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Siu Lim Tau
– Siu Lim Tau comes first; Do not force progress in training.
– A weak body must start with strength improvement.
– Do not keep any bad habit.
– Yee Jee Kim Yeung Ma – Train the chi by controlling the Tan Tien.
– To maintain good balance of strength, grip the ground with the toes.
– To release chi from the Tan Tien, will enable proper release of power.
– Sink the elbow and drop the shoulders; Guarding the centerline to protect both flanks.
– There are one hundred and eight moves, all practical and real; Thousands of variations can be used, aiming for practical use and not beauty.
– Internally develop the chi; externally train the tendons, bones and muscles.
– Taun Sau, Bong Sau, Fok Sau, Wu Sau, and Huen Sau; their wonder grows with practice.
– Each movement must be clear and crisp. Timing must be observed.
– Practice once a day, more will cause no harm.
Chum Kiu
– Chum Kiu trains the stance and the waist; the arm bridge is short and the step is narrow.
– Eyes are trained to be alert; the chi flows in a perpetual motion.
– Strive to remain calm in the midst of motion; loosen up the muscles and relax the mind.
– Turning the stance with a circular movement, will allow superior generation of power.
– When the opponent’s arm bridge enters my arm bridge, use the escaping hand to turn around the situation.
– Pass by the opponent’s incoming arm bridge from above, without stopping when the countering move has started.
– Lon Sau and Jip Sau put an opponent in danger.
– Do not collide with a strong opponent; with a weak opponent use a direct frontal assault.
– A quick fight should be ended quickly; no delay can be allowed.
– Use the three joints of the arm to prevent entry by the opponent’s bridge; jam the opponent’s bridge to restrict his movement.
– Create a bridge if the opponent’s bridge is not present; nullify the bridge according to how it is presented.
– The arm bridge tracks the movement of the opponent’s body; when the hands cannot prevail, use body position to save the situation.
– Using short range power to jam the opponent’s bridge, the three joints are nicely controlled.
– Where is the opponent’s bridge to be found? Chum Kiu guides the way.
The Wooden Man
– There are 108 movements for the Wooden Man; repeated practice brings proper use of power.
– Steps vary and always maintain close contact with the Wooden Man.
– Power starts from the heart and shoots towards the centerline of the Mok Yan Jong.
– Up, down, back and forth, the movements are continuous.
– Power improvement cannot be predicted.
– The arm bridge sticks to the hands of the Wooden Man while moving; adhesion power when achieved will be a threatening force.
– Power can be released in the intended manner; use of the line and position will be proper and hard to defeat.
Biu Jee
– The Biu Jee hand contains emergency techniques.- Iron fingers can strike a vital point at once.
– The stepping in elbow strike has sufficient threatening power.
– The phoenix eye punch has no compassion.
– Fak Sau, Ginger Fist, and Guide Bridge; their movements are closely coordinated and hard to defend and nullify.
– Springy power and the extended arm are applied to close range.
– The situation is different when preventing from defeat in an emergency.
– The Biu Jee is not taught to outsiders.
– How many Sifu pass on the proper heritage?
Lok deem bow kwan – six and half point pole
The Key defensive movements are Tan (inside high deflection), Fook (outside high deflection) and Bong (tip pointing down rotational deflection). Other movements of the spear include Gan (pressing), Lan (to bar), Jum (to sink), Dim (point hit or touching hit), Huen (to circle) and Jut (to Jerk).
Spear fighting is somewhat similar to fencing. It is possible that the entire Wing Chun art is based on the art of the spear. In China the spear was the supreme weapon of choice when room allowed it. Spear work in China was very sophisticated. wing Chun’s techniques are the essence of this weapon.
The Long pole is most commonly associated with Wing Chun as a result of the Red Junk influence. The men prefer to use a long pole in order to strengthen the muscles so that punches are more forceful. Ladies prefer to fight with a spear because the long pole is not a practical fighting weapon if you are of smaller stature or older. The spear includes the 6 1/2 point form, the sticking spear and then freestyle spear fighting. It is very quick to learn but difficult to master.
Section 1: Thrusting Poke high, Poke low, Jerk back, 3 low hits
Section 2: Tan Tan, Poke low, Jerk back, 3 low hits
Section 3: Fook Fook, Poke low
Section 4: Bong Bong
Section 5: Jum Jum, Poke low, Jerk back, three low hits
Section 6: Lan Lan
Section 6 1/2: Thrusting Spear 1/2 point hit, finish
Shaolin kung fu
Bat jam Dao
Baat Jaam Do training begins with learning the eight basic movements; these are further combined and trained as moving lines. Thus the eight individual techniques are combined into sixty-four separate combinations. At this stage correct structure and timing are emphasized. Free style lines of techniques are also practiced, further engendering natural execution of all the basic techniques.
These eight basic techniques are:
Qi-Stabbing Jam-Chopping Gan-Block and cut Kwan-Double block Bon-Deflection Biu-Line deflection forward Jaam-Stopping Tan and Qi-Deflect out and stab
The eight basic actions serve to introduce the fundamental form, usage and fighting concepts of the Baat Jaam Do. Also practiced here are arm strengthening exercises done with heavy weight Baat Jaam Do, traditionally made out of copper. The training is conducted slowly, building a strong foundation over long months of practicing only the basic movements. When I trained with Sifu Wong he would have me practice these basic techniques by holding the backs of chairs, this built powerful control of the movements that later allowed me to master all aspects of the knife training.
Training advances by teaching the student the Wong Shun Leung and Yip Man versions of the Baat Jaam Do Form. There are slight but significant differences between these two forms, changes are mainly concerned with the importance of certain movements over others and in what order they appear in the form. Single person contact training equipment (similar to the Dragon Pole training dummy), as well as two person training is also introduced at this level. Knife training with a partner begins by defending and initiating attacks against the Dragon Pole, this includes single and double-sided pole attacks. Each of the basic techniques are brought into play, the student must rely on correct footwork and knife holding structure to respond effectively against full power dragon pole attacks. This style of training also develops double to single knife fighting, always conscious of not being on the facing angle of the enemy’s weapon. The double knife vs. double knife training is reserved for the advanced level training, here courage, timing and speed are all important. Techniques here are almost exclusively on the opponents outside line. When I did partner training under Sifu Wong, we would use rolled up magazines as mock Baat Jaam Do, this prevented serious injury but not serious bruising.
As with all martial arts the highest levels of skill are measured by the practitioner’s natural, instinctive ability. On this lofty level of mastery what can appear to be a simple action, is in reality founded on decades of training and experience. With the Baat Jaam Do it is no different. The knife techniques are a specialized way of using the open hand actions, without that background there is no Baat Jaam Do. It is my sincere hope that succeeding generations will inherit the Baat Jaam Do, passing it on as was intended. Taught and practiced in the traditional manner, ensuring quality and authenticity of this fading art.
Shaolin forms
- Learn the 5 Fundamental Stances and 5 Basic Kicks – Every Shaolin form, whether it’s Qigong or Kung Fu is made up of Five Fundamental Stances and Five Fundamental Kicks. Master these stances and kicks first before you move onto practicing Shaolin Forms.
- Give It Meaning – Make sure that your breathing, movement, and even your eyes work together. Make your stance have meaning so that people can see you have a strong foundation.
- Have Good Flexibility – Most people are familiar with the impressive quick fluid forms of the Shaolin Monks in performance. This is due to their flexibility. When you do the form, you don’t want it to be stiff, you want it to be fluid. Never skip the stretching part of your workout.
- Use Your Heart – Use your heart to practice each movement so that your form has soul inside. If your mind shifts and you keep thinking of other things, gently bring it back. You need to be right here and now when you practice.
- Slow It Down then Pace It Down- It’s a good idea to practice kung fu forms as slow as we practice Qigong so we can get the feel for the movements and get the form exactly correct. Try varying the pace each time you practice and see how if feels. The more you’ve mastered the form, the quicker you can practice.