What is Kung Fu and where does it come from

Kung fu
 

Is the mother of all contemporary martial arts was brought to China from India by a Zen Buddhist monk named Da Mo (Bodhidharma). Da Mo trained the monks in China the 18 Lohan Kung (18 Buddha Hands ) for wellbeing of body, mind, and spirit. Kung fu usually refers to Chinese martial arts, or fighting systems invented from China. Kung fu is a common Chinese term that have become identical with Chinese martial arts. The enhancement of Chinese martial arts can be track down to hunting activities and martial preparation. Over time, it transformed with the evolving Chinese civilization acquiring philosophical bases. Ultimately, Chinese martial arts became an essential element of Chinese culture Yellow Emperor (Huangdi, traditional date of ascension to the throne, 2698 B.C.E.) initiated the earliest forms of martial arts to China. The Yellow Emperor was a famous military general who, before becoming China’s leader, wrote extensive dissertation on medicine, astrology and the martial arts. He supposedly developed the system of Jiao di or horn-butting and exploit it in war In spite of of these legends, Jiao di evolved during the Zhou Dynasty into a wrestling system called Jiao li (eleventh century B.C.E.) . The practice of Jiao li in the Zhou Dynasty was recorded in the Classic of Rites This warfare practice integrated techniques such as strikes, throws, joint manipulation, and pressure point attacks.Jiao lo ultimately became known as Shuai jiao, its prevailing form. During the Han Dynasty, martial arts known as shuobo and jiandao became widespread Jiao li became a spectator sport throughout the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 B.C.E). In the Song and Yuan dynasties contests were promoted by the imperial courts. The contemporary concepts of kung fu were fully developed by the Ming and Qing dynasties The development of Chinese martial arts is associated to its use in the military.

Hand to hand combat and weapons training were essential apparatus in the training of Chinese soldiers. Taoist claimed to have been practicing physical movements that bear a resemblance to Tai Chi at least as early as the 500 B.C.E. era. In 39-92 C.E., "Six Chapters of Hand Fighting", were included in the Han Shu (history of the Former Han Dynasty) written by Pan Ku. Also, the noted physician, Hua T'uo, created the "Five Animals Sport" - eagle,tiger, deer, monkey,and bear, , around 220 B.C.Taoist attitude and their method to well being and training can be seen in the Innermost styles of Chinese martial arts. The present-day view of Chinese martial arts are deeply influenced by the actions of the Republican Period (1912-1949). The period between the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the chaos s of the Japanese attack and the Chinese Civil War, Chinese martial arts became more available to the general public as many martial artists were encourage to openly teach their art. At that time, some considered martial arts as a means to promote national pride and improve the health of the Nation. As a result, many martial arts training handbooks were available and several martial arts societies were formed throughout China Chinese societies. The Central Guoshu Academy was set up by the Government in 1928 and the Jing Wu Athletic Association founded by Huo Yuanjia in 1910 are examples of association that publicized a systematic approach for training in Chinese martial arts A series of regional and state contests were arranged by the Republican government starting in 1932 to sponsor Chinese martial arts.In 1936, at the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin, a group of Chinese martial artists demonstrated their art to an international spectators for the first time. Ultimately, those events leads to the current view of martial arts as a sport.  Kung-fu simply means skill or ability that possessed by a carpenter, cook, or an expert in the fighting arts; the word refers to no particular style or martial art. Some feel its synonymy with the martial arts is a new trend originating in Hong Kong and Kwangtung province. But as early as the 17th century, the Jesuit priest, Pere Amiot, wrote of the "peculiar exercises," which he called "Cong Fou," practiced by the Taoist priests of his area. A more precise phrase for the martial arts in China is wu shu, although there have been other terms used in China through the years whose meanings are equally clear. Kuo-shu, according to the martial historian Robert W. Smith, was a popular term until 1928; kuo-chi has also been used. Terms such as chien-shu (way of the sword), tao-fa (way of the knife), or ch'uan-fa (way of the fist) do not signify a martial art. Wu shu is currently the formal term for martial arts adopted by the People's Republic of China.

Kung-fu is composed of a number of martially inspired systems for fighting, health development, and dance. There are hundreds styles of kung-fu; most, however, were formed around a more limited number of approaches to a specific subject, be it combat, health, or whatever. Some systems of kung-fu emphasize strenuous, energetic kicking and punching, while others stress more subtle techniques. Indeed, some are nearly static.  At first glance, there are three main types of kung-fu: for fighting, for show, for health. Classification becomes progressively more complex under the surface. Styles can be divided and classified roughly by geographical origin, religious tenets, and technical type (e.g., linear, circular, etc.). Kung-fu also was influenced to varying degrees by smaller factions of specific periods, non-religious and military organizations, family clans, and theatrical and operatic troupes. Thus kung-fu is just too extensive, too deeply embedded in Chinese culture to be sensibly sketched. It would be highly impractical to include all the medicines, weapons, techniques, historically significant ' events, personalities, and terminology that have played important parts in the development of kung-fu. The categorization alone requires, for its study, a respectable amount of at least one dialect of the Chinese language.  Exactly when kung-fu first surfaced is not known, though the subject continues to be disputed. Some traditional historians date it as far back as the Shang dynasty (16th century B.C.) Others place it in the period of the Contending States (475-221 B.C.) and the Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti. Perhaps its origins are bound up in the unique way China learned to absorb aspects of her conquerors' cultures. Contemporary kung-fu certainly exhibits distinct traces of Mongolian, Tibetan, Indian, and other cultural ideologies.  Geography also played an enormous role in kung-fu's development. Those who lived in the tropical rain forests of the south, for instance, would naturally develop different approaches to living and thinking than those who nomadically wandered the arid northern plains. 

With the collapse of the Ch'ing dynasty and the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC), many changes have taken place in kung-fu as an institution. All thought of using the art, now called a sport, as an implement of war is considered incorrect. The aims of the PRC are to make kung-fu conducive to competition and available to large numbers of people.  Thus far, kung-fu has been classified by geography (e.g., northern and southern) and philosophical roots (e.g., Buddhist, Taoist, communist). The systems may be further subdivided by the way in which they deal with force (e.g., the internal family in the south, and the external family in the north). All of these general categories are useful for making distinctions among styles presently used for fighting (e.g., the Hop-Gar style), for gymnastics or theater (Chang-Ch'uan and other styles from the PRC), or for health (e.g., t'ai-chi-ch'uan). Styles may be again divided by techniques employed: those based on linear movement (from which karate sprang), or circular movement, or long-arm and short-arm systems.  The northern, Buddhist systems leaned more toward the linear, with short -hand tactics built upon series of linear attacks and retreats; they rely on strength and speed. Southern, Taoist systems were markedly more circular, with both long- and short-arm styles employing intricately patterned footwork. While not contesting the northern notion that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points, southern adherents maintain it is not necessarily the most practical technique. The circular, internal, soft systems were based on timing and internal strength, as opposed to speed and muscular strength. (Slight lateral angles or simple, circular hand maneuvers do not make a circular system; styles claiming otherwise have lost track not only of their lineage, but of their very essence.)  The Shao-lin and t'ai-chi-ch'uan styles of kung-fu are often pointed to as exemplary of northern and southern Chinese styles. Shao-lin represents the hard style of the north, while t'ai-chi, the soft southern style. As a geographic shorthand, one may remember, but with reservation, the kung-fu expression, "nan-ch'uan pei-t'ui" (hands in the south, kicks in the north). Between the two extremes lie many degrees of hard, soft, long-arm, and short-arm systems.  It is difficult to say which styles may have originated for combat, which for show, and which for health. Fighting is in vogue now, except in the PRC, and at the moment nearly every style claims to be a combat system. Some noted situ (teacher, instructor) have separated the fighting systems from the more theatrical styles by the terms "wide" and "narrow" kung-fu.

In this classification scheme, a style that employs a large number of movements to link a single defensive maneuver to each possible attack is called "narrow," and, as a system, is placed in the non-fighting category. "Wide" kung-fu, on the other hand, employs fewer moves, but relies on "changes," or alternative uses, of a technique, One may note the relative simplicity of wing-chun, Pat Mei, Tibetan white crane, or Hop-Gar, all of which, using this scheme, would be considered fighting styles. Hop-Gar, for instance, has only 24 hand techniques instead of the hundreds found in some narrow styles.  Thus, the classification of kung-fu systems into northern, southern internal, external, long-arm, short-arm, soft, hard, wide, or narrow is generally accepted and understood as it relates to actual performance in a given style. Classifications by philosophical promptings- Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, or communist -is not relevant. And classification by originating intent-martial, theatrical, or medicinal-is controversial.  But there are numerous subdivisions relating directly to the specialized techniques for which a particular system or school was known. Although a proficient boxer studied a variety of systems, often traveling from province to province seeking different styles and teachers, nearly every boxer of repute made use of a special technique he favored over all others. It might have been a technique of the sword, or some other weapon; it may have been a hand tactic, a kick, or any number of other techniques. Master Ku- Yu-Cheong, for example, specialized in the iron palm; Cheng-Hua of the Hung-Gar style in the tiger-tail kick; Lau-Fat-Mang in the Chin-na hand of the Eagle Claw Fan-Tzu system; and so on. A specializing student often broke with his original school to found a new style or branch revolving around his specialty. These specialized hand or foot maneuvers then became the trademark of the style. A person who trained certain parts of his arm or hand, for instance, could be identified with a specific style. like the differences in the salutation or the uniform, a specialty became the index of yet another distinction within kung-fu.  Four great philosophical systems stand out as primary influences in kung-fu's development. First was Confucianism, with its ancient theories of change acting upon the principles of full and empty, or yin and yang (often traced to the ruler Fu-Hsi, who lived during the Chou dynasty, ca. 900-800 B.C.). Taoism, the second, promoted philosophical, magical, and religious transformation within a Confucian cosmology. Mahayana Buddhism, the third influence, absorbed some of both, moving into the Taoist sections of northern and eastern China in the form of Chan Buddhism and assimilating itself into the western Tibetan tantric faith.

Tao","the way"

Tao ‘The Way’ Appears in the poetic Taoist text, Tao- Te-Ching (The Way and the Power), which asserts that when life takes its natural course, harmony with nature and the correct flow of existence are assured. Achieving harmony with Tao requires first achieving harmony within one's self.  By the 1st century A.D., Taoism had acquired a strong flavor of magic, and alchemical practices emerged, which were greatly to affect the martial arts. Taoist alchemy sought immortality through the cultivation of the life force known as ch'i (air, breath-a concept probably introduced by the Chinese philosopher Mencius, born about 100 years after the death of Confucius). 'Ch'i was thought to be a spiritual or psychic energy giving substance to all things, acting through the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water. The ei-jya (also nei-chia), or Internal family of kung-fu styles, was constructed around such beliefs.  The gold of Chinese alchemists Was in the soul. Techniques for manipulating psychic and spiritual qualities comprised an enormous segment of not only Taoist religion but also of Chinese traditional medicine (which overlaps kung-fu). Special meditative exercises were used in kung-fu for the conversion of elements. They varied in form and usually required an experienced teacher. Ch'i was drawn up through the base of the spine, called the 'first gate," and circulated through the body. Passing through the second gate, between the kidneys, the third gate, in the back of the head, and finally down the front of the body, it returned to its origin. Circulation and breath control were to draw generative forces, related to man's sexual nature, into the lower t'an-t'ien cavity, called the "cavity of the dragon" or the "golden stove," Here, ch'i was converted into an alchemical agent that completed the process, first in the middle t'an-t'ien, called the "yellow hall," then in the brain. In t'ieh-sha-chang, the Iron palm, a dramatic example of such kung-fu alchemy, the ch'i force was drawn from the t'an-t'ien, to the palm of the hand. A relaxed slap with the open palm would suffice, as in the case of Ku- Yu-Cheong of the northern Shao-lin school, to shatter the spine of a wild horse.  During the magical phase of Taoism, just pre-dating the appearance of Buddhism, a surgeon named Hua- T'o (A.D. 190-165) laid the groundwork for the southern, long-hand styles of kung-fu.

Making animal attitudes his mental and physical models, and adopting Taoist breathing techniques, Hua- To developed a set of gymnastics . called the wu-ch'in-hsi (frlic of the five animals), This system was later refined by Tai-Chung, first emperor of the Sung dynasty.  The later Han dynasty, dissolving in the warring upheaval that produced the era of the Three Kingdoms (A.D. 220-280), witnessed a surge of Buddhist missionaries flooding into China with Mahayana doctrine. By the 4th century A.D. the religion had captured the favor of the Chinese, especially in the north, where governmental instability produced special sympathy for the Buddhist's optimistic doctrines. The south, however, maintained a decidedly more Taoist philosophy. As a result, a hybrid form of Buddhism, called Chan in Chinese and Zen in Japanese, emerged, exhibiting a Buddhist structure but with Taoist embellishments.  As these religious developments occurred, the effects upon kung-fu were marked. In the 6th century A.D. the monk Ta-Mo (Da Mo)(Bodhidharma in Indian) of the Chan school came to the Shao-lin monastery in the Shao-Shi mountains of Honan province. Legends of Ta-Mo in Chinese mythology are elaborate. He was, for example, said to have sat staring at a cave wall for nine years in meditation.  After accidentally falling asleep, he became so angered with himself that he tore off his eyelids and cast them to the ground. Tea shrubs grew from where his eyelids fell, and thereafter, the monks of the temples used tea to deter sleep.  Ta-Mo may have authored the series of 18 exercises contained in a manuscript, the I-Chin-Ching, outlining the Shao-lin method of Chinese boxing. The method that emerged from the Shao-lin Temple,' which is representative of the northern Chinese styles in general, was called the "wai-jya" (also wai-chia), or external family of Chinese boxing. Noted for its harsh training, and in contrast to southern forms of boxing, Shao-lin strove to increase speed, strength, and elasticity. It was vigorous and calisthenic, and became the basis from which karate, in Okinawa, and the Korean martial arts were derived.

Kung Fu - Western Migration

According to  many historians trace kung-fu's origin to the Shao-lin Temples of China, but actually kung-fu, or wu shu, the proper name for the Chinese martial arts, extends much further back in the middle kingdom's history. The temples housed a large number of kung-fu styles. but many others were born in Taoist retreats, Tibetan lamaseries, and non-religious military encampments.  Much of the Shao-lin's colorful reputation as being the birthplace of kung-fu originates in the Ch'ing dynasty, when many of the temples were used as training camps and hideouts for anti-government revolutionaries. Kung- fu flourished as a means of uniting underground organizations like the pa-kua and harmonious fist sects, established to answer Chu-Hung- Tang's call to overthrow the Ching and restore the Ming government to power.  The decline of the Ch'ing dynasty brought revolutionary uprisings led by kung-fu societies, culminating in the Boxer Rebellion. Many kung-fu practitioners fled the country, their alternative being a gruesome death by torture.  Dating back to early California, in the days following the gold rush of 1848, kung-fu was an integral part of the lifestyle in Chinese labor camps and mining towns. Activity increased dramatically in 1863 with the importation of Chinese laborers to work on the Central Pacific Railroad. The center of Chinese migration was San Francisco, which now boasts the second-largest Chinese population outside mainlaind China (Hong Kong is first).  Within four years after the first Chinese arrived in California in 1848, the Chinese population had multiplied to 25,000. With them came the benevolent society structure, first appearing in the form of the Chinese Six Companies-comparable to a traveler's aid society-then in the form of Tong brotherhoods, which were overseas extensions of the old country secret societies.

With the Tong, kung-fu had unquestionably arrived in America. Within the Tong factions, bitter conflict over who would control gambling, prostitution, and the like was commonplace. The results were the notorious "tong wars" between rival societies, which did not completely end until 1906.  These internecine wars, much like the struggles between different Mafia families, were fought by "hatchetmen." They were in reality hit men or assassins who used hatchets and meat cleavers to slay their targets. They were also skilled at kung-fu. at the art of "pin blowing," and at the throwing of lethal razor-sharp coins. Later, these hatchetmen remained in the U.S. and made their livelihood as a secretive group. Since, obviously, they never became legal American citizens, it is impossible to trace them or their transmission of kung-fu.  Any accurate attempt at tracing the early practice of kung-fu in the U.S. would therefore prove fruitless: The American-Chinese societies that sponsored kung-fu practices limited participation to those of immediate ancestry. The slow opening of it to non-Chinese did not take place until two decades after World War,II, in the early 1960s.  Early kung-fu schools in America perpetuated the secret society mystique. Few people, even Chinese, were allowed to study the art. As time passed, however, the strict tenets eased and kung-fu slowly came into the public light. Shao-lin was probably the first style to emerge through teachers such as Alan Lee of New York, Ark- Yueh Wong of Los Angeles, and T.Y. Wong of San Francisco. T'ai-chi ch'uan instructor Tinn Chan Lee was the first known Chinese sifu to have opened his teachings to the Hawaiian general public when he initiated his classes in Honolulu in 1957. The aforementioned Ark- Yueh Wong is largely credited by the martial arts media for breaking from the traditional "color line" in Los Angeles in 1964 and accepting students of all races.  Choy-li-Fut and t'ai-chi ch'uan on the mainland U.S. soon toll owed suit, then the various branches of northern and southern Shao-lin. Sifus Peter Quang and Brendan Lai were instrumental in establishing the praying mantis system in northern California, as Y.C. Wong did the Hung Gar and tiger crane systems: Kuo-lien-Ying did tai-chi ch'uan; George Long did the white crane style; and Lau Bun and the Luk Mo Studio did the Choy-li-Fut style. Throughout the U.S., kung-fu spread gradually, then rapidly during the Bruce Lee era of the early and mid-1970s. During this period, due to Lee's films and television's Kung-Fu series, the Chinese martial arts reached an all time apex in popularity, But the vast majority of styles remain secluded even today.

Other styles of Kung Still Practiced Today

Below are some of the other forms of Kung fu system still around today:

BAK-SING CHOY-LI-FUT =A combination of two of China's most renowned martial arts styles: Choy-Li-Fut and northern Shao-lin. Bak-sing was founded by Tam-Sam during the Ch'ing dynasty. Tam-Sam had learned the Hung-Sing style of Choy-li-Fut. Hung-Sing had been a student of the founder of the style, Chan Heung, who had combined the three family systems of Chou, li, and Fut into the Choy-li-Fut system. 

Master Ku, a kung-fu practitioner famous for his remarkable "iron palm" was challenged by Tam-Sam to fight. Ku accepted, but neither fighter could best the other. They became friends, and Tam-Sam merged his Choy-li-Fut style with Ku's Shao-lin, christening it the bak-sing Choy-li-Fut system. Bak-sing places heavy emphasis on sparring, kicking and long arm movements.

A wide horse stance is most often used and force is believed to come mostly from the waist and shoulders. Many techniques involve simultaneous blocking and punching, or blocking and kicking. Bak-sing techniques are graceful and the fluidity of the supple long-arm movements, combined with the speed and dexterity of the quick, short-hand techniques, give this stvle a very artistic appearance.

CH' A CH'UAN  =  is an ancient Chinese martial art, considered a Northern style. Practitioners contend from long range, darting swiftly to the attack. High, long leaps are important in ch'a ch'uan to cover distances quickly. Not widely practiced in China today, it was developed in the 14th to the 17th centuries by Chinese Moslems of Sinkiang. Chinghai. and Kansu. in the west and south of China. and is primarily still practiced by them.

CH'O CHIAO = is a Northern Chinese style of kung-fu originating in the Gao-Yang county of Hopei province, where it is still practiced. Ch'o chiao contains difficult, high-kicking movements, perhaps more than any other system of kung-fu. Because of its flamboyance, the style is suited to the Chinese opera, whose members are often practitioners. Wang- Yu is a famous exponent of the style in China.

CHOW-GAR =is aStyle of kung-fu from southern China. It was founded by Chow Lung, who learned hung-gar, one of the five basic southern systems originating in the Shao-lin Temple, from his uncle, who added the pa-kua (eight trigrams) staff maneuvers to his nephew's training before passing away. The Choy style was taught to him by Choy-Kau. Later, after a three-year residence in one of the Shao-Iin templs, he opened his own school in Canton. In 1915 Gen. Lee Fook-Lam appointed Chow-Lung an instructor in the Chinese Army.

CHOY·LI·FUT =is the Cantonese name for a popular southern Chinese kung-fu system. Choy-li-Fut derives from the Shao-lin Temple In Choy-li-Fut the contenders oppose from some distance, which requires of each the proficient and expert development of long- hand abilities, as well as firm and solid grounding of the body. though the feet must be versatile. The arms are wielded freely and powerfully in a variety of styles: uppercut blows, back fist strikes, roundhouse blows, and overhead foreknuckle thrusts. The Baat Gaw lance, willow leaf double swords, and "18" staff may be used in this aggressive kung-fu style.

CRANE STYLE = Also known as called hok or hark yang; form of kung-fu utilizing one-legged stance. See a/so white crane (Tibetan style).

DRUNKEN STYLE = Is a System of Chinese fighting patterned after the conventional movements of a drunkard. The actions appear wild and illogical. The practitioner wobbles unsteadily and Occasionally seems to stumble to the ground, where he will lash out with a combination of foot and leg techniques. Many styles have drunken sets, which are reserved for the highest levels of training. There is a drunken monkey set, a drunken praying mantis set, a drunken white crane set, and so on. The Eight Drunken Fairies set-extremely difficult-was developed by the famous eagle claw master Lau-Fat-Mang, who used it to win the competition at civil examinations in Peking.

EAGLE CLAW SYSTEM = Is a Style of kung-fu visible in the highly acrobatic fann tzu system. Teaching the style for the famous Ching Wu (jing Mo, in Cantonese) Athletic Association in Shanghai, China, Grandmaster liu Fa Mang catapulted the style to its present popularity.

FAN-TZU = Is aNorthern style of kung-fu; dates at least to the Ming period. It is very simple in its approach. Also called ba-fan. FIVE ELDERS Style of kung-fu; also, the five priests who escaped the burning of the original Shao-lin Temple.

FONG NGAN = Is a Style of Chinese kung-fu, known as the Phoenix Eye, originating in China's Hopu province and developed by Kew Soong. In the fang ngan system, the basic blow is delivered with the fore- knuckle fist (from which the style takes its name). Palm fist, finger poke, ridge hand, and knife hand techniques also are taught. The style's only kick is the front snap kick, delivered low to the groin area.

There are no formal stances in the style. Instead, practitioners learn . to crowd an opponent, enticing him to make a wrong move.  A fong ngan practitioner never retreats from an attack, but moves into it or, if necessary, jumps to the side while counterattacking. Fong ngan employs tripping and leg-hooking throws, techniques that are always followed up by a "killing" blow or strike. The style emphasizes kuen (forms), proper breathing, speed, and form. There are four-man and two-man exercises, the latter closely resembling sparring.

FU-CHIAO = Is aA tiger claw system of kung-fu; the style emulates the· movement of the tiger. There is a fu-chiao federation in New York City headed by Wai Hong.

HOP GAR = Also known as Lama kung-fu, Hop-Gar became prominent during the Ch'ing dynasty in China as the official martial system of the Manchu Emperor and his guard. It was, and still is, a style for fighting, not for exercise or dancing. More than three hundred years ago, in the Ming dynasty, a Tibetan priest named Dai-Dot laid the groundwork for the Lama kung-fu style, creating the "lion roar" martial system. According to legend, Dai-Dot was stricken with enlightenment one day and, pointing one finger toward the sky and one toward the earth, he fell to his hands and knees and roared like a lion roar, composed of eight fists, eight steps, eight fingers, eight grips, and eight kicks, was taught in the Ting-Juck-Lui-Yam Temple by the Kay-Lam Buddha. Lama passed through many generations of Tibetan priests at the temple before reaching the hands of the Lama Jickbowloklowtow, whose Chinese name was Ng-Mui, a famous personality in Chinese kung-fu novels. He is credited with devising the mui-fa-jeong (plum flower stumps) atop which kung-fu was Practiced.  

The Lama style is composed of four main subdivisions: white crane, ta-mo, wei-t'ol, and law-horn. Ng-Mui taught the complete Lama style to only one student, named Hing-Duk, leaving his four other disciples to make full styles of their respective subdivisions. Hing-Duk passed the lama style to Wong- Yan-lum, who brought it to the emperor's palace in Peking, where he was employed to instruct the Imperial guard. When the Manchu dynasty collapsed, Wong left the Forbidden City and changed the style's name to Hop-Gar. To establish a reputation in southern China, he constructed a stage in Canton, challenging all comers' and besting more than 150 kung-fu masters. For this he gained the number-one seat in the prestigious group of martial artists known as the Canton- Ten-Tigers. 

Wong- Yan-Lum passed the Hop-Gar style to Ng- Yim-Ming, who brought it to the U.S. Ng-Yim-Ming, before his death in the early 1970s, appointed one official representative to carryon the Hop-Gar system, Chin-Dai-Wei (David Chin). Hop-Gar is composed of 12 short-hand and 12 long-hand maneuvers, and 8 forms employing empty-hand and weaponry techniques, The most important aspect of the style is its footwork, called kay-men-bo, used atop Ng-Mui's mui-fa-jeong, a series of stumps driven into the ground. Technique and form, according to Hop-Gar philosophy, are a means to an end; one learns through formalized training but, finally becomes free, discarding all that is not natural and spontaneous.

HOU CH'UAN = Is a Northern Chinese style of kung-fu requiring great agility; the monkey style of kung-fu. See also ta-sheng pi-kua.

HSING-I; HSING-YI = literally means, the "mind form" style ,a kung-fu system found chiefly in the north, originating in San-Shih province, It spread to Hepei, then to Hunan, and eventually reached Peking.

Based on the five-element philosophy of Chinese cosmology, it is a simple, practical style. Major weapons in hsing-i are the knife (tao) and sword (chien). It uses single movements in training, repeated on both left and right sides, and contains short basic forms, unlike other northern systems. 

Important figures in the Hepei style (which stems from the San-Shih, original style) are li-Tsun-I, who taught San-Yuen-Shiang, who taught Tsau-Ke-li, Chiao-liang-Feng (now in Taiwan), and Adam Hsu (in San Francisco). Contemporaries of li- Tsun-I were Sun-Lu Tang, who taught Shuen-Chian- Yuen, now in the People's Republic of China; and Chiao-liang-Feng, who taught li-Ming-Shan, now in Taiwan.

HUNG-CHIA = Is a Southern style of Chinese kung-fu stressing powerful hand techniques, delivered from strong low stances. As the story goes, five monks, called the Five Ancestors, escaped from the Shao-lin Temple during its destruction by government troops. One monk, Chi-Sim, made his way to southern China, taking refuge among the boat people, where he was recruited by a floating opera troupe to teach martial arts.

Chi-Sim reportedly modified his Shao-lin style accordingly; kicks and the more intricate balancing maneuvers found in northern strains of Shao-lin were excluded. The origination of the style is credited to Fong-T'sai after his escape from the Shao-lin Temple. Another source holds that the originators of the style were Ng-Mui and Mui-Hin.

The system is based on the movements of the five animals: dragon, snake, tiger, leopard, and crane. A famous exponent of this system is Yuen-Yik-Kai, in Hong Kong.

HUNG CH'UAN = Is a Form of northern Chinese kung-fu dating to the 12th or 13th century. See also wai chia; triads.

INTERNAL SYSTEMS = Any Chinese kung-fu styles whose emphasis is mostly defensive, with circular soft techniques and regulated breathing patterns. T'al-chi ch'uan, pa-kua, and hslng-I are the best known of the internal systems. See also nei-chia.

KE-CHIA = A Southern form of Chinese kung-fu, composed of three styles: lung-hslng (dragon), bel mei (white eyebrow; also bak-mei in Cantonese): and tsu chlo (also known as southern praying mantis). Ke-chia literally means "guest family," as the originators of these styles were not from the Kwang-Tung province area.

KUNG-KI-CH'UAN = A Northern style of Chinese kung-fu originating in the Chang county, Hopei province, where it is still practiced. Practice is quite slow and very difficult, consisting of low horse stances. Famous for its staff and knife routines, it is a rare style in which a practitioner will often strike his own body. Because of this, and its extreme difficulty, the nickname Sa-Dung-li, or "stupid Kung-li practitioners," has been applied. The system has three forms, liu- Twei-Jya, Kung-li-Jya, and Kung-li-Ch'uan.

KUO-CH'UAN = Dog Boxing: a northern form of Chinese kung-fu originating in Shan-Tung province. The system is not particularly popular and is mostly done for fun. Practitioners stay close to the ground, often barking like a dog. Used in demonstrations.

PAO (LEOPARD STYLE) =  Leopard style Kung-fu style,also called pao; movements are fast and deceptive. The style contains narrow stances and clenched fists.

LI GAR = Is a Southern short-hand style of kung-fu; characterized by slapping and poking motions with rapid stance changes. In Mandarin, called li-chia.

LION, CHINESE KUNG-FU (northern and southern) = In the south, a large, papier-mache, highly decorated head operated by a kung-fu practitioner from inside. Attached to this head is a long-silken "body" under which a second practitioner crouches, aiding the lion's maneuvers. There are, principally, two kinds of southern lion, the young, or black lion, and the old, or multicolored. The former is considered a mark of hostility by the school that displays it. Horns, birds, tassels, and mirrors (in to which any local demons will stare and be frightened away by their own reflections) may adorn lion heads.

By contrast, the northern lion is more animal-like; its costume is a form-lilting suit. The head is less stylized than that 01 its southern relative. The lion traditionally represents the "soul" of the kung-fu school. A school's prowess is tested by testing the lion when it roams the streets, Usually during festivals or opening ceremonies. lion head . colors may follow those attributed to Kwan-Kung and his brothers, Chang and liu. These are white face, eyebrows, and beard; red face with black beard; or black beard with green nose. Often seen accompanying the lion are the large kung-fu drum (ta-gu), with cymbals and gong, a buddha head or antagonist dressed like a buddha, and the kung-fu school "guards,"

LIU-HE "Six methods," = Some of the best forms of liu-he come from Chang County, Hopei province, in China. This is a difficult style of northern Chinese kung-fu; weapon routines include the spear. staff. and knife. It is composed, as the name implies, of three internal and three external principles which, as it turns out, can be applied to many other martial arts. In Shantung, liu-he was combined with tang-lang (praying mantis). forming the liu-he tang-lang style. Important figures in the liu-he style are Teng-Cheng-I and liu-Te-Kwan, who taught Chiao-Shin-Chou, who taught Wan-Lai-Sin (who wrote a popular book on the liu-he system

LIU HO CH'UAN =Is a style of Kung-fu which originated in . A.D. 1100; also known as six-combination boxing.

LIU-HO-PA-FA = Also known as "Six Harmonies, Eight Steps," a northern form of Chinese kung-fu comprised of the styles known as liu-ho and pa-fa. The development of this system is rooted in folklore. Essentially, it is similar to yueh-fei-ch'uan. A soft form of kung-fu, this style's origin is somewhat of a mystery. Until 1929, when master Wu-I-Hwei brought the system to Nan-Hing, nobody had seen it. Even when Wu brought it into the open, the lineage and development were unclear. The style is popular primarily in the Hong Kong area. The system favors fingertip strikes with a minimum use of the legs. Kicks are directed only to leg areas of an opponent. It also favors hand-trapping elbow strikes and wrist-locking tactics. See also liu-ho-ch'uan.

LO-HAN-CH'UAN =  Is literally the Buddha style, a Chinese kung-fu form with northern and southern variants. The most famous is the northern style. which is itself composed of several systems. Basically. the . style is similar to chang-ch'uan. Emphasis is placed upon positioning rather than movement (a concept peculiar for kung-fu styles). The southern strain is especially popular in Fukien province; it too stresses positioning, but with more liberal movement.

MIEN-CH'UAN = Literally means, "callan fist," a northern style of Chinese kung-fu. Notions of softness, smoothness, slowness, warmth, and even weakness are conveyed in its name. Practitioners train very slowly. Emphasis here is on soft training, training the legs, perfecting a low horse stance. A saying about this style warns "Mein-ch'uan, ten years stay in the home"-ten years of practice before one can use it.  Important figures in the mien-ch'uan style are Luo-Tsen-li, who aught Wen-Chin-Mong (now in the People's Republic of China) and Fu-Shu- Yuen (in Taiwan). Of the same generation as Fu-Shu-Yuen is Lan-Shu-Chen (also in tho People's Republic of China).

MONKEY STYLE = This style is known in Chinese as lai-sing pek kwar; founded by Kou Tze, a Chinese martial artist, in the early 19th century. Kou Tze formulated his art through observation of monkeys‘ habits during an eight-year imprisonment. He analyzed and classified their movements and combined them with the grand earth style of kung-fu, which he had studied previously. The style consists of five species, each utilizing a different principle of movement. Kou Tze named these forms the "lost monkey," "the drunken monkey," "the tall monkey," "the stone monkey," and "the wood monkey."   Lost monkey deals with surprise attacks and self-defense situations.

Drunken monkey, perhaps the most bizarre of all kung-fu sets, imulates imbalance and broken rhythm. In reality, the performer is alert, his stance solid, and his movements evasive and deceptive-thus unpredictable. The drunken monkey cannot be hit; he rolls with each blow and gets up again to do battle. Tall monkey features long distance sweeping, swinging arm movements, and low, deep stances. lone monkey relies on power and brute strength; it is characterized by somersaults, rolling, and failing-usually taught only to students with strong physiques, who can take the punishing movements. wood monkey is the primary form of deception. It requires quick wits and cleverness to lure an opponent into the trap. Generally only one set is taught to a student, the one which the Instructor feels best suits the student's body and ability.

NEI-CHIA = Is a Chinese kung-fu styles that approach the development of strength through the cultivation of ch'l. Prime examples are t'al-chl-ch'uan, pa-kua and hslng-I. These are also referred to as "soft" schools of kung fu. Most systems. using this definition. fall into a mixed category, in which "hard" and "soft" techniques are combined. Some authorities believe the divisions "inner" and "outer," defined in this way, are erroneous, that most systems, if not all, contain aspects of both the "hard" and the "soft," that no clear division among schools can be drawn.  Chinese kung-fu styles that base their philosophical attitudes primarily upon Confucian thought. This definition is vague; though Confucianist, Taoist, Buddhist, and Hindu strains become intertwined, significant influences can sometimes be identified..

PA-KUA = One of the three branches of nel-chla (internal family or system) of Chinese boxing. The other two branches are t'al-chl ch'uan (grand ultimate fist) and hllng-I (form of mind). The name pa-kua, as well as its rationale, derive from the philosophy growing out of the I Ching (Book of Changes), but one need not comprehend the Book of Changes to practice pa-kua boxing. Pa-kua's philosophy is concerned with continuous change: all is in flux, nothing stands still.

The origin of pa-kua is unknown; it is known only that Tung Hai-ch'uan (AD 1798-1879) of Wenan Hsien, in Hopei province, during the Ch'ing Dynasty learned this art from an anonymous Taoist in the mountainous stronghold of Kiangsu province. A young man then barely in his 20s, Tung is reputed to have been nearly dead of starvation when the hermit found him. The Taoist ministered to him, and Tung remained with him several years learning a "divine" boxing.

After becoming famous in Peking, Tung was challenged by Kuo Yun-shen ("Divine Crushing Hand") of the hsing-i school. Through two days of the duel, Kuo, who had killed men with his notorious crushing hand, could not gain any advantage. On the third day, Tung finally took the offensive and so completely defeated Kuo that he made him a lifelong friend. At once they signed a brotherhood pact requiring hsing-i students to take pa-kua training and vice versa. For this reason, the two styles are to this day coupled.  Tung's most famous pupils were: Yin Fu, Ch'eng T'ing-hua, Ma Wei-chi, liu Feng-ch'un, and Shih liu. The best known pa-kua boxers in Taiwan today are Wang Shu-chin, Chang Chuan-feng, Ch'en P'an-ling, Kuo Feng-ch'ih, and Hung I-hsing.

Pa-kua is one of the three internal methods of Chinese boxing emphasizing displacement of horizontal strength and turning of the palms. Pa-kua (eight trig rams) is comprised of various circling postures named after and based on the movements of the snake, stork, dragon, hawk, lion, monkey, and bear. Further reading: Pa-Kua Chang, Lee-Ying-Arng, 1972; Pa-Kua, Chinese Boxing, Robert W. Smith, 1965.

PI-KUA = ANorthern style of Chinese kung-fu emphasizing use of the palm for striking. Pi-Kua spends a great deal of time teaching one to receive punishment as well as to dish it out. A practitioner may even strike himself, following through with all his force. Noted weapons of pi-kua are the single and double knife. Important figures in the tung-pei strain of pi-kua are Chiang- Tze, who taught Chiang-Dz; and Chlang-Hsiau- Tang, who taught Meng Tsau-Shuen (currently in Taiwan).

POE KHEK = A New style of kung-fu popular in Malaysia. The art has been developed in the past thirty years by a Chinese sifu (teacher), Nip Chee FeI. Its resilience is drawn from t'al-chl-ch'uan, its strength from Shao-lin. Poe khek has its own kata; leg techniques are employed, but hand techniques predominate. During sparring, punches and kicks are not pulled, and protective gear is worn.

PRAYING MANTIS = A Kung-fu system founded In the17th century by Wong Long in the southern part of China. Praying mantis relies heavily on fierce grasping movements, clawing attacks, and punches, both for offense and defense. There is, however, a great variety within the style, using as it does the firmness of stance found in lung gar, a number of movements from the monkey systems, and something of the litheness and antennae like actions of its namesake. According to legend, Wang Lang captured a praying mantis and took it home, where he studied its movements. He blended these movements with the monkey style to form his new system.

(eight steps style): This is aNorthern Chinese kung-fu style founded near the end of the Ch'ing dynasty by Chiang-Hwa-Lung, perhaps the leading praying mantis master of his time. As Chiang grew older and more knowledgeable, he became dissatisfied with the existing praying mantis system. He had two friends, one a hsing-I practitioner and one a t'ung-pei master, whom he trusted enough to ask for advice while formulating a new style. The "horse-monkey" footwork patterns of the original system Chiang believed inadequate; he therefore introduced the eight steps footwork pattern. It is significant that he, as most other kung-fu grandmasters, always saw the footwork of the style as most important. Chiang also modified the original seven stars forms known as:

Shau-fan-she (the small rolling wheel)
Ta-Ian-she (the big rolling wheel)

Though still considered seven stars, it was tightened up, fighting was at closer range. Chiang also extended the seven stars form t'sai-yau to over 360 movements presented in six sets, deemphasized the hook like mantis-shaped hand so often considered a trademark ot the fang-lang style, and introduced more techniques using the palm. Famous masters of this stylo include Chlang-Hwa-Lung, who taught Feng-Wan-I, who taught WoIShnu-Tang, currently living in Taiwan.

(seven stars style): Northern style of Chinese kung fu. The "seven stars" style of praying mantis is the original system, so called because of its footwork pattern. The pattern takes its name from the constellation Ursa Major, a conspicuous zig-zag star arrangement in the northern firmament suggesting the angular positions adopted during combat. The Chinese name for this style is Chi-hsingt’ang. A common misconception holds that the style's founder noticed a star like pattern of dots on the back of a mantis he had captured to study. 

Chl-hsing rang-lang is also known as mei-hwa rang-lang (plum flower praying mantis), essentially the same system as the seven-stars style Its name finds a similarity of form in the branching of plum blossoms and the hand configurations of the style. Mei-hwa rang-lang, however, is not a popular style.

Yet another name for chi-hsing tang-lang is t'ang-Iang-gou-dz (t'ang-Iang hook). because of the Hook like way in which the hand is used. Praying mantis was founded by master Wang Lang during the end at the Mlng and beginning of the Ch'ing dynasty. Already a master of the Shao-Iln style of Chinese kung-fu, he combined "monkey" footwork with praYing mantis hand techniques. He called the footwork horse-monkey" after a species of large monkey whose habits he had observed. The style is quite clear and direct as contrasted with pa~kua or t'al~chi, which are ambiguous in application. Chi~hsing Tang-Lang has also been known as Shwei-Shou Tang-Lang, a branch of the seven stars system. Seven stars praying mantis has three important forms and numerous minor ones The Mei-hwa subcategory has three forms: Mei-Hwa-Lu, Mel-Hwa-Ch'uan, and Mei-Hwa-Shou; there is little real difference among them.

Chi-Hsing also has three important forms: Peng-pu (the most important), Lua-Che (literally meaning the free arrangement, so named because in the old days the situ asked students to arrange the routines themselves-the reason there are so many arranged sets today), and the Tsai-Yau, using elbows and hips. A subcategory of T'sai- Yau IS Pa-Sou, or eight elbows, emphasizing a complex use of elbows, hips, and knees.  Important practitioners of the chi-hsing t’ang-lang style are Ch:ang-Hwa-Lung, who taught li-Kwun-Shan, and Lo-Kwang-yu, who taught Wang-Han-Hsun, who taught San Francisco situ Brendan Lai. The same generation as Wang Han-Hsun was Chen-Chiu-I. Li-Kwun-Shan also taught li-Teng-Wu, now in Taiwan, and Chiang Te-Hwei, who taught Hsu-Yu-Chiang

SAN-HWANG PAO-CH'UI =  Is aNorthern style of Chinese kung-fu originating in the Three Kingdoms period; literally means "cannon fist." The style is also known as hsing-kung-ch'uan, and is still practiced in Peking.

SHAU WAN CH'UAN =  Is a Kung-fu style originating in a northern Shao-lin monastery. It combines quick, accurate foot techniques with fist movements.

SHUAI CHIAO = Is known as aChinese form of wrestling dating back to about 700 B,C, Unlike Western wrestling or judo, shuai chiao uses throws and takedowns, as well as strikes, kicks, and blocks similar to those in kung-fu. Throwing is often done by a combination of sweeping and throwing actions, thus making the opponent fall hard. Instead of grabbing an opponent's uniform, as in judo, shuai chiao wrestlers grab the arms, legs, shoulders or other bodily parts to execute moves.

Stances are very low and solid. Freestyle fighting is practiced, with kicks, strikes and throws combined. Because of the heavy failing, shuai chao students, of course, learn to fall and tumble. Today, students are graded by colored belts. the art is taught as a means of combat, not as a sport. There are numerous styles practiced in different parts of China.

TA-CHENG CH'UAN = Is a Internal boxing system created from hsing-i by Wang Hsiang-chai after the death of Chang Chao-tung. Also known as the "great achievement" boxing.

TAI-CH'I (Ch'eng style) = Is a Highly philosophical system of Chinese kung-fu founded by Chen-Wong-Ting in the Ming dynasty and closely held for many years within the Ch'en family. A relatively recent creation compared to many other styles, it grew out of five basic forms. The first is soft, designed to change the "way" one moves. The second form begins development of power and circular movement. The third and subsequent forms concentrate heavily on strength and power.

T' AI-CHI-CH'UAN (Ch'en style) = Is a Style of "long boxing" in the tradition of rai-chi kung-fu The reader should note that the origin of Ch'en-Chia t'ai-chi is disputed among martial arts historians. The 'Yang' school of ('ai-chi has, according to at least one noted authority, always subscribed to the traditional story of Chang San Feng's being the founder of t'ai-chi, in the Sung dynasty. This is probably myth. A second theory suggests that t'ai-chi arose as a natural outgrowth of the four boxing schools of Hsu, Yu, Ch'eng, and Yin. Yet another traces the founding to Wang-Tsung- Yueh. All that is known for sure, however, is that as far back as historians have been able to trace the style, it has been practiced by the Ch'en family of Ch'en-Chia Kou village, Honan province, in China.

T'AI-CHI-CH'UAN (Fu style) = Is a System of Chinese t'ai-chi kung-fu developed by master Fu-Chen-Shung, who passed the art to his son, Fu-Wing-Fay, it is now taught in the People's Republic of China. The style is also taught by Fu-Wing-Fay's former colleague, Mark- Bow-Sim, in Boston, who also teaches "combined" and "simplified" t'al-chi-ch'uan. See also t'ai-chi-ch'uan (Simplified and General).

T'AI-CHI CH'UAN (General) = Is also a well known Northern style of Chinese kung-fu; it cultivates chi as the Seat of power and force behind the techniques It employs. There are several theories of its origin: that the Taoist priest Chang San Feng ofthe Yuan dynasty created the style; that it emerged during the Tang dynasty and developed through the Hsu, Yu, Ch'eng and Yin schools; that the Ch'en family of Ch'en-Chia-Kou In Honan province created it during the Ming dynasty.

A fourth theory attributes its development to Wang- Tsung- Yueh, during the Ch'ien-Lung period of the Ch'ing dynasty. Ch'en-Chia-Kou, it is safe to say, was the first t'ai-chi-ch'uan master.  Essentially, Ch'en is the original style, Important figures In this style are Chen-Chiang Shuen, who taught Chen Gen-Yuan, who taught Chen- Yuan-Shih, who taught Chen-Fa-Ke Chen-Fa-Ke then had three students of note: Chen-Chiao-Shu, who taught Chen Shlao-Wang (now in the People's Republic of China); Chen- Tsau-Kuei; and Wang-Men-Pi (in Taiwan), who taught Rei-Mu-Ni (now in the Peoples Republic of China), Feng-Tz-Chiao (also in China), and Tien-ShoU-Chen was Tu-Yu-Tse in Taiwan, who taught San Francisco-based Adam Hsu. 

Two major and important schools of t'ai-chi emerged from Ch'en style, namely the Yang and Wu styles. Actually, Wu, li, Hao, Tsuen, and Sun styles all derive from the Wu system which, in turn, comes from Yang. In one way or another, styles ot t'ai-chi originate with Ch'en.  Following the Yang style through Yang-Lu-Ch'an, who learned tram Ch'en-Ch'ang-Hsing, we find that Yang had two students of importance: Yang-Chien-Hou and Yang-Pan-Hou. Yang-Chien-Hou taught Yang Ch'eng-Fu, who taught Cheng-Man-Ch'ing, Ch'en Wei-Ming, Li-Ya-Hsuan, Tung-Ying-Chieh, and Wu Hui-Ch'uan. Cheng Man-Ch'ing taught Ben Lo, who taught Tung Ying-Chieh, who taught Tung-Kai-Ying in Los Angeles.  This is but a partial listing of important figures in the lineage of t'ai-chi-ch'uan. There are many schools of t’ai-chi, with members too numerous to mention.

T' AI-CHI-CH'UAN (Hsu style) = Is a Style of "long boxing" originating in the Tang dynasty with Hsu-Hsuan-P'ing. Hsu was born in Chi-Hsien, An-Hwei, and promulgated a style of t'ai-chi comprised of 37 basic maneuvers. According to one authority, these maneuvers were taught one at a time until a complete understanding of the system as a whole was learned. See a/so t'ai-chi ch'uan (General). The techniques of Takenouchi ryu were so effective that warriors flocked to Takenouchi's dojo. According to ancient scrolls and manuscripts of this school, Takenuchi's son was requested to perform techniques from his father's program of instruction, which included More than 600 techniques, before Emperor Gomizuno (1611-1629). Following the performance, the emperor bestowed upon the art the title of "supreme and unsurpassed art of combat," granting the disciples of Takenouchi permission to use the imperial color, purple, for the Cords employed in the school's immobilization techniques.

T' AN- T'UI = ANorthern form of Chinese kung-fu from the Chang-Ch'uan Islamic style. This is actually not a system in itself, but the first form of Chang-Ch'uan. T'an-t'ui was adopted by several other northern systems (e.g., erh-Iang-men, mei-hwa-ch'uan) in their basics. This Chinese boxing system is characterized by low kicking techniques and an emphasis on strong yet mobile horse stances. Training stresses repeating movements left and right, always ending each move with a kick.

TAO YIN = Is aEarly Chinese art, purportedly the forerunner of t'al-chl-ch'uan. It was a breathing exercise similar to the Zen Buddhist method. Chang San-feng, a Taoist priest (1279-1368), is credited with spreading the art.

TA-SHENG-MEN = Is anotherKung-fu style, known as the monkey style. In AD 629, Hsuan Tsang, a Buddhist monk, was traveling from China to India. According to legend Sun Wu-k'ung, a monkey, was his body guard. From his methods, so folklore says, the kung-fu system of ta-sheng-men developed. The stances of a monkey are adopted in this style, which also employs roils, crouching defensive postures, and aggressive leaps.

Hsuan Tsang, a Buddhist monk, was traveling from China to these styles were supposedly put together in Hong Kong, many feel they are still taught and learned as two separate systems. The pi-kua in this case is not the original sytle but chang-ch'uan pl-kua, which is itself a mixture of pi-kua and the "long fist" of chang-ch'uan.

TI T'ANG = Is a Northern Chinese boxing system; techniques of fighting while falling or lying on the ground. Emphasis is on kicking and falling techniques. Balance is considered from three standpoints: keeping comfortable balance; using difficult movements, yet maintaining balance: and breaking balance, failing, and yet maintaining composure. This training is seen as practical in circumstances In which one cannot follow the usual methods of fighting, when injured or taken off guard, for example. Ti- T'ang is also known as Ti-Kung and Bai-Ma-Sya-Shan; its most well-known exponent is Hwa-Che.

WAH KUEN = Is a Northern Chinese style of boxing emphasizing high kicks and long-range hand techniques. Students learn to close the gap quickly. Besides kicking and striking, the system also adopts joint locks and throwing techniques. Forms are practiced alone or as two-man sets.

WHITE CRANE = Is a Style of Chinese kung-fu based on the movements of the crane and the ape. Tibetan white crane as opposed to Fukeinese white crane from the Shao-lin Temple, is called Pak-hoc In Chinese. It stems from the Tibetan Lama, or Hop Gar martial system. Sing-Lung, a Buddhist priest, is credited by many with introducing white crane to China. From him the style was passed to Wong-Lum-Hoi, then Ng-Siu-Chung, the last great patriarch of the system. After . Ng's death in 1968, the Pak-Hoc Athletic Federation was formed in Hong Kong, extending authority to all white crane teachers in the absence of Master Ng, who died without appointing a successor. Today white crane is closely overseen by federations in Hong Kong and Singapore, although more and more non-Orientals are being permitted to study the system. 

Ng-Siu-Chung taught three prominent students who became key figures in the migration of white crane kung-fu to the U.S.: Cheuk Tiang-Tse, in Hawaii; Chan-Hoc-Fu, whose student, George Long, was the first person to open his kwoon (Chinese school) to non Orientals in San Francisco; and Lak-Chi-Fu, whose student, Quentin Fang, is well known in the U.S., and whose son, Lak-Chung-Mau, teaches the art in Canada. Tang-Chak-Ming's students William Siu and Raymond Mar are also well known within the Chinese martial arts. 

White crane is a combination of long- and short-hand techniques. It employees both internal and external methods of training and is composed of 24 sets, 10 empty-hand and 14 weaponry, utilizing a wide range of hand and leg maneuvers. As e rule the techniques apply methods of cutting nerves and striking pressure points. White crane footwork, like that of Hop-Gar, is based on moves developed for the mui-fa-jeong (plum-flower stumps), a series of tree-stumps driven into the ground atop which students practiced kung-fu. This philosophy of white crane, identical to that of Hop·Gar, is based on four words: chon (to destroy). sim (to evade). chun (to penetrate). and jeet (to intercept).

WING CHUN = Is a Wing Chun is a southern style of Chinese kung-fu, the most influential Chinese martial art in modern times. Wing chun emphasizes self·defense reduced to its most streamlined rudi· ments: simultaneous attack and defense with multiple straight-line strikes at extremely close range. Every punch, poke, strike, slap, or kick in the system has been designed to serve as a defense; similarly every block, deflection, or evasion has been designed to double as an attack. Rapid hand techniques combined with low kicks tend to be featured in an aggressive array of constant forward pressure. Wing chun students are taught to insure the most effective de- ployment of their striking techniques by controlling, or "trapping," one or more of an opponent's limbs whenever possible.

Trapping skills are developed through a competitive form of resistance training called chi sao, or "sticking hands," which besides strengthening the upper body tends to make a student combat-effective faster than students in most other fighting arts. Formal wing chun training also includes instruction in three shadow-boxing sets, a wooden dummy set, and two weapon sets. The first shadow-boxing set called sil lum tao, or "way of the small idea," contains the core of the art's techniques although the routine focuses primarily on breathing, balance, coordination as well as correct hand and arm positions. The second set, called chum kil, or "searching for the bridge," teaches defensive maneuvering skills and closing techniques. The last shadowboxing set. called bil gee. or "thrusting fingers," develops fingers strikes.

The wooden dummy set (muk yan chong) is performed on a training device unique to wing chun composed of a wooden trunk, three arms, and one leg, This set teaches the applications of trapping controlling. and basic combat techniques. The two weapons sets develop fighting skills with an eight-foot-long pole (Iuk dim boun kwan), which is especially useful against multiple opponents, and with the twin butterfly knives (pak cham dao). According to semilegendary accounts, wing chun originated in the early 1700s at the Shaolin Temple in Honan Province. At that time in Chinese history, the Shaolin Temple with its long established tradition of martial arts training had become a sanctuary for dissidents, revolutionaries, and secret societies dedicated to the over throw of the Manchu dynasty. The Manchu government employed professional soldiers who 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 Man :hu will, they quickly put a halt to the Robin Hood operations 01 the rebellious monks.
The Shaolin monks eventually realized that they could not rapidly train a young rebel to match the fighting skills of the Manchu soldiers since full mastery of the Shaolin martial arts required approximately eighteen years.

A solution to this problem needed to be found. The elders of the temple convened a meeting and agreed to develop a new fighting art which would overcome all others, and which would take a much shorter period of time to learn. The elders met regularly and engaged in lengthy discussions during which each elder revealed his or her most secret fighting techniques. Soon the elders became so encouraged by the progress of these 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.
However before the new fighting art could be completely developed a. Shaolin traitor tipped off the government and Manchu soldiers were sent to destroy the temple. Most of the temple residents were killed in the attack, and the few who survived quickly fled to clandestine locations throughout China. 

Among the survivors was a nun named Ng Mui who had been one of the temple elders. After the raid, she hid herself at a nunnery on Tai Leung Mountain between Szechwan and Yunan provinces. She spent her time there finalizing the movements of the new fighting art. Once completed, Ng Mui decided to call the art "wing chun" after the Wing Chun Hall in which she and the other elders had held their discussions.  Ng Mui taught the new art to the teenage daughter of bean-curd vendor Yim Yee Gung who lived in the village at the bottom of Tai Leung Mountain. Shortly before Ng Mui's death, she named her student Vim Wing Chun since the girl had been entrusted with the art's future. For the next two hundred years, wing chun remained a private kung-fu system, taught only to family and friends, until 1952 in Hong Kong when grandmaster Yip Man tirst offered commercial instruction.  Although over 90 percent of the wing chun schools in the world today can be traced directly to the efforts of Yip Man and his students, the art has evolved into two branches of instruction. The first, which may be termed centerline wing chun , represents the form of the art taught to Yip Man by Chan Wah Shun. Chan had been an extraordinarily large and powerful man. His teaching stressed direct and overpowering aggression.

Centerline wing chun, therefore, is based on an imaginary straight line, called the "centerline," which is drawn from the wing chun practitioner's solar plexus to the opponent's chin. The centerline forms the axis for all attacks and defenses. As long as the centerline remains in alignment directly in front of an opponent, the wing chun practitioner can attack in a straight charge, with straight punches, straight up the opponent's middle. The clenched fist becomes the primary offensive weapon, reinforced by secondary open hand work and low kicks.  The formal sets in centerline wing chun lack standardization since Yip Man changed them over the years and frequently modified them in accordance with each student's abilities.  Grandmaster Wong Shun Leung of Hong Kong is generally regarded as the foremost exponent of centerline wing chun, although other prominent instructors include Koo Sang (Hong Kong), Leung Ting (Hong Kong), La Lan Kam (Taiwan), Lee Sing (Britain), May Yat (New York), Jason Lau (New York), Alan Lamb (California), Hawkins Cheung (California), Keith Kernspect ryJest Germany), and Greco Wong (South Africa).

HIDDEN FIST KUNG FU (SAO CHOI) =  Is a New Kung fu System Known as the GOOCH SYSTEM, Developed in 1998 by Sifu Mitch Gooch for wheelchair users, This style focuses on Hand Movements,Developing speed and technical movements,It has elements of Shaolin Chuan Fa, "Small temple way of Boxing" within its system. Can be used as a adapted martial arts for Disabled students who are wheelchair users.  The Us of Iron Palm Training is also used within this system.

HIDDEN FIST KUNG FU (JURN SAO CHOI) = Is a New system from the Gooch System Developed in 2012 by Sifu Mitch Gooch for able Body students using Animal Forms to Develop Speed,' accuracy,Pin pointing Pressure points on the body,Whilst using Chi Sao "Sticking Hands" and Chi Jurn "Sticking Legs" techniques, as well has Kung Chia "Energy techniques".

If you Would like to study our style of Kung Fu as well as afew other within our multi martial arts systems feel free to try one of our sessions at Saint Analaby Church Hall,’Hall Road Hull Every Friday night 6-30pm till 7.30 pm under Mitch Gooch an experienced martial art