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)!
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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.
Dear Tony
This is a very small snapshot of the gongfu videos available in China. The family styles are rugged, unpolished, and historically practiced and passed on in secret. Only recently has Chinese culture changed to accommodate routine public display. These arts were never wiped-out and the genuine Masters do not live in Taiwan. Although different, these arts look similar in their rawness to the genuine Hakka arts designed for communal health and defence - and not sport or leisure, etc. In other words, how your teaching of Gpju Ryu came across to me in Hereford. It is difficult to say whether an art is 'external' or 'internal' - as a genuine art includes both aspects 'integrated' (zagong) at essence - with practitioners choosing to emphasis which aspect suits the situation. Many Taiwanese practitioners take-on an 'aggressive' tendency to match the tone of their government - and therefore appear 'external'. It is the expected thing. Master Zhao Ming Wang often holds seminars in Beijing for Daoist self-cultivation - and hundreds of Taiwanese attend all pledging their loyalty to the Mainland - so I suppose it is a case of swings and roundabouts! The 'Double-Daggers' remind me of 'Sai'! Many Fujian Gongfu Vidoes (YouKu) Traditional Martial Arts Yongchun White Crane Fist 007 Basic Routine - Guan Gong Removes Boots (Fujian) Traditional Martial Arts Yongchun White Crane Fist 006 Basic Routines - Great One-Thousand [Da Qian] (Fujian) Traditional Martial Arts Yongchun White Crane Fist 012 Basic Routines - Double-Daggers (Fujian) Traditional Martial Arts Yongchun White Crane Fist 014 Basic Routines Equipment Hooked Sickle Spear (Fujian) Traditional Martial Arts - Dragon Respect Fist (Long Zun Quan) 002 - 108 Forms (Fujian) Traditional Martial Arts Yujiaquan 001 Yu Family Fist (Fujian) Traditional Martial Arts Yongchun White Crane Fist 016 Basic Rake (Tiger Form) - (Fujian) Many Thanks Adrian PS: Three extra videos from different Styles: Bench Vs Staff Single Jian (Gim) Traditional Wushu Xingyiquan 013 Paired Practice - Close-Quarter Cannon-Striking Body-Shot Law - Featuring Zhang Jisheng (张吉生) - jìn Gairuì (靳改瑞) Our Hakka family gongfu style is primarily 'Northern' in structure and was brought into the New Territories of Hong Kong by Chinese people migrating from around the Henan area (during the 1600s as the Ming Dynasty collapsed) - but sometimes much further North (my partner's family migrated to the Shenzhen area from Shandong). Our 'Northern Snake Fist' (北蛇拳 - Bei Shi Quan) is comprised of sixty-four movements - which mirror the sixty-four hexagrams (卦 - Gua) of the 'Yijing' (易經) - known as the 'Change Classic' or 'Book of Change' (I Ching) in the West. This text must be studied over many years supplemented by hours of seated meditation and the perfection of 'movement' and 'stillness' when this 'Form' (形 - Xing) is deployed. This is an integrated Form requiring the mastering of the 'external' (外 - Wai) and the 'internal' (内 - Nei) - or 'Zagong' (雜功). All traditional 'Forms' begin with the practitioner facing 'South' - the area of warmth, good farming land, trade, plenty and controllable borders within ancient China. By comparison, the 'North' can be cold, overly 'hot', suffer from a scarcity of food and peopled by barbarian hordes all seeking to attack, destroy and steal! The 'Snake Form' unfolds on overlapping 'cross' formations - starting toward the 'East', West', 'North' and then 'South' repeating the same techniques - which then adjust into a new set of techniques. The 'cross' alters into 'Southwest', 'Northeast', 'Southeast' and 'Northwest', etc. There are a number of unique movements (such as 'Gorilla Punches the Ground') - but generally speaking the 'cross' (both 'cardinal' and 'ordinal') formation holds true. This section appears to the 'Southwest' and is the first repetition of 'three' performed in this direction. The structure builds-up just as a hexagram does in the 'Yijing': 1) Foundation (first two lines of a hexagram - representing the Broad Earth) - Free Stance - Bodyweight is primarily channelled down through the back leg 'bent' at the knee and into the ground 'rooting' the structure. A 'rebounding' force emanates from the ground and up the supporting leg - spreading through the torso, upper limbs, and non-supporting front leg. This arrangement generates a 'floating' orientation in the front-leg whereby the foot feels as if it wants to 'raise' automatically - and the practitioner must exert 'intention' to keep the toes of the free-foot gently 'touching' the ground. This is in preparation for the 'groin kick' which has its origination in this 'Form'. the foot swiftly travels upwards with the toes turned 'down' and the groin of the enemy is impacted with considerable force. Due to the expert position of the back-leg and pelvic girdle - the front-leg can continuously 'pivot' around the created leverage with very little effort and in a continuous manner - generating huge amounts of force with very little effort. The groin area of the enemy may be struck repeatedly without stopping. Although all this is present and taught as an application to the 'Snake Fist' Form - within the Form itself - the front-foot never leaves the ground. Stance work is generally quite 'high' in orientation - with foot-work premised on 'light', 'short' but 'precise' heel-to-toe steps (involving bodyweight being expertly 'shift' from side to side). 2) Torso (lines three and four of a hexagram - representing Humanity). The torso 'slides' and 'shifts' from side-to-side and 'forward' into newly acquired or 'opened' space. The torso retains a forty-five degree angle as its continuously 'shifts' one side forward and then the other (sixty-one movements in this 'Form' continuously move 'forward' with only three movements taking a step backward). The torso also 'tilts' left and right from the centre-line as movements are executed - creating a moving target that is difficult to hit as it advances. Gaps are created through the intimidation of asserted movement - space which the Snake Form practitioner then occupies by 'stepping' into - thus depriving the opponent of options. This works because the 'Snake' is limited to the lethal 'eye-strike' which must be defended against at all costs! The torso 'slithers' and 'slides' into the space generated through the intimidation of the opponent! Despite moving forward the onus is upon preventing the opponent from generating or landing any powerful or significant blows! The torso shifts left and right - and forward into front-left and front-right! The expert use of footwork establishes and maintains this momentum. 3) Upper Limbs (lines five and six of the hexagram - representing the Divine Sky). In this section the reverse hand is deflecting the opponent's attacking limb down and to the side of the torso. This involves an open-hand with slightly spread finger aligned with an empowered fore-arm and 'pointed' elbow. The alignment and rebounding bodyweight renders this arm as strong and as heavy as a block of concrete and yet as light and manoeuvrable as silk blowing in the wind! The footwork and torso can 'move' around this 'blocking' arm so that direct conflict is avoided and the opponent's natural strength is bypassed by a superior (and deadly) technique. Simultaneously, the lead-hand strikes with the middle (longest) finger to one of the enemy's eyes. The severity of this attack can be varied from 'gouging' to a light 'tap' and every level of vision-disruption inbetween. The Four-fingers can be separated to create a 'double' strike which hits both the enemy's eyes simultaneously with one-hand. The fingers then collapse palm 'inward' (toward the chest) so that a powerful 'back-hand' strike is delivered to the eye and nose area of the opponent. This is followed by the hand suddenly 'closing' and delivering a power short-range punch to to side of the nose or eye structures of the opponent. During training, these blows must be practiced both 'slowly' and very 'fast'!
During a two-week visit to Hong Kong and the New Territories during February 1999 - which included a visit to the 'Chan' (陳) ancestral village in the Sai Kung area of the New Territories (as well as a trip over into Shenzhen to visit other relatives), I engaged in the usual gongfu activity of 'Form Swapping' with any other interested parties. Chinese gongfu Forms are like a form of cultural currency that involves a 'sharing' process which develops the over-all understanding of China's martial heritage of each individual involved! It is not that these 'new' or 'unfamiliar' styles are necessarily integrated into existing styles, systems and schools (although sometimes they are), but rather that practitioners of a certain level of attainment possess the ability to 'look beyond' and 'see through' the usual stylistic barriers that usually 'separate' and 'define' martial traditions! Indeed, as Master Chan Tin Sang (1924-1993) has a good reputation in the area, I was approached by various individuals to 'share' a gongfu Form over a friendly cup of tea! One such individual belonged to the now very affluent and exclusive 'Beggars and Wanderers Society' who offered to exchange one of our Longfist Forms for a Tiger and an Arahant Form preserved in their tradition. The members of this Society used to walk the roads of ancient China 'stealing' or 'borrowing' the gongfu Forms of local gongfu schools and passing these systems around, through and into places the population of which would usually not have encountered these types or sets of movements. These 'Beggars' were also tough and developed these Forms through the practicality of having to fight for their survival! Today, however, this Society is now comprised of families that have done well for themselves in business, and which form a type of 'Guild' around the fact that a distant relative was once a wandering beggar - similar to an itinerant Buddhist monk - but without the support of the establishment! Travelling from place to place, and penetrating the clans and social systems of other places was a highly unusual pastime during feudal China - where China was controlled within the empire through a stringent conservativism where every household, community and area was expected to be an exact copy of the imperial house! Moving 'between' communities was viewed as being strictly unnecessary unless there was a good reason for it - but 'Beggars' often possessed the ability to move in and out of places 'unnoticed' and 'unhindered' providing they did not draw attention to themselves. This is how they 'acquired' their extensive martial knowledge - which is said to cover 'Northern' and 'Southern' fighting styles in equal measure! The style featured on this post is said to be a mixture of 'Northern' and 'Southern' styles and is termed '羅漢十八摩' (Luo Han Shi Ba Mo) or unusually' 'Arahant Eighteen Abilities of Touch'! The use of the ideogram '摩' (mo2) is interesting - particularly as it seems to be replacing the more familiar '拳' (quan2) which denotes a closed fist. The ideogram '摩' (mo2) is comprised of: Upper Particle - 厂 (han2) = 'Cliff' Middle Particle - 𣏟 (pai4) = 'Hemp' or 'Linen' Lower Particle - 手 (shou3) = 'Open-Hand' Therefore, the use of '摩' (mo2) might denote the 'careful' and 'gentle' plucking or picking of plants from the edge of a cliff - a dangerous activity that requires skill, timing and precise movement. Indeed, this leads to the other meaning of '摩' (mo2) which is to 'study' so that the 'touch' of the individual becomes highly skilled and yet free of all malice. As this style is said to have been developed by Chinese Buddhist monastics (possibly premised upon Indian Buddhist prototypes) - it is more than likely that the use of '摩' (mo2) signifies the non-presence of greed, hatred and delusion, the three taints all Buddhist practitioners are expected to 'uproot' through hours of seated meditation and the behaviour modification enforced through stringent (Vinaya) self-discipline! I suspect this indicates that this style of 'Arahant' self-defence preserves an older naming system. The arrangement of the ideograms seem to suggest that there are 'Eighteen' fighting techniques the 'Arahants' are expected to 'Study' if the sentence is read from left to right (which I am assuming). If the arrangement is meant to read right to left, then we have 'Study Eighteen Arahants'. Whatever the case, it is more usual today to place the number 'Eighteen' BEFORE the word 'Arahant' (十八羅漢). It seems that the use of the ideogram '摩' (mo2) suggests methods whereby the Buddhist monastics emulate the techniques of 'closing the distance' between themselves and their opponent - without involving any malice of fore-thought!
South China Sea Shipwrecks and the Brave 19th Century Journey of Higaonna Kanryo! (6.8.2022)9/6/2022 The Maritime Silk Road linked Southern China to vast areas of the known world for over two-thousand years (since at least the Qin and Han Dynasty times (3rd century BCE)! During that time, the ancient leaders of China established seaborne links with other civilisations that sparked, trade, tribute and cultural exchanges. As the seas around South China are unpredictable, changeable and can be highly dangerous, perhaps one in every ten ships that set out from China ladened with artefacts and treasure sunk to the bottom of the sea – with a similar statistic covering ships heading to China from foreign lands! What this means is that a rich archaeological record exists on the sea floor spread all around the South China coast and surrounding coast! It is a record cultural triumph and natural disaster! Humanity’s creativity tempered by nature’s crushing hand! A great deal of the porcelain and pottery discovered on the seafloor originated in Fujian province – the area that many people visited from overseas to make contact with Chinese culture and learn intangible cultural crafts such as the martial arts! This was an exportation of another kind of Chinese creativity stored in the minds and bodies of those who learned the arts after daring to cross the dangerous seas! Fujian province became a hub for foreign visitors to China as the various Dynastic rulers limited foreign intrusion into China to initially just this area. On occasion, should a visitor require access to the hinterland of China, permission might eventually be given, but such incidences were rare until Western cannons literally smashed their way out of this cultural enclave – and others such as the docks and warehouses that had been established around the Southern coastal areas during the 19th century! Even so, for other Asian visitors such as Higaonna Kanryo (1853-1915) who made the journey from Ryukyu (Okinawa) around 1867, the old convention still applied, and his journeying was limited to Fujian province! He studied various types of ‘Southern Fist’ (南拳 - Nan Quan) which included Fujian ‘White Crane Fist’ (白鹤拳 - Bai He Quan) and probably ‘Arahant Fist’ (十八羅漢拳 - Shi Ba Luo Han Quan). This stems from the 1989 announcement by Lin Weigong (林伟功) – an expert in Mainland China regarding the culture of Fujian province - that Higaonna Kanryo’s main martial arts teacher was thought to have been ‘Xie Chongxiang’ [谢崇祥] [1852-1930). Higaonna Kanryo travelled around 500 miles by boat from the Ryukyu Islands in 1867 – and then repeated this journey back away from China in 1881! He covered around 1000 miles of seafaring and managed to survive this journey both, despite the difficulties regarding the unpredictable weather and rough seas! Under the seas that he traversed were thousands of years of cultural artefacts – including the bones of countless people from virtually every country on earth! Chinese Language Source: English Languish Source:
Translator's Note: Chinese martial arts are diverse in origination and influence. Although a broad designation of 'North' and 'South' can be made on the grounds of the geographical origination of the Founding Masters, and certain defining characteristics - a fighting style above all was premised upon its effectiveness in combat and there was little room for sentiment or an attachment to dogma! As a consequence, and despite the truth in the 'North' and 'South' designation, there are Southern styles that look Northern and their are Northern styles that appear Southern - and this to be expected considering the human propensity for adaptation! Furthermore, cross-fertilisation led to many hybrid styles and an outpouring of diverse variations - a phenomenon that is very much the norm within modern China! ACW (5.8.2022) The term ‘idiom’ is from the Greek (and Late Latin) word ‘idioma’ - and was prevalent from the 1580s onward – where it refers to a ‘form of speech peculiar to a people or place’. Originating from the Greek word ‘idioumai’ (to appropriate to oneself) from ‘idios’ (personal and private, properly particular to oneself). The use of an ‘idiom’ involves a highly condensed (or contracted) linguistic expression which conveys far more in suggestion (or implication) than literally contained the few words used. As a rule, the meaning of an ‘idiom’ is culturally derived (and passed on from one generation to the next) as an important (and ‘underlying’) element of culturally conditioned education. As an expression, the meaning contained within an idiom is not predictable from the grammar or language used and cannot be easily ‘guessed’ by an individual who has not been privy to the relevant education. Chinese Language Idiom: 南船北马 南 = (nan2) - South 船 = (chuan2) Boat 北 = (bei3) - North 马 = (ma3) - Horse English Translation: ‘Southern Boat – Northern Horse’ Chinese Language Origin: 唐·孟郊《送从最校书简南归》 长安别离道,宛在东城隅。 寒草根未死,愁人心已枯。 促促水上景,遥遥天际途。 生随昏晓中,皆被日月驱。 北骑达山岳,南帆指江湖。 高踪一超越,千里在须臾。 English Translation: Tang Dynasty Poet - Meng Jiao [孟郊] (751-814) - deriving from a phrase written in his book entitled ‘Journeying Together Expert Study Book Defining South Return’. Meng Jiao was a famous Tang Dynasty poet who recorded his return journey beginning in the Northern Tang Dynasty capital of ‘Chang’an’ (Xi’an) to the Southern areas of China. He observed that the difference in terrain between North China and South China was so stark that it effectively altered the physique, psychology and everyday culture of the respective populations! This was best seen in the trade routes (or the commercial arteries) that saw the transportation of goods and produce throughout and around China. Within North China the mountainous terrain led to horse-reliant cultures developing (including the necessary horse husbandry) - whilst in the South the extensive waterways were best navigated using all types and sizes of boats (which they designed and built after harvesting wood cultivated from sustainable forests, etc). This separation in culture led to very different sets of skills being developed with Northerners being good at carrying heavy weights on their back whilst running or walking up and down steep inclines in all kinds of weather – whilst Southerns were good at swimming, diving, and maintaining their balance when stood on the deck of a boat in all kinds of weather! In turns, these indifferences were expressed in the martial systems developed in each region – which were an expression (or extension) of the already existing strengths and skills extant within the populations – with specialities extending out from these representations. A Northern Horse Stance, for instance is two shoulder widths apart with the upper thighs parallel to the floor and the knees directly covering the feet (with a 90-degree angle between the upper thigh and lower leg). This martial skill derived from riding a horse (or Steppe pony) without stirrups – where the rider had to grip the rotund belly of the animal and steer the horse by pivoting the pelvic girdle left, right and centre. This develops tremendous supporting strength in the lower part of the body. The Southern equivalent assumes an individual is stood on a small boat with the feet shoulder width apart and the knees slightly bent. Balance is retained through the expert transference and interchange of the bodyweight between the legs – with the bodyweight dropping down the centre of the bones into the floor of the boat and into the water the boat is floating within (although not all Southern stances are 'narrow' or 'high'). Nowadays, with the modernisation of China, many martial arts styles have ‘mixed’ and ‘combined’ their respective strengths, thus creating an all-round and vigorous fighting style. Even Chinese martial arts exported to Ryukyu in the 19th century – such as Yongchun White Crane Fist – was mixed with Okinawan ‘Te’ by Higaonna Kanryo (1853-1915) and later developed by his key disciple Miyagi Chojun (1888-1953) into the world famous Goju Ryu Karate-Do! From the Katas movements contained within Goju Ryu, there appears a very strong ‘Southern Fist’ (南拳 - Nan Quan) influence – but some of these movements appear ‘Northern’ in origination! This could well have been the product of Northern stylists either bringing or transmitting their fighting styles southward. Despite geographical differences persisting in China, the development and spread of modern technology has negated these differences and made everyday life very similar for most people. Therefore, the differences within traditional Chinese martial arts styles are ‘historical’ and must be protected and preserved for future generations to benefit from. Even considering the development of sports science – traditional Chinese martial arts still have a tremendous amount to offer as regards the psychological, physical and spiritual development of an individual! This is because the Chinese ancestors were very clever when adapting to their physical conditions and recording those adaptations! Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-Do Retains Characteristics of Both 'Northern' and 'Southern' Style of Chinese Martial Arts! Chinese Language Sources:
China News Service, Xiamen, June 28th, 2016 (Wang Jing) - The Fujian 'Tang Shou' Karate-Do Association held its inaugural meeting in Xiamen on the 28th. Regarding the Association's use of the name 'Tang Shou' (唐手) or 'China Hand' - the China General Administration Centre for the Practice of Martial Arts and Sports has approved - stating it has 'no objection'. Whereas modern Japan (from the early 20th century onward) renamed this Chinese derived martial arts as 'Empty Hand' (空手 - Kong Dao) - as a means to hide or obscure the genuine 'Chinese' origins' of 'Karate-Do' - the concerned martial arts practitioners of Fuzhou have decided to come together and reclaim China's cultural heritage! From now on this Chinese art will be called by its correct name of 'Tang Hand'! Many people think that Karate-Do is a 'Japanese' martial arts, especially in the context of five sports that are expected to enter the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - it will be much easier for people to label Karate-Do as 'Japanese' and exclude China entirely from its historical origin and development. Long-term research by Chinese scholars has shown that China is the birthplace of Karate-Do. This view has been recognized by the relevant Sports Agencies in China and abroad! "After 'Southern Boxing' (南拳 - Nan Quan) was introduced into Ryukyu (now Okinawa), it was called 'Tang Shou' ('China Hand') by the Ryukyu people to show that it originated from China (Fujian). The pronunciation of the characters '唐手' (Tang Shou) in Japanese remains the same when the characters '空手' (Kong Shou) are used - as the Japanese people pronounce these two phrases as 'Kara-Te'." Stated Weng Xinhui (翁信辉) - a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Sports Anthropology at Waseda University in Japan and Associate Professor at the School of Physical Education at Jimei University. Weng Xinhui has studied the Five Ancestors (五祖 - Wu Zu) of Heyang Fist (鹤阳拳 - He Yang Quan) from Lineage Masters such as Weng Rongnan (翁荣南), Xu Jinmin (许金民), and Ceng Mouyao (曾谋尧) amongst many others from a young age! He studied and lived in Japan for 12 years - during which time he studied at the Graduate School of Education, in Tokyo's Gakugei University - and was engaged in the advanced study of Judo (and other Japanese martial arts) under Professor Kaise Terufu. During his research in Japan he was shown 'sensitive' historical documents proving that 'Karate-Do' originated in the Fuzhou area of Fujian province! In 2015, following his return to China, Weng Xinhui applied to the National Social Science Fund to sponsor his research project entitled "Research on the Cultural Transformation of Fujian Southern Fist in Ryukyu from 'China Hand' into 'Empty Hand'". The research results were clear and with a doubt - Japanese 'Karate-Do' originated from Fujian 'Southern Fist' and is entirely Chinese! When it comes to 'Tang Shou', Weng Xinhui talks endlessly. "In the 1920s and 1930s, a number of works on 'Tang Shou' were published in Japan, which proves that this project was introduced to Japan from Ryukyu, and the original name was 'Tang Shou' ('China Hand'). The famous Japanese dictionary "Guang Ci Yuan" and "Japanese Martial Arts" edited by Nippon Budokan in 2007 - both stated that 'Karate-Do' is based on the martial arts that came from China." "I personally think that calling the Association's name 'Tang Shou' (China Hand) Association' is conducive to the promotion of traditional Chinese culture and the popularization of the art in China." Weng Xinhui said. Chinese Language Source: https://finance.ifeng.com/a/20160628/14536906_0.shtml 福建省唐手(空手道)协会成立2016年06月28日 20:39
来源:中国新闻网 中新网厦门6月28日电 (王婧)福建省唐手(空手道)协会28日在厦门举行成立大会。对于该协会使用“唐手”这一名称,中国国家体育总局拳跆中心已批复,并表示“无异议”。 要解释什么是“唐手”,就不能不提到空手道。 很多人都会认为空手道是日本武道,尤其是在空手道等五大项运动有望进入2020年东京奥运会的背景下,人们更容易将空手道贴上日本的标签。中国学者的长期研究表明,中国是空手道的发源地。该观点已得到相关体育部门认可。 “福建南拳传入琉球(今冲绳)后,被琉球人称为‘唐手’,以示源于中国(福建)之意。传入日本后,‘唐手’改为‘空手’,但在日语中的发音不变。”日本早稻田大学体育人类学的博士后、集美大学体育学院副教授翁信辉对记者说。 翁信辉从小师从翁荣南、许金民、曾谋尧等学习五祖鹤阳拳,曾在日本留学及旅居12年,其间在东京学艺大学教育学研究科学习,师从贝濑辉夫教授从事日本柔道及武道论研究。2015年,翁信辉立项申报了国家社科基金课题《从福建南拳到琉球唐手、空手道的文化变容研究》,目前的研究成果足以证明,空手道来源于福建南拳。 谈到“唐手”,翁信辉滔滔不绝。“20世纪二三十年代,一批有关‘唐手’的著作在日本相继出版,都证明了这个项目是从琉球传到日本,而且原名称是‘唐手’。日本著名的词典《广辞苑》和日本武道馆2007年主编的《日本的武道》中都写明,空手道是以中国传来的武术为原型。” “我个人认为,将协会名称称为‘唐手(空手道)协会’,有利于弘扬中华传统文化,也有利于该项目在中国的普及推广。”翁信辉说。(完) |
AuthorShifu Adrian Chan-Wyles (b. 1967) - Lineage (Generational) Inheritor of the Ch'an Dao Hakka Gongfu System. |