another question about 18 lohan

[WanderingMonk]

Hi guys,

I got another question for you.

For the 15th road of Lohan gong in WHF's book, he wrote that you should breath out while in the ready stance. Then breath-in when you punch and change the stance into an arrow stance.

This instruction is contrary to my previous experiences. I had always been taught that you suppose to exhale while punching/extending your limbs. The only exception seem to be when you are extending your arm skyward. I am wondering if this instruction is the result of a mis-print or is there a logic behind this breathing-practice.

Thanks

WM

[Tainan Mantis]

I think it may be a misprint.
If you read the original text it says you inhale first and perform the moves very forcefully and quickly.

Since the book was from a series of magazine articles it seems that mistakes could have crept in.

There are other instances of definite mistakes in WHF books, such as the name of the technique and pictures being crossed up.

[WanderingMonk]

Thank you.

WM

[Tainan Mantis]

WM,
Are you learning this from the book?
The next section of Father and Son Make Three Greetings in the WHF book is somewhat different than the way we were taught it in Taiwan.

[WanderingMonk]

Hi Tainan Mantis,

Yes, I am learning the lohan gong from WHF 's book.

The text states increase strength and flexibility. So, I thought I'll learn it and see what happens.

If you are willing to enlighten me on the second set of the movement for "father and son exchanges three greetings", I am all ears :)

BTW, may I ask you a question about northern mantis in TW. How did northern mantis style end up in the south side of Taiwan? Was it practice by the locals or was it brought over when KMT landed in 1949? A lot of the famous KF masters who came with the KMT set up shops in the north (near the Taipei area). I had always thought people in the south practice predominately white crane and five ancestors boxing (south shaolin).

Thanks

wm

[Tainan Mantis]

WM,
The second aspect of this movement in the book is done while turning360 degrees.
I was taught it without the turn.

My Shr fu, Shr Zhengzhong, studied Southern styles as a kid until he saw PM about 16. He decided that was the style to have.
Although later he has continued research into varius Southern styles.

Several years later he tracked down PM teachers as well as other shrfus of Northern styles.

In Tainan was Mimen, 7* and Meihua PM.
South, in Dzuo Zhen, was more 7*.
Taizhong had Meihua. He would drive his motorcycle 2 hrs North very weekend to study with Li Hongjie.

Later he studied Longfist in Taizhong with Wang Juezhen.
Later he would take master Wang down to Tainan by train Friday night and return him Sunday evening.
All the advanced students paid about extra US 200$ for this chance.
I met him just before he passed away.

He travelled around the island to study with 8 STep and 6 Harmony masters as well as searching out masters of different weapons.

After some success he travelled to China and HK looking for more masters.

Making friends with Ilya Profatilov's master in Beijing on 6 Harmony PM.
Lee Kam wing and him have a friendship and exchange forms and theory.
And before Mantis 108 Shrfu passed away he would fly to HK to study with Master Zhou of TJPM.

This happened while I was living in the school and often was left in charge while he went to HK.

He now counts about 30 as his shrfus.
But in his early days he spent about 7 years with each PM shrfu.
Most of these shrfu had few forms and emphasized fighting and conditioning.

Mimen-Luan jie, zhai yao, ba zhou has the most traditional list of forms.

[WanderingMonk]

Tainan Mantis,

Just for clarification, then do you start in the same ready stance as described in WHF's book for the 2nd set of movements. I don't see how one ends up in the final position as described in WHF's book (if you start in the same ready stance without a 360 degree rotation). Do you start with a regular "attention" stance and just change into a bow stance with both arms punching out at the same time? or do you start with the ready stance like the first set of movement and change into a bow stance while punching both arms out?

Wow, $200 USD for one session with PM grandmaster? That's about $8,000 TD and probably one month worth of salary for the middle-class back in the days.

thanks for sharing PM history

wm

[WanderingMonk]

Hi Tainan Mantis,

I'll answer your question about my school here since I don't want to side-track the black tiger thread in the shaolin forum. The guy who originated the thread is trying to find his kungfu brother, not exactly a place to put out my bios.

Actually, I don't belong to any school. My limited MA training came from my father who learned some shaolin forms during high school in Taiwan. The high school instructor is sifu Shen mao-hui (who was a pupil of the famous Han qin-tang). Sifu Shen is reported still teaching at taipei. Master Han qin-tang was a member of the nanjing national MA academy. Technically, the forms that I know are from the Northern Shaolin Long Fist school.

Han qin-tang was asked by one of his student why was Han's school called Northern Shaolin Long Fist. Han was rumored to have replied: "the techniques were similar."

I took up lohan gong in accordance to the old adage. "He who practice fists without gong, the effort is fruitless when he gets old". Got to learn "gong". That's why I am here asking questions.

peace

wm

[Tainan Mantis]

WM,
Please send a private message.
I would like to ask you about Han Chingtang in private.
Thank you for your help.
Kevin