Chinese Crane/Okinawan Crane (Long)
For those of you who have welcomed me to this forum, I say thank you.
Sadly it seems that others are somewhat defensive of their own arts and views. While in a way this is understandable, it demonstrates a level of insecurity and stylistic bias that is unwarranted in a forum such as this whose aim is to bring people together, not drive them apart.
I was merely expressing a viewpoint. Not attacking any one individual, his or her views or style.
In the history of the martial arts many seem to think that it is more important who one learned from rather than what was actually being taught. The Old-Style teachers imparted their own personal knowledge to help learners develop according to the disciple’s age, individual personality, character, and physical skills.
As such, two from the same school would not learn or do things the same way as each other despite studying under the same master. This is why so many versions of the same kata have been passed down. The standardization of techniques, kata and other practices was never part of old ways or teachings.
As a person and researcher, I (by that of my own personal choice) am no longer connected to any one style or organization.
One thing that I have “discovered’ from my personal research into the Chinese and Okinawan Crane-Fist traditions was that one teacher even within the same style never taught the same thing. Each would teach certain things at different times mainly due to their own needs, age, social climate, knowledge, understanding and trust of the person being taught I have heard some less senior students say “He’s changing things all the time. It’s changed again!”
The simple truth is nothing has changed other then the teacher has introduced a different level of the same form, technique or practice as the student grew in his/her own understanding. The more an instructor matures and grows within his art the more he comes to understand the essence of the art and the more insightful, creative and expressive he’s likely to be in his teaching to others.
My research to this current point in time has led me to find that only a handful of real, classical old style kata have been passed down reasonably intact. What’s more important is to realise that it’s not the actual forms that are important but the original spirit, essence and intent which gave rise to them.
However to answer the issues raised:
In describing Crane-Boxing, Shihequan (Feeding Crane-Fist) Master Lio Chin-Long stated: "We, in Shihequan, are Feeding Crane. Behave like that crane. Eat attacker bit by bit. Eat his eyes, ears, throat. Always move for final kill. Absorb any skills that may help you - because it’s Feeding Crane - the style to which anything can be absorbed, if it serves as means of defenceâ€.
Based primarily upon the teachings of Yabiku Takaya Sensei (Okinawa), Sifu Yap Leong, Feeding Crane-Fist Adviser Shifu Paul Wollos of the Lio Family style (Taiwan) and Ron Goninan’s own personal experiences, Butoryu Tsuruken strives for the essence of Tsuruken (Crane Boxing) via the paragon that is kata. Great emphasis is placed upon two-man drills involving looking in-depth into kata applications that involve life-protection against not only standard techniques but also common acts of everyday violence which plagues our fast-paced society.
It should be observed that there exists several distinctive characteristics and principles which serve to embody Hakutsuruken (White Crane-Fist) as taught within China’s Middle Kingdom and the Ryukyu Island’s of Okinawa.
The hourglass-like “Battle Kamae”, ghost-like step and slide like body shifting motions unrelenting in their forward motions, centred and energy-filled postures, scattered hitting (Shan Da), point striking (Dian Xue), the method of intercepting energy and grappling/seizing/capturing skills (Jieqi Qin-na), bridge-arms which project outward from the centre-line, and techniques in which the practitioner extends the arms like the unfurling of a crane’s wings and one-legged stances are all signature characteristics of Crane-Fist Boxing.
Butoryu Tsuruken basics look very simple and is best taught in the context of one-on-one training known as Tingxun (courtyard training). There are actually very few of them. However, it takes a good deal of practice to achieve a real power in them. Power used in Butoryu © Tsuruken cannot be muscular. All movements are performed with complete relaxation. At the beginning students are required to perform them without any power, in sort of soft, loose movement. This way the “life power” (as opposed to “dead power” of some other Chinese, Japanese and Okinawan martial arts) can be achieved.
There are 5 major basic techniques in Butoryu © Tsuruken. Each is named after the 5 elements of traditional Chinese philosophy:
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Jinshou / Metal Hands - performed using strike with the top of the hands and seen in the opening of the forms.
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Mushou / Wood Hands - striking with the fingertips.
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Shueishou / Water Hands - using outer and forward movement of inner parts of forearms and hands.
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Huoshou / Fire Hands - palm strike, similar to Gojuryu’s Mawashi-uke, but differing in it’s finishing aspects.
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Tushou / Earth Hands - fists strike.
From here, all other methods and variations are developed and the encouragement of refinement (Li-Jing) is then pursued. The aim being to seek knowledge (Qi-Zhi).
Stances are always in motion, constantly searching the earth for ground-reaction-energy in a manner similar to riding a bicycle … an ever-changing relationship between the Yin and the Yang:-
· Huyepo / Huyao pu - Tiger Waist Stance, similar to karate’s zenkutsu dachi, serving as an entering movement (irimi in Japanese).
· Chitiao liongpo / Yitiao long bu - Single Dragon Stance: a sideways position, it can be triangle stance or horse stance performed sideways; serves to shift body to evade or enter the attack. Often used in connection to the Fan-Pal and Tile Palm Strike of the Nanquan (Southern-Fists) styles.
· Tokapo / Tujiao bu - Singe Leg/Empty Stance: Identical to karate’s neko-ashi-dachi; serving as a “Body-Change†or evasion movement.
· Guniampo / Guniam bu - Girl Stance: same as a Triangle Horse Stance and the Single Dragon Stance but smaller in length. A very effective stance!
Body movements are closely related to stances, movements include forward, backwards, sidewards and angled movements using a step and slide motion, pivoting movements, changing stance from front to side jumping movements as bouncing away from rapidly attacking opponent, and counter-attacking while landing. Butoryu © Tsuruken movements are done fast, with rapid advancement or withdrawal and body-shifting.
In the eyes of the Butoryu © stylist, kicking techniques harkens back to olden times on Okinawa when kicks were kept within arms reach. This perhaps comes from times when older Chinese methods of kicking were used. Snapping low kicks are very effective in their nature, and this method is used to great advantage within the Butoryu © Tsuruken style.
Additionally to forms (Quan / Kata), Butoryu © Tsuruken also uses "pre-forms combinations (Xin). These are just basic techniques performed in series of movements. This system ensures an organised approach to mastery of not only the individual movements, but also the fighting theory (known as “Crane-Thinking†or “Crane-Mindâ€) and real-world life-protection applications of the form.
All White Crane-Fist forms embody the following “essentialsâ€: Sinking, Swallowing, Floating, Spitting, Lifting, Rebounding, and most importantly of all Softness (“Rou-Jinâ€) and Listening (“Ting Jin†…. reading the opponents intentions and energy).
Butoryu © Tsuruken contains all the essential qualities and essence of other Crane styles. In order to feed, crane must be able to fly, whoop, and rest. All of which is held within the Butoryu Tsuruken style. Methods of using the Crane’s voice (He Sheng) are also explored (He Ming).
Great emphasis is placed upon establishing a symbiosis of all these concepts within the practitioner so that they are not only a part of the art as the art is a part of them.
We have found that it is impossible to standardise people as they vary from individual to individual, as do the methods by which to instruct them in the ways of the martial arts. Personalities and the interaction they bring with them constantly changes. Therefore the essence and essentials become far more important than the way in which one appears to the casual observer. This is, something that sadly many modern current martial arts practitioners and instructors seem to have forgotten.
We don’t have hundreds and hundreds of kata/hsing (forms). “It is better to plow deep in a small garden than to plow lightly in a large garden, for a better crop will grow in the small garden”. Forms such as Paipuren, Zhang Dou He-Quan, Nipaifu, Neipai-Chen (Er shi ba bu) all are almost entirely identical in form, substance, essence and teaching s to that of the Chinese traditions from which they arose. In brief, the kata we have are those we know internally including the myriad of applications they yield.
Chi-kung (Naika) is an integral aspect of the training.
As for schools on Okinawa that maintain and actively teach Chinese-based aspects related strongly to White Crane … it is not my place or intention to name all as certian people wish to remain unknown. However to name but a few, my own instructor, Mr. Yabiku Takaya of Sikina, Aoyama, Okinawa, Mr. Wong O’gan Pyon of Futenma, Mr. Gakiya, Mr. Nishihira, the Koshiro family etc.
To state that Okinawan arts do not have any real or verifiable link to Chinese Quanfa and Crane-Fist in particular is extremely narrow-minded. The Okinawan’s more so than the Japanese, have always strobgly identified and given recognition to Chinese traditions and arts in a great deal of their own culture, martial arts and lifestyle. One has only to visit Kunida/Kumemura to see this.
If we look to China we can see that such traditions had a far-reaching impact upon the early civil defensive arts of Okinawa and it’s people.Okinawa’s long standing & symbiotic liaison with China is proof of this. I also believe that the concept of applying defensive principles to weapon-usable objects (as seen in Okinawan Karate/Kobudo (quanfa)was heavily Chinese influenced. To ignore outright the unique and profound influence that island culture and Ryukyu anthropology has had upon the evolution of quanfa would be a gross misrepresentation of the obvious. The practice of Okinawan Karate as we know it, unfolded from the various kinds of Quanfa introduced from various places in China (mainly Fujian).
To say that Chinese-based Crane-Fist does not exist on Okinawa is to adopt the all-too-common “Ostrich-Stance” seen within the martial arts world (head in the sand, bum exposed!).
Regards,
Ron Goninan - Chairman
Okinawa Butoryu Gohokan
Australia
