The tape I have is treasures of Taiwan, and not specifically his school, so maybe it’s another school.
The Southern Tai Tzu is said to have descended from the Imerial family during the early Southern Sung dynasty to rapidy train troops in an effort to rebuild from the losses of the Northern Sung Empire. It was prevelant in Fujian as early as 1279 AD., and possibly as soon the 1130’s
The Northern Long Fist was developed by the Emperor Chao Kuang Yin in 960 AD shortly after he took the throne and is a Long Fist style. It was originally a 32 move form, but it grew to become a form taught in 16-18 sections with each section being 32 to 64-72 moves in length. Today most branches teach it as 10 or mor individula emptyhand sets that are either numberd, or named, or both. Also, Tai Tzu Hong Chuan developed out of the imperial guards style of the time known as Hong Jia. At least that is what i have been able to peice together.
So basically, there are two distinct Tai Tzu styles, each with ties to the Sung dynasties Imperial family.
I know Liao WuChang. I saw him performed all the time when I grew up. He and my teacher are good friends.
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Interesting. I am looking for a form of his line nown as “Three Tangles” or “San Pan” I believe. It’s suposed to be a twoman set. I have the drills derived from it, but not the set itself. I am interested in a possible video exchange if you know anyone who knows the set and would be willing to video tape themselves doing it from a few angles.
" It was originally a 32 move form "
RD - Does this original form still exist today?
Are these VCDs #267 and #268 the complete 32-step form?
http://www.plumpub.com/sales/vcd/coll_taitzu.htm
Royal Dragon
> The Northern Long Fist was developed by the Emperor Chao
> Kuang Yin in 960 AD shortly after he took the throne and is a
> Long Fist style.
When Chinese refer to TaiZu, it means Song dynasty’s Emperor Chao Kuang Yin. Wether it is southern or northern shaolin. From historical point of view. Chinese martial arts did not really evolve until Ming dynasty which is two dynasties later than Song dynasty. The peak of Chinese martial arts development was around end of Ming dynasty and the beginning of Ching dynasty. The thing is that Chinese seldom said they invented or created a style. So, people liked to refer to someone prominent or famous in history and call the name of what they practiced to someone much more famous than they were. That is why there are so many TaiZu this TaiZu that. That has to do with Chinese culture. Our Long Fist is a style that is very popular in northern China, especially in San Dong province where my GM Han grew up. The forms it covers are center around Cha, Hua, Hong, Pao, forms. Those are the four most famous empty hand forms in northern China. They are forms not styles, unlike what people think or hear today. Anyway, people like to hear good stories, even the stories were made up or wrongly put together. This may be disappointed to most people, including myself. But, … .
> I am interested in a possible video exchange if you know
> anyone who knows the set and would be willing to video tape
> themselves doing it from a few angles.
Sorry I don’t any video clips of master Liao’s material. The best way to get what you want is to go to Taiwan and visit his sons and do the video yourself. They may already have the vedio clips already. That way you can have much better detail information. There is no better way than seeing by youself.
I has seen much more video clips of Taiwanese martial arts in US than in Taiwan actually. In the past, at least 20 years ago, Taiwanese was poor and the vedio recorder was expensive, only foreigers or the rich has the money to buy vedio recorder. Taiwanese martial artists were poor in general and could not afford to own vedio recorder in the past.
Cheers,
MK,
No tose VCD’s are of the Sholin Tai Tzu Long form, and then only the first two sections. The shorter Shaolin Tai Tzu Chaung Chuan is “Suposed” to be the 32 move form of Chao Kuang Yin, but given that a thousand plus years have gone by, who really knows for sure. I have info somewhere that it was reacently passed to the Shaolin Temple from a family lineage, so it may be more authentic because of that.
As for styles, or forms called Tai Tzu, so far many of the histories are pretty consistant across more than one unrelated lines, so I do belive that the Southern Tai Tzu is what it is, and the Northern is also. However, 1000+ years has gone by, and I feel ALOT has been added to it.
Tai Tzu was in it’s height during the Ming dynasty when it is said to have been taught widely to the military. Suposedly the descendents of the Sung dynasty had influance, and power during the Ming dynasty as well even though they were not the actual Imperial family. That may have had something to do with it.
Based on what I have seen, and heard over the years, I think it was defenetly developed in 960 ad by the Emperor Chao, Kuang Yin. It’s most likely his personal mix of his Monkey and his Hong Jia from his days in the Imperial guard prior to becoming Emperor.
I also belive that it was perfected, and fully evolved during the Ming dynasty where it’s evolution started to become so strong that many lines began to evolve into new styles. What we see today was perfected in the Ming abit started in the Sung and had several hundred years of evolution.