Hi Tony!

Yes - when I was in Hong Kong in 1999, I made sure I acquired a good map (in English) which I could use there and in the UK for research purposes. Hong Kong is small - but in the Chinese mind - it is huge! Bear in mind that a Chinese mile (1 li) is the equivalent to one-third of an English mile. We would run up and down a 10 mile hill in the heat to warm up - but that was actually around 3 miles! The heat and steepness made it seem worse than it was. Clan migrations of 100 miles (a massive distance in the old days) turned-out to be around 30 miles. Even Westerners I know working and living in the Hong Kong area find it difficult to locate places and areas. Once, one of my gongfu students - a young man from Sutton who got into Oxford - made his way to the town of Sai Kung, and got on the correct bus (75 probably) I said we used to catch to the Chan (Banana) Village - which is out in the countryside. Our Hakka ancestors grew bananas to sell at the local markets. Otherwise, the place is covered in thick trees because the Hakka who originally settled there used to plant sustainable forests from which they made a career for themselves producing charcoal. When the charcoal market dried-up - the place was left covered in healthy forests - whereas before there was desert and malarial swamps! The Hakka farmers turned barren land into lush crop growing earth. Now, by the time the bus made it to the remote road, my student (who was the only person left on the bus) rang the bell for the bus to stop (we had given him the road co-ordinates). It is an open road with trees aligning both sides. To the untrained eye - there is no settlement there. However, if you walk through a gap in the trees and follow a private road down a steep incline - you arrive at the heavily locked village gate which is guarded by ferocious village dogs and whichever villagers are on guard duty that day. Quite often, the dogs are released to attack anyone walking toward the village they do not know. The bus-driver stopped the bus but wouldn't open the doors. He asked by student "why" he was getting off in this area - and when he explained that his gongfu teacher's family originated in this village - the driver said that no foreigners are allowed here without being escorted by Chinese people. When asked why this was the case - the driver explained that "Hakka people are very violent and unpredictable. You cannot just go to their villages - you need Chinese escorts to protect you and introduce you. If I drop a foreigner off in these parts and they get hurt - it will be my fault and not the foreigner or the Hakka people!" And that was the end of that. My student had to sit down and ride the full circuit of the bus route to be taken back to Sai Kung. What he did manage to do was take our prescription for the Chan Family Dit Da Jow to a local herbalist - who was shocked when he produced it. My student managed to get a huge bag of ingredients that will probably last more than one lifetime! 

Dear Tony
​
Interestingly, "Tai Po" (大埔 - Da Bu) is Hakka for "Great Plain" - as in "Broad Flatland". I stayed near here in 1999 - as it is famous for a Southern Praying Mantis Gongfu School. Tai Po seems to be in the Central New Territories. The Chan Ancestral Village in Sai Kung was around 10 miles South-East from Tai Po (due to the meandering road the journey is abit longer than this). I got out the map I use when in Hong Kong and have photographed the area you need. There is a "Piper's Hill" (D-7 - E-9) in Tai Po - perhaps an allusion to the Scottish Regiments that used to patrol the region (there is also "Tai Po Raod" [E-6 - G-6]). As Master Chan Tin Sang did not come to the UK until 1956 - he (and his family) was still in Hong Kong when your father was serving in Hong Kong. I attach the relevant map. Although the place is geographically small, it is very hilly with lots of valleys and steep inclines - giving the impression the place is much bigger than it actually is! Perhaps the heat adds to this impress - even though everywhere has ice-cold air-conditioning when you come in off the street. Of course, everyone works 12-hour shifts day and night - so we used to go shopping at 2 am when it was cooler and quieter (jet-lag assisted this process). 

Certainly - when I first saw Goju Ryu in the Hereford Leisure Centre - I couldn't believe my eyes! To that point, I had only seen and physically experienced Wado Kai, Shotokan, and Shukokai - all Japanese arts - but never Okinawan styles. My teacher (Master Chan Tin Sang) told me Karate-Do had come from China - but that the Japanese had altered its physical techniques (deliberately removing the distinctly "Chinese" internal aspect) so that the transplanted arts now resembled Japanese sword arts. Bear in mind that this generation of Hakka-Chinese had just fought a brutal war with the Imperial Japanese - so Okinawa was always viewed as "Chinese" (or so I learned later). Remember, I was only in my mid-teens myself and did not understand things that clearly.

​As matters stood, I experienced three Japanese Karate-Do styles - and then I learned the basics of Goju Ryu from your good-self - and my gongfu teacher was astonished! He couldn't believe the integration of hard and soft! He kept asking me who you were and where you had trained! One time (during 1987) Master Chan came to Hereford to see me - and looked in at your class. He was too shy to interfere - as he wasn't sure of the Japanese involvement (if any) - and I didn't really know (for which he told me off). Until he passed away in 1993, he would sit at dinner-time and tell his Hakka friends about Goju Ryu - and get me to show the basic kata. The circular lower block seems to be the most obvious of the "internal". 

Tony: On Tue, 22 Apr 2025, at 10:29, "morning Adrian. What are your views on this 
Softness as regarding techniques. You can plainly see the Chinese influence. Tony"

Dear Tony

中国传统长兵 虎叉
Chinese Traditional Long Weapon - Tiger Fork (Trident)

At the above link is a video of the Tiger Fork. I believe this is a Southern weapon the Hakka developed to protect their farm land, crops, and livestock from attack by a type of "leopard" - not really a "Tiger" (in the Indian sense) as the translation suggests. These leopards were small (about the stature of a medium-sized dog) - but ferocious like a wild-cat found in Scotland, the US and other places. These cats were thought to have gone extinct in the 1950s - but I understand some have been discovered in remote areas of China and are now a protected species. I never saw one when visiting the Chan ancestral village in the New Territories - but I was taught the fork as part of farming. If you notice, the leopard was known to close-in quickly and scramble all-over the victims body - biting a clawing as it went. The fork follows the supposed trajectory of such a fluid attack - seeking to deflect, trap, stab, and impale. The highly mobile fork is used as a shield - but its counter-measures give an idea of what the Tiger-Leopard was capable of doing. In other words, its attack protocol. 

Of course, the ideogram "虎" (hu3) is used to mean "Tiger" - as in the head, torso, feet, and tail of a "fierce", "brave" and "stern" creature - usually associated with an Indian or Siberian Tiger, but I suspect these creatures would easily smash-through this (Tiger Fork) weapon. Therefore, logically working backwards from the fork technique to the actions of the creature it is combatting - the animal must be smaller in stature - but equally dangerous to encounter in tooth and claw. I think a Leopard or Panther (豹bao4) if a far more likely culprit (literally a small animal shaped like a horse - but covered in spots). A Puma (彪biao3马ma3) - is an Asian Golden Cat (shaped like a small horse) - or a brightly coloured small tiger (which can also be Black or White in the case of a Snow Leopard). 

Tiger Fork Definition:

虎 (hu3) 叉 (cha1) - Tiger Fork (Trident)

虎 (hu3) = Ferocious small tiger-like cat

叉 (cha1) = Wooden shaft with metal trident head

The fork repels (pushes away) - traps (pins-down) and pulls the animal near for despatch. The older ideograms in fact show "two" forks coming together to interlock something trapped between them. This correlates with the idea of communal self-defence and the idea that more than one person at a time would be on duty protecting the boundary of the farming area. As Hakka are a practical people - this weapon would also be used to protect against physical attack from other humans. Indeed, I was taught to use the fork as a means to pin an attacker's feet to the ground - and to break their shins, etc. I think that the Tiger Fork is similar in design to the much more compact Okinawan "Sai" (釵Chai1) - (Japanese) Kan-on: さい (sai): 

The Chinese ideogram 釵 (Chai) is comprised of a left and right-hand particle:

Left-hand particle = 釒(jin1) a conjunction of "金" - consisting of the lower element of "士" (shi4) an upside ritualistic axe made of metal - which is multiplied by the power of two (hence "a lot of") through the middle element "丷" (ba1) - and concentrated in one-place for greater strength (亼ji2) in the upper element. 釵 (Chai) means a metal object of great (condensed) physical and spiritual strength.

Right-hand particle - 叉 (cha1) = in the old dictionaries - related to "study" and "archery" - that is good, correct, and enlightened behaviour. Basically a "right-hand" (又you4) - the outer element - which is skilfully used to grasp a desired object - hence a cultivated "skill" - used in writing with a brush-pen and firing a bow. Infact, the picture above is a left and right hand clasping one-another - representing the use of two Tiger Forks. The "丶" (zhu3) - as the middle element - represents iron ore (minerals) or probably "metal". 叉 (cha1) refers to a three-pronged, metal object used to "grasp" and "hold". 

It is said that 釵 (Chai) represents a "hair-pin" which may well be the case - as in the body clean and tidy is part of the Confucian teaching regarding correct, ritualistic behaviour. Arranging the hair is very much a part of correct behaviour. It would seem that the weapon was named after the hairpin. This would suggest that a Tiger Fork borrows the ideogram related to "hairpin" due to a similarity of shape - with the hairpin being older. A modern Chinese language dictionary states:

'This character was originally used in Japanese to mean (ornamental) hairpin, and was read with a kun'yomi of kanzashi. The similarity in shape between a hairpin and the weapon called a sai later led to this character being used to refer to the weapon. In modern Japanese, this character is read primarily with its on'yomi of sai, and is used to refer to the weapon. The hairpin sense and kanzashi reading are more often spelled 簪.' 

Many Thanks

​Adrian Chan-Wyles

Dear Tony

​Our family (Longfist) composite style is Northern (military) - brought into Southern China by Hakka migration. Hakka live in Fujian and Guangdong (Canton), as well as Sichuan, etc. I have met most different Hakka people at various times - all speaking a variant of their Northern (Beijing) dialect mixed with the dialect of the Southern areas they moved into. Hakka are Northern Chinese people who migrated Southward to avoid invaders of China. However, after violently clashing with Southern populations - many (but not all) Hakka families altered the techniques of their gongfu styles (shortening the movements) - so as to disguise it as "Southern" to fit-in with the local populations.

​In Fujian, the Hakka built the now famous "Round-House" forts. Our Hakka (Chin, Chan, Chin - 陳) family moved into the remote South of Guangdong where nodody lived - and so did not have to alter their Northern arts (later, [in the 1890s] this became the British-controlled "New Territories"). They constructed their village in the typical "square" (Confucian) fashion.  My teacher came from the Clan-Leader family and so stood at the front of the four-sided defence formation - in-front of the main-gate. Northern styles, have a certain "taste" to their techniques - regardless of origin. I suspect various Goju Ryu Kata techniques may be "Northern" in origin - inherited through Southern lineages. I liken the Northern techniques to a boulder perched on the edge of a cliff - waiting to effortlessly "drop-off" into empty-space - developing a thunderous force on the way down! Bodyweight and momentum meet at a destructive fine-point! Reloading is achieved through using continuous "big" and "small" circle movement (traversing around the shoulder and pelvic-joints - linked "through the back" - 通背 [Tong Bei] - the defining principle of our Longfist style).

​There is a theory that "Longfist" evolved (and diversified) from the (standardised) "Martial Arts Manual" (recorded as once existing - but now lost) issued by the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) Authorities. Every village in China was converted into a Military Barracks - with every man, woman, and child required to practice the armed and unarmed Longfist Forms on a daily basis (as individuals - and as "co-ordinated" Groups or "Units"). As for the structure of this "official" gongfu - it appears to have been an integration of the hundreds of styles then existing (Ancient China had been a very violent place during the Warring States Period - 475-221 BCE). Hundreds of people stood in strictly maintained straight-lines - all moving in a co-ordinated fashion to the left and then to the right - so that both sides of the body were exercised equally. As everyone had to be in the Qin Army from birth - virtually everyone learned this military method and took it home with them.

​This would provide the basis of "Family" gongfu practice - regardless of the diversifying of the techniques themselves (changed [or altered] for this or that practical reason). Prior to the Qin, many martial arts possessed ritualised ceremonies premised upon hunting - and opening doors to other (spiritual) dimensions. A practitioner allowed the "animal" spirit of the style to possess his or her own body for the duration of the "dance" (our family style is premised upon the spirit of the "Bear"). The Qin realised that prevailing at war was a material process that had to be firmly fought on this "physical" plane. Focusing the martial practice on this attribute was viewed as a practical innovation - although the "spiritual" dimension was not altogether denied - merely shifted in emphasis to the background of affairs. 

​This is where the idea of a standard "Form" originated - with Companies of a "People's Army" all training together throughout China (Qin Dynasty China did not include the Fujian area - as this was cut-off by dense forests, malarial swamps - and incredibly violent [non-Han] indigenous populations). Fujian became slowly settled between 200-500 CE - when explorers hacked their way in from Mainland China - whilst others risked landing on its coasts. Okinawa was already a distant vassal State of China by this time. Perhaps Okinawans visited Fujian prior to its opening-up? 

​The Qin people from North-West China were Han mixed with various barbarian (non-Han) tribes (considered "half-wolf" by Han people) - indeed, the "Qin" (秦) are believed linked to our Hakka "Chin" surname - hence the Hakka violent streak. Another, related theory is that some Hakka people are "Caucasians" formed from invading "Hun" tribes (the Hun were multi-ethnic with Europeans and Asians mixing together) - and on it goes. Many Hakka Chinese people seem typically "Chinese" on the surface - but a few possess a "double-eyelid" (a distinct Western trait) and under their jet-black hair is an underlay of "blonde" hair My partner - Gee - possesses both these traits - as does Liz)! Many modern Koreans mixed with White Americans have developed similar (observable) traits. 

​Thanks

​PS: I hear Master Higaonna Morio was "86" on Christmas Day (2024)! 

​The latest Genetic DNA research for Japan and Okinawa which reveals three main strands of migration from Mainland Asia. The myth of a single (divine) race is obviously untrue - but many Japanese people believe this (particularly rejecting any association with China). Okinawa has 28% Jomon - but I suspect the other 72% (I will have to check the full data) will reflect the DNA of the 36 Fujian Chinese families that settled there. 

An added complication is that Hakka Chinese people (my family) have Siberian DNA and migrated Southward from Siberia down through China over thousands of years - often mixing with the local population. Needless to say, many Fujian people are Hakka and given that the best Chinese martial arts are Hakka - I suspect some of the 36 families sent to Okinawa were also Hakka. The Ainu are an ethnic group living in Northern Japan who are short, muscular with the men growing long beards. They worship bears and in the Old days were considered some type of migrating European - but DNA has disproved this myth. Either way, the modern Japanese view the Ainu as being "non-Japanese" and therefore primitive. 

English Language Article:

By studying the genomes of more than 3,000 people across Japan, researchers have shed light on the population’s complex ancestry. The work may also pave the way for future precision medicine.

Researchers discovered that the genetic lineage of Japan’s population includes three ancestral groups, revising the previous understanding of just two. By using whole-genome sequencing of over 3,200 individuals from across Japan, the study identified significant genetic variations and ties to north-east Asia, particularly the Emishi people.

Genetic Diversity in Japan A Genetic Study led by scientists from RIKEN’s Centre for Integrative Medical Sciences has uncovered evidence that people in Japan descend from three ancestral groups.[1]

The findings, published recently in the journal Science Advances, challenge the longstanding belief that there were two main ancestral groups in Japan: the indigenous Jomon hunter-gatherer-fishers and the rice-farming migrants from east Asia.

Instead, the researchers identified a third group with potential ties to north-east Asia—the so-called Emishi people, thus lending further credence to a ‘tripartite origins’ theory first suggested in 2021.[2]
​
The Japanese population isn’t as genetically homogenous as everyone thinks, says RIKEN’s Chikashi Terao, who led the study. “Our analysis revealed Japan’s subpopulation structure on a fine scale, which is very beautifully classified according to geographical locations in the country.

Combing for Clues Terao’s team arrived at their conclusions after sequencing the DNA of more than 3,200 people across seven regions of Japan, running the length of the country from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. It is one of the largest genetic analyses of a non-European population to date.

The researchers used a technique called whole-genome sequencing, which reveals an individual’s complete genetic makeup—all three billion DNA base pairs. It provides roughly 3,000 times more information than the DNA microarray method, which up until now has been used more widely. “Whole-genome sequencing gives us the chance to look at more data, which helps us find more interesting things,” says Terao.

Exploring Ancestral Links and Rare Gene Variants to further enhance the data’s usefulness and examine the potential links between genes and certain diseases, he and his collaborators combined the DNA information obtained with relevant clinical data, including disease diagnoses, test results and information on both medical and family history. They collated all of this into a database known as the Japanese Encyclopaedia of Whole-Genome/Exome Sequencing Library (JEWEL).

One topic of particular interest to Terao’s was the study of rare gene variants. “We reasoned that rare variants can sometimes be traced back to specific ancestral populations, and could be informative in revealing fine-scale migration patterns within Japan,” he explains.

Their hunch proved right, helping to reveal the geographic distribution of Japanese ancestry. Jomon ancestry, for instance, is most dominant in the southern, subtropical shores of Okinawa (found in 28.5% of samples) while lowest in the west (just 13.4% of samples). By contrast, people living in western Japan have more genetic affinity with Han Chinese people—which Terao’s team believes is likely associated with the influx of migrants from east Asia between the year 250 and year 794, and is also reflected in the comprehensive historical adoption of Chinese-style legislation, language, and educational systems in this region.

Emishi ancestry, on the other hand, is most common in northeastern Japan, decreasing to the west of the country.

Insights From Archaic Human DNAThe researchers also examined JEWEL for genes inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans, two groups of archaic humans that interbred with Homo sapiens. “We are interested in why ancient genomes are integrated and kept in modern human DNA sequences,” says Terao, who explains that such genes are sometimes associated with certain traits or conditions.

For instance, other researchers have shown that people in Tibet have Denisovan-derived DNA within a gene called EPAS1, which is believed to have aided their colonization of high-altitude environments.[3] More recently, scientists discovered that a cluster of Neanderthal-inherited genes on chromosome 3—a trait that is present in roughly half of all south Asians—is linked to a higher risk of respiratory failure and other severe symptoms of Covid-19.[4]

The analysis by Terao’s team shed light on 44 ancient DNA regions present in Japanese people today, most of which are unique to East Asians. These include a Denisovan-derived one, located within the NKX6-1 gene, known to be associated with type 2 diabetes, which the researchers say could affect a person’s sensitivity to semaglutide, an oral medication used to treat the disease. They also identified 11 Neanderthal-derived segments linked to coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and four other conditions.

The Future of Personalized MedicineThe RIKEN-led researchers also used data on rare genetic variants to uncover the potential causes of diseases. For example, they found that one variant of a gene called PTPRD has the potential to be “highly damaging” because it could be linked with hypertension, kidney failure, and myocardial infarction, says Xiaoxi Liu, a senior scientist in Terao’s lab and the study’s first author.

Additionally, the scientists noted significant incidence of variants—also called loss-of-function variants—in the GJB2 and ABCC2 genes, which are associated with hearing loss and chronic liver disease, respectively.

Teasing out the relationship between genes, their variants, and how these impact traits, including disease predisposition, could one day play a role in helping scientists develop personalized medicine, says Terao.

“What we’ve tried to do is to find and catalogue loss-of-function gene variants that are very specific to Japanese people, and to understand why they are more likely to have some specific traits and diseases,” he says. “We’d like to connect population differences with differences in genetics.”

In the future, he hopes to expand JEWEL and include even more DNA samples in the dataset. For the longest time, large-scale genomic studies have focused on analyzing data from people of European descent. But Terao says it’s “quite important to expand this to the Asian population so that in the long run, the results can benefit us too.”
References:

1. “Decoding triancestral origins, archaic introgression, and natural selection in the Japanese population by whole-genome sequencing” by Xiaoxi Liu, Satoshi Koyama, Kohei Tomizuka, Sadaaki Takata, Yuki Ishikawa, Shuji Ito, Shunichi Kosugi, Kunihiko Suzuki, Keiko Hikino, Masaru Koido, Yoshinao Koike, Momoko Horikoshi, Takashi Gakuhari, Shiro Ikegawa, Kochi Matsuda, Yukihide Momozawa, Kaoru Ito, Yoichiro Kamatani and Chikashi Terao, 17 April 2024, Science Advances.
   DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8419
2. “Ancient genomics reveals tripartite origins of Japanese populations” by Niall P. Cooke, Valeria Mattiangeli, Lara M. Cassidy, Kenji Okazaki, Caroline A. Stokes, Shin Onbe, Satoshi Hatakeyama, Kenichi Machida, Kenji Kasai, Naoto Tomioka, Akihiko Matsumoto, Masafumi Ito, Yoshitaka Kojima, Daniel G. Bradley, Takashi Gakuhari and Shigeki Nakagome, 17 September 2021, Science Advances.
   DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2419
3. “Altitude adaptation in Tibetans caused by introgression of Denisovan-like DNA” by Emilia Huerta-Sánchez, Xin Jin, Asan, Zhuoma Bianba, Benjamin M. Peter, Nicolas Vinckenbosch, Yu Liang, Xin Yi, Mingze He, Mehmet Somel, Peixiang Ni, Bo Wang, Xiaohua Ou, Huasang, Jiangbai Luosang, Zha Xi Ping Cuo, Kui Li, Guoyi Gao, Ye Yin, Wei Wang, Xiuqing Zhang, Xun Xu, Huanming Yang, Yingrui Li, Jian Wang, Jun Wang and Rasmus Nielsen, 2 July 2014, Nature.
   DOI: 10.1038/nature13408
4. “The major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neanderthals” by Hugo Zeberg, and Svante Pääbo, 30 September 2020, Nature.
   DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2818-3

Dear Tony (Sensei)

​Following the Hakka-Punti Clan Wars and the Taiping Uprising (both happening during the mid-1800s) - the Hakka Armies were defeated by the Qing dynasty Forces (following the death of millions) and the Hakka people were consigned into very small areas to live. At this time, to hide their ethnic identity (as Northerners living in the South) many gongfu Masters deliberately "shortened" the movements of their Northern gongfu so that it better resembled the Southern gongfu practiced by the Cantonese people. As my Chan family lived in the remote area of South-East Guangdong (not yet under the control of the British - that area would become the "New Territories" in the 1890s) - we felt no need to shorten our gongfu technique and so we still practice the Longfist of the North.

​This is true of only a minority of Hakka Clans - as many now practice Southern Styles - the product of technical adjustment in the mid-1800s. As many Hakka people do not know their past - they think they have always practiced the shortened Southern Styles but this is not the case. I think a similar situation exists in Fujian province regarding the Hakka - but I have no way of knowing whether this is linked to Suparinpei Kata (and other Goju Ryu kata). From my limited view - Suparinpei (and other Goju Ryu kata) looks like how Longfist is used for close-in fighting. As you know, Longfist is taught at long, middle and short range - with the long-range being on display in the standard Forms. 

I suppose many Hakka Clans that practiced Longfist simply ceased openly practicing the middle and long-range Forms - limiting practice to the close-in range - although this would also include middle-range where applicable. Long-range "reaching" with extended limbs (open arms and legs) was replaced with short and concise shuffle-stepping (moving the torso nearer and away from the opponent whilst keeping the bodyweight firmly "rooted" to the ground). Unfolding (whipping) power was replaced with small-circle force (both drawing force up from the ground - regulated by the breath). This is not a moving away from Hakka Longfist - but rather a focusing on one particular and well-known aspect of it. I think I see all this in the various versions of Suparinpei Kata. 

​This is the first of a trilogy of absolute classic fights! Jing Nan (竞楠) is known in the West as the "Punching Panda". A Panda Bear is known in the Chinese language as "Da Xiong Mao" (大熊猫) or "Great Bear Cat". It seems that the ideogram "熊" (Xiong) - or "Bear" - has been added as a prefix to her name. Angela Lee - although ethnically "Chinese" - was born in Singapore and has since migrated to the West - becoming steeped in the Western interpretation of Asian martial arts. Jing Nan, however, is from Mainland China and is steeped within the martial traditions of that country! ​Perhaps she is trained in "Bear" qigong - similar to the "Bear" being the animal spirit that permeates our Hakka family style. 

​Whatever the case, the idea of joints being strengthened so that no pain is felt when pressure is applied - exists in our style and the example seen above should be closely studied. Angela Lee expected her opponent to "give-in" once the arm-lock was applied (typical of the Western MMA attitude) - but seems to have psychologically and physically collapsed (despite a rest between rounds) when this was not the case! The Chinese diaspora spans the world. China, however, possesses over a billion people and is the spiritual and material source of ALL Chinese culture! ​Taiwan is a US colony that can be dismissed for the irrelevancy that it is.

A similar assessment can be applied to post-1945 Japan and South Korea. Mainland Chinese fighters are tough, hard and highly disruptive of the Western dominance of Asian martial arts. Indeed, China is an important statement of indigenous martial culture in the face of a racialised misrepresentation. Whatever the case, the Western attitudes (which include the Japanese influence in Brazilian Jiujitsu) imbued within the mind-set and physical technique demonstrated by Angela Lee is thoroughly overturned and defeated in this fight! Jing Nan is a credit to China and the martial arts world!

​Our Hakka gongfu training requires the carrying of heavyweights upon our backs. This represents the hilly terrain the Hakka people lived within throughout the New Territories, Hong Kong. Hakka Clan villages, especially by the 20th century, were often re-constructed upon the top of various hills situated in prominent good (feng shui) positions. The bones must be kept strong for building good health and ensuring longevity. Strong bones allow the bodyweight to drop down through the centre of the bone-marrow into the floor (creating a strong 'root') - and facilitates the rebounding force which is distributed (throughout the skeletal-system) to the striking part of the anatomy - be it a hand, foot, elbow, knee, fore-head or torso, etc. The Hakka people moved into the Guangdong area (that became the 'New Territories' under the British in the 1890s) in the mid-1600s - following the Manchurian invasion of China (which established the foreign 'Qing Dynasty' during 1644 CE). 

​Our 'Chan' (陳) Clan (pronounced 'Chin' in the Hakka language and 'Chan' in the Cantonese language) originally settled at the base of a hill near the coast in the Sai Kung area. I think we probably originated somewhere in Henan province (like many other Hakka Clans that I have investigated). Younger people often carried older relatives on their backs (as part of the required filial piety) up and down the hills - to and from various areas. Chinese families reflect the government and vice versa. One reflects the other whilst the notion of Confucian 'respect' permeates the entire structure. This is true regardless of political system, era, religion or cultural orientation. Many Daoists and Buddhists are Vegetarian - because they respect animals and the environment. 

When working as farmers - Hakka people carried tools, goods and the products of harvests on their backs between long hours working in the rice fields with the Water Buffalos. The continuous repetition of hand and foot movements - and the standing postures for long hours in the wind and rain - condition the mind and body for genuine Hakka gongfu training. Although there is an 'Iron Ox' gongfu Style (different to our own) - the spirit of the Ox pervades all aspects of the Hakka gongfu styles! Even so, our Hakka Style embodies the spirit of the Bear! We can fighting crouching low - or stand high giving the impression that we are bigger than we actually are! Our developed musculature is like the Ox and the Bear in that it is large, rounded and tough! We can take a beating and still manifest our gongfu Style with ease! We do not go quietly into that dark night! 

The above video shows Hakka people de-husking rise - with the standing person practicing 'Free Stance, rootedness and knee-striking, etc, and the crouching person showing a low Horse Stance and position for 'Squat-Kicking', etc, whilst demonstrating dextrous hand movements often found in gongfu Forms.  Of course, not all Hakka Styles are the same and there is much diversity throughout the Name Clans. Our Chan gongfu is Military-related and can be traced to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE). I think there used to be a State Gongfu Manual (since lost) issued by the Qin Dynasty as part of the process of turning every village, town and city into a 'Barracks'.

​​Guiding the ploughs through the water and mud at the back of the Water Buffalos reflected the leg, arm and torso positions found within the Hakka gongfu. How the Hakka farmers stood still, stepped forward and back - side to side, tensed and relaxed their muscles, used their eyes and ears, and produced power and learned to give-way - all manifested in the various Hakka gongfu Styles. On Occasion, the Ox is given the day-off and the local people take to 'pulling the plough'!

​Our Hakka Gongfu is 'Longfist' based. Whereas many Hakka Clans - following our defeat at the end of the Punti-Hakka Clan Wars (1854-1867 CE) - Hakka people were ethnically cleansed into small areas of Guangdong province. Around 20 million people had died in this terrible war (which included the separate but related Taiping Rebellion - a Hakka-led war - fought for different reasons). The original 'Northern' Hakka Styles were persecuted and viewed as the vehicle through which the Hakka people had made war in the South of China (the area they had migrated into). The Hakka are patriotic Han Chinese migrants who fled the foreign invasion of Northern China - but who were not wanted or welcome within Southern China. Since the 1949 Revolution - things are very different today in China - as Hakka and non-Hakka now live side by side in harmony.

​When the various Hakka Clans 'shortened' the arm and leg movements of their gongfu Styles - to make these arts seem 'Cantonese' in origin - our Hakka Clan lived in a relatively remote area of South East Guangdong province and refused to do this. We practiced our 'Northern' Longfist martial arts in isolation and hid our gongfu in Temples grounds, behind walls and by practicing at night. Master Chan Tin Sang (1924-1993) fought and killed Imperial Japanese soldiers in the New Territories between 1941-1945 using our Hakka gongfu. Around 10,000 Hakka men, women and children were killed in this war fighting the modern Japanese soldiers using bare-hands and feet - and traditional weaponry. Many of our relatives were killed during this time. 

Master Chan Tin Sang came to the UK in 1956 - as a British Subject - to work for a better life, not because China is a bad place (it is not), but because life in the New Territories under British rule was continuously impoverished. Master Chan Tin Sang worked hard for 10-years before he earned enough money to bring his wife and two daughters to the UK (in 1966) - also as British Subjects. My Chinese relatives were NOT economic migrants, Asylum Seekers, or Refugees. My Chinese relatives do not follow Cults and are free-thinking individuals who are proud to be 'British' whilst supporting Mainland China's right to self-determinate - just like any Western country.

Japanese Karate-Do (General) - 'Mawashi-Uke' (廻し受け):

​Mawa (廻)  = rotation, turning, rounded and circular, 

shi (し) = four-corners, all-areas and comprensive-cover 

U (受) = receive, meet, accept and stoically bear (suffer)

Ke (け) = stratagem, plan, calculation and measure

Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-Do - 'Toro Gushi-Uke' (虎口受け):

​Toro Gushi (虎口) = literally 'Tiger-Mouth' envelopes the enemy - and closes inward from all-sides at once

U (受) = receive, meet, accept and stoically bear (suffer)

Ke (け) = stratagem, plan, calculation and measure

Southern China Gongfu Equivalent:

Double Butterfly Open-Palm = 双蝶掌 (Shuang Die Zhang)

Okinawan Goju-Ryu 'condenses' many of these Southern Gongfu Movements for efficiency. Long stances are shortened whilst reaching arm-movements are brought closer to the body (perhaps adapted for practitioners spending long periods on boats). Many Hakka Gongfu Styles originating in the North progressed through this adaptation process in South China. Our Family Style did not - but virtually all the Clan Styles around our village did. 

Tora - Tiger - can also be pronounced 'Koko'. In Fujian this can be 'Ho Kho'. Sometimes, despite the literal interpretation of 'Tiger Mouth' - it is used in Chinese and Japanese texts to mean 'Jaws of Death!

​The Chinese text states that Goju Ryu is a genuine transmission of 'Nan Quan' (Southern Fist). 

攻防一体虎口廻受

​Attack and defence are integrated - the open tiger's mouth simultaneously envelopes and traps.