Now, opening sequence of the 2nd Hakka Praying Mantis Fan Zhuang form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoPA3m0j9Yk
Maybe it’s just me but this form REALLY reminds me of Fuzhou Ancestral Crane.
The “lower wing hand cut”, “2 fingers spear hand”, the kick and “Small Ghost Sitting” posture… maybe it’s time for me to take a break from White Crane…..
The performer here is Master Zhiang – a superb CKF practitioner and “Dit Da” healer.
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Errrrrrhhhhh…
Some of the magazines / books that we got uploaded into the site…:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0xjG_PUuNA
Old pics :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFWeNLJDro
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everyone,
Now for the part of my “work” that I enjoy the most - putting old in-hse anniversary mags and pictures from private collection on-line.
Got samples of these here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONezKWEvrBw
pictures from my Taizu school.
pictures from my Fuzhou Crane school. Some of these were hanging on the school walls for the longest time…
pictures taken from an old “Choy Li Fut” magazine published in Singapore.
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
Excerpts from a book published in Singapore in 92 listing many important CKF Masters.
Sadly, many of these Masters are no longer with us…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA0IMd4CIbU
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
A clip here featuring Master Xiongs Wuzu Quan or 5 Ancestors Fist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqCUPWMeXlw
Since posting clips from this line of Wuzu, Ive received some mails asking about this style.
Well, one thing I got to point out is that there are a least 3 different styles of Wuzu that I am aware of.
Not saying that I got the whole picture here but all 3 are amalgamation of 5 individual styles.
Master Xiong has invited me to go back to Sibu to perform and judge in a traditional CKF event scheduled for 22nd 24th December.
And he has agreed to put as much of his Wuzu as possible on videos .. lalalala Christmas comes a little early for me this year
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
Got a clip here of Sifu Edmund Wong teaching Hakka PM Fan Zhuang. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZdxs6q1Zy0
Edmund is a good friend and really, without his support, my Sibu trip would not had yielded so much.
I will be collaborating with this young Sifu again in many upcoming projects.
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
It looks like it going to be months before the documentary takes shape.
Got a photo slide show comprising of still pictures taken during the Sibu leg of the documentary. I am presently working on Kuching portion of the documentary…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQiDloUD_lQ
The kung fu pics are at the end of the show.
Warmest Regards.
Eric
I am surely planning a Sarawak backpacking trip somewhere in the coming years. I’ll use your pictures to convince my wife we need to go. Your national parks also should be magnificent!
Regards, Lau
Hi everybody,
Lau, Sarawak is a lovely place; the landscapes, foods, peoples and the Kung Fu of course…
I must add “cats” to that considering the number I took in – costing me a bundle to feed them. “Kuching” actually means “cat” in the Malay language……
Got another clip here showing the “Silat” portion of Wu Lin I Jia. Like I said “all martial arts 1 family” so we are not confining ourselves to Chinese arts only.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7I9sVY-kPY
And living in Malaysia, it would be crazy for me to not examine Silats.
After all, Silat originated in this part of the world. Soon, I would be sharing Silat video clips from the kampungs (villages) around here.
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
Received some mails for specific articles.
Got a couple in this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0QgMwMZanE
Plus, at the end of the clip, the cover and an inside illustration of a “WuXia” novel from my childhood days…
Some of you got your Batman, Superman, Aquaman etc… but I’ve got my “WuXia” superheroes …..
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
I was looking thru my Sibus trip files and found this edited out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqDty-Qw98s by my post production people.
Here, you see Master Francis Ling explaining some fighting aspects of his Hakka Praying Mantis Fan Zhuang Quan.
Sorry the conversation is in Fukienese
The gist:-
Fan Zhuang does a total of 8 empty-hands form.
Speed is the overriding characteristic of this style.
This style is about getting the job done and low on aesthetics.
Throughout Master Lings over an hours long display, his floating and sinking was very clear during his power strikes.
Even at very short ranges, this was very apparent
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
A glimpse of Ven. Sek’s Sao Lim Hood Pai Kung Fu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYV6-lMHZgM
I’ve got many old pics of this style in Singapore.
Having most of my stuffs transported here and soon I should be able to put together something more comprehensive.
Sao Lim is one of the styles that I studied…
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hey Eric,
I was wondering if you had video (youtube?) of the Sao Lim Luohanquan form that was featured in the book “Shaolin Lohan Kung Fu” by the late Donn F. Draeger. I’ve always wanted to see what the form looks like in motion, rather than still pictures.
Thanks in advance!
Hi everybody,
Taichi4eva, like I mentioned elsewhere in this forum, Ven. Sek taught different forms to each of his disciples.
We do different versions Luohan. Personally I have not seen Dato P’ng Luohan form myself.
I will be in Kuala Lumpur West Malaysia this Wednesday till Sunday.
There to interact with some CKF folks and if time permits, I might travel to Penang.
Hopefully to meet Dato P’ng ………..
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi there Eric,
good stuff. I can see I need a bigger harddisk soon. Heh heh…
So we can download clips and books?
Will tell my wingchun brothers about this great site here in Singapore.
BTW any chance you can put up Ku Sifu clips on youtube soon?
Hi everybody,
Shadow Warrior8, I am working towards putting as much traditional CKF on-line as possible. Well like I said, I will be in West Malaysia tomorrow. There to talk to some CKF high hands regarding recording and archiving their syllabus in WuLinIJia.
In the coming months, I would be shuttling between Malaysia and Singapore before I start exploring the other regions in SE Asia; all with the intent of seeking out the old schools CKF.
Bigger drive? NahI think you should just burn DVDs
Spent the afternoon watching a Wushu competition event here in Kuching.
Not really my thing but I was there to support the Wushu club that I moonlight as a traditional MA consultant.
Got a clip here of one of the boys, Fu Ming, doing his Wushu routine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLElVPEzL9c
This kid is really something; he is trained in the old ways and now he is one of the top Wushu athletics in this country.
Frankly at the rate he is going, I think he will be going places..
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Gooood morning folks,
One more clip before I fly off to Kuala Lumpur….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUYNRfEigWM
Another upcoming kid doing “Nan Quan”. Except for 1 unstable moment, I think she did okay with her delivery…
Love working with these kids; youthful energies aside, these kids got a very strong bond amongst them.
Kudos to Mr. Chester Lim, the Chairman of the club, who spend countless hours training and grooming them.
I will be featuring these kids doing some of my traditional stuffs when I come back from my trip.
Well like I said, many of them already have good grounding in traditional CKF……
I also noticed youtude comments asking about the background music in some of the clips.
What can I say? I am into all sorts of music…. Rock, jazz, indie, hip-hop and these days I am collecting all sorts of ethnic music.
And Shakira …… “Oral fixacion” ….. lalalala…..
So besides my Amex card, I never leave home without my MP3 player….
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
Just got in from Kuala Lumpur today….couldn’t fly yesterday because flights from KL to Kuching were all fully sold out due to school holidays’ traffic.
What a thrilling trip this has been! Met up with none other than Sifu Yap Boh Heong, son of Master Yap Cheng Hai.
Master Yap is, of course, the senior (if not most senior) disciple of the late GM Chee Kim Tong.
Sifu Yap, Sifu Lam and Sifu Chong showed me Wuzu Quan, the like of which, I have never seen before. Well, you live and you learn….
2 sessions with these high hands and I recorded no less than 10 forms from this extraordinary style.
Well, you can bet that Sifu Yap and I will be co-operating on many traditional CKF projects.
A clip of Sifu Yap’s rendition of GM Chee’s Wuzu Sanchiem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyJJZr7Yn90
Warmest Regards.
Eric
Hi everybody,
Snapshots from my KL trip last week.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DQbjplJiAM
You’ll find pics of Sifu Lum and Sifu Chong in the slide show. Both these gentlemen are from GM Chee’s Wuzu.
Sifu Lum, almost eighty, was very kind to not only demo forms; he spent a great deal of time walking me through the histories of GM Chee’s Wuzu and other styles popular in West Malaysia.
This Sifu even did Hungga’s “Ng Long Pak Kwa Kwon” and a rare Wing Chun “Double Butterfly” knives form for my camera.
Most laudable was his performance of the rarely seen “White Crane Washing Body” that he genially permitted to be recorded.
Sifu Chong is very active in promoting his Wuzu to regular schools in KL. Together with a Choy Li Fut friend, they are working hard in reviving interest in traditional CKF.
This young Sifu did “20 Fists”, Tai Chor Sanchiem, Monkey, “Shaolin Kai San” and 2 weapon forms.
Personally, I think CKF needs more of this Sifu’s attitude and zeal.
I spent many hours discussing, not just the past but also the future of traditional CKF with Sifu Yap, Sifu Lum and Sifu Chong.
Want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to this group of wonderful Wuzu high hands for taking the time out to entertain me.
And to the late GM Chee; my highest regards…..
Eric