not in the seniority to do a rematch." I gave him six photo's and six persons, if he wants to have a good fight just pick any of my instructors. Never heard from him since. Russ: But, you didn't want to fight a rematch, or? GM Cheung: Nah, nah, he's no match. He can't throw punches (laugh). I mean, I would not have granted him another opportunity to degrade martial arts. The whole episode took over 20 seconds to take place. I have seen both the unedited version of the event on tape, as well as the edited version available to the public (on Dynamic Wing Tsun). When we were on the ground, Boztepe threw seven or so punches and I blocked all of them. This is proven on the videos, because it still showed despite their editing. They cut out my kicking Boztepe when he first jumped in, and also putting him in a head- lock. They still could not make it look like I was hurt. The fact that I resumed teaching the seminar after the fight and had another photo session with the magazine in the break later only confirms that I blocked all of Boztepe's punches. But I still wonder whether Boztepe was hurt from the strikes of my knees. Russ: You didn't see this as a challenge match in the traditional sense, because it seems like from what you told me there wasn't the respect, this just wasn't a traditional challenge.... GM Cheung: Nah. You can not challenge your senior. I would never grant a challenge to a junior. There are times and places for them to say things. See, Leung Ting is two generations from me. And this guy is another two generations down. If these things start to happen, the whole organization, the whole discipline will collapse. So, they have to go back and study the tradition. Russ: So it's 8 years later, how do you feel about this? GM Cheung: I don't think it really matters, because those people are not training in Wing Chun anymore. Well, they might claim to be teaching Wing Chun, but they're not teaching Wing Chun. Russ: As part of the Reunification tour, have you tried to speak to Leung Ting? GM Cheung: Yah, in fact when I was in L.A. two months ago, David Cater had told me that Leung Ting was also in town. I gave Dave Cater three phone numbers that he could get to me in three different cities. But I didn't hear from him. Russ: When you and Leung Ting were speaking, because you mentioned that earlier, what sort of relationship did you have? GM Cheung: Well, it was all right, it was quite cordial. Russ: Did he respect your seniority and your position, or was it just kind of where we both do the same thing? GM Cheung: He was always addressing me as Sisook, which is one generation away from him. So he always did that to skip one more generation. I mean, showing respect is not for the other people, it's actually for your self. Russ: So do you see him ever recognizing your total seniority and recognizing the Traditional Wing Chun family? GM Cheung: Oh yah, because nobody can change the truth. Four Stage Plan of Germany Ambush --------------------------------- First stage: The Set Up - prior to the attack, the conspirators organized an interview and photo session with a German martial arts magazine, which was to take place before the seminar commenced. This ensured that they had photos of GM Cheung in the state before and after the attack. They also lured him to change in to his silk Kung Fu suit and shoes, because they knew that this attire is not practical in activities such as sparring or fighting, especially on a hardwood polished gym floor. Second stage: Hand to Hand Combat - There were six first lot reserve fighters standing nearby to take over if Boztepe, the first challenger, was defeated or appeared to be defeated. However, there were not any specific plans regarding whether the reserve fighters would join in one after another or all together. It was decided earlier that, during this stage, they would stick to hand to hand combat. During the time of the fighting, the photographer and video cameramen would record as much material as possible for later usage. I.e. editing, splicing, duplicating, copying, etc., to make an artificial documentary in order to discredit GM Cheung. There was a total of eighteen people involved in the ambush, including one still camera operator and two video operators. Third stage: The Armed Assault - This plan was to be carried out if the second stage failed. The rest of the conspirators were instructed to attack GM Cheung (as well as any people who tried to help) with weapons they would smuggle in to the seminar. The instruction was to restrict the weapons to blunt instruments. Fourth stage: The Witnesses - The plan also allowed some of the conspirators to stay back to bear witness afterwards." http://www.enteract.com/~weishaar/martial/docs/cheung_attack keep in mind that there are different versions, and points of view of the story.

Wudang is an authentic style.Wudang mountain is in Hubei province China.Wudang is (was)a Taoist sect and their martial arts were mainly based on the internal aspect.They have their own style of Bagua,Taiji,and some animal styles.They also practice a style that is based on the motions of fishermen throwing a fish net (it is called yu men quan). The weapons are of a big assortment.Most noted is the Wudang sword.They also have some exotic weapons that you will not see (probably) any where else.whips,darts,hard whips etc. I do not know about them fighting with other schools or anything of the sort. They still have a temple on the mountain,but it is a big tourist site. You would probably get alot of modern wushu stuff there and have to pay a good bit of money too.(If they even have any sort of martial arts school there)If you want Wudang style gongfu then you might be better off going to Wuhan city and ask around for a teacher.I have a friend who said he saw alot of Wudang styles when he lived in Wuhan. I know a lady who grew up on Wudang mountain and her hair and her friends hair are all long and bundled up with the pin too.

Jackie Chan learned traditional martial arts in the Opera every day for hours. It was part of the curriculum, and they had quite a few teachers but mostly it was Northern Shaolin. EVen The Great Eagle Claw master Lau Fat Mon's daughter went to Peking Opera, and she actually knew Jackie. But it didn't stop there, Jackie CHan also learned Shaolin from his dad before he went to Peking Opera school, and after he left he was obsessed with learning new styles. He even elarned some Hapkido.