Northern Shaolin two man staff set

[iron_silk]

Hi

I recently started training in Northern Shaolin and began learning a two man staff set. My sifu had told me the name but I just don't recall it. And everytime I have a lesson I keep forgetting to ask him b/c I tend to focus more on correcting my form. Further more my sifu always refer to it in chinese as "versus form" so......I only heard the name once.

Basically it is very short and begins with two people standing facing the same direction but one standing behind the other. The staff is in the right hand held in a lower diaganol and to the side.

My sifu mentioned the same form was used in the Kung fu movie starring David Carradine.

Also I am unaware of the northern shaolin schools but my system lineage includes Tam Tui, Lien Bo Kuen, and other such as cha kuen mi joong kuen lohan kuen etc...

Make sense? Thanks!

[NorthernShaolin]

iron_silk,

The name of your staff vs staff set is called Fire-Water Staff. One of the CMA advisors for the TV show, Kung Fu, was Kam Yuen who learnt this set in the late 1960's from my sifu, Wong Jack Man Sifu. Kam taught this set for the actors in the background at the Shaolin Temple in the opening scenes on the show.

This staff fightong set is regarded as a beginning set and is part of the NSL Lo Han curriculum as taught by the late GGM Ma Ching Fung who was a disciple of GGM Sun Yu Fung.

[NorthernShaolin]

iron_silk,

I notice you are in Canada. May I ask who is your sifu?

[iron_silk]

Thanks for your reply!

So in Cantonese would be fo-sui gwun?

You seem very knowledgeable in the system and lineage and I would love to learn more about it. Actually I've been trying to find more info on the lineage but to not much if result. I think mostly on Ku Yu Chueng and some on Yim Shueng Mo....and found only one site that mentioned breifly about GGM Ma Kim Fung.

I am currently learning NS from sifu Ing.

Thanks again!

[NorthernShaolin]

iron_silk,

Yes I know your sifu and I'm glad to hear that he is still teaching. The last time I conversed with him was about 15 years ago.

Anyway, a lot of info can be found on this fourm, if you search by typing, Ku Yu Chueng or Kuo Yu Chang and Yim Shueng Mo or Yim Shan Wu.

As for GGM Ma, I'll post what info I have about him here, at a later date. I do not have much about him. As for info on the style NSL Lo Han, type Sun Yu Fung.

[NorthernShaolin]

iron_silk,

Ma Ching Fung was one of the youngest students of Sun Yu Fung. He was born in Toi Shan, Canton Province in 1915. At the Ching Wu Physical Cultural school (Jing Mo) in Canton, Ma Ching Fung practicing with another student named Li Sun Ping. Ma Ching Fung and Li Sun Ping were sparring partners and were grouped together when taught by Sun Yu Fung. Besides Sun Yu Fung, Ma Ching Fung also had two other teachers, Kuo Yu Chang of Northern Shao Lin and Wang Chiu Yen (Wong Duk Hing in Cantonese) of Wu Tang Shao Lin.

Ma’s training was strict and rigorous. No new lessons were taught until the previous lessons were practiced to perfection. At the age of twenty, he became an instructor in Canton. For the next fifteen years he taught martial arts around Canton and Kwangchou areas. In 1950, he moved to Hong Kong and started his own school, Ching Fung Gymnasium. In 1976, Ma Ching Fung was sponsored by the Chinese Free Mason Society to teach in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and has held the position as Chief Kung Fu Instructor until he passed away.

[iron_silk]

Wow...thanks for your info!

I just checked out your website of school and it's really cool. Got tons of info and such!

Thanks!

[buddhapalm]

Hi NorthernShaolin,

How long did you think I could hold on before getting involved in this thread :-)))))

May I ask:

1. What city was Master Ma's Chin Woo branch at ? (Laocheng ???)
2. Who was Li Sun Ping ?
3. Is he alive or have any students ?
4. Do you know what year it was when Master Ma was when learning from Master Sun ?

Any further information on this would be fantastic.

Cheers

Buddhapalm

[NorthernShaolin]

Buddhapalm,

I knew you were going to jump in soon.

I do not know if I can answer question #1 correctly. I thought the closest Jing Mo School in his location was Canton. Is Laocheng near Canton? I do not think Jing Mo would open schools so close togther. The whole concept was to open as many school as possible to spread CMA but also to cover as much area as possible throughout China.

Li Sun Ping was the same age as Ma Sifu and had learnt together with Ma Sifu from Sun Yu Fung. I only know of one of his students and you know him too, Sisuk Raymond Wong in Canada. Wong Sisuk learnt from GGM Li in HK before learning from GGM Ma in Canada.

I know where your fourth question is leading to and before I answer it, I need to verfiy some dates before I can really answer it correctly. However, I know the order of styles that he learned is correct; NSL Lo Han, NSL then Wu Tang.

I'll get back to you tonight to answer question #4.

[buddhapalm]

Dear NorthernShaolin,
I have been trying to pinpoint the exact location that Sun Yu Fung was teaching. One site, dedicated to Sifu Shaw Hon Sheng mentioned something about another Chin Woo School set up at Laocheng. What do you make of it ? Check out the part on the link about Sun Yu Fung:

http://www.hku.hk/cmaclub/english/club-background/hssiu1.htm

I have tried to find a place called Laocheng on search engines in Canton, but no luck, only links to Shandong province.

I did not know that Sisook Raymond learned from Li Sun Ping.

There must be more students or grandstudents of Sun Yu Fung still in Canton.

Cheers

Buddhapalm

[r.(shaolin)]

During his last couple

[buddhapalm]

Hi R.
No I did not have a chance to go to see Danny Ma yet, I have been so busy with my new job and moving to a new house that it has been impossible this month.

I will come to Canada this year for sure. I look forward to meeting You, Danny and Raymond. By the way did you recieve my mailing yet ? Should arrive soon.

What kind of pictures did Master Ma have on his school wall ? I heard he had photos of many of his students, such as Wong Jack Man and my Sigung. Just curious.

Hope all is well.

Cheers

Buddhapalm

[r.(shaolin)]

Hi Buddhapalm

re: mailing
No not yet - b

[buddhapalm]

Hi R.
How unusual. I was researching Dazhanquan last night. I believe it is "Big Battle Fist". If I am not mistaken that would have been introduced from Chao Lin Ho, one of the founders of Chin Woo.

What do you think of the listing of their curriculum at HKU. I wonder how much of it comes from Sun Yu Feng. Does any of it sound familiar to you ?

I hope your Sifu is well.

Cheers

Buddhapalm

[WuMan]

Hi, I'm sorry to break the discussion, but do you guys still know if theres a Chin Woo in Calgary? My friend said there is, but they only teach lion dancing. I also found on the internet that Sifu Peter.. I forgot his last name was the head of the Chin Woo association in Calgary. I'd like to know because I read that he teaches Hung Gar and I'd like to learn from him.
Thanks.

[NorthernShaolin]

buddhapalm,

Fourth question: I think you were leading to Lin Shao Li. Right?

I had to check my notes and make sure the dates were right.

GGM Ma started to learn from Sun around the early 1930's and finished learning Lo Han from Lin Shao Li since she was at this time Sun Yu Fung faviorite student and was allow to teach the younger classmates. By the late 1920's and 1930's all of Sun's top disciples, such as his son Son Mon Yung, Shiu Hon Sang, Tai Chien, Li Hon Chia, etc., had already left the school. It was very typical that the top student, Lin Shao Li, in the school taught the younger students, as in this case, to GGM Ma.

According to my notes, Lin Shao Li learned from Sun Yu Fung in the Jing Mo school in Canton. Maybe Laocheng is a district in the Canton's greater area so that is why it is difficult to pin point.

[r.(shaolin)]

Yes there is a Ching Woo

[iron_silk]

I wasn't quite clear from before...so the two man staff in Cantonese would be Fo-Sui Gwun? (Fire water staff)

[WuMan]

I think its Sui For Gwun. That's the way I was taught it.

[iron_silk]

Thanks WuMan!