Kung Fu Tai Chi ( Pdfdrive.com ).pdf

Complete Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship & KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY coverage!

September / October 2016

Why Forms

WWW.KUNGFUMAGAZINE.COM

508; Benches as

Weapons

The

BIG

Knife of 5 Ancestors

Shaolin Stone Lock Weight Training

Deadly Venom

Shaolin

The Toad

Stone Lock

Weight Training September / October 2016

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Tigerclaw.com

The Jackie Chan

Film Gallery in Shanghai

THE COMPETITORS’ CHOICE

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TI G E R C L A W. c o m

Master Chen Bing Taijiquan & Push Hands Workshops The Tiger Claw Foundation supported Master Chen Bing Taijiquan & Push Hands Workshops from May 19-23, 2016 at the Omei Academy, Cupertino, CA. In cooperation with OmeiAcademy.com, ChenBing.org, usa-taichi-culture-foundation.org and KungFuMagazine.com.

Established in 2002, the Tiger Claw Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to promoting martial artists and assisting martial artists in achieving their goals.

For more information or to make a tax-deductable donation, visit us at TigerClawFoundation.org 510-668-1100 B

PUBLISHER’S CORNER Publisher Gigi Oh Associate Publisher Gene Ching Editorial Board Gigi Oh Gene Ching Senior Designer Patrick Lugo Graphic Designers Kevin Ho Chen Xinghua Copy Editor Gary Shockley Lori Ann White Proofreader Jennifer Oh KungFuMagazine.com WebMaster Jake Hsen Tiger Claw Correspondents Jennifer Oh Jonathan Oh Feng Shui Master Wilson Sun Videographer Jason Chang General Manager Randy Liu Administration President Thomas J. Oh Advertising 1-800-628-6552 Advertising Director Gigi Oh (ext.141) Advertising Manager Gene Ching (ext.137)

I

t’s that time of year again, time for our most self-indulgent issue. Longtime readers of Kung Fu Tai Chi know that the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship has been covered in our September+October issue since its inception in 2009. Tiger Claw Elite Championships coverage goes back even further. That’s been covered in this issue since 2006, but to be fair, there were features in every issue during the tournament season back then. In those days, the Tiger Claw Elite Championships were nested within dozens of tournaments, which ran from spring through summer. If you don’t go back that far with us, you’ll read about it all on page 10. I cannot describe how much chaos the Tiger Claw Elite Championships bring to our office (but I will try, as always, in my first-person follow-up account that will be published on KungFuMagazine. com when this issue is out on the newsstands). The preparation takes months. The weekend of the event is a blur of action and excitement and as this was the Year of the Monkey, there was a lot of monkey business (again, you’ll have to read my KungFuMagazine. com recount). And documenting and presenting it all to you takes weeks. Not only is there the production of this issue, but there are hundreds of photos posted on our official facebook page, dozens of free videos on our YouTube channel and if you are a subscriber to Kung Fu Tai Chi, you will have received a free DVD with this issue. No other tournament does so much as the Tiger Claw Elite Championships. But then again, no other tournament is sponsored by a newsstand magazine and one of the nation’s top martial arts supply companies. But enough with the self-promotion as you’ll get plenty of that within this issue already. I must give thanks to our

core freelance contributors that helped put the rest of this issue together. Those freelancers know that I have a lot of Kevin Ho, Fu Xueli, Xiao Jiaze, Gigi Oh, axes in the Gene Ching & Patrick Lugo air during this period, and they all really step up to help out. Longtime contributor Williy Pang delivers an article on one of my favorite exotic Kung Fu weapons, the bench, on page 48. Chris Friedman, our freelancer with boots on the ground (or perhaps sandals on the temple grounds) at Shaolin, brings a fresh perspective on traditional Kung Fu weight training on page 54. Emilio Alpanseque, who also played a significant role as a head judge for the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship and was one of the main instigators for our new Wushu Nandu championship this year (see page 16), takes us to Shanghai for Jackie Chan’s amazing Film Gallery on page 60. Henry Lo and Daniel Kun examine one of Kung Fu’s overlooked weapons, the Da Dao, on page 66 (I’ve always found it ironic that this sword was one of the last ones used in warfare, but it’s really rare to see practiced today). Lucas Christopoulos looks at the internal side with his piece on Chen Xiang on page 72. And I managed to squeeze in a venomous article on a topic that I’ve always wanted to explore – Toad Kung Fu – on page 78. So there’s plenty more beyond Tiger Claw Elite Championships coverage. I hope you find it all of interest. Next year will mark the 25th Anniversary of Kung Fu Tai Chi. As with our 10th and 20th milestones, we are planning something extraordinary. We’ve already begun working on it. Mark your calendars. I hope you can join us. Thank you for reading, watching and participating! Gene Ching

Associate Publisher, Kung Fu Tai Chi & KungFuMagazine.com

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Kung Fu Tai Chi September+October 2016 (ISSN 1050-2173 - formerly Kungfu Qigong) is published bimonthly by TC Media International, Inc., 40748 Encyclopedia Cir. Fremont CA 94538. All rights reserved. Contents copyright 2016 TC Media International, Inc. Nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA. Periodicals Postage paid at Fremont CA 94536 Second Class postage pending. FREE-LANCE SUBMISSION: All rights in letters, manuscripts and correspondence will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and subject to editorial revision. Send to the address below. For submission guidelines, see our official website at www. KungFuMagazine.com All Correspondence & DISCLAIMER: We, TC Media International Inc., as publisher, make no endorsements, Article Submissions representations, guarantees or warranties concerning the exercises and/or legalities of the 40748 Encyclopedia Circle products and services advertised herein. We expressly disclaim any and all liability from or relating to the manufacture, distribution, sale, use or misuse, or any other act of any party in regard Fremont, CA 94538 U.S.A. to such products and services. The publication is distributed on an international basis. Some Tel: (510) 656-5100 products may be illegal in some areas. Check your Federal, State and Local Laws. We make no Fax: (510) 656-8844 representations or warranties concerning the legalities or purchase or use of advertised products [email protected] or services herein. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: 40748 Encyclopedia Circle, Fremont CA 94538 U.S.A.

4 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

8th Annual Tiger Claw KungFuMagazine.com Championship Monkey King Champion Ding Wei

Cover Story

36

Why Forms Fail By Gene Ching and Gigi Oh

Features

36 COVER STORY

54

48

48

Southern Kung Fu’s Fighting Bench By Williy Pang

54

Stone Lock Training By Chris Friedman

Please, Have a Seat

Shaolin’s Shi Suo

60

Battle for Harmony

66

Dai Dou Zut

72

Chen Xiang

78

Deadly Venom

92

Featured Weapon

A Visit to the Jackie Chan Film Gallery By Emilio Alpanseque

The Big Knife Skill of Ngo Cho Kun By Henry Lo and Daniel Kun

Master of the Tao By Lucas Christopoulos

The Toad By Gene Ching

Jian

78 72

6 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

KungFu Qigong Magazine Gala Benefit Feature Masters’ Exhibitions

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On August 24th, 2002, The Tiger Claw Foundation held a Benefit Gala for its special committee, the Friends of Wushu, in honor of the 10 Year Anniversary of Kung Fu Qigong Magazine. This unprecedented event attracted the world’s top Kung Fu masters and raised $20,000. Two extraordinary exhibitions of martial arts were held, the Feature Masters in the afternoon. DVD-CA107 $19.95

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Hong Gate Hands

Hong Gate Hands is attributed to Ming General Zheng Chenggong, who taught it to his soldiers during the Qing dynasty. He adopted the name Hong after the first Ming Emperor, Hongwu. This title is the same source of inspiration as the Cantonese style of Hung Gar. Hong Gate Hands is considered an essential method of Sichuan martial arts. DVD-OG005 $19.95

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Tournaments - Events - News

10

The 2016 Tiger Claw Elite Championship and the 5th Annual KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY

11

The 8th Annual Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship

14

2016 Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship GRAND CHAMPIONS

15 16 18 20

2016 TCEC Schools and Sponsors

22 26 32 34

5th Annual KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY

By Gene Ching

By Gene Ching

Monkey King Championships By Gene Ching

WildAid Tiger Claw Champions By Gene Ching

The 4th Annual Tiger Claw Elite Taekwondo Championship By Gene Ching

By Gene Ching

2016 TCEC Staff and Volunteers Peng permeated 2016 Tai Chi Gala By Violet Li

The 7th New Jersey International Wushu-Kungfu Tournament By Gigi Oh with Zhao Xiaohu

DEPARTMENTS

92

JIAN 8 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

4 30 84 87 88 90 94 96 98

Publisher’s Corner Web Fu Chollywood Rising: March of the Co-Productions: Sci-Fi Epics and FantAsia MartialArtsMart Order Form MartialArtsMart Ordering Information Kung Fu Tai Chi Calendar Kung Fu Tai Chi Distributors Kung Fu Horoscope Kung Fu Wisdom: China’s Western Daliang Mountaina Luorong Cattle Farm

The 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP

& the 5th Annual

KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY By Gene Ching

Photos by Kevin Ho, Patrick Lugo and Greg Lynch Jr.

ON

May 21 and 22, 2016, Tiger Claw held the 2016 Tiger Claw Elite Championship and the 5th Annual KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY in downtown San Jose, California. This year, the Tiger Claw Elite Championships consisted of two events: the 8th Annual Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship and the 4th Annual Tiger Claw Elite Taekwondo Championship. The Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship expanded to two days this year, merging with KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY on Sunday. It all happened under the expansive canopy of San Jose McEnery Convention Center’s South Hall. There were nearly six hundred KungFuMagazine.com competitors, five hundred and twenty Taekwondo competitors and thirteen hundred spectators.

Tiger Claw Elite Timeline Tiger Claw Elite began as a Black Belt Only Open Competition in cooperation with Disney’s Martial Arts Festival. Qualifiers were held across the country with a finals held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports ® Complex 2006 Tiger Claw Elite Championships January 6: Disneyland ® Martial Arts Festival, Anaheim CA April 7-8: Rocky Mountain National Challenge, Ogden UT

July 28-30: Long Beach Internationals, Long Beach CA

May 17-18: San Diego Grand Internationals, San Diego CA

August 11-13: US Capitol Classics: China Open, Washington DC

August 1-3: Long Beach Internationals, Long Beach CA

September 1-3: Las Vegas Legacy, Las Vegas NV

August 8-10: US Capitol Classics: China Open, Washington DC

September 15-16: Kick USA Championship, Titusville FL September 17: KA Open/LA Sheriff’s Cup, Los Angeles CA October 26-29: Disney’s Martial Arts Festival, Near Orlando FL 2007 Tiger Claw Elite Championships February 3-4: Disneyland ® Martial Arts Festival, Anaheim CA April 20-21: Rocky Mountain National Challenge, Ogden UT May 11-12: RDK’s Ultimate International, Santa Clara CA May 19: Western Wyoming Championships, Green River WY May 19-20: San Diego Grand Internationals, San Diego CA

September 20: Tiger Kim America’s Cup, Denver CO September 19-20: Kick International Championships, Naples FL October 12: Kentucky State Championships, London KY October 24-26: Disney’s Martial Arts Festival, Near Orlando FL

In 2009, the Tiger Claw Elite Championships went on hiatus. In its place, Tiger Claw launched the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship, in cooperation with the Bay Area Sport Karate Association. This started at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center’s South Hall.

June 16: M.A.A.D. Championships, Beaverton OR

June 27 2009: Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine. com Championship

July 27-29: Long Beach Internationals, Long Beach CA

June 12 2010: Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine. com Championship

August 19: Tiger Kim America’s Cup, Denver CO

June 4 2011: Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine. com Championship

August 31-September 1: BASKA Nationals, Reno NV August 31-September 2: US Capitol Classics: China Open, Washington DC September 15-16: Kick USA Championship, Tampa FL October 26-28: Disney’s Martial Arts Festival, Near Orlando FL 2008 Tiger Claw Elite Championships February 16: Disneyland ® Martial Arts Festival, Anaheim CA April 18-19: Rocky Mountain National Challenge, Ogden UT

June 9-10 2012: Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the magazine, the KUNG FU TAI CHI 20 YEARS Gala Banquet was held and KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY was launched.

In 2013, the Tiger Claw Elite Championships was relaunched. The Tiger Claw Elite Taekwondo Championship was added. The Tiger Claw Elite Traditional Karate Championship and he Tiger Claw Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Invitational were also part of this event over the years.

May 12: Great Sichuan Earthquake. An 8.0 M earthquake kills nearly 70,000 people in China

June 1-2 2013: Tiger Claw Elite Championships & KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY May 17-18 2014: Tiger Claw Elite Championships & KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY

May 20: Western Wyoming Championships, Green River WY

May 24: RDK’s Ultimate International, Santa Clara CA – This event was changed into a fundraiser, Martial Arts Benefit for Quake Victims, which raised over $73,000 for earthquake relief.

May 20-21: San Diego Grand Internationals, San Diego CA

May 17: Western Wyoming Championships, Green River WY

May 21-22 2016: Tiger Claw Elite Championships & KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY

May 5-6: RDK’s Ultimate International, Santa Clara CA

10 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

May 16-17 2015: Tiger Claw Elite Championships & KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 11

T

he expansion of the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship to a two-day event was inevitable. Last year, the competitor cap of 400 was reached well before the pre-registration deadline. This year, the competitor cap was reached prior to deadline again, but at nearly 600 competitors. The days were divided by style. On Saturday, the external divisions were held. Sunday was dedicated to the internal divisions, alongside two of the showcase divisions: the longstanding WildAid Tiger Claw Championship and the Monkey King Championship, which was special just for this year. Grandmaster Tu Jin-Sheng (March+April 2003 cover master) also staged his unique event, the 4th Golden Dragon Cup. The third was held in 2013. This is an invitation-only event, part demonstration, part competition, focused on Special Skills Qigong including bending metal against throats, absorbing sledgehammer strikes to the abdomen, breaking, and – Tu’s signature stunt – Iron Crotch weightlifting. Once again, martial artists flooded into the expansive South Hall of the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The weird worldwide weather struck with unseasonable rain on Saturday. It rained at the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship once before in 2011, which was also considered an anomaly for the Bay Area in May. Sunday was clear yet extremely windy. Many were initially disappointed by the relocation of KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY from the park, but after they saw how blustery it was, all were grateful for the change. Eight rings ran for both days, with one Wushu carpet, but that was only for Saturday. The Wushu carpet was only needed for the showcase Wushu Nandu division and the advanced Wushu divisions, all of which were held on Saturday. In addition, there was the main stage. On Saturday, the main stage was used for synchronized group forms (jiti 䳶 փ) and sparring forms (duilian ሩ㓳) as well as the bulk of the Grand Championships. On Sunday, it was used for the showcase divisions and then pivoted to face where the Taekwondo tournament was held for the Simplified 24 Tai Chi recital. Tiger Claw produced custom-made tiger’s head medals for the championship. Each medal was solid metal and weighed over a pound, with a 2-inch wide commemorative award ribbon. The judges were attired with Asian Henley shirts of a deep sanguine red with metallic gold

12 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Tiger Claw Elite logo. The sanguine Asian Henley is a new product coming soon, created by popular demand in response to Tiger Claw’s black and white Asian Henleys. Tiger Claw supplies tournaments with medals and shirts across the nation. For Tiger Claw Elite, Tiger Claw can experiment with potential new products and showcase high-end item possibilities. Additionally, all volunteers were given a staff T-shirt and a special bag of “thank you” gifts. Volunteers who went the extra mile by working both days and supporting the additional set-up and break down were presented with gold medals too. Adult Grand Champions were awarded $200 of Claw Cash if there were 3+ qualifiers. Claw Cash is redeemable for martial arts gear through Tiger Claw. Judges who were members of the Tiger Claw Judges’ Union also earned Claw Cash for every competitor they judged. The Tiger Claw Judges’ Union was initially founded to support the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship by giving additional incentives for good judging. It has expanded to support other local tournaments including U.C. Berkeley’s Chinese Martial Arts Tournament and the Northern Californian Chinese Athletic Federation International WuShu Invitational. To find out more, visit www.tigerclawjudgesunion.org. The Masters of Ceremonies were Coach Christopher Pei (cover master September+October 2013), Associate Publisher Gene Ching and Tiger Claw’s Jennifer Oh. The projected ring-order display was managed by Ryan Chen and his team once again. Ryan also helped oversee the main stage. Dividing the championship into two days made the championship run very smoothly overall and on time. Last year, the Tiger Claw Elite Championships offered a #tigerclawelite contest for a free subscription on facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This was offered again this year and the winner was Stephanie Lim for her facebook #tigerclawelite post. Stephanie also won the Adult Female Wushu Nandu Championship. She was the only qualified entrant in both contests. Next year will mark the 25th Anniversary of Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine. Tiger Claw has hosted large gala events for the previous 10-year and 20-year milestones, so planning for next year has already begun. For updates, visit www.tigerclawelite.com.B

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 13

KUNG FU

WUSHU

AGE 7-8 Intermediate: Justin Tan, Shaolin Shaolin Martial Arts AGE 9-10 Intermediate: Avril Ho, Shaolin Kungfu Chan Academy, Los Angeles Advanced Female: Alycia Carew, Tomizaki Champions Advanced Male: Max Lwin, Kung Fu Dragon USA AGE 11-13 Intermediate: Krystal Lan, Shaolin Shaolin Martial Arts Advanced Female: Elena Hung, Lily Lau Eagle Claw Advanced Male: Bailey Gong, Shaolin Shaolin Martial Arts AGE 14-17 Intermediate: Abraham Lin, Chiu Chi Ling Hung Gar Kung Fu Advanced Female: Jessica Wang, Dragon Rhythm Shaolin Kung Fu Advanced Male: Braydan Tomizaki, Tomizaki Champions AGE 18 & Over Intermediate: Alan Shiao, Shaolin Kungfu Chan Academy, Los Angeles Advanced Female: Rhea Go, USA Wu Chi Kung Fu Academy Advanced Male: Will Lee, Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy AGE 40 & Over Advanced Male: Ryo Eguchi, Shaolin Temple USA

AGE 7-8 Intermediate: Lyubomir Tzankov, Omei Academy Advanced Female: Elena Chow, Elite Kung Fu Advanced Male: Aritro Dasgupta, Elite Kung Fu AGE 9-10 Intermediate: Zane Ort, Kung Fu Dragon USA Advanced Female: Kendra Chang, Shaolin Shaolin Martial Arts Advanced Male: Evan Tang, Kung Fu Dragon USA AGE 11-13 Intermediate: Rachel Ho, Legend Kung Fu Academy Advanced Female: Kylie Ai Guo Jones, US Wushu Center Advanced Male: Andrew Xi, Elite Kung Fu AGE 14-17 Intermediate: Cheng-en Yew, Legend Kung Fu Academy Advanced Female: Quincy Kumfert, Kung Fu Dragon USA Advanced Male: Leland Zhang, Kung Fu Dragon USA AGE 18 & Over Advanced Male: Wei Xiang Ji, International Chi Institute

TAI CHI / INTERNAL AGE 18 & Under Advanced Female: Jasmine Syu, Legend Kung Fu Academy Advanced Male: Nathan Chou, Zhang Kung Fu Institute AGE 19-45 Intermediate: Wendell Hom, Johnny Jang Martial Arts Academy Advanced Female: Kathy Yang, Yang’s Martial Arts Association Advanced Male: Yujie Li, US Wushu Center AGE 46 & Over Intermediate: Kam Chung, Deyang Tai Chi Advanced Female: Pan Shuming, Shanghai Jingwoo Advanced Male: Wes Letioa, China Taichi Kungfu

14 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

GROUP COMPETITION External Forms: Shaolin Temple USA Internal Forms: Amin Wu Tai Chi: A Team DUILIAN Beginner: Tai Chi Yuen Intermediate: Deyang Tai Chi Advanced: YMAA Retreat Center

BEST ATTENDANCE SCHOOLS Kung Fu Dragon USA Shaolin Shaolin Martial Arts International Chi Institute Dragon Rhythm Shaolin Kung Fu USA Wu Chi Kung Fu Academy Fei Shifu Kung Fu Academy Legend Kung Fu Academy Shaolin Temple USA Shaolin Kung Fu Chan Academy_LA Elite Kung Fu

SUPPORTING SCHOOLS Acts, American Chen Taiji Society, Amin Wu Tai Chi, Bay Area Fight Academy, Bei Dou Kung Fu Acadamy, Bellaire Wushu Academy, Bes Of Thebes Montu Arts, California Martal Arts Academy, Champion Wushu Center, Championship Martial Arts Academy, Chang Tai Do Karate, China Taichi Kung Fu, Chinese C.Z. Kung Fu Institute, CK Tai Chi, Deyang Tai Chi, Doc-fai Wong Martial Arts Center, Dragon Rhythm Shaolin Kung Fu, E.Y. Lee Kung Fu, Elite Kung Fu, Fei Shifu Kung Fu Academy, Health Workout, Independent, Infinite Martial Arts, International Chi Institute, Jackson’s Wushu Academy, Johnny Jang Martial Arts Academy, JQD Kungfu, Kung Fu Dragon USA, Kung Fu Panda, Legend Kung Fu Academy, Li Zheng Kungfu Academy, Lily Lau Eagle Claw, Martial Excellence Kung Fu Club, Mike J. Ng Tai Chi Bagua Institute, National Martial Arts Academy, NJ Shaolin, Northern Shaolim Kung Fu Association, Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Academy, Ohlone College, O-Mei Cupertino, Pure Shaolin Kung Fu, Pure Shaolin Kung Fu - Belmont, San Francisco Wushu, Shanghai Jingwoo, Shaolin Kung Fu, Shaolin Kung Fu USA, Shaolin Kung Fu Zen, Shaolin Kungfu Chan Academy_LA, Shaolin Shaolin Martial Arts, Shaolin Temple Fremont, Shaolin Temple USA, Shi Chahai, Stanford University, Studio Kicks Palo Alto, Sun’s Kung Fu Academy, Synergy Tai Chi, Tai Chi Yuen, Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy, Thunder Kung Fu Academy, Tien Shan Tzi, Toi Shan Asso., Tomizaki Champions, Tony Wong Chen Taiji, Typhoon Martial Arts, US Shaolin Kung Fu, US Wushu Center, USA Wu Chi Kung Fu Academy, Wang Tao Kungfu, Wu Tao Kuan School Of Martial Arts, Wushu Central, Wushu West, Yang’s Martial Arts Association, YMAA, YMCA Cupertino, Zhang Kung Fu Institute, Zhao Bao Tai Chi

SPONSORS Grace Wu Kung Fu School - www.gracewu.com University of East-West Medicine - www.uewm.edu Zang Lijuan, TCM UPS - www.ups.com California Bank and Trust - www.calbanktrust.com Assembly Member District 25 Kansen Chu James K. Yu DDS Chinese Today Radio - www.chinesetodayradio.com WildAid - www.wildaid.org Kung Fu Temple Bad Ass Bunny Productions - www.badassbunnyproductions.com Rock Med - www.rockmed.org OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 15

Monkey King Championships The Monkey King Championships were special showcase divisions in honor of 2016, the Year of the Monkey. This was an open forms competition, empty-hand or weapon, open to any style, as long as the form was based on Monkey style. There were two divisions: Monkey King (age 18 and above) and Monkey Kid (17 and below). This showcase division was held just for this year. As next year is the Year of the Rooster, it is unlikely that another such showcase division will be held for that. While there are chicken styles, particularly within Xingyi, it is nowhere near as prevalent as Monkey Kung Fu. Monkey King Champion: Ding Wei (Champion Wushu Center) Competitor: Adan Baca Monkey Kid Champion: Ian Lim (Kung Fu Dragon USA) Competitors: Matthew Chan, Gavin Chang, Ryan Hung, Evan Liang, Nathan Ma, Kyle Quach, Leo Tuckey

Wushu Nandu Championships The Wushu Nandu Championships were held to encourage Wushu athletes to compete using Nandu (䳮ᓖdifficulty movements) rules, the scoring method akin to gymnastics and figure skating which are used in international Wushu competitions. While almost every Chinese martial arts tournament held in the United States offers Wushu divisions, only team trials adopt Nandu rules, which doesn’t allow athletes much opportunity to compete under these rules. Three prominent former Wushu athletes, Emilio Alpanseque, Brandon Sugiyama and Matt Wong, organized this special showcase event using the 2005 IWUF Rules for International Wushu Taolu Competition. It was a modified event where athletes had to compete with one Bare Hand Routine (Changquan, Nanquan, or Taijiquan) and one Short Weapon Routine (Daoshu, Jianshu, Nandao, or Taijijjian) for a combined total score. Nine certified judges volunteered to support the effort: three A level: Justin Eggert, Han Xiaomin and Gao Jie; three B level: Emilio Alpanseque, Brandon Sugiyama and Matt Wong; and three C level: Brenda Hatley, Li Zheng and Colvin Wang. The competitors were divided by gender and age (17 and under, 18 and over). This event served as a qualifier for next year’s U.S. Universaide Team. Wushu will make its debut as a medal sport in the 2017 Universaide, which will be held in August in Taipei, Taiwan.

Wushu Nandu Men’s Champion: Brandon Chan Competitors: Nathan Andrus-Hughes, Ryan Tang Women’s Champion: Stephanie Lim Girl’s Champion: Samantha Lin Competitor: Jacqueline Wong Boy’s Champion: Benson Lim Competitor: Wallace Lim 16 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

C o m i n g N e x t Ye a r

SPRING 2017 - San Jose, CA

ow in its 7th year, the WildAid Tiger Claw Championship continues to be the flagship showcase division for the Tiger Claw Elite Championships. It is the only place where Taekwondo L-R: WildAid Kid Tiger Champion (11 & under) President Jonny Oh presented Marisa Malto, WildAid Kid Tiger Champion (12-17) WildAid’s Program Assistant competitors Ian Lim, & WildAid Tiger Claw Champion Yujie Li. Natalie Lake with a donation can compete with check for $2000. Chinese-style competitors; however, Taekwondo gave up trying last year. The WildAid Tiger Claw Championship is hosted by our charitable branch, the Tiger Claw Foundation. All proceeds from this event are donated to WildAid, an international organization working to end the illegal wildlife trade within our lifetimes. The WildAid Tiger Claw Championship was launched in 2010 for the last Year of the Tiger, and at the beginning all proceeds were specifically earmarked for tigeroriented projects. However, the mission of WildAid is so vast that now the donation supports WildAid’s overall efforts. Numerous celebrities have given their support to WildAid such as Sir Richard Branson, Harrison Ford, Jane Goodall, Li Bingbing, Yao Ming, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and many others. In our July+August 2010 issue, Jackie Chan was the cover master and he spoke about his dedication to WildAid’s cause. This year, the WildAid Kid Tiger Championships were perpetuated after being launched last year. This resulted in the most competitors ever as the championship continues to grow. The Junior WildAid Kid Tiger Championship was won by Marisa Malto who performed a modified Tongzigong. Tongzigong has been an issue in the general rings because it is really a form of qigong, and doesn’t quite fit within the parameters defined by the rules. However, the WildAid Tiger Claw Championship is “any style, any form” – someone could compete with Capoeira or Parkour if they wanted to – so here it was completely acceptable. Marissa is a student of Master Sun Guoming. Ian Lim won the WildAid Kid Tiger for the second year in a row. Last year, he won the Junior; this year, he advanced to the senior. He is a student of Master Yu Zhenlong, the 2013 WildAid Tiger Claw Champion. Last year, another of Yu’s students, Leland Zhang, won the senior WildAid Kid Tiger for a clean sweep of the first WildAid Kid Tiger divisions by Kung Fu Dragon USA. Ian also won the Monkey Kid championship this year. The WildAid Tiger Claw Champion was won by Li Yujie with an impressive rendition of Taiji Fan. This marks the first time that the WildAid Tiger Claw Championship has been won with an internal style form. Li is a student of Master Gao Jiamin.

18 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

WildAid Tiger Claw Champion: Yujie Li (US Wushu Center) Competitors: Brandon Curtis, Weixiang Ji, Wes Letioa, Yandong Peng, Vivian Tam, Kathy Yang, Jian Qiang Zhang

WildAid Kid Tiger (12–17): Ian Lim (Kung Fu Dragon USA) Competitors: Lexi Bustamante, Benson Lin, Samantha Lin, Sydney Tsai, Jessica Wang, Shawn Xu, Chuyue Zhang, Joe Zhang, Leland Zhang

WildAid Kid Tiger (11 & under): Marisa Malto (Sun’s Kung Fu Academy) Competitors: Annette Au, Yuxian Bai, Amulya Harish, Avril Ho, Eric Hou, Iris Huang, Alex Lu, Max Lwin, Daniela Marcel, Elyse Nguyen, Zand Ort, Aidan Shiao, Ryan Shiao, Evan Tang, Jason Tang, Andy Wang, Ava Yu, Harrison Zhang, Max Zhao

WHEN THE BUYING STOPS, THE KILLING CAN TOO.

After the competition, Tiger Claw President Jonny Oh and Associate Publisher Gene Ching presented WildAid’s Program Assistant Natalie Lake with a donation check for $2000. This represents the sum of the $50 entrance donations from 38 competitors ($1900) plus $100 added by Tiger Claw for a nice round donation.B

“One elephant is killed every 15 minutes for its ivory. You have the power to make DGL̆HUHQFH´ –LI BINGBING, CHINESE ACTRESS

For more information on WildAid, visit their website at www.wildaid.org.

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 19

Grandmaster Bae brought his expert team of fellow masters and grandmasters. The Co-Tournament Director was Master Tony Merafuentes and the Event Director was Master Taeho Kim. Sitting on the Tournament Organizing Committee were four noted Bay Area Grandmasters: Grandmasters Hyun K. Choi, Grandmaster Sang U. Jin, Grandmaster Jun C. Yoon, Grandmaster Jin S. Shim. Accordingly, the 4th Annual Tiger Claw Elite Taekwondo Championship is allied with Santa Cruz Open held in early March, American TKD Open held in late March, Bay Area Open held in early September and Silicon Valley Open held in late September. These cooperative competitions form a Taekwondo circuit in the Bay Area, where schools support each other’s events to foster a stronger community overall. This sort of model exists in the Karate circles as well, but not so much in the realm of Chinese martial arts. Being an Olympic sport gives Taekwondo more prestige and a stronger judging pool. Unlike the American competitions for Chinese martial arts where judges are subjectively appointed volunteers, Taekwondo judges must be certified as every significant competition is a potential feeder into the Olympics. At the Tiger Claw Elite Taekwondo Championship, all of the judges are certified USAT and WTF referees. They use smart tablet scoring systems that enter directly into computers at the judging tables with results displayed on big-screen monitors beside each ring. It’s a lot more formal than the Chinese martial arts, and certainly an aspiration when the Chinese community becomes strong enough to support such expenses. Judges wear jackets and ties. Even coaches must follow a dress code. They are prohibited from wearing jeans, shorts, tank-tops, hats, caps, or slippers while on the tournament floor or coaching a competitor. This complies with the official USAT dress code and is strictly enforced. Should Wushu ever become an Olympic event, this level of formality would be mandatory, so it is a good opportunity for the Chinese martial arts community to see how it is done. B

For more information on Grandmaster Bae and his school, visit the Palo Alto Martial Arts website at www.baetkd.com.

20 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Tiger CLaw Elite TKD 95-2016TCETD:$12.99 Tiger CLaw Elite Monkey 95-2016TCEM:$12.99 Tiger CLaw Elite Tiger 95-2016TCETG:$12.99

8th Annual Kung Fu Tai Chi Day T-shirt. 95-2016KFD: $12.99

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International Calls:

T

he 5th Annual KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY moved from San Jose’s downtown Plaza de Cesar Chavez park to inside the San Jose McEnery Convention Center’s South Hall. While the park always gave this event more of a street fair feel, the move happened just in time. The unseasonable downpour on Saturday gave way to a blustery Sunday; and had the event been held in the park, participants would have been subjected to chilly winds all day. At noon, the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship gave way for KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY with its red ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches from guest dignitaries including Deputy Consul General Cha, Liyou (ḕ・৻࢟ᙫ亶һ), longtime supporter State Assemblyman Kansen Chu, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the United States Department of Commerce Ro Khanna. Following this was the Group Simplified 24 Tai Chi routine recital. Over 500 T-shirts were sold prior to the event (groups that pre-purchased T-shirts had their name printed on the back of the shirt). This year, the leaders of the recital were three of the world’s most successful Tai Chi champions: Master Gao Jiamin a.k.a. “The Tai Chi Queen,” Master Wu Amin a.k.a. “The Tai Chi Princess” and 3-time World Champion Master Zou Yunjian, who was also our cover 22 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

master for the July+August 2013 issue. A short awards ceremony followed, and then the performances began. Jeff Lin returned to coordinate the performances, and the show ran smoothly and more or less on schedule. While the performances were going on, four free workshops were held. First was Master Gao Jiamin leading a workshop on the Taiji 42 Competition Routine. Second was Master Yang Jun, the inheritor of Yang Tai Chi and our May+June 2015 cover master. He held a workshop on traditional Yang Style Taijiquan. After that was Master Chen Bing (nicknamed “Tai Chi Almighty”), who was featured on our November+December 2013 cover. He led a workshop on Chen Style Taijiquan. And finally, Master Zou Yunjian ran a workshop on the Chen Style Taijiquan 56 Competition Routine. The workshops were informal, held predominantly in Mandarin, and attracted a healthy crowd of enthusiasts. Next year marks the 25th Anniversary of Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine. We have already begun production on what we hope will be a landmark event. As soon as we have dates, we’ll announce it here and across all of our web platforms. Stay tuned and get ready to mark your calendars!

2016 KUNG FU TAI CHI DAY Performances Kung Fu Dragon Group (⿚喽࣏ཛ), Leader Yu Zhenlong (Ҿᥟ喽) Two-Handed Sword (ৼ᡻ࢁ) by Shi Yanyue (䟻ᔦᛖ) YMAA Retreat Center, Leader Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming (ᶘ‫׺‬᭿) • Shuang Jian (Double Short Rods) – Kathy Yang, Michelle Lin • Si Lu Ben Zha (Four Ways of Running and Smashing) – Quentin Lopes • Taiji Jian (Taiji Sword) – Nicholas Yang • Zong He (Jumping Crane) – Jonathan Chang • Tai Chi - Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming (ᶘ‫׺‬᭿) American Chen Taiji Society Group, Leader Tony Wong • Taiji Dao • Chen Style Hunyuan Tai Chi Quan Shuai Jiao (᪄䀂) by Dr. Daniel Weng (㗱ஏ‫)؞‬ Chen Style Taiji Quan by Chen Bing (䲣⛣) Heart-Mind Fist (⎸䚉ᤣ) by Grandmaster Liang Shou-Yu (ằᆸ⑍) Heart Sword Fist Form (ᗳࢁ) by Professor Wang Peikun (⦻ษ䥅) Monkey Style by Monkey King Champion Ding Wei (б‫)ٹ‬ Taiji Fan for Health by Wu Amin (੤䱯᭿) Taiji Guandao by Yan Li, American Chen Taiji Association Taiji by Benson Lin – 18-Wushu Nandu Champion (O-Mei Academy) Chen Style Tai Chi by Mike Ng Tai Chi Ruler (ཚᶱቪ) by Zhang Xingyi (ᕥᱏа) Dragon Rhythm Shaolin Kung Fu Group, Leader Yuan Long (㺱嗉) Traditional Yang Taiji 27 Forms by Pan Shuming (█⁩᰾) Tai Chi 40 Form Group (40 ᔿཚᾥᤣ) by De Yang Tai Chi, Leader Liu Yuke (ࢹ⦹⧲) Fu Style Tai Chi (‫∿ڵ‬ཚᶱᤣ) by Liang Keming (ằ‫ݻ‬᰾) Hunyuan Tai Chi Bang (ཚᶱἂ) by Bryant Fong (ᯩഭ⪷) Pak Mei Nine Step Push (ⲭⴹᤣ - ҍ↕᧘) by Francis Tran Tai Chi Fan by WildAid Tiger Claw Champion Li Yujie (ᵾᖗᶠ) Zhao Bao Taiji (䏉๑ཚᾥᤣ) by USA Tai Chi Culture Association, Leader Wayne Peng Hung Gar Double 3-section steel whip by Michael Goodwin (Hung Gar Kungfu Association) Hung Gar Tiger Crane by Donald Hamby Bagua by Rosa Trenado Fanzi Quan (㘫ᆀᤣ) by Zheng Dongyang (䝝ߜ䲭) (Shaolin Shaolin Martial Arts) China Taichi Kung Fu (ѝ഻ཚᾥ࣏ཛ), Leader Zhu Bi-Sheng (ᵡ⻗⭏) • Tai Chi Fan - Wes Letioa • Kung Fu Empty Hand - Ben Heng • Lu He Ba Fa - Zhu Bi-Sheng Duilian – Sacramento Tong Xin Taichi Association (਼ᗳཚᶱ) Sun Taiji by Victor Migalchan Chen Family Taijiquan Open Form by Bosco Baek (ⲭ᢯ଢ) (Chen Bing Tai Chi Academy) OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 23

Participating Groups in 2016 Simplified Tai Chi Recital American Chen Taiji Society (㖾഻䲣ᔿཚᾥᤣ㚟ᴳ) Amin Tai Chi (੣䱯᭿ཚᶱ), Leader Amin Wu Chen Bing Taiji Academy (㖾ഭ䱸⛣ཚᶱ䲒), Leader Bosco Baek China Tai Chi Kung Fu (ѝ഻ཚᾥ࣏ཛ), Leader Wes Letioa C K Tai Chi (伋⠅ཚᶱ), Leader Connie Kwan Chinese C. Z. Kung Fu Institute (㖾ഭ⍋ᵹ⸦ѝॾՐ㔏↖ᵟॿՊ) De Yang Tai Chi (ᗧ䲭ཚᾥᤣ䲺ࢹ⦹⧲㘱ᑛ), Leader Lily Liu Fremont Lakeside Taichi (㨢㫉⒆⮄ཚᾥ䲺), Leader He Ning Hayward San Lorenzo Community Center Tai Chi Club (ই⚓ཚᾥ㷣㶲) Jing Cai Tai Chi Team (й㰙ᐲ㋮᡽ཚᾥ䲺), Leader Emily Lee Jang’s Tai Chi Gang (䝝аᐶ↖ᆨ䲒) Ming Kong Tai Chi (᰾オཚᾥ伺⭏঄ᴳ), Leader Jeff Lin Mike J. Ng Tai Chi & Bagua Institute (ԽՏᶠཚᶱ‫ޛ‬খޫ⭏ᆖ䲒) O-Mei Academy (ጘ፻ᆖ䲒), Leader Zou Yunjian Ohlone Tai Chi Qigong Club, Leader May Chen Sacramento Tong Xin Taichi Association (⋉࣐㔵ᓖ਼ᗳཚᶱᤣ৻Պ) San Francisco Fitness Tai Chi (й㰙ᐲ‫ڕ‬億ཚᾥᤣ䲺օ᳹ᶡ㘱ᑛ) San Jose Tai Chi Mantis (൓㧿㾯ཚᾥ伺⭏঄ᴳ/ཚᾥ㷣㶲䲺), Leader Jeffery Fung Stockton International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Yang Chengfu Center, Leader Ray Tom and Bing Hui Synergy Tai Chi (ᙍ啺㹼‫ڕ‬ằ‫ݻ‬᰾㘱ᑛ), Leader Keming-Liang Tai Chi Yuen (ཚᾥ৻㕈Ӫ), Leader Rose Yuen SF Recreation Club, Leader Philip Lim Oakland YMCA, Leader Susan Sperber US Health Qigong & Taichi Wellness Association (㖾഻‫ڕ‬䓛≓࣏ཚᾥ伺⭏ᴳઘ␁㣜㘱ᑛ), Leader Shufen Zhou SF Recreation Club, Leader Philips Lim YMAA Retreat Center (ὺ∿↖㰍঄ᴳ࣐ᐎ⢩䁃ѝᗳ), Leader Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming

24 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 25

KUNGFUMAGAZINE.COM STAFF: Publisher: Gigi Oh Associate Publisher: Gene Ching Graphic Artists: Kevin Ho, Patrick Lugo Videographer: Jason Chang IT: Matt Ng Copy Editor: Gary Shockley

TIGER CLAW STAFF: Founder: Thomas Oh President: Jonny Oh Joan Chien, Joan Ku, Manny Melendez, Kevin Melendez, Chris Lewin, Isabel Oh, Jennifer Oh, Manny Berber

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Ervic Aquino, Kwangil Bae, Chen Fei, Gene Ching, Kansen Chu, Jeff Lin, Gigi Oh, Jonny Oh, Christopher Pei, Grace Yan, Wu Bin, James Yu

ARBITRATORS: Wang Peikun, Liang Shou-Yu, Bryant Fong, Johnny Jang

RING MANAGERS: Miguel Carrasco, Ryan Chen, Crystal Craig, Alan Garcia, Jennifer Oh, Robert Reyes

HEAD JUDGES: Emilio Alpanseque, Chen Fei, He Tao, Dailuong Ho, Emily Lee, Mingyang Li, Keming Liang, Wayne Peng Wen, Grace Yan, Janny Wu, Grace Wu-Monnat, Xu Dezheng, Ke Yuan, Ben Zhang

NANDU JUDGES: Emilio Alpanseque, Justin Eggert, Gao Jie, Han Xiaomin, Brenda Hatley, Brandon Sugiyama, Colvin Wang, Matt Wong, Li Zheng

JUDGES: Emilio Alpanseque, Jonathan Chang, Linda Chao, Fei Chen, Yanguo Chen, Carlos Diaz, Liang Ding, Wei Ding, Hui Du, Bryant Fong, Lei Gao, Timothy A Griswold, Donald Hamby, Randy Harper, Tao He, Xiao Dong He, Dai Luong Ho, Thomas Hsieh, Connie Kwan, Lily Li, Sam Li, Zheng Li, Keming Liang, Michelle Lin, Dong Liu, Yaguang Liu, Rui Kuan Ma, John Palmer, Lynn Palmer, Wayne Peng, Salvador Redner, Jinyong Ren, Ron Roman, Ron Shewmaker, Jerry Silva, Guoming Sun, Francis Nghi Kien Tram, Peter An Duc Tram, Rosa Trenado, Shuh-Hai Wong, Chun Tong Wu, Hai Yan Wu, Mingan Wu, Wilson Wu, Grace Wu-Monnat, Cuiping Xia, Hongzheng Xiao, Dexheng Xu, Liying Xu, Grace Yan, Larry (Lawrence) Young, Frank Zaremba, Ben Zhang, Ensong Zhang, Haichuan Zhao, Ke Zhao, Dongyang Zheng, Yingjie Zhou

VOLUNTEERS: Douglas Boele, Miguel Carrasco, Jonathan Chang, Dennis Chen, Ryan Chen, Yiping Chen, Yu Ping Chen, Crystal Craig, Alan Garcia, Martha Hertanu, Sean Hung, Sherina Hung, Jason Kanemoto, Vivian Kurashima, Leslie Kwan, Jennifer Lam, Michael Lam, Rachel Lin, Yan Lin, Adam Niebylski, Ian Renfro, Robert Reyes, Varun Singh, Justin Yee, Katy Yu, Emily Zhao, Yi Rui Zhao

SUPERVISORS: Yuping Chen, Joan Chien, Martha Hertanu, Xue Li, Joan Ku, Jennifer Lam, Yan Lin, Jennifer Oh

DRAGON CREW: Rich Anderson, Paul Blair, Raven Burton, Lucas Cendejas, Melissa Do, Andrew Emmert, Dave Hardy, Jeff Hung, Kuga Pence, Ti Pence, Edgar Puga, Hoel Ranier, Mark Rodriguez, Manh-Tong Tran, Nesto Vineagra, Lori White

BAD ASS BUNNY PRODUCTIONS: Director: Greg Lynch Cameramen: Mark Maggi, Gary Shockley

WILDAID: Natalie Lake, Michael Mazotti, Lisa Wilson

TECH SUPPORT: Ryan Chen and the Chen Clan

26 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 27

Taiji Champion Cynthia Simmons

Short Sleeve Silk 11-19K Black 11-19W White 11-19R Red Sizes: XS-XL $92.49 - $101.99

Champion Peter Dang

Long Sleeve Silk 11-18K Black 11-18W White 11-18R Red Sizes: XS-XL $94.99 - $104.49

Tiger Claw’s Oriental Henley

TCEC Champion Samson Lee

White: 11-11W $18.99 - $22.79 Black: 11-11K $19.99 - $23.79 Sizes: CHS - XXL

Southern Style 100% Silk

11-20K Black 11-20W White 11-20R Red Sizes: XS, S, M - $92.49 Sizes: L & XL - $101.99

Light Weight Kung Fu/ Tai Chi Pants

Tiger Claw’s Oriental Dragon Henley White Dragon on Black 11-11KSP Silver Dragon on Black 11-11KSS Black Dragon on White 11-11WSP

*Sheer fabric (man made cotton) *Elastic waistband with additional drawstring *Elastic cuffs *One side pocket

Sizes: 0-8 L11-17

$14.99 - $18.79 Gold Medalist at The 3rd WJWC Joana Pei

Sashes

Made of high quality satin for bold non-fade colors. (4” x 120”) All colors $7.99

Sash Colors:

Sizes: CHS - XXL $24.99 - $28.79

Gold: 45-31D, Red: 45-31R, Green: 45-31G, Blue: 45-31U Brown: 45-31N, Yellow: 45-31Y Orange: 45-31O, Purple: 45-31P Black: 45-31K, White: 45-31W Light Green: 45-31LG Light Brown: 45-31LN Light Yellow: 45-31LY

Traditional Style (w/ White Cuff)

The top is tailored with traditional loop and knot closure. The pants have an elastic waistband and drawstring as well as elastic around the ankles.

Traditional Style Complete SET 11-15 Black w/White Cuffs (set) Sizes 00–8 $29.99 - $46.62 Top Only 11-15T Black w/White Cuffs (top) Sizes 00–8 $22.49 - $39.59

Master Dennis Brown

Pants Only 11-17 Black (pants) Sizes 000–8 $17.99 - $32.49

Traditional Style (ALL Black)

Traditional Style Complete SET 11-16 All Black (set) Sizes 00–8 $29.99 - $46.62

Gold Medalist at the 10th WWC Alfred Hsing

Top Only 11-16T All Black (top) Sizes 00–8 $21.99 - $39.57 Pants Only 11-17 Black (pants) Sizes 000–8 $17.99 - $32.49

Shaolin Style Warrior Monk Robes (RAYON SILK) S, M, L, XL Complete set includes top, pants, oversocks, leg bindings and bag. Grey Disciple Robe 45-001G: $78.99

Black w/ Red Trim Interloop Kung Fu Top This Poly-Cotton top features “fighting” half sleeves excellent for sparring practice. It also has an authentic mandarin-style collar with a genuine loop and knot closure, reinforced for durability - the original Chinese zipper.

White Interloop Kung Fu Top

11-14KT White w/ Black Trim Sizes: 000-7 $29.99 - $46.62

Orange Monk Robe (not shown) 45-001O: $78.99 Wushu “A” Team member Kelly Kim

Shaolin Monk Shi Yanran

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11-14RT White w/ Red Trim Sizes: 000-7 $29.99 - $46.62 TCEC Champion Ashley Churchill

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Toad Style Vegan Restaurant

WEB FU

Female Rafting Guides Study Shaolin Kung Fu In the tradition of Kung Fu Stewardesses (mentioned here in the last issue), female rafting guides have begun training in Kung Fu. Both the White Swan Rafting Rescue Team from Yuxi Gorge in Henan Province, and the Goddess Lifesavers’ at Gulongxia Rafting in Guangdong Province posed in T-shirts, shorts and bikinis while training with Shaolin monks. The publicity photos went globally viral. Not to be outdone, Chen ©ecns.cn Style Tai Chi Master Wu Jianhua also did a waterside photo shoot with a group of attractive women at Shiyan Lake in Hunan Province. However, those women were in traditional silk uniforms and were not rafting guides so the promotion was not nearly as effective.

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?42124-Ihate-training-with-women&p=1293236#post1293236

In deference to the Toad article appearing in this issue (see page 78), Toad Style is a Kung Futhemed vegan restaurant in Brooklyn, New York that was posted in our ‘Kung Fu Restaurant’ online ©bkmag.com forum thread. The thread spans 11 pages (over 150 posts) of various martial arts-themed restaurants like the Kung Fu Noodle and Kung Fu Tea franchises, the controversial Kung Fu Saloon in Texas, the San Francisco Bay Area’s Kung Fu Taco and Dojo Dog food trucks, China’s Real Kung Fu fast-food chain that illegally uses Bruce Lee’s image, the Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas, a few slightly off topic Ninja Sushi joints, and many more.

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread. php?51971-Kung-Fu-Restaurant

Thailand’s Tiger Temple busted for Tiger trade Thailand’s famous Tiger Temple, which for years has acted as a Buddhist-run sanctuary for tigers, was raided for animal trafficking. The temple has been in operation for fifteen years, and operated by charging tourists to feed and take selfies with tigers. Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation discovered 40 tiger cubs in the freezer, and three monks were charged with smuggling tiger skins and charms. Over eighty tigers have been removed from the temple; another fifty still remained at this writing.

Renhuai Park, Guizhou Province Renhuai Park is a 300 acre municipal park in Guizhou planted with 81 species of plants and flowers arranged in a massive Daoist Bagua symbol. The spectacular image can only be seen from the air.

©Chinanews.com

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread. php?56784-Daoism&p=1293800#post1293800

In our May+June 2015 issue, we ran an article by Dax Howard titled Hit Tiger: no really, go hit that tiger, which revealed Howard’s experiences as a volunteer at the temple, working with the tigers. Howard is a Tai Chi practitioner and freelance contributor to our publications. He stated on his facebook page that he saw no evidence of wrongdoing when he was there, but confessed that he wasn’t surprised given the level of poverty that the administrators endured. Zhang Hexian of Ninghai, Zhejiang Province, went viral when images and video showed the nonagenarian practicing Kung Fu. The images stemmed http://www.kungfumagazine. from Qiangjiang Evening News report, including video of her practicing staff com/forum/showthread. with her son, 53-year-old Feng Chuanyin. Zhang claims to study her family php?57416-WildAid-Tiger-Clawstyle. She is in excellent health and avoids doctors and health care products, Champion&p=1294006#post1294006 claiming her Zhang family Kung Fu is the source of her longevity and vitality.

Zhang Hexian, a 93-year old Grandma, Wins the Web in May

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?57037-Give-it-upto-the-elderly!!!!!&p=1293971#po st1293971

©womenofchina.cn

30 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Exclusive articles that appeared on KungFuMagazine.com during May and June 2016 Ving Tsun’s Devastating Chi Kwan: One Sound- One Hit - Fight Over! by Greg Brundage

The Silk Road Kung Fu Friendship Tour Part 12: Interview with Yazmyrat Annamyradov & a visit to the National Turkmen Kurash (traditional wrestling) Training Center by Greg Brundage

World Tai Chi Qigong Day livestream

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR - the ABC’s of a Battle Royale by Patrick Lugo

Interview with Fumio Demura on THE REAL MIYAGI by david j. moore

Living as a Foreign Disciple in the Mountains of Songshan Shaolin by Chris Friedman

Prizes awards from the KungFuMagazine.com Online Sweepstakes May and June 2016. No purchase necessary to enter. Five winners are awarded for each prize.

The Good, the Tough, and the Deadly: Action Stars and Their Movies by david j. moore

Kong Han Ngo Cho Kun autographed by Henry Lo and Daniel Kun Will

Simplified Tai Chi 48 on DVD autographed by Helen Liang

Return to the Mountain: A Taiji Journey on DVD

Rise of the Legend on DVD

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 31

By Violet Li Ren Gang Wang

Richard Clear (Standing).

Ken Lo (photo by David Ritchie).

掤-

pronounced peng, is the first element of the Tai Chi Thirteen Postures. Its martial function is warding-off. But peng is more than an offensive energy; it should permeate the entire body and make a practitioner feel energetic, full, expanded but not heavy. Some people describe it as a feeling of buoyancy. It should be omnipresent in all postures. Without peng, there can be no self-defense. A person with abundant peng energy acquires an aura that others can feel. Formerly known as the Zhang San Feng Festival, founded by Grandmaster Jou Tsung-Hwa, Tai Chi Gala is organized by Jou’s only disciple Sifu Loretta Wollering. 2016 Tai Chi Gala was held in Albany, New York, on June 4–6. Close to 200 Tai Chi and Chinese internal martial art aficionados from dozens of states attended the event. In addition to the U.S. attendees, there were participants from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Europe. With thoughtful planning, 23 workshops covered a wide-range of topics regarding Chinese internal arts. By request, sessions on “Using Herbal Medicine for Healing” by Ms. Edna Mieles, “Using Over-The-Counter Chinese Herbs for Colds, Flu, Allergies, and Others” by Sifu Dale Dugas, and “Cha Dao” (a unique tea tasting ceremony of four rare Chinese teas) by Tea Master and Sifu Ken Lo were presented. 32 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

The various internal martial arts sessions included curricula on Chen Tai Chi, Yang Tai Chi, Sun Tai Chi, Da Cheng Chuan, Yiquan, Baguazhang, and Wu Mei Pai Kung Fu. Due to last year’s successful introduction of Chen style’s Silk Reeling (or Spiraling) routines, I taught a short Chen style form, bai si fang, to enthusiastic participants. I-Liq Chuan, founded by Master Lik Keong Chin 40 years ago, trains awareness of center of gravity in oneself as well as one’s opponent and how to balance the Yin and Yang muscles during Push Hands. It was presented for the first time by lineage holder Sifu Sam Chin and his family. Attendees were fascinated by its theory and training method, and both classes (“The Upper Hand Process” and “The Yin/ Yang Muscles with Balances & Sticky Energy”) were well received. As the nation’s population ages, interest in learning Tai Chi, Qigong, and other internal arts for health benefits is on the rise. The majority of Tai Chi Gala participants are Tai Chi and Qigong instructors, some with decades of teaching experience. To serve its constituents and broaden the topic of healing arts, the 2016 Tai Chi Gala offered “Self Healing for the Lower Back” by Sifu Donald Wong, “Chinese Yoga with Healing Qi” by Sifu Jian Ye Jiang, “Five Circles: Master Key to Healing and Power” by Dr. John Painter, “Yin Yang Medical Qigong” by Sifu Jian Ye Jiang, “Yiquan’s Zhan Zhuang Meditation” by Sifu Ren Gang Wang, and “Introduction to Sun style Tai Chi” by Avi Schnerier.

Photos by David Richie.

John Painter

Violet Li

Sam Chin

Workshops at the 2016 Tai Chi Gala followed three main tracks: life nurturing, theory and techniques, and Push Hands. Despite their apparent differences, all shared the common thread of qi. Push Hands expert Sifu Richard Clear talked about comprehensively building and using qi (life energy), yi (intent), jing (martial energy), and developing a powerful root. His class emphasized the importance of peng energy, as did Sifu Ren Gang Wang’s “Da Cheng Quan and Yiquan,” Dr. Painter’s “Taiji Martial Arts Secrets of Crossing the Great River,” Sifu Dale Dugas’ “Complete Iron Palm, Inside and Out,” Sifu Ken Lo’s “Circular Patterns of Wu Mei Pai Kung Fu,” and my “Silk Reeling” workshop. Sifu Avi Schneier offered “Advanced Cheng Man-Ch’ing Form’s Correction” and made hands-on adjustments to fully exercise attendees’ peng energy. Sifu Stephen Watson took a philosophical approach; combining Qigong and Push Hands together, he urged practitioners to whole-heartedly greet their opponents with peng energy. Peng energy is not limited to martial arts practice. With hundreds of martial artists (mostly men) gathered together, one might expect a high testosterone level, especially in late evening (even past midnight), as scores of people continued pushing hands outside regular classes. But despite a high energy level, there was no combative or competitive atmosphere. Egos were checked. Sifus were role models.

Loretta Wollering

They listened to each other attentively and gave others sincere advice. Sifus Ken Lo and Richard Clear participated in Sifu Sam Chin’s classes. Since they are all Push Hands masters, their interactions helped students understand exactly how the I-Lig system works. In the hallway, Sifu Douglas Wong freely emitted qi to treat participants with knee or neck problems. Other sifus patiently explained theory or techniques to students outside the classroom and diagnosed body alignment issues with their practice. Attendees exchanged notes and shared knowledge freely. Master Lian Jie Zheng is a prominent artist from China currently residing in New York City. Internationally renowned for his Chinese calligraphy, abstract brush paintings, sculptures, large art installations, performancebased art, photography, and filmmaking, he was amazed by the enthusiasm and passion of participants and worked tirelessly over the long weekend to photograph and film the Gala’s peng energy. B

Violet Li is a 12th generation Chen style Tai Chi Inheritor, indoor disciple of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, certified Tai Chi instructor, and columnist for Tai Chi and Qigong. For more information about the Tai Chi Gala, visit taichigala.com OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 33

T he 7th New Jersey International Wushu-Kungfu Tournament T he

7th New Jersey International WushuKungfu Tournament was held on May 29, 2016 at Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event was organized by Zhao Changjun Wushu Academy. Master Zhao Changjun (䎥䮯ߋ) is one of the most decorated wushu champions ever. From the late ‘70s to the late ‘80s, Zhao captured ten individual all-around titles in national and international events. He has earned 54 gold medals and has demonstrated in five continents for over thirty countries. Zhao is undeniably one of the greatest wushu masters of all time. The tournament was not widely promoted because Zhao and his wife were in Shaanxi China for most of April due to personal reasons. Just by word of the mouth, over 200 competitors from more than twenty schools participated, including students from Zhao’s two schools in Mooretown and Princeton. Zhao’s teacher Grandmaster Bai Wenxiang served as the Chief Judge and Zhao’s wife Ma Jun was the Secretary-General. The Vice Chairmen were Haijun Hu, Sam Zhang, Changchun Zhang, Michael Stone, Jack Guo and Christopher Pei. Among the judges and VIPs were Sitan Chen, Jack Guo, Guifeng Zhang, Bangjun Jiang, Ginger Jiang, Sam Zhang, and Wayne Peng. A 5-member team from the Shaanxi Hongquan Cultural Studies (䲅 㾯㓒ᤣ᮷ॆ⹄ウՊ) led by Master Shao Zhiyong (㓽Ცࣷ) came for competitions and culture exchange.

34 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

By Gigi Oh with Zhao Xiaohu

“I moved to the Unites States for about 10 years,” said Master Zhao. “I would like to give a platform to promote Wushu. There is not that many competitions around here [in the East Coast]. The other professional martial artists have the same idea, so we decided to start one in 2010. I’ve never held a competition in China. We think that, through the competition, the students can increase their competitive skills. Due to the language problems, my wife is the mastermind behind this. Several people have the professional training but lack English language skills. It was very hard in the beginning. Now it’s much smoother. This year is the first year at Atlantic City. The venue was better than at high school gym. It was more prestigious, didn’t need floor work, just adding ring tape. I still don’t have the manpower or ability to hold a large international event yet. Maybe later after we gain more experience, we will consider it. “I like the idea of promoting our three tournaments together. [Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship, New Jersey International Wushu-Kungfu Tournament and Coach Christopher Pei’s U. S. Challenge which will be held on Oct. 8, 2016.] These three individual tournaments each has its own flavor, yet work together to draw more attention to the Chinese Martial Art aficionados. I attended the Tiger Claw Elite KungFuMagazine.com Championship the week before my tournament and was very impressed by the number of competitors that attended and its efficiency.” Ma Jun added, “When we decided to move to the Atlantic City, we had three main concerns to choose the hotel: children, parents, and the competition [floor size]. Among all the casinos the Trump Taj Mahal had the largest ballroom, enough for a large stage plus four rings, and it still has room to grow. Also it has its own entrance. Kids have their amusement park and don’t need to pass through casino. It was a little far for some schools to attend. And it cost more but for the Memorial holiday, it was good for the families to come out to have some fun together.”B

For more information on Zhao Changjun and his events, see Zhaochangjun.net/ch.

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Even though Chinese martial arts have moved away from real weapons, and most weapons are too medieval to carry on the street anymore, there is value in the perpetuation of weapons practice. Many aspects of traditional culture have become obsolete, but to dismiss it entirely is foolish. Forms have evolved over generations of practitioners and they continue to evolve today. Another major criticism is aimed at the current generation who have focused on forms as performance. And yet, showmanship has long been a part of traditional Chinese martial arts, from classic opera to military examinations in the dynastic periods to street buskers hawking dubious pills and liniments. Nevertheless, performance is more prevalent now. People still need self-defense, but more so by gun than by sword. Technology has a greater impact elsewhere. Today’s generation has access to video, to movies, and to YouTube, all mediums where forms can be showcased on an unprecedented level. Back in feudal times, forms were hidden to conceal their most deadly techniques. Today, they are more prevalent and visible than ever. In days of old, Kung Fu practitioners were mocked for having flowery fists and embroidered legs (hua quan xiu tui 㣡ᤣ㒑㞯), but nowadays, it sure makes for a great YouTube video. Chinese forms are particularly showy, especially with the present trend towards nandu (difficulty movements 䳮ᓖ) in modern Wushu competition.

For the uninitiated, Chinese martial arts forms appear rather abstract. The Chinese term for forms, taolu (྇ 䐟) in Mandarin, has been translated in this magazine before. Nevertheless, translating this term reveals the unique Chinese perspective on forms not shared by other traditional martial arts, so it bears repeating. Taolu is a little tricky to translate. Tao means “case, cover, envelope or wrapper.” Lu is often translated as “road” in the martial arts, which isn’t the best choice but the most common because most streets in China are called lu. A better translation might be “path” or “journey.” The use of taolu is quite distinct when juxtaposed with the terms other styles use for forms. Japanese forms are called kata. This literally means “form.” Japanese borrows many of its written characters from Chinese so when the character for kata is read in Chinese, it is xing (ᖒ), the same xing as in Xingyiquan (ᖒ᜿ᤣ form intention fist). Taekwondo forms are called poomsae; While Korea’s written language is more distinct from Chinese than Japanese characters, the roots of this Korean character trace back to xing too. So in the other two dominant martial cultures, forms are literally called forms. But to the Chinese way of thinking, it alludes to something much greater, the encapsulation of an all-encompassing journey. A taolu is more than something to be applied in the cage or shown off on a web video. A taolu is a moving meditation for lifelong practice.

Jackie Chan sits along side Master Xiao Jiaze, VIPs as a wushu award ceramony

The Two Problems of Forms At 65, Master Xiao Jiaze (㛆ᇦ⌭) is more vibrant than a man half his age. He moves with vitality, bristling with qi, with piercing eyes brimming with what the Chinese call jingqishen (essence, vital force, spirit ㋮≓⾎). He comes to Kung Fu Tai Chi prepared. Many masters are unaccustomed to being interviewed. While there is some celebrity attached to being a Kung Fu master, it’s not like being a professional athlete or a movie star, so some masters are like deer in the headlights, not knowing Young sanda champion Xiao Jiaze. OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 37

how to present themselves before a camera or having any sense of which topics might be interesting for Kung Fu Tai Chi readers. When Master Xiao came in, he had an armful of papers, each addressing different potential topics. It’s all part of a project he has been working on, documenting his knowledge to pass it down to the next generation. Master Xiao knows a lot of forms. He has mastered the triumvirate of internal Kung Fu: Taijiquan, Xingyiquan and Baguazhang. Hailing from the mystic martial mountain of Emei in Sichuan Province, Xiao is quite proficient in the regions indigenous system of Emei Pai (ጘ፻⍮) and favors its Eagle Claw. He also studied Wudang Kung Fu, another Chinese mystic martial mountain; he was a student of the renowned centenarian Grandmaster Lu Zijian (੅㍛ࢁ) from 1993 until he passed in 2012. What's more, Master Xiao also studied Huaquan (㨟ᤣ), Hongquan (㌵ᤣ) and a rare form of long fist known as Zhilimen (ⴤ䳦䰘). That's a lot of forms. As Master Xiao sees it, there are two problems with forms practice today – the desire to make forms prettier and the lack of teacher understanding. Both of these are common criticisms, but Xiao traces these issues back farther than most. For the first problem, he attributes it to the chengyu (literally “fixed sayings” ᡀ䈝). Chengyu are the poetic and idiomatic phrases that are used in 38 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Top Left: Won two Gold Medals as the1st Traditional Wushu Championship 2004. Top Right: with Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei 䱸↓䴧. Bottom Left: with Grandmaster Lu Zijian ੅ ㍛ࢁ. Bottom Right: Grandmaster Wang Shutian ⦻ṁ⭠.

Kung Fu to both describe and label techniques, like when Bruce Lee says, “Movement 34 Dragon seeks path, Dragon whips his tail,” in Return of the Dragon (1972). Xiao elaborates in Mandarin, “They wanted to make it prettier by adding chengyu. Those lyrics are colorful. It makes it feel more sophisticated. ‘Ox looks at the moon (a Taijiquan movement – xi niu wang yue ⢰⢋ᵋᴸ),’ ‘Snake creeps down (another Taijiquan movement – she shen xia shi 㳷䓛лऒ),’ these labels make it more elegant and shifted the emphasis. Even Dong Haichuan (founder of Baguazhang 1797–1882 㪓⎧ᐍ) and Yang Luchan (founder of Yang Taijiquan 1799–1892 ᶘ䵢⾵) were experienced fighters. Taijiquan and Baguazhang came from fighting. These masters knew combat was in taolu. Their students didn’t know. They might not have ever fought. Taolu had a performance element, but even with the beautiful names, there were combat methods in there. Many just learn form and don’t get the combat. Taolu adds linking movements to make it easier, plus training methods. For example, look at raise leg (fen jiao ࠶㞣) in Taijiquan. By itself, it doesn't really have combat applications. But it is a good training method for balance and kicking.”

The lack of teacher understanding is all too prevalent nowadays. In America, strip mall paper tigers abound. But again, Master Xiao sees this problem as originating from an older source. “Often the teacher doesn't have experience and does not understand the content. Taolu should go back to combat, but a lot of teachers have lost that. Old teachers were conservative. There’s a saying “jiao hui tu di, ir shi laoshi (ᮉՊᗂᕏ, 侯↫ᐸ‫)ڵ‬." This means 'teach it all and starve.' Conservative masters only taught the real stuff to their private disciples. They didn't share it with the junior students. Take the movement, 'Tie back coat (lan zha yi ᠂᡾㺓 – note that here, Xiao is referring to a Long Fist technique, not the more commonly attributed Taijiquan movement).’ The

movement in the taolu is thought to be a gesture to pull back a robe, like the long robes that men wore in those days. But the movement actually hides a knee strike. In taolu, you usually see bigger moves, not tighter circles. Only one disciple learned the truth and was told not to share. But they need to practice it too. So how could they practice it if they couldn’t share it with their classmates? In folk styles of Kung Fu or minjian (≁䯃), it is sometimes said that a particular student has juezhao (killing technique 㔍ᤋ). The top disciples may have been taught juezhao, but because it was hidden, kept in secret, they couldn’t practice it. So it is lost. For taolu, we must practice combat all the time, and cross over to other styles to doublecheck validity.

“Tie back coat (lan zha yi ᠂᡾㺓)” from a Long Fist technique. The movement in the taolu is thought to be a gesture to pull back a robe, like the long robes that men wore in those days.

The movement actually hides a knee strike.

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 39

Forms and Fighting It is important to note that Master Xiao is a fighter as well as a forms man. He trained extensively in Kuai Shuai (literally “fast falls” ), a throwing style from Baoding City in Hebei, akin to Judo or Shuai Jiao ( ). He is also involved with Sanda ( ) and has coached several Sanda champion fighters, as well as made a 6-DVD series on China’s modern free-sparring sport. It’s also important to note that despite Xiao’s success in Sanda, he remains critical of it. He’s critical for its lack of forms. “Sanda athletes don’t know taolu. You can’t call Sanda ‘Chinese martial arts.’ It’s just fighting.” It’s a bold statement, but one that he backs with the history of Chinese martial arts competitions. “At the 1927 Nanjing tournament, there were over six hundred competitors. Each contestant competed first with taolu and then on the leitai (the elevated ring upon with sparring matches were fought ᫲ ). Now it is separated, but back then taolu was the qualifying round. The 1928 Hangzhou competition used a similar procedure. In the minjian circles, sparring was called qiangshou (spear hand ). In the 1920s, there were lots of exchanges using qiangshou. But in 1949, the People’s Republic of China separated taolu and Sanda. Now many teachers only teach one or the other. There were three different teaching modes: taolu, Sanda, and taolu and Sanda combined. Now there is a fourth mode: wanquan (play fist ). This just gives the movements. These teachers never fought. It’s pretty but useless, but it’s good for scholars. And now, there’s even a fifth mode – dashou (hit hand ). This is only fighting. “In 1956, the People’s Republic of China began to recover martial arts with taolu competition. In 1981, Sanda competitions started again. Only the minjian practitioners kept fighting all along. Today Sanda and taolu competitions and athletes are separated. And now with nandu, taolu competitors are only required to be higher, faster and more flexible. There’s no combat root and this hurts the body. Professional nandu athletes are only active until age thirty at best. There’s no long-lasting health benefits, not even in competitive Taijiquan. There’s no internal philosophy. The Dao of Taijiquan is gone. Continued on page 42

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Continued from page 40

“The problem for Sanda is that the movements are limited by regulations. Chinese martial arts should be ti da shuai na (kick, punch, throw and lock 䑒ᢃ᪄ ᤯). There's no na , so it’s incomplete. In promoting these new sports, these need to be combined. If Sanda fighters know taolu, their skills would be better. The rules should be adjusted.

The Three Building Blocks of Kung Fu

Master Xiao with Coach Wu Bin at the 2016 Global Fight event at Chengdu.

As Master Xiao sees it, three building blocks are essential in order to define a martial practice as Kung Fu: taolu, gongfa (࣏⌅) and shizhan (ᇎᡈ). The gong in gongfa is the same character as the Kung in Kung Fu; it means “achievement” or “merit.” Fa means “law” or “rules.” Combined, this refers to the method of training to achieve merit. Xiao distinguishes this along two pairs of complimentary principles: internal or external and health or combat. Shizhan means “real fighting” or “true battle.” Master Xiao explains, “Why shizhan instead of boji (strike fight, an old term for combat fighting ᨿࠫ)? Shizhan refers to ancient strategy like battlefield tactics, warfare with troops. It’s village versus village and man versus man, particularly in the bingqi (soldier weaponry ‫ޥ‬ಘ) period. It began with man versus nature. Those survival skills that worked were preserved through practice. Then eventually, they were linked into taolu. Diversity arose from geography. Dimorphic differences between north and south China brought forth different characteristics. Southern styles are closer; Northern styles are open and big. There was little exchange between these different developing systems as they kept passing it down only within their own communities.

“The problem for Sanda is that the movements are limited by regulations. “ Continued on page 44

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Continued from page 42

“In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Qi Jiguang (1529–1588 ᡊ㒬‫ )ݹ‬formalized and documented styles [Note: this refers to Qi’s seminal work New Treatise on Military Efficiency (Jixiao Xinshu 㓚 ᭸ᯠҖ), which cataloged many styles of Chinese martial arts]. In the late Ming, there was Xinyi Liuhe (ᗳ᜿‫ޝ‬ਸ) by Ji Jike (attributed as the founder of Xingyiquan , 1588–1662 လ䳋ਟ). In the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), Dong Haichun offered his Bapanzhang (‫)ᦼⴈޛ‬. These writings set the parameters. They defined internal and external and made distinctions about forms. The imitation styles, both animal and human behavior imitation like drunken style, all emerge around the late Ming and early Qing. Until that time, all styles were strictly for combat.

“Take, for example, Xingyiquan. I can’t say it’s the best, but it’s a good example. In the late Ming, Ji Jike composed the taolu as practice for combat. We say, ‘Your fist is your spear (tuo qiang wei quan 㝡ᷚѪᤣ),' which means your whole body is your spear. Xingyi is not so pretty, but it's simple. It's just fighting. It has produced a lot of champions even today. As we say, 'Half-step bengquan strikes all under heaven (bengquan or ‘splitting fist’ is a fundamental technique of Xingyiquan banbu beng quan da tianxia ॺ↕ፙᤣᢃཙл). “When you are really fighting, you are not limited by style. To be stuck in a frame in a fight is wrong and useless. Fanzi (rotating 㘫ᆀ), Praying Mantis, Choujiao (feet poking ᡣ㞣), all these styles have some very effective techniques, but you must step outside the system and go beyond. Some of the soft internal systems that focus on avoiding, these practitioners should learn something hard too. Hard style practitioners should learn some soft. No one system is best. It depends on when you use it and your understanding. Most of all, it depends on your opponent. Taolu is different depending upon the individual practitioner, when it is learned and how it is used.

44 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

“When you are really fighting, you are not limited by style.“

The Three Take Home Messages of Taolu For Master Xiao, taolu is the cornerstone of authentic Kung Fu. But it can be easily misconstrued unless three simple principles are observed. “First, cut out the excess. Just take the essence. Take the real stuff. Disregard the fake. Nandu is like smoke. It’s insubstantial. Second, take everyone’s good part. Keep the essence of your style, but absorb from others. And third, you must use it for real. Only when you actually use it do you know that it’s real. Erzichan (two finger handstands Ҽᤷ⿚) is hard to use in combat. Smashing stones is great, but smashing humans? Humans don't stand still like a stone.”B For videos of Master Xiao Jiaze demonstrating Bagua Dao and Xingyi Bagua Jian, visit KungFuMagazine.com’s YouTube channel in September. For more, read Mixing Martial Arts: Kung Fu Style by Gene Ching and Gigi Oh in our November+December 2015 issue. There are three additional videos of Master Xiao Jiaze from that 2015 article on the KungFuMagazine.com YouTube channel.

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Southern Kung Fu’s Fighting Bench By Williy Pang Photos by Anthony Ortega 48 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

In

the skillful hands of someone who has practiced hard enough, studied long enough, and is openminded enough in the ways of bing hei (martial arms ‫ޥ‬ಘ), anything can become a weapon. Anything – even a bench.

In Cantonese, dang (ࠣ) means bench or stool. When coupled with particular modifiers, dang will assume very specific meanings. For example, baan dang (ᶯࠣ) is a wooden bench; gou geuk dang (儈㞣ࠣ) is a high chair or bar stool; and, cheung dang (䮧ࠣ) literally means long bench. The form of bench typically associated with Chinese martial arts is the cheung kiu dang (䮧⁻ࠣ), better known as the long bridge bench, or waang tau dang (ₛ九ࠣ) – horizontal head bench. Its fundamental construction was very basic: a wooden plank at least 36 inches long by 8 inches wide that served as the seat, and a pair of angled legs that were fitted into four slots on the plank, raising the seat to a height approximately 18 inches off the ground. Predominantly used during the Qing Dynasty (1644– 1912 CE), this form of seating was an inexpensive means for restaurants to seat multiple patrons at their establishments. The improvised use of a cheung kiu dang as a martial weapon likely began during this time period within the regions of Southern China, most likely by itinerant rebels loyal to the romantic virtues and reestablishment of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE). While weapons were easy to spot, martial skills could be concealed – essentially enabling any commonplace object to be transformed into a lethal weapon. When revolutionary fighters found themselves suddenly set up in a trap or overwhelmingly outnumbered, an inconspicuous piece of furniture such as the bench provided opportunities for urgent escapes and combative surprises. As techniques and tactics were field-tested in various fighting situations, those that were most effective and efficient were organized into formalized martial routines.

Waang tau dang sets can be found within the lineages of a variety of classical Southern Kung Fu systems such as Choy Li Fut (㭑ᵾ֋), Hung Ga (⍚ᇦ), Hung Fut (⍚֋), and the lesser-known Lau Man Paai (⍱≁⍮) – or the Wanderers’ Clan. Although there are fundamental mannerisms in which the bench can be manipulated, a variety of esoteric techniques also appear between different systems and even within coexisting lineages of particular styles. These are often considered signature techniques that serve to distinguish groups from each other and to differentiate martial genealogies from one another within the same paai (clan ⍮), such as hok saang (student ᆨ⭏) from tou dai (disciple ᗂᕏ). For the most part, bench techniques follow the fighting principles of the weaponry within their respective martial systems, namely the gwan (staff ỽ) and dou (broadsword ࠰). Since the staple weapons of many Southern Chinese

martial arts were a long wooden pole and its shorter counterpart the single broadsword, their movements and methods served as a blueprint for the combative usage of unconventional arms and commonplace items. From the staff, the dynamic swings and forceful thrusts of the pole influenced the striking aspects of the bench while the broadsword's powerful parries and multidirectional deflections contributed to the tactic of redirecting attacks from the enemy.

The dang (ࠣ), or bench, like any other weapon, is an extension of one’s extremities and bare-handed techniques.

Anatomy and Apps of the Fighting Bench With the unique design of the dang comes a multitude of ways in which it can be employed. It is typically held by each leg on the same side of the bench closest to their connections to the seat. This gripping method provides the practitioner with greater control of the bench while optimizing its combative potential. From this position, the kiu (seat ⁻) has several components that can be used quite effectively. The ends of the bench are used to thrust into an adversary, quite similar to the techniques of the seung tau gwan (double-ended staff 䴉九ỽ). For more surgical strikes, there is sei gok (ഋ 䀂), literally four corners, which can be used to attack joints or vital targets. Such precise techniques entail strategic setups to create the ideal opportunities for the seat corners to be used in such a manner. On a less refined level, the corners can also be used to gouge soft tissue, causing enough pain to distract or discourage an OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 49

adversary from continuing any further. Depending on the experience and skill level of the practitioner, the sides of the seat can assume predominantly defensive maneuvers or proactive counters. When the seat is held vertically, it provides enough cover to protect the practitioner’s seung mun (upper gate к䮰) and jung mun (middle gate ѝ䮰), which house an individual’s head and torso. Such parries establish the foundation for the offensively energetic expression of mo (᪙), a scraping action that is meant to strip the skin raw so that the painful sting may prevent any further advances from a foe. The geuk (legs 㞣) of the bench maintain a different fighting methodology from the seat. To ward off a barrage of attacks from multiple assailants, swift sweeping motions vertically, horizontally, and diagonally – much like the broadsword’s movements – can create a comfortable distance from attackers. This affords the practitioner the time to marshal and execute the strongest techniques within one’s repertoire. When probing for the martial responsiveness of an enemy, tung geuk (jabbing leg ᥵㞣) is used in a poking and provocative manner. Once an opportunity is uncovered, the practitioner quickly converts to concentrated stabbing motions with the legs. A more sophisticated use of the legs is lak geuk (ं㞣), or entangling legs. Here, the legs are used to ensnare lengthy arms such as poles and the like, or to trap an opponent’s extended extremity. This typically compels the adversary to submit or risk the possibility of being stripped of a weapon or dislocating a limb.

Paau dang (᣻ࠣ), or casting bench, is an upward technique that uses the legs as a primary means of offense.

Baai dang (ᬪࠣ), swinging bench, uses all components of the bench – seat and legs – to both defend and attack.

unyielding kiu sau (bridge hand ⁻᡻). On the other hand, styles indigenous to the Hakka (ᇒᇦ) – a Chinese ethnic group – such as the various lineages of Naam Tong Long (Southern Praying Mantis ), Pak Mei (White Eyebrow ⲭⴹ), and Lung Ying (Dragon Shape 喽ᖒ), characteristically employ saam gok ma (three point/triangular stance й䀂俜), integrated whole-body dynamics known as tan-tou-fau-cham (swallow-spit-float-sink ੎ੀ⎞⊹), and mo kiu (grinding bridges ᪙⁻) strategies. These distinctions also dictate how weapons are wielded within their respective arts. As a result, bench techniques particular to the long-range arts tend to use wide arcs and large rotational forces supported by fast footwork to increase the striking momentum. This is directly related to the long-range nature and “bridge-strength” of their fighting Kap dang (੨ࠣ), or absorbing bench, are downward motions that can parry and set up stronger strikes or pound upon an opponent’s limbs.

Guangdong and Hakka Adaptations Southern Chinese martial arts, on a generalized level, are divided into long-range and close-range systems. Provincial Guangdong (ᔓᶡ) pugilism, popularly represented by Hung Ga and Choy Li Fut, emphasize strong stable stances, agile footwork, and the 50 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Dong dang (᫻ࠣ), obstructing bench, typically wards off unsuspecting attacks with an upright guard.

Jong dang (ᫎࠣ), or striking bench, concentrates the brunt of an attack with the side edge of the seat.

principles. The confidence cultivated by immense conditioning and the refinement of extended bridgehand techniques enables the practitioner to take risks such as one-handed swings with the bench. Hakka-based arts customarily rely upon the contraction and release of the body’s core muscles in the tan-tou (swallow-spit ੎ੀ) interplay to discharge concentrated bursts of jolting force within techniques. Charging footwork facilitates close-quarter assaults while retreating steps lure an adversary into compromising positions and calculated set-ups. Since counters and attacks are relentlessly continuous and quick, both hands are always gripping the legs of the bench to maximize the practitioner’s ability to control the bench, and to minimize the possibility of dropping it. In close-quarter fighting, any miscalculation can be costly, especially when weapons are involved.

Should the bench slip away from one’s grip, tactical techniques enable the practitioner to regain the advantage. In this technique, fei san geuk (伋䓛㞣), flying body kick, the bench supports the practitioner in a manner that enables him to ward off an attack from the rear.

Regardless of fighting range, basic bench techniques can be categorized within the conceptual construct of the five phases, more popularly known as the five elements, or ng haang (ӄ㹼). Through the lens of the Hakka-based arts which regularly refer to Chinese cultural principles and motifs, five key procedural and directional methods capture the essence of bench fighting methods. Paau (᣻), to fling or cast away, assumes a rising characteristic that is consistent with the nature of the wood (muk ᵘ) element. Baai (ᬪ),

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 51

Training to Avoid Haphazard vision. One should always be mindful of the direction of one’s focus as it cultivates intent and leads the technique.

to swing, refers to a linear route that emulates the destructive nature of fire (fo ⚛). Dong (᫻), to impede or stop, is a centralizing mannerism designed to offset oncoming forces in the approach of the earth (tou ൏) element. Jong (ᫎ), to hit or strike in a steadfast fashion, is modeled after the metal (gam 䠁) phase of the five element cycle. Kap (੨), to draw inward, is meant to suppress and engulf attacks in the way that water (seui ≤) will. It is believed that different tactical variations and purposeful permutations are derived from these combative phases.

Right: Indiscriminate stances. Stances are the foundation of one’s footwork. It is important to be aware of transitional movements and footwork as one wields the bench or any weaponry. Below: Careless handling. In trying to rush progress, correct postures and proper positioning may be sacrificed. It is important to maintain the integrity of all of one’s movements to optimize both one’s training and the overall effectiveness of techniques.

The Kung Fu Bench 2.0 In its current capacity, the dang proposes multi-leveled challenges to its committed practitioners. On the physical level, manipulating the bench improves strength, enhances coordination, and informs a practitioner about the intricacies of extending one’s martial force beyond the extremities into the weapon. Mentally, martial intent, or yi (᜿), is cultivated, sequential movements become internalized, and the visualization of diverse applications facilitates the ideal execution of techniques. On a broader scale, the dang is a weapon that uniquely bridges traditional arms with contemporary objects. It establishes a platform by which a dedicated practitioner can perceive the martial practicality of any modern-day item. In this manner, Kung Fu stays current in the context of the times, yet is firmly rooted in a tradition and foundation that has stood the test of time with good reason.B Williy Pang regularly contributes to Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine. He can be reached at [email protected]. Vance Vizcarrondo has an extensive background in Asian martial arts and is an extreme fitness competitor. Anthony Ortega is a New York-based freelance photographer whose original work can be followed on Instagram via Thevintagegent.

52 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Master Song prepares to begin shi suo training.

He places his right foot in the handle of the shi suo.

Master Song brings the shi suo up to his hand and grabs it with his right hand.

He then goes into a horse stance and lowers the shi suo.

Shaolin’s Shi Suo Stone Lock Training 54 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

By Chris Friedman

Master Song brings the shi suo to chest level.

He then turns into a front stance and does a mid-level block.

THE

category of heavy tools, or traditional chuan tong zhong bing qi (ۣ㎡䟽‫ޥ‬ ಘ) heavy weapons skills, consists of the solid iron Guan Gong Da Dao (䰌‫ޜ‬བྷ࠰), as covered in the last article, and the shi suo (⸣䬱) or stone locks. Master Song, a 30-year veteran of Shaolin Kung Fu, learned these methods from his teacher Li Xing (ᵾ㠸), who is a local folk hero. These traditional methods are quickly becoming a thing of the past at Shaolin and in surrounding schools, replaced by lighter, flimsier weapons better suited for performance arts. Not to discredit the lighter weapons, as they have value for exercise and performance, but one can readily see and feel the power of a master who has trained with the monstrous traditional tools.

I had my first experience with shi suo while living in Beijing, where I was studying Shuai Jiao (Chinese wrestling ᪄䐔). Though the stone locks are synonymous with traditional wrestling styles, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Master Song is an expert in the Shaolin method of using such training tools. On my first visit to train with Master Song – before coming to live and train full-time as a tu di (disciple ᗂᕏ) – I remember learning some basic movements with a mediumweighted shi suo. While I was still reeling from the effects it had on all my muscles, Master Song asked me to cross hands with him so he could teach me an application from the form lian huan quan. The application required me to pull Master Song forward while simultaneously punching to the ribs with the rear hand. I remember pulling full force to no avail. Master Song, comfortably relaxed in his stance, didn’t budge. When it was Master Song’s turn, he readily yanked me out of my stance. As Master Song explained, this rooting as well as gripping and pulling strength are all developed through shi suo practice.

Master Song throws his right hand forward, representing a punch or push.

Following, he shortens his stance and throws the shi suo into the air.

Beginning One’s Training in the Shi Suo Methods To learn such skills, one needs three things. First are the shi suo themselves; second is an open space preferably on soft ground; third is a qualified instructor. Shi suo vary in size and weight, ranging from 22 pounds to 66 pounds. A beginner will start with a smaller and lighter shi suo weighing 20 jin (22 pounds). This was traditionally the case; however, considerably lighter shi suo can be used by beginning students if needed. The expert can use shi suo weighing up to 60 jin (66 pounds). Shi suo can be composed of stone, iron, wood, or cement. One begins by learning the basic movements of throwing, twirling and catching the shi suo. These body movements are basically the same, though the directions of the throws and position of the shi suo are slightly different. The body moves slightly up and down during the throwing and catching movements. The legs bend slightly and then straighten while performing such actions. This engages and develops the legs in a way similar to a squat. Along with the leg movements, the practitioner’s back moves forward and backward during the throwing and catching motion; but one must keep the lower back straight and not hunch forward, which could cause injury to the lower back. The forward and backward motion works the lower back muscles in a way similar to doing back extensions in a gym. The added weight of the shi suo increases the workload on the lower back and legs. Because of its strenuous nature, a shi suo training session should not exceed 45 minutes. Over-training can lead to severe soreness and/or unnecessary injuries. Train with persistence and patience and make gradual progress. The throwing motion of shi suo involves raising the arm in an extended motion until the forearm is about eye level, at which point you toss and twirl the shi suo in the air. This motion works the front of the shoulder in the same way a dumbbell frontal raise would. Core muscles are also used to stabilize the body’s movements during the forward and extending movements of the torso and lower back. OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 55

Master Song catches the shi suo in his left hand.

He then switches the shi suo back to the right hand, placing the hand within the handle.

Grip strength is worked throughout all movements of the shi suo exercises. Throwing, catching and maintaining the shi suo all involve grip strength. As Master Song explains, catching the shi suo trains you to catch and grab an opponent’s wrist or arm during combat.

Shi Suo Routine After mastering the basic movements of throwing and catching the shi suo in various directions, one will have the strength and conditioning needed to begin the shi suo form. The Shaolin shi suo form consists of 60 movements within 18 sequences and takes 6 minutes to complete. The form involves not only throwing and catching the heavy tool, but performing other complicated maneuvers, including throwing the shi suo and having it land on the fist, the crook of the arm, and other body parts. There is always the risk of dropping the shi suo on one’s foot or damaging the hands while trying to catch the heavy solid tool, and for this reason the practitioner must train gradually under a qualified instructor at this level. When Master Song practices or performs demos of this form, he often uses a 36-pound shi suo.

Following, he assumes a horse stance and prepares his hands for the next move.

Finnally, he places his feet together and extends his right arm out to the side.

Benefits of Using the Shi Suo Shi suo training benefits the practitioner in many ways. It builds body strength and improves one’s effectiveness in hand-to-hand combat. Usually associated with traditional grappling arts, the shi suo works grappling and striking skills alike. All aspects of the Shaolin warrior’s grappling system (stability in stances, remaining upright while grabbing, throwing, chocking, and locking, as well as preventing holds and locks) are strengthened through the use of the shi suo. Stability in stances is gained through moving while throwing and catching such a heavy tool. Though hard to describe, this is easily understood by feeling the power and stability Master Song can demonstrate by crossing hands. Grip strength is increased dramatically. The strengthening of the lower back, core muscles and legs through shi suo practice leads to powerful Shaolin throws. The pulling and pushing motions done within the form prepare one for pulling and pushing an opponent within the Shaolin Kung Fu grappling maneuvers. The strength gained in practicing such movements also helps one break holds and locks.

Shaolin Kung Fu applications are flexible. One movement can have several applications, and are open to interpretation. Here we see one possible fighting sequence taken from the shi suo movements.

Master Song blocks the punch.

56 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Master Song then grabs the punching hand with his rear hand and prepares to strike.

Master Song strikes with the lead hand while maintaining the grip with his rear hand.

The movement with the shi suo represents a blocking arm.

The movement of the shi suo can be applied as a grab and set up.

The movement of the shi suo can be applied as a strike to the neck.

From Zhao Qingjian, former member of the Shaolin Warrior Monk Demonstration Troupe and the Beijing Wushu Team

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OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 57

Striking skills gained through shi suo practice are many. The pulling/pushing motion done within the form can represent grappling or striking maneuvers. For striking, these movements are expressed as a forward straight punch (pushing motion), such as a jab or reverse punch. The pulling motion can represent a low back elbow strike. The shi suo form also contains a very straightforward blocking motion. To further develop striking skills, the fist is conditioned by catching and balancing the shi suo on the fist. As Master Song points out, shi suo practice has similarities to iron body training. By practicing with a heavy shi suo, the muscles throughout the body gain strength, hardness and size. This has the added benefit of making one more resistant to blows.

Keeping the Tradition Alive Serious martial artists of all styles and stripes could benefit from adding shi suo practice to their training regimen. If one is fortunate enough to have a qualified instructor along with the necessary equipment and resources, one can reap many health and martial benefits from learning this rare and traditional Shaolin form of training.B Chris Friedman has been doing martial arts since his early teens. He has lived in China for the past 9 years. He now lives and trains as a disciple in the Songshan Mountains of Shaolin. Master Song has been doing Shaolin martial arts for 30 years. He runs his fulltime training school in the Mountains of Songshan Shaolin. For information on learning shi suo or Shaolin Kung Fu under Master Song, please go to ShaolinwithChris.com

58 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

The transition movement of the shi suo can be applied as a qin na lock.

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By Emilio Alpanseque rtistically endowed with exceptional martial arts, with acrobatic, physical and visual comedy skills, plus exceptional talent for everything related to filmmaking, Jackie Chan (ᡀ嗉) is an internationally acclaimed superstar who certainly requires no introduction to our readers. Movie extra, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, actor, director, editor, producer, writer, and everything in between, Chan has been the epitome of hard work, resilience and dedication over a career spanning five decades and still going strong. And what better way to explore and embrace his life journey than in a museum setting?

A

Luckily for all his followers, Chan began thinking about an exhibition hall of movie costumes, props and posters documenting his film career after getting badly injured when a daring stunt went wrong: the infamous clock tower fall in the actionpacked Project A (1983). Fans who visited his Hong Kong offices in the 1990s or 2000s may have noticed that the décor included some items and concepts from his movies. But it was not until around 2009 that the actual project really took off, to launch the creation of the official JC Film Gallery (ᡀ嗉⭥ᖡ㢪ᵟ侶) in Shanghai, China.

Th he Project After many failed attempts to allocate government land and public funds in Hong Kong to build this one-of-akind place, several new opportunities and partnerships were found in mainland China. Soon it was decided to build the gallery in the Changfeng Ecological Commercial District in west Shanghai, inside an industrial plant on the No. 88 of the Yunling East Road – an auspicious number that gave birth to the brand name JC88. The final layout includes a two-story design inside the plant building with over 33,000 square feet in gallery space, an investment of 40 million Chinese yuan (US$ 6.6 million). It’s worth mentioning that the JC Film Gallery was contained within the government’s plan to redevelop Shanghai’s Suzhou River area from an old industrial cluster into a world-class modern business and commercial area. The collection includes more than 10,000 artifacts from every stage of producing, promoting, and exhibiting Chan’s films, from small-sized memorabilia to full-sized automobiles, set pieces, a collection of street lights, and more. Transporting all these items from Hong 60 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Kong required 13 shipping containers and created all kinds of logistical problems. For instance, the famous Mitsubishi GTO racecar used in Thunderbolt (1995) would have been rejected by Chinese authorities due to its 650-horsepower engine. So the team came up with the idea of splitting the engine apart for shipment and reassembling it upon arrival. Thanks to this trick, the racecar now suspended from the ceiling of the gallery (Chan’s idea) has its original engine.

Title: Battle For Harmony Artists: Julie Rotblatt Amrany, Omri Amrany, Itamar Amrany Material: Bronze November, 2013

It took almost 5 years to design and develop the gallery. What is currently on display represents about 70% of the collection. The main exhibitions were all selected by Chan, while others were selected by his team according to the available space and theme of each area. Some artifacts were damaged during transport or simply could not meet the space or other requirements, but we may see them in the future, as the museum continues to evolve and expand. On May 1, 2014, right after his 60th birthday, Chan realized one of his longtime dreams when his JC Film Gallery officially opened its doors to the public.

T he Galllerr y and Sur ro ound din ng s On the grounds of the garden adjacent to the gallery building, as well as in the building itself, a large number of interesting artworks have been very carefully planned. First and foremost is “Battle for Harmony”, a 9-foothigh bronze sculpture depicting Chan’s very own Drunken Master stance poised in a moment of confrontation with a large dragon composed of Chan’s hands in different Kung Fu hand positions. These details in the sculpture, created by artists from The Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany, serve as a metaphor representing the constant battle that all humans face within to find harmony in a world of strife and violence. Along with the prevalent dragon symbolism in Chinese culture and the infusion of various OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 61

Continued on page 64 62 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

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Continued from page 62: Jackie Chan

at the China Drama Academy (ѝഭᠿࢗᆖ䲒), one of the main Beijing Opera schools in Hong Kong from which Chan, Sammo Hung (⍚䠁ᇍ), Yuen Biao (‫ݳ‬ ᖚ), Corey Yuen (‫)ཾݳ‬, and a whole generation of Hong Kong movie stars learned their craft under the strict guidance of Master Yu Zhanyuan (Ҿঐ‫)ݳ‬. During his years at the academy, Chan experienced extremely arduous training and discipline which were crucial to his personality development, apart from his physical abilities. Consequently, Chan usually acknowledges that Charles Chan was the father of Chen Gangsheng (䱸⑟⭏ – Chan’s real name), and Yu Zhanyuan was the father of Cheng Long (ᡀ嗉 – Chan’s artistic name). The memorabilia available in this section includes myriad photos and stories, original tickets and pamphlets of their performances, the academy’s permanence contract that would allow the instructor to punish students until death, and much more. The second exhibition, called “Brave without Fear” (ࣷ 㘵ᰐ᜗), immerses visitors in Chan’s creative process and innovation in the film industry as well as his struggles pursuing his career. Starting with a dazzling set of life-sized rotary displays of Chan’s martial arts poses and mirrors, visitors learn how Chan combined many martial art styles with acrobatic opera movements to make his own fighting styles – even creating a brand new “Eight Drunken Immortals” routine – during the time of his first box office successes, such as Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978), Drunken Master (1978) and Fearless Hyena (1979). Subsequently, Chan would gradually add his trademark stunts, physical gags, a more realistic on-screen fighting style, and continue

64 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

evolving his cinematic approach, including methods for camera work, editing, rhythm and continuity, and more. This exhibit includes a large number of props and artifacts from the Golden Harvest Studios years, and the original film editing table used by Chan during so many years, which is one of the gallery’s greatest treasures.

Frrom Stard dom to o Phiila anth hropy “Sharing the Success” (࠶ӛᡀ࣏) is the third exhibition and covers Chan’s Hollywood career as well as other achievements. The gallery walls are covered with movie posters, lobby cards, pictures, props, trophies, as well as some interactive areas; you can even hang from the same Hollywood street sign used in Rush Hour (1998). Numerous glass displays hold Chan’s personal

collections, awards, fan letters and art of all kinds, and there’s a special section revealing little-known facts about the JC Stunt Team, like samples of wires and hooks used in films. A step away, you will find the head of Chan in heavy old-man makeup from The Forbidden Kingdom (2008); climb up the stairs and enter the autograph hallway packed with many celebrity friends’ autographs on both sides of the aisle, including Madonna, Silvester Stallone, Lionel Richie, Tiger Woods, Wesley Sniper, Ang Lee (ᵾᆹ), and Zhang Yimou (ᕐ㢪䈻). Replicas of Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre handprints from 1997 and 2013 can also be found in this section of the gallery. The forth exhibition, called “Big Love for those who you don’t know” (བྷ⡡ᰐ਽), showcases Jackie Chan’s charity and philanthropy work. Everybody knows that Chan’s fastpaced action style doesn’t stop when the cameras do, and in this exhibit visitors get to explore how he spends countless hours helping others as a supporter of dozens of charities such as UNICEF, Operation Smile, WildAid, and his own Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation. Living in poverty when he was a child, Chan deeply understands the significance of giving. He insists that the wealthy have an obligation to help out the poor who have no way of helping themselves. On display are several special awards and accolades for his charitable work like the Silver Bauhinia Star, the UNICEF recognition commemoration as a Goodwill Ambassador, and many more. In addition, visitors can make their own donations into a coin spiral funnel. Averaging from 50 to 80 visitors per day, this exhibition has now collected almost 46,000 Chinese Yuan (US$ 7,000).

Com mbiniing Educa atio on an nd En nterrtain nmen nt The JC Film Gallery offers plenty of interactive ways to learn, from simple push-button displays to full-size movie sets that are great for small group activities or for exclusive photo opportunities. Can you hold a proper “horse stance” long enough? There is a place in the gallery to test that. If successful, you will receive crowd cheers, but if you are not, you will see a prone mannequin struck on the buttocks with a rattan stick! This is a tongue-in-cheek recollection of the old traditional teaching methods at the Chinese Drama Academy, a simple example on how the production team behind the gallery has found a two-fold way to balance education with entertainment by combining great storytelling with interactive participation in ways that are both relevant to the visitors and universal to the human experience. Capitalizing on Chan’s global dimension as a major Chinese cultural icon and his charitable endeavors, the gallery hopes to inspire visitors to become better individuals around the world. B The author wishes to thank JC88 Director Mr. Qu Weiwei (ⷯᏽ㔤), who facilitated our visit to the gallery. Emilio Alpanseque currently teaches in El Cerrito, CA, and can be contacted through his website EastBayWushu.com OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 65

By Henry Lo (ᐴࡏ‫& )ܫ‬ Daniel Kun (ᇽ࿛Ί)

rom the dawn of time, China—or Middle Kingdom, as it was once called—has been the vanguard in the development of countless combative traditions designed to protect the populace, be it with one’s own body or the use of weapons. These traditions have become the essence of many provinces in China. For example, Shandong province is well known for its martial art traditions. Numerous styles have emerged from its fertile soil, like the arts of Huaquan (Flowery Fist 㨟ᤣ), Meihuaquan (Plum Blossom Fist ẵ㣡ᤣ), and various sects of Tanglangquan (Praying Mantis Fist 㷣㶲ᤣ). However, another province has also been fruitful in the development of combat disciplines. South China’s Fujian province has developed styles with a new and unique characteristic— specialization in close-quarter combat, or what is classically referred to as “short boxing.” The broader area is well known by various sects of Baihequan (White Crane Fist ⲭ古ᤣ), and Yongchunquan (Sing Spring Fist 䂐᱕ᤣ), which is better known by its Cantonese (Gwongdung Wah) pronunciation, Wihng Cheun Kyuhn (Wing Chun Kuen). However, another discipline, Wuzuquan (Five Ancestor Fist ӄ⾆ᤣ), absorbed the nutrients of various disciplines to become a formidable art. Wuzuquan is perhaps better known by its Minnanyu pronunciation: Ngo Cho Kun (which is used herein moving forward).

Ngo Cho Kun’s origins began in the harbor city of Quanzhou in a time of hardship from nature and the tyranny of an oppressive government. The art was designed to confront these conflicts. Beyond the physical, its intent was to develop a sound personality, upholding Confucian ethics of self-cultivation, embracing moral codes of conduct, and so on. Ngo Cho Kun’s roots stem from five unique arts that focus on certain attributes. These attributes, when combined, created an exceptional martial art. They became the pillars of Ngo Cho Kun. Ngo Cho Kun was brought to the Philippines in the early 1900s by Tan Kiong Beng (䱸Ӝ䣈), one of the 10 disciples of the art’s founder, Chua Giok Beng (㭑⦹匤). Tan’s son, Tan Ka Hong (䲣 ᇦ卫), was sent back to Manila and in 1935 founded the Beng Kiam National Arts Association (匤䅉഻㺃⽮), the oldest Kung Fu club in the Philippines, which later became known as Beng Kiam Athletic Club (Beng Kiam Kok Sut Sia , 匤䅉഻㺃⽮). In 1937 another Ngo Cho club was opened, the Kong Han Athletic Club (‫╒ݹ‬഻㺃⽮), at the hands of Lo Yan Chiu (ⴗ䀰⿻). The Dai Dou Zut (Big Knife, or two-hand sword བྷ࠰ᵞ) form described and demonstrated in this article derives from the Kong Han lineage of Ngo Cho. 66 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Dr. Lo Yan Chiu, founder of Kong Han Athletic Club.

Lo King Hui, son of Lo Yan Chiu and father of Henry Lo.

Tan Kiong Beng, one of the Ngo Cho 10 Tigers.

Henry Lo, Kong Han’s current headmaster.

1.

The Kong Han Athletic Club

2.

Lo Yan Chiu ( , 1878–1944) was born in Quanzhou; at age 14 he started studying martial arts with Master Zhuang Dan (ᒴ㛶), and then he became a disciple of Kong Po Chiam ( ), a Tai Cho-Ngo Cho Kun ( ) master and disciple of the famous Master Lim Kui Lu ( ). He also met and interacted with the famous Master Chua Giok Beng and his disciples Chen Qingming, Tan Kiong Beng and others, thus expanding his skills, abilities and knowledge of Tai ChoNgo Cho Kun. After only 5 years of intense training, Lo Yan Chiu opened his school in 1897 at Wei Tou village, instructing in Tai Cho-Ngo Cho Kun and offering medical services. Starting in 1899, he spent nine years traveling to various countries overseas, including Burma (Myanmar), Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. After gaining much experience, he returned to Quanzhou in 1909. During the turbulent years of 1910–1912, Lo Yan Chiu was involved in the nationalist movement, serving as combat instructor and medical officer of the 183rd Div. 19th Route Nationalist Army. In 1936, the Sino-Japanese war commenced. Through the urging of his students, and given his advanced age and his involvement against Japan, he relocated to Manila. In 1937, Lo Yan Chiu set up the Kong Han Athletic Club and taught there. The art eventually passed to his son, Lo King Hui (ⴗឦ䕍), and now to his grandson, Henry Lo (Lu Ziming ᙍ᰾), while their student Daniel Kun (Yin Wanren 䝎㩜Ӫ) runs the Canadian branch of Kong Han.

4.

Photos Clockwise: 1- The Da Dou Big Knife. 2 - Chua Giok Beng, founder of Ngo Cho Kun. 3 - Group Practicing Da Dou. 4 - Soldier with Dao Dou.

3. OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 67

Basic Knife Methods 1. Chopping Knife: Pi Dou (ࢸ࠰)

1.

2. Carry-on Back Knife: Buê Dou (ᨩ࠰) 2.

3.

3. Stabbing Knife: Ci Dou (ࡪ࠰) 4. Lifting Knife: Tiou Dou (᥁࠰) or also referred to as Dou Pian Gou Dit Kam (࠰⡷儈ⴤ⸽) or Knife Blade, High Vertical Chop 4.

5. Diagonal Chopping Knife: Kam Dou (⸽࠰) or also referred to as Dou Pian Kam (࠰⡷⸽ᯌ) or Knife Blade, Chopping Slant

6. Horizontal Push Knife: Hing Tui Dou (ₛ᧘࠰)

Within the Kong Han curriculum are 18 long and 15 short weapons (keh si, ಘỠ), as follows: 1) Ngo Chiet Khun (ӄቪỽ) — 5 ft. staff (short pole); 2) Chit Chio Khun (гቪỽ) — 7 ft. staff; 3) Chi Beh Khun (啺ⴹỽ) — level eye brow staff; 3) Liu Xing Khun (⍱ᱏỽ) — meteor staff; 4) Kwan Toh (䰌࠰) — General Kwan’s blade or crescent pole-arm; 5) Swah Peh (䮻ኡ䢔) — mountain trident; 6) Tsiun (⸋) — spear; 7) Chiem Beh Toh (ᯜ俜࠰) — horse cutting knife; 8) Kaw Tsiun (䢔⸋) — hook spear; 9) Tan Toh (௞࠳) — single blade; 10) Sang Toh (䴉࠰) — twin blade; 11) Da Dao (བྷ࠰) — big blade; 12) Sang Te Kwai (䴉⸝ᤀ) — twin short crutches (tonfa); 13) Sang Te Pi (䴉⸝䷝) — twin short flog (sai); 14) Sang Ho Kaw (䴉㱾 䢔) — twin tiger hook; 15) Sang Chiet Toh (䴉ᕾ࠰) — twin cutlass blade; 16) Kiam (ࢽ) — sword; 17) Kaw Tsat Neng Pi (ҍᡚ ䷝) — nine sectional whip; 18) Sa Tsat Kun (йㇰắ) — three sectional staff; 19) Sang Po Toh (䴉ᯗ九) — twin axe; 20) Pin Tah (ᡱᬄ) — peddler’s staff; 21) Sang Te Tsiun (䴉⸝⸋) — twin short spear; 22) Tim Pai Chiet Dao (⴮⡼ᕾ࠰) — shield with cutlass; 23) Teng Di Khun (16 㤡ቪ䮧ᵶ) — long lance staff; 24) Dao Zhe San (䤬࠰ᣈᡷ) — steel bladed fan; 25) Ho San (‫↖ۈ‬ಘ) — umbrella

Big Knife Skill – Dai Dou Zut (བྷ࠰ᵞ) The Dai Dou, or Big Knife, is considered a warrior’s weapon; for instance, during the Second Sino-Japanese War (July 7, 1937–September 9, 1945) the Dai Dou was the preferred bladed weapon of the Nationalist Army and various militia forces that were fighting against Imperial Japan. The importance of this particular weapon was forever enshrined in the song, “ The Sword March,” written by Mai Xin to honor the fearlessness of the TwentyNinth Army, which defended the Marco Polo Bridge against the Japanese by wielding the Big Knife. The Dai Dou has a very versatile threeweapons-in-one design: 1) The crescent shape provides better slashing and cutting; 2) The width from the bottom to the middle of the blade body, which typically measures about three inches and slopes up to the tip of the blade, is usually four to five inches. This assists in parrying projectiles and can be used as a small shield; 3) The tip can deliver deep stab wounds. Continued on page 70

68 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

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Kong Han Ngo Cho

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go Cho Kun, also known as Wu Zu Quan or Five Ancestor Fist kung-fu, is one of the most popular styles of Southern Fist in China. Currently, it is the official style of the Southern Shaolin Temple in Quanzhou, China. The founder of this dynamic art, Chua Giok Beng, had 10 disciples, each developing his own branch of the system. This book presents the core training of the Kong Hang Athletic Association branch of Dr. Lo Yan Chui, passed down and currently headed worldwide by Sigong Henry Lo, and in Canada by Sifu Daniel Kun. Kong Han Ngo Cho: Forms, Weapons and Fighting begins with a historical presentation of the development of the various lines of Ngo Cho—each with a different focus on the representative systems of Tai Cho, Crane, Monkey, Monk, and Damo. The book then delves into the fundamental training that sets the basis for mastery of this style. Empty hand techniques, internal organ qigong exercises, solo forms, two man forms, training sets, fighting applications, weapon forms and applications, and full-contact lei-tai competition training are all presented in this comprehensive volume. “A most welcome addition to the sparse reference materials on the Fukien art of Ngó Chó Kûn. I congratulate Sigong Henry Lo and Sifu Daniel Kun on a job well done.” —Grandmaster Alex Co, Beng Kiam Athletic Club “Kong Han Ngo Cho covers a lot of ground—most notably Kong Han’s curriculum up to O-Duan—making this a most valuable resources on this dynamic art.” —Dr. Mark Wiley, International Beng Hong Athletic Association

www.TambuliMedia.com

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Continued from page 68

Also, the weight (around three-and-a-half pounds) adds effectiveness as a chopping weapon while still being manageable for the average individual to carry and wield. There are 9 basic Big Knife methods: 1) Chopping Knife: Pi Dou (ࢸ࠰); 2) Carryon Back Knife: Bue Dou (ᨩ ࠰); 3) Stabbing Knife: Ci Dou (ࡪ࠰); 4) Lifting Knife: Tiou Dou (᥁࠰), also referred to as Dou Pian Gou Dit Kam (Knife Blade, High Vertical Chop ࠰⡷儈ⴤ⸽); 5) Diagonal Chopping Knife: Kam Dou (⸽࠰), also referred to as Dou Pian Kam (Knife Blade, Chopping Slant ࠰⡷⸽ᯌ); 6) Standing Pushing Knife: Lip Tui Dou (・᧘࠰); 7) Horizontal Push Knife: Hing Tui Dou (ₛ᧘࠰); 8) Shelf Knife: Ge Dou (ᷦ࠰); 9) Shelf Push Knife: Ge Tui Dou (ᷦ᧘࠰)

Above: Shelf Push Knife: Gê Tui Dou (ᷦ᧘࠰). Below: 45º Chop to the weapon hand.

Big Knife Partner Drill ( Dai Dou Dui Lian བྷ࠰ሽ㐤) Like the prior hand routines, the Big Knife includes a partner drill. However, practitioners must be extremely conscious of distance and timing because there is no room for mistakes. Even though most Big Knives are dull, they are still blunt weapons; hence, someone can get hurt. Therefore, be cautious when practicing and performing. The Big Knife Partner Drill is a great routine due to the risk factor, meaning that practitioners learn quickly not to commit mistakes. Therefore, their sense of focus and timing is increased by performing this routine, which enhances eye-to-hand coordination and the ability to move quickly around an opponent. This transfers well back to hand-to-hand combat.B

Sifu Henry Lo is the 3rd generation successor and headmaster of the Kong Han Athletic Club in Binondo, Manila, Philippines. Sifu Daniel Kun is a senior Kong Han practitioner who lives in Vancouver and runs the Canadian branch. Both are co-authors of the new Tambuli Media book, Kong Han Ngo Cho: Forms, Weapons, Fighting. More information at TambuliMedia.com

70 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

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There are a few but discernible differences between Chen Fake’s students in Beijing and the disciples of Chenjiagou village: 1) Chen Fake’s students rarely display explosions of power (fali ਁ࣋), even in the second routine (erlu paoqui Ҽ䐟⛞䥈); they practice the forms slowly to build and feel internal qi power, rather than expend all their physical energy in punching and kicking; 2) Movements are more rolling in spiral and axed on the opening and closing effect in Beijing Chen style Taijiquan, where the elbows are almost never raised as it is in the Chenjiagou Taijiquan. Chen Fake’s main students had different ways of practicing, such as Feng Zhiqiang and his comrades like Hong Junsheng (⍚൷⭏), Tian Xiuchen (⭠⿰㠓), Tian Jianhua (⭠ࢽ㨟), Xiao Qinlin (㛆ឦ᷇), Gu Liuxin (亗⮉俘), Lei Muni (䴧ចቬ), Li Zhongyin (ᵾᘐ䲠), Li Jingwu (ᵾ㏃ỗ), Chen Zhaopi (䲣➗х) and Chen Zhaokui (䲣➗ཾ). Chen Zhaokui practiced with many circular movements big and small; Hong Junsheng almost never opened the elbows; and Feng Zhiqiang used the long and relaxed movements of the shoulders and arms that he had learned earlier in Tongbiquan boxing, adding the Hunyuan Qigong practice of Xinyiquan (ᗳ᜿ᤣ) taught to him by Master Hu Yaozhen (㜑㘰䋎 1897–1973).

Taijiquan’s spiraling and cyclic movements resemble a dragon or big constrictor snake moving its spine and the rest of its body in all directions. The theory of Taijiquan is based on following the natural flows of the universe, moving in a spiral like a dragon in the sea. The positive and negative magnetic energies move as well in expansion and contraction within space and time during the practice of Taijiquan. To understand Taijiquan one must understand Taiji and Yin-Yang principles. These principles arise from nature, and the human body and mind are simply reproducing nature and the greater universe itself. In its forms, Taijiquan imitates a dragon, Baguazhang (‫ޛ‬খᦼ) imitates a tiger and a dragon, and Xingyiquan (ᖒ᜿ᤣ) imitates a tiger. Of the tiger, while he hunts across hundreds of hectares of mountains and valleys, he still keeps a hiding place (cangshen zhichu 㯿䓛ѻ༴) in the woods – a secret cave. There he can digest, recover his natural powers, centralize his mind and body, and rest in harmony with his necessary Yin nature. Similarly, inner martial arts focus on the dantian (cinnabar ѩ⭠) and the preservation of potential energies that can be used when going “out of the cave.” While Taijiquan fighting should conform to spiral dragon-like movements theory, it must necessarily take into account the morphology

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 73

and moving habits of the practitioner, as some people fight more like monkeys, others as tigers, and others as dragons. Taijiquan training for fighting is very specific to the individual and requires application of “stand still and moving” (yidong- yijingаअа䶉).

Taijiquan fighting does not meet strength with strength but takes the strength of the opponent into a void of one’s own body and transforms it into the void part of the adversary’s attack. The body of the Taijquan master becomes snake-like, as he has trained his muscles and tendons in circular ways and can use softness to penetrate the opponent’s body with all muscles coordinated together at full strength. The feet are rooted into the ground and immovable, while internal body muscles, organs and cells are filled with qi and can absorb strikes without feeling any pain or suffering damage. Taijiquan uses four methods to counter an adversary’s attacks: Flexibility over strength (yirou zhigang ԕḄࡦࢋ); strength against flexibility (yigang zhirou ԕࢋࡦḄ); strength against strength (yigang zhigang ԕࢋࡦࢋ); softness against softness (yirou zhirou ԕḄࡦḄ). By this way of training, the strength used is not only more effective, but can defeat stronger opponents by alternatively using softness and hardness (gangrou xiangji ࢋḄ⴨☏). Literature and philosophy are cultural (wen᮷) while martial arts are martial (wu ↖), but Taijiquan combines both by using Taoist hidden principles and exercises to apply in real fighting. Taoism is based on observations of nature. Many have 74 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

witnessed Master Chen Xiang defeating strong martial artists and even professional wrestlers (the author, as a boy, witnessed Master Chen Xiang repeatedly throw the Japanese vice-champion of free-style wrestling to the gound), so we can agree that the ancient Chinese Taoists’s way of training is not only effective, but beneficial to the natural development of inner faculties, and that it moves body and mind correctly. The earliest historical basis for this particular way of observing body changes can be found in the Book of Transformations (Zhouyi xici ઘ᱃㌫䗎), written during the Zhou period (first millennium BC): The transformations starts with the Taiji (ཚᾥ), then it generates the two appearances (liangyi єܰ). The two appearances generate the four images (sixiang ഋ䊑), and the four images generate the eight trigrams (Bagua ‫ޛ‬খ, the 8 Trigrams). The eight trigrams fix the fates (jixiong ਹࠦ), and the fates generate the great cause (daye བྷᾝ).” After centuries of observing natural changes, the Chinese discovered a combination of eight trigrams (bagua‫ޛ‬খ) interchangeable in 64 possible transformations, and it was imperative to observe them in a correct way to repair disorders or to prevent negative events. Softness was equally as important as physical strength, and it would influence later Chinese combat sports with the notion of “non-resisting” skill and the concept of body-strengthening “hard” and “soft” power at the same time according to the Zhouyi (Xici): “The eight trigrams are structuring themselves

from within, according to the predominant disposition of the lines (yao⡫), because the hard and the soft (powers) are pushing each other from within.” Another very important concept in the Chinese body is qi (≓, or sometimes qi ⚱), a “vital breath” issued from living beings equal to the Greek pneuma. Qi is an important part of Chinese philosophy and medicine. The metabolism of qi changes within the body (qihua ≓ॆ), influenced by three factors: thoughts, food and breathing. The concept of a soul (shen ⾎) was equivalent to the Greek psuche (5/3’), while “thought,” or “reasoning faculty” (yi ᗧ) would be the equivalent of the Greek nous (ȞȠȢ). In the Phaedro of Plato, the nous is like a horse following the heart (thumos), and the heart follows the orders of the lower stomach’s “desire center” (eputhimia, or sex and food). It was exactly the same for the Taoists, who established their martial arts and sports models by focusing on the umbilical region (lower dantian), then the heart (xin ᗳ, middle dantian) to order thoughts (yi ᜿) before doing a round movement in the martial arts. Chinese martial arts were influenced by mindvisualizations, such as relaxing body and mind, and the concept of qi coming from the dantian during training. According to the Taoists, thoughts (yi ᜿) carried spirit at first (qi ≓), and spirit carried force at last (li ࣋), so they practiced slow and relaxed movements in order to unify (heyi ਸа) these three principles at the same time in action, using all-body together.

The awakening of the spiritual true self (xingᙗ) started with Laozi’s principle of “non thoughts in action” (wuwei ❑⡢), while the biological work on oneself (ming ભ) used natural mental thoughts (minggong youwei ભ࣏ᴹ⡢) in order to unify both principles on the same criterion (mude zeyi ⴞⲴࡷа). According to Laozi, the causalities entering nothingness (youyou ruwu ⭡ᴹ‫ )❑ޕ‬were reversed by their own weights in emptiness (zhongfan xukong 䟽䘄㲊オ). This important principle was widely used by the Taoists following Laozi, and was included in martial arts during the development of so-called inner style martial arts (neijia quan ޵ᇦᤣ). The early Taoists were the first to include these inner principles in gymnastics and martial arts following Laozi. A complete theory based on changes between hard and soft (rather than the perpetual quest for strength) soon became the mainstay of Chinese systems of fighting. This very Chinese vision was initiated by the Daodejing (䚃ᗧ㏃) of Laozi, and his principle of “emptiness of (first) intention” (wuwei❑ ⡢), or non interference with nature, together with the concept that “softness can vanquish over hardness” (rouzhi shenggang ye Ḅѻऍࢋҏ) and “flexibility wins over strength” (ruozhi shengqiang ye ᕡѻऍᕪҏ). (Daodejing chap.78) Still according to Laozi, “There is nothing more soft and weak than water (Tianxia morouruo yushuiཙ л㧛Ḅᕡᯬ≤)," but water is indeed stronger than hardness. In a military perspective, Laozi explains that: OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 75

“To reduce someone’s influence, first expand it; To reduce someone’s force, first increase it; To overthrow someone, first exalt them; To take from someone, first give to them (Jiangguruozhi, biguqiangzhi, jiangyufei zhi

ሷⅢᕡѻᗵപᕪѻሷ㠷ᔒѻᗵപ㠸 ѻ)." The concept of flexibility or fluidity (rou Ḅ) was compared with water (shui ≤) in the Huainanzi (␞ইᆀ, daoyingxun 䚃 ៹䁃) as well, following the teachings of Laozi, and its implication in the practice of gymnastics and martial arts is definitively non-negligible, because it initiated a way to win over strength by flexibility. This Chinese concept that someone can prevail over adversity by using mindemptiness and flexibility was mainly pointed out by Zhuangzi (㦺ᆀ) and Liezi (ࡇᆀ fourth Century BC) with various references to archery, fencing, etc. Zhuangzi, in his “Talks on

swordsmanship”

(Shuojian 䃜ࢽ), uses an apparent emptiness of the mind to attract his opponent’s attack in order to be able to anticipate and to strike him first. According to Master Chen Xiang, to have real skills and knowledge in Taijiquan require many years of everyday hard practice of the forms, the pushing hands and Qigong. Hunyuan Taijiquan also needs a good knowledge of Chinese Ying-Yang philosophy and the practice of the internal natural principle of Taoism simulteous with the physical forms (taolu). It is not only designed to “keep health” (yangqi ޫ≄) but also to work the qi (≓) in oneself by harmonizing the natural spiral revolutions of qi within the body together with the outside ones of nature (lianqi 㓳≄).

Master Chen Xiang’s understanding of all theoretical and practical aspects of the use of Qigong in Taijiquan makes him a rare true Master of the Tao.B

Lucas Christopoulos (Chinese name Yun Luxia 䴢䵢ؐ) has been an indoor disciple of Master Huang Baoshan, the stick expert from the city of Tianshui in Gansu province, since the age of eighteen. He is also mentioned in the historical lineage of the styles Tongbiquan, Bajiquan, and Shaolin Zhou Tong boxing. 76 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

With Proper Alignment and Body Mechanics you can Prevent Tai Chi Knee. Instant Free Download Go To: HTTP://RIVERSIDETAICHI.COM/ SPECIAL-FREE-REPORT-2/

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 77

By Gene Ching

oad style is one of the most uncommon imitative forms, despite having been depicted on the silver screen in several of the greatest Kung Fu films of all time. It is so rare that many Kung Fu devotees are surprised to learn that it is actually based on real authentic Kung Fu. The most prominent cinematic appearance of Toad style was in the Shaw Brothers classic, Five Deadly Venoms (1978 ӄ∂), considered by many as one of the greatest films of the genre. Directed by the martial arts maverick Chang Cheh, it launched the Venom Mob, a sextet of Kung Fu superstars who starred in dozens of successive movies. Five Deadly Venoms was also ranked as number 11 in Entertainment Weekly’s “Top 50 Cult Films” list. If you haven’t seen it, your Kung Fu film edification is sorely lacking.

T

Five Deadly Venoms

In the film, the five venoms were a secret clan of imitative boxers: the Centipede, the Lizard, the Scorpion, the Snake and the Toad. The Toad 78 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

was portrayed by Lo Mang (1956 㖵 㧭), an actor who studied Tai Chi and Southern Praying Mantis in real life; he was so buff that he earned the nickname "Shaolin Hercules." Toad style was depicted as a form of Iron Shirt (䫱ᐳ㺛࣏), a discipline of qigong conditioning to harden the body. On the mythical level, Iron Shirt makes the body invulnerable to attack. As the Toad, Lo Mang's yoked physique could ward off sword slices and spear thrusts, even the many needles of an Iron Maiden. According to Master Rong Zhixin (㦓ᘇᯠ), a present-day practitioner of Toad style, this depiction from Five Deadly Venoms isn’t too far off the mark. Toad style, or Hamagong (literally “Toad work” 㴔㷶࣏), is divided into two categories: internal and external. Internal Toad style is a form of Hard Qigong. It is a Yang practice (masculine, as opposed to a feminine "Yin" practice), an exercise to build tough muscles to resist an enemy's attack. Internal Toad style is a form of Iron Shirt. Hamagong is listed as the 33rd method the classic treatise of martial conditioning, 72 Shaolin Arts (ቁ᷇гॱҼ㢪㓳). This treatise is a compilation of 36 Hard

Qigong and 36 Soft Qigong training methods compiled in 1934 by Jin Jing Zhong (䠁䆖䫏) et al., and allegedly based on much older teachings. Despite the dubious nature of some of the practices contained in the treatise, it remains largely influential on Kung Fu conditioning methods. 72 Shaolin Arts also describes methods for the Centipede (#13 Exercise Jumping Centipede wu gong tiao 㴸㳓䐣) and the Lizard (#24 Lizard Climbs a Wall bi hu yu qiang shu ໱㱾⑨້). Those familiar with the film will note how this matches how they were depicted in Five Deadly Venoms. In 72 Shaolin Arts, Hamagong is a weightlifting method using huge stone blocks. The treatise mentions that it is sometimes known by a more common moniker: Jundunzi (lift stone block Ѯ⼵ᆀ). Master Rong paraphrases the 72 Shaolin Arts description as follows: “Hamagong internal practice shall be gradually not radical. First, train back of the wrist, then in the chest, shoulder and abdomen, then to legs and buttocks and so on. Preliminary exercises use the stone block to train the wrist and arm strength. When lifting a 200 pound stone block feels effortless,

Toad Opens Mouth (hama zhang kou 㴔㷶ᕐਓ): Four Toad Style Exercises

1

2

3

4

1. Place your hands shoulder-width apart with your palms flat on the ground supporting your body. Your feet stretch straight backward with two toes touching the ground. Bend your elbows. This is the starting posture. Then pull forward, straighten up your elbows, lift your head upwards and exhale out your mouth. Your hands and toes remain touching the ground; they do not move. Move down, pulling back and bending your elbows, while inhaling through your nose. Repeat this extension and withdrawal exercise several times. The second, third and fourth movements and breathing techniques are the same as the first movement, only the hand position changes. 2. When you get into the second level, change from supporting your body with your palms to your five fingertips. 3. The third level uses only your first two fingers and your thumb to support your body. 4. The fourth level is the hardest. Form your hands into hooks and use the back of your wrists to support your body. When practicing these exercises, increase your level gradually. Do not exercise blindly. Pay particular attention to the breathing method so as not to bruise your internal organs.

your arm muscles have gathered force and your muscle training has solidified. Then, exercise moving the qi. For example, hold your fist, drop down, and the qi moves to your head, chest and back parts of your body. After you achieve the movement qi to your upper body, you can start to train the lower body – your waist and legs – by using horse stance. Start with shorter period of time. Stand up and walk around when you feel tired. Repeat few times a day, gradually adding the length of horse stance to build up the leg muscle strength. Then practice moving the qi to every part of the body, which can defend against your enemy’s blow and avoid injury from swords and spears.” The association of Toad style with Iron Shirt is likely due to the rough quality of toad skin. In the west, this ugly skin is colloquially attributed to warts. There is even a skin disease, Phrynoderma, which causes unsightly wart-like pappules. It occurs among children in developing countries who suffer from vitamin deficiency. In China, the toad is a symbol of wealth. Jin Chan (䠁㸮) is a mythical threelegged toad that fetches gold coins.

There are many conflicting legends about its origin, but today, Jin Chan is commonly depicted with a coin in its mouth, and statues of Jin Chan are used in Feng Shui to attract wealth and dispel bad luck. Just like in English, there is a difference between toads and frogs in Mandarin. The Mandarin term for toad is hama (㴔㷶) or chanchu (㸮㴽) and frog is qingwa (䶂㴉). However, when used informally in the martial arts, the terms are somewhat interchangeable. According to Master Rong, Toad style is attributed to General Yue Fei (1103–1142 ዣ伋). As one of China's most venerated heroes and patriots, Yue Fei is credited with the creation of many martial arts, including Eagle Claw, Xingyiquan (form intention fist ᖒ᜿ᤣ), Chuojiao (poking foot ᡣ㞣), Fanziquan (rotating fist 㘫 ᆀᤣ) and his own family style Yuejiaquan (Yue family fist ዣ ᇦᤣ), along with several more. These attributions are likely to be apocryphal. Nevertheless, Master Rong recounts a legend for Toad style where General Yue Fei was inspired to create the martial art while watching a rooster drink water while he was resting by a river bed. Rong says this is why the method is

Jade Toad Swallowing Saliva (⦹㸮侞⍕)

also sometimes referred to as Golden Rooster Drinking Water (Jin ji he shui gong 䠁呑்≤࣏).

Shaolin Temple

In 1982, another film depicted Toad style. Shaolin Temple (ቁ ᷇ሪ) marked the cinematic debut of Wushu champion Jet Li, and the impact of that film lead to the restoration of the real Shaolin Temple in Henan Province because it was shot on location. For audiences across China, it was a revelation that Shaolin Temple had survived the Cultural Revolution. Countless present-day masters and Shaolin monks attribute this film as their personal inspiration for pursuing the martial arts. In the film, Toad style is depicted comically. Jet Li, portraying the film's protagonist Jue Yuan, gets injured in an early fight with the film's villain. He takes shelter at Shaolin Temple, and in an effort to help heal him, the monks catch a frog to add some protein to Jue Yuan's medicinal soup. But in the process, they are caught by a senior monk. Hoping to dupe their superior and conceal their true intentions, the monks claim to be practicing Frog style and start

Jade Toad Turning Wave (⦹㸮㘫⎚) OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 79

Jade Toad Inhaling Genuine Qi (⦹㸮੨ⵏ)

hopping about like frogs. It is a short scene. The techniques were probably made up just for the movie. Just prior to the turn of the millennium, Toad style became a popular demonstration form in live Shaolin Monk theatrical performances. Looking to spice up the shows, Toad was added in the imitative style acts alongside Dog style and Scorpion style. Many Shaolin observers noted the similarities between the theatrical Toad style and the comic

Jump and Strike Forward (䐣䏳ࡽࠫ)

Side Kick in the Air (オѝ‫ח‬䑒)

interpretation depicted in the film Shaolin Temple. Master Rong was part of a travelling Shaolin performance troupe. In order to do so, he was bestowed with the honorary Buddhist name of Yanxin (ᔦᗳ) by the Abbot of Shaolin Temple Shi Yongxin (䟺 ≨ؑ). However, he has some traditional Toad style exercises like Toad Opens Mouth which authenticate his practice. After all, if it was just performance, why would a Toad stylist bother with such conditioning methods? Master Rong says that external Toad style is a traditional imitation form of Kung Fu. Like the other imitation forms of Tiger, Crane, Monkey and so on, Toad style contains movements that simulate various actions of toads. The body movements require tremendous core strength and the main ones are leaping, hopping, jumping, skipping, striking, flipping, turning, stamping, crawling, sitting, crouching, lifting, treading, and more (䒯䒖䐣䏳ᢁ㘫┊䏼⡜඀গᢋ䒜). The main hand techniques include pushing, taking, covering, pressing, splitting and turning (᧘᥾ⴆ঻᤹ࢸ). And the main leg techniques are cutting, stamping, trampling, gathering, shoveling, and sweeping (ᡚ䐪䑩ਸ䬢ᢛ). There are additional techniques beyond these within Toad style, but these are the dominant ones. Toad style has ten main actions from which the form derives. The challenge is to jump as high as possible and land lightly. Since the emergence of MMA, Kung Fu has received a lot of criticism for lacking a ground game. However, some of the more esoteric styles do include a few ground-fighting techniques. Toad is one of them. It's not conventional grappling or Jiu-Jitsu as propounded by MMA. But given that the bulk of Toad style is executed on all fours, it does contain some takedowns and kicks from a prone position seldom seen in traditional Kung Fu.

Creeping Forward (ऽीࡽ㹼) 80 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

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Kung Fu Hustle

In Stephen Chow’s comedic tour de force Kung Fu Hustle (2004 ࣏ཛ), Bruce Leung Siu-Lung plays the Beast, a master of Toad style. He puffs up his cheeks like a toad croaking, and although it is digitally enhanced in the film, there's even some basis in actual Toad style here too. Toad style practitioners puff up their cheeks when reciting the form. According to Master Rong, this is more than just a pretense for dramatic effect. He claims that it is a special method of qi cultivation unique to Toad style. While skeptics may point out that no other system has such a technique, clearly it demands considerable breath control to maintain puffed

Turning Jump (㘫䓛䐣䏳)

82 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Jade Toad Palm Pushing (⦹㸮᧘ᦼ)

Jade Toad Jumping (⦹㸮䐣䏳)

The 10 Actions of Toad Style (㴔㷶ᤣᴹॱњࣘ֌ྲл) Jade Toad Swallowing Saliva (⦹㸮侞⍕) Jade Toad Turning Wave (⦹㸮㘫⎚) Jade Toad Inhaling Genuine Qi (⦹㸮੨ⵏ) Jump and Strike Forward (䐣䏳ࡽࠫ) Side Kick in the Air (オѝ‫ח‬䑒) Turning Jump (㘫䓛䐣䏳) Creeping Forward (ऽीࡽ㹼) Holding Heaven with Two Hands (ৼ᡻ᢈཙ) Jade Toad Jumping (⦹㸮䐣䏳) Jade Toad Palm Pushing (⦹㸮᧘ᦼ)

cheeks while executing a very dynamic and aerobic form as the external Toad style. With Toad style, Master Rong Zhixin inherits a very unique tradition of Kung Fu. It is these special styles that give Kung Fu its extraordinary character. And while most might not find toads to be particularly inspirational animals, the wisdom of Toad style is deep as a frog in a well.B

Master Rong Zhixin studied at the Beijing Shaolin Martial Arts School (ेӜቁ᷇↖ᵟᆖṑ) overseen by Principal Headmaster Fu Biao (‫ڵ‬ᖚ). In this article, he is assisted by Sun Guoming (ᆛഭ䬝).

Holding Heaven with Two Hands (ৼ᡻ᢈཙ)

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 83

CHOLLYWOOD RISING By Gene Ching

Warcraft,

based on the videogame franchise that was originally released in 1994, served as another indicator of the global cinematic shift from America towards China. The film first came to our attention via Daniel Wu, star of AMC’s Into the Badlands and our January+February 2016 cover master (by the way, Into the Badlands Season Two started production in mid-June). Wu voiced Gul’dan, a lead orc warlock, and is the only Warcraft star that Chinese filmgoers would recognize. Warcraft opened in China two days before the U.S. and quickly crushed box office records set there by last year’s Furious 7 and this year’s The Mermaid from Stephen Chow. Directed by Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie, Warcraft had a tepid box office performance in America but it didn’t matter. It had already made its bank in China. The lopsided ticket sales led Jackie Chan to comment, “Warcraft made 600 million RMB ($91 million) in two days — this has scared the Americans. If we can make a film that earns 10 billion ($1.5 billion), then people from all over the world who study film will learn Chinese, instead of us learning English.” Jackie may be right. According to Zeng Maojun, president of Wanda Cinema Line (which also owns many U.S. theater chains like AMC), there are 21 new screens being built in China per day. By the end of 2016, China 84 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

is slated for December 16. Kung Fu Yoga, a major cooperative filmmaking venture between China and India, and The Foreigner, a modern-day actioner co-starring Pierce Brosnan set in London’s Chinatown, are both coming out sometime in 2017. And lastly, Bleeding Steel, a scifi thriller written and directed by Leo Zhang, was announced at the last Shanghai International Film Festival in mid-June. Touted as the biggest budget Chinese production to ever be filmed in Australia, it marks Jackie’s first major foray into the sci-fi genre after starring in well over a hundred films.

should have 40,000 screens. As of last year, the U.S. had just over 40,500 screens, so do the math. Given this growth arc, China will overtake America by early 2017. Zeng believes China’s population will continue to grow to support 80,000 screens optimally. And Jackie is doing his part, leading the campaign with a quintet of his own films. The films encompass Jackie’s multitalented range of roles: comedy, Chinese nationalism, global co-productions, thrillers, and science fiction. Skiptrace, an action comedy co-starring Jonny Knoxville and Fan Bingbing, is scheduled to premiere on July 22 in China. Railroad Tigers, Jackie’s patriotic period film about freedom fighters fending off Japanese invaders in WWII,

Speaking of videogame-based films and Skiptrace, Renny Harlin, director of Skiptrace, announced that his next project is

Legend of the Ancient Sword

(ਔࢁཷ䉝). The Chinese martial arts-themed role-playing game was released in 2010, and a 50-episode Chinese TV series was based on it in 2014. No one has been cast as of this writing. It's one of many China-U.S. co-productions with their sights set on both sides of the Pacific. Also in the videogame-based film category is Tetris, a China-U.S. co-production, promoted as an “epic sci-fi thriller.” Skyscraper, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, will be set in China. The project was acquired in a seven-figure deal by Legendary, which is now owned by Wanda. Legendary is also producing the sequel to the 2013 sci-fi movie Pacific Rim starring Star Wars: The Force Awakens star John

Boyega. The original received a lackluster reception in the U.S., grossing only $101 million, but was better received in China with a $111 million take. Inversion is another China-U.S. coproduction in development, also a sci-fi epic, co-written by Oscarwinner Paul Haggis and starring Travis Fimmel of Warcraft. Legendary’s most ambitious coproduction is Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall. With a $135 million budget and megastars Matt Damon, Andy Lau and Willem Dafoe, the film is described as a 3D sci-fi fantasy monster movie. It is scheduled for release on February 17, 2017, which is the Chinese New Year movie rush in Asia. The directors of Marvel’s Captain America franchise,

the Russo brothers Anthony and Joseph, are set to direct what has been nicknamed “Captain China.” The Hero’s Awakening (㤡䳴㿹䟂) is already planned as a trilogy. The first film has a $53 million budget and the entire series is budgeted at $230 million. Part one is slated for early 2018, followed by part 2 (Nirvana) in 2019 and part 3 (The Hero’s Sacrifice) in 2020. There was a disturbance in the Force for the eagerly anticipated standalone Star Wars film, Rogue One. Much of the cast was called back in mid-June for more shooting after studio executives screened the film and found it unsatisfactory.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

underperformed in China, taking in a mere $124 million of the $1.1 billion foreign box office. That was still the second best foreign gross, just behind the U.K.s $182 million, but given China’s growing influence, greater results were expected. Analysts attributed the loss to the fact that China never developed a significant following for the Star Wars franchise. When the original was released in 1977, the People’s Daily criticized the film as an example of American “dissatisfaction with reality” and it wasn’t shown theatrically. Rogue One seeks to redeem that by adding Chinese stars Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen. It is still on track to premiere on December 16. Donnie, like Jackie, has several films in his queue: The Big Rescue (䈕⡷਽ਛ), a 3D action comedy involving Kung Fu fighting dogs; Noodle Man, a U.S.-China co-production set in

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 85

NY’s Chinatown; The Master, where Donnie plays the author of self-help books; Dragon City, where Donnie plays a cop in Kowloon’s walled city; Iceman 2, the sequel to his 2014 remake; and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel. All films are slated for 2017, but only Rogue One and xXx are actually in production.

Spring Premieres

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows performed

poorly when released in mid-June. It took in about half as much at the U.S. box office for opening weekend as the 2014 reboot, with the China opening set for July 2 (after this went to press). It will outperform the second installment of the original film trilogy, but that was 1991 when the China market wasn’t even in the game. The reboot earned $62 million in China, the highest foreign take contributing to a $493 million overall gross. Sammo Hung’s film, My Beloved Bodyguard, opened in China on April 1. Beyond starring in over 170 films, Sammo has directed nearly 40 films, and here he does both. Sammo plays Ding, a retired bodyguard with a haunted past who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. He lives in a small village near the Chinese/Russian border and his neighbor Li, played by Andy Lau, gets in trouble with the Russian mob, jeopardizing Li’s daughter and bringing Ding out of retirement. Sammo has always brought a surprising

style to his filmmaking. My Beloved Bodyguard is stylish, irreverent, almost artsy, and cinematographically engaging; however, it only has a few fight scenes, so it might be too long for shallow fans of the genre. Those fights deliver tight action and big falls, both signatures of Sammo’s unique choreographic style. They are almost shocking with their ultra-violence given the tone of the rest of the film. Keen-eyed fans will spot many great cameos: Tsui Hark, Karl Maka, Yuan Biao and the rest of the Seven Fortunes – except for Jackie – and more. Sammo’s next projects include God of War (ᡠ⾎ᡊ㒬‫)ݹ‬, costarring Vincent Zhao. The film, about the 16th century conflict between pirates and the Chinese army, is tentatively slated for Chinese release in the second week of August. Call of Heroes (ড෾), choreographed by Sammo and starring Eddie Peng, Louis Koo and Wu Jing, will be released the week after that. Originally titled Deadly Reclaim, the film is about the collapse of the Qing Dynasty when villagers faced an evil warlord.

Summer films

On July 27, League of Gods was scheduled to premiere in China and the U.S.A. The CGI-effectsladen fantasy film stars Jet Li, Fan Bingbing, Louis Koo, Angelababy, and Andy On and is based on the classic 16th century Chinese novel, Feng Shen Yan Yi (ሱ⾎╄㗙). It is the story of immortals, spirits and demons set in the transitional period

between the Shang Dynasty (1600– 1046 BCE) and the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE). Jet Li also announced that he is working on a new reality TV show,

Who Is the Next Kung Fu Hero

(䈱ᱟлањ࣏ཛ㤡䳴). He hopes some of his Expendables friends will participate, dropping names like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jason Statham as well as Angelina Jolie. This also bolstered rumors that the 4th installment of The Expendables might be filmed in China. The Expendables 3 (2014) would have killed the franchise with only a $39 million U.S. box office for a production that allegedly cost $90 million. But China added $72 million to the take, the biggest of any nation, helping their worldwide gross exceed $206 million. But back to the U.S., Season Two of the Netflix min-series Marco Polo dropped on July 1 as this column was going to press. The new season promises even more martial arts action than the first, and adds Michelle Yeoh to the cast. On July 29, Matt Damon returns to his strongest action role, Jason Bourne, choreographed by veteran fight coordinator Roger Yuan.B To keep up with the latest martial arts films, read reviews and discuss, visit our KungFuMagazine.com Martial-Mediaand-Popular-Culture forum.

86 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

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Ninja Series DVD

Long Sword

by Grand Master Harunaka Hoshino Ninja Style Kenjutsu: Part I - DVD-HH001 $24.95 Ninja Style Kenjutsu: Part II - DVD-HH002 $24.95 Ninja Shuriken - DVD-HH003 $24.95 Tanto-Jutsu - DVD-HH004 $24.95 Vol. 1 & 2: DVD-HH010 $39.95

(Sword length 38”) 35-15L $132.99

Short Sword (Sword length 34”) 35-15M $123.49

Yawara

Rubber Stars

16-12 (wave) 16-13 (8 Points) 16-14 (4 Points) $ 1.49

*Ninja Star Pack 12 assorted stars 16-12PAK $17.88

Wood (45-25) $9.99

Ninja Keychain

Black Aluminum (45-24) $16.65

16-11K Black 16-11C Chrome $7.99 each

Manriki Chains

Ninja shogee

Hanwei Sword Oil

Solid steel with a 115 inch chain and a 13 inch hook head

Alicia Forbrich

16-20 $31.99

45-2110 $9.99

45-20C Chrome 45-20K Black $11.99 each

Ninja Boken (34”) 16-05 $12.49

Grappling Hook (30 - 33’) 16-25 $33.49

heavyduty plated steel (2’)

Foot Spikes 16-10 $17.99/pair Hand Claw 16-09 $17.99/pair Products may vary slightly due to different shipments by the manufacturers.

Ninja Uniform Set

Includes: Jacket, Pants, Hood, Mask & Arm Guards. Sizes: XXXS-XL

Black 16-01 $41.99 - $52.99

Steel Fan 16-06 $46.99 Lacquer Wooden Sword Stand Black or Natural 35-09 $22.99 ea.

Single Sword Stand (Sword not included)

Hi-Top Tabbi

35-08 $22.99 ea.

Sizes: 7–13 16-08 $48.99/pair

Kusara Kama 16-21 $31.99

KUNG FU TAI CHI CALENDAR 72851$0(176 *$7+(5,1*6 2016-08-06 Napa Valley Jr Karate Tournament Held at American Canyon High School, 3000 Newell Dricve, American Canyon, CA. TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: JCMA [email protected] - www.jcmaandaffiliates.com 2016-08-06 8th Annual Modesto Karate Championship Tournament Held at East Modesto Junior College, 435 College Avenue, Modesto CA 95350. Muay Thai, Kick Boxing, Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Eskrima, Brick Breaking TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Master Ed Maldonado 209-410-0654 Modesto, CA 2016-08-12 (2 Days) U.S. Capitol Classics & China Open Held at Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront St, National Harbor, MD 20745. We are proud to present the 34th Annual US Capitol Classics (NASKA 6A Rated!), and we welcome you to the Nation’s Capital. Since its inception, the “Classics” has grown steadily and is considered to be among the most prestigious tournaments in the nation. It is an arena where martial artists compete in a family friendly environment and showcase their strong and graceful martial skills, and vie for more than $50,000 in cash and awards! TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Grandmaster Dennis Brown 301-336-7000 4395 Nicole Drive, Lanham, MD 20706 [email protected] - http://uscapitolclassics.com 2016-08-19 (3 Days) Martial Con I Held at The Long Beach Convention Center, 300 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90802. Action Film Festival, Cosplay and Tricking Competitions, Martial Arts Competition Comics, Seminars, World Body Painting Championships, Fitness Expo, Tradeshow, Night of Champions, MartialCon Masters Award Show. TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Steve Cooper 714-889-9431 7071 Warner Ave Suite 338, Huntington Beach, CA,92647 [email protected] - www.themartialcon.com 2016-08-20 The Battle of the Dojo’s Held at the Hanford Civic Auditorium, Hanford, CA TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Steve Day 559-309-3509 103 S Douty St, Hanford, CA 93230 [email protected] www.facebook.com/DaysKarateSchool?rf=159277920752237

For more on Tiger Claw Sponsored Events, go to 90 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

For the most up-to-date listings, visit our online interactive calendar at KungFuMagazine.com 72851$0(176 *$7+(5,1*6 2016-08-27 (2 Days) California Open Martial Arts Tournament Held at the San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, CA TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Steve Cooper 714-889-9431 7071 Warner Ave Suite 338, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 [email protected] http://smaausa.com/california-open-martial-arts-tournament 2016-09-03 Bay Area Open Tae Kwon Do Championship Held at West Valley College, 14000 Fruitvale Ave. Saratoga CA 95070 TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Grand Master Jin S. Shim - U.S. Tae Kwon Do Academy 408-739-5511 826 E. Fremont Ave. #B, Sunnyvale, CA,94087 [email protected] - www.bayareaopentkd.com 2016-09-09 Silicon Valley Open Tae Kwon Do Championship Held at Independence High School, 1776 Educational Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95133 TIGER CLAW SPONSORED EVENT Contact: Grandmaster Hyun K. Choi 408-238-1666 3248-B South White Rd.,San Jose, CA 95148 [email protected] - http://www.siliconvalleyopen.com 2016-11-25 (3 Days) The Gathering of Grand Masters In celebration of 50 years of Barbados Independence, we would like to bring the beauty of Chinese Martial Arts to the majestic island of Barbados! Special arrangements will be made for lodging, with discounted rates for event participants and attendees, also discounted airline tickets with major U.S. carriers. In addition, awards/trophies/certificates will be given out to everyone participating, and special recognition awards to any Master or Grandmaster in attendance and/or participating. Contact: Grandmaster Shu Wai Chung Bridgetown, Saint Michael,Barbados [email protected] www.facebook.com/thegatheringofgrandmasters

7RJHWOLVWHGLQRXU1(:6VHFWLRQJRWRRXURI¿FLDOZHE site at www.KungFuMagazine.com and click “Calendar” to register. Online listings are edited for content. Events are transferred to our print magazine if posted before deadline (up to 3 months in advance). If you cannot access the web, send your event information to: Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine, 40748 Encyclopedia Circle, Fremont, CA 94538 or FAX 510-656-8844 ATTN: Gene. This is a public service to the Martial Arts Community. The publishers expressly disclaim any and all liability relating to these events.

Ultralight Wushu Broadsword

Single Broadsword

Stainless Steel Kung Fu Broadsword

Available in 28”, 30”, 32”

Available in 22” - 32” Comes with a wood scabbard and a nylon carrying case.

Chrome plate with Scabbard 22” - 32”

Spring Steel: 45-66SP $82.99

45-66CWU $35.99 - $39.79

Ultralight Wushu Twin Broadsword

45-66SS $69.99 9 Ring Broadsword

Wooden Broadsword

Wushu Steel: 45-62WU $59.99

Chrome plated with Scabbard 26” - 30”

Spring Steel: 45-62SP $92.99

45-67CWU $49.99 - $53.29

(28”) 40-04S (33”) 40-04 $21.49 Traditional Twin Straight Sword

Wushu Competition Tai Chi Sword Available in 27” - 35”

Wushu Competition Straight Sword

45-56TC $79.95

45-56SM $69.95

Spring Steel 45-37SP $108.00

Available in 27” - 35”

Available in 28” & 30”

Tiger Claw Sword Case Wushu Straight Sword

Twin Wushu Straight Sword

Available in 20"- 32"

45-56CWU $35.99 - $39.79

Available in 24 - 30"

45-57CWU $43.99 - $47.99

Constructed from sturdy black nylon, the Tiger Claw Sword Case has dual pockets and Velcro elastic straps to secure your weapons, plus a padded separator to keep them from banging into each other. External zippered pockets; elastic web pocket, and a clear luggage tag holder. Size: 42” x 5” x 2.75”

45-99 $27.99

Sturdy Collapsible Sword

Stainless Steel Straight Sword

Stainless Steel w/ padded vinyl case (28”)

Available in 22 - 32"

45-52 $46.99

45-56SS $67.99 - $71.79 Carrying case included

FEATURED WEAPON

Length: 38” Weight: 1 lb 14 oz Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) his magnificent sword has all new fittings. The hilt and scabbard have been meticulously refurbished to showcase the real glory of this piece – the blade. The blade has spectacular metal grain for the period. It is most likely a Han Dynasty blade as few Qin Dynasty (221 BCE–206 BCE) pieces of this caliber survive. Metallurgy in the Qin was predominantly iron work; Steel, particularly the quality forged with the sophistication to produce temper lines like in this example, doesn’t really emerge until the Han Dynasty. However, the owner points out that the shape of the tip provides a clue. Qin Dynasty Jian have asymmetrical tips. One side favors cutting more than the other. The subtle attribute can be a telltale sign for forgeries claiming to be from that period. The restoration is superb. The hilt has elegantly pierced guard, pommel and throat pieces, all bearing a dragon motif that matches with the scabbard fittings. The cord-wrapped handle is tightly braided with acute attention to detail. Even the silver belt hook is executed with the respect that such an ancient blade deserves. It is easy to decrease the value of a sword with a poor restoration job but this piece was refurbished expertly.B From the private collection of Arthur Chin.

Dragon Longevity and Fortune Sword 45S-52 $149.49

Long Quan Straight Sword

Pearwood Spring and Autumn Sword 45S-50 $262.95

Spring Steel: 45-36SP $82.99

Emperor’s Sword 45-53 $199.99

Protect the Family Precious Sword

Demon Shangfang Bao Jian Sword 45S-53 $147.95

45-54 $169.99

Dragon Fast Sword 45-58CS $279.00

All Brass Dragon Well Forge Straight Sword 45-71CS $159.99

Qingtong Sword Total length: 29.5 inch, blade length: 22.5 inch. Total weight: 3.9 lbs, sword weights: 2.5 lbs The blade is made of Damascus steel (AKA pattern-welded steel).

King Yue Sword 45-72CS $159.99

45S-56 $450.00

Northern Shaolim Master Kisu

KUNG FU TAI CHI DISTRIBUTORS

Kung Fu Tai Chi is distributed by the following fine locations ARIZONA -----------------Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun of Arizona 1805 E. Elliot Rd. STE110 Tempe, AZ 85284 Mark Jones 480-820-2428 Shaolin Arts 4330 W. Union Hills Dr. B8 Glendale AZ 85308 Chris Workman 623-581-2000 www.shaolinarts.com CALIFORNIA -------------Shaolin Temple Cultural Center 9143 La Rosa Dr. Temple City, CA 91780 Shi Yanxu 626-292-1355 http://shaolinus.com Shaolin Temple Cultural Center 3628 Nogales St., West Covina, CA 91792 Shi Yanxu 626-292-1355 http://shaolinus.com Tai Mantis Kung Fu 758 E Highland Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92404 Don Newton 909-881-2226 www.taimantis.com John Cho’s Kung Fu School 2435 N. Fresno St., Fresno, CA 93720 John Cho 209-225-9796 Lily Lau Eagle Claw 1651 El Camino Real Millbrae, CA 94030 Sifu Kalman Wong 510-201-3098 www.lilylaueagleclaw.com Gee Yung Fut Ga Assoc. 922 Jackson St., San Francisco, CA 94133 Ricky Der 415-725-8700 Wow Cool® Alternative Comics 21607B Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014 Marc Arsenault 408-921-5164 wowcool.com O-Mei Tai Chi Culture Academy 10070 Imperial Ave Cupertino, CA 95014 Yun Jian Zou 408 252-3988 USA Shaolin Kung Fu Zen 1161 Redmond Ave. San Jose, CA 95120 Xing Le Ye 408-806-0155 www.shaolinkungfuzen.com USA Wu Chi Kung Fu Academy 40924 Fremont Blvd Fremont, CA 94538 He Tao 510-226-6813

COLORADO -------------U.S. Wudang Tai Chi Kung Fu Academy 2601 S. Lemay Ave. #7233 Fort Collins, CO 80525 Yun Xiang Tseng 970-221-3130 www.wudangtao.com Bob Cook Tai Chi Kung Fu Chi Kung 18076 Currant Creek Rd. Cedaredge, CO 81413 Bob Cook 970-234-1085 CONNECTICUT ---------Malee's School of Tai Chi & Kung Fu 249 Broad Street Manchester, CT 06040 Sifu Malee Khow 860-646-6818 www.malees-tai-chi-kungfu.com FLORIDA ------------------Wah Lum Temple of USA 851 N. Goldenrod Rd. Orlando, FL 32807 Sifu Pui Chan 407-275-6177 www.wahlum.com Wah Lum Kung Fu of Melbourne 662 N. Wickham Rd. Melbourne, FL 32935 Harry Lo 321-255-1048 Imperial Martial Arts 5116 US HWY 19 New Port Richey, FL 34652 Roger J. Roger 727-488-7985 ILLINOIS ------------------Lee's Martial Arts Supply and Academy of Martial Arts 15546 S. Cicero Oak Forest, IL 60452 Danny Lee 708-687-8707 www.leekungfu.com Academy of Chinese Martial Arts 9109 S. Western Suite #6 Chicago, IL 60620 Karl Knoble 773-723-2795 www.aocma.com KANSAS -------------------Ryukyu Imports 5005 Merriam Dr. Merriam, KS 66203 Bill Wiswell 913-384-3345 Grace Wu Kung Fu School 122. N. St. Francis Wichita, KS 67202 Grace Wu-Monnat 316-264-9640 gracewu.com LOUSIANA ----------------American Kung Fu Academy 88 MacArthur Dr. Ste.# A Alexandria, LA 71303 Chuck Perry 318-442-9422

MARYLAND --------------U.S. Wushu Academy 701 Russell Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Christopher Pei 301-869-7519 www.uswushuacademy.com Flying Dragon 10730 Connecticut Ave. Kensington, MD 20895 Tai Yim 301-946-0462 Chen Pan Ling World Family Maryland Chapter 5831 Buckeystown Pike Evergreen Plaza Frederick MD 21701 Sifu John Scott 240-675-1718 www.scottacademykungfu. com MASSACHUSETTS ------Mark Warner's Professional Martial Arts 43 Market St Ipswich, MA 01938 Mark E.Warner 978-356-9800 www.markwarnerpma.com Wu Dao Kung Fu & Tai Chi 675 Concord Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138 Tim Hartmann 617-812-2180 MISSOURI ----------------Wu Hsing Chuan 5 Animal Academy 6740 Olive Blvd. University City, MO 63130 Sifu Larry Adams 314-721-6003 Shaolin Lohan Pai 8348 Olive Blvd. Suite C St. Louis, MO 63132 314-432-4218 www.shaolinkungfu.org Midwest Chinese Martial Arts Center HQ 8201 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114 Sifu Scott Winokur 816-444-4777 www.kungfukc.com NEVADA -------------------Warrior Spirit Martial Arts Academy 8974 Slippery Rock Way Las Vegas, NV 89123 Robert L. Jones 702-260-4552 www.wsmaa.com NEW JERSEY -------------Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy 68 Union Ave., Clifton, NJ 07011 Pedro Cepero Yee 973-772-8988 www.yeeshungga.com Tibetan Lama Dragon Crane 13-A Basswood Plaza Monroe Township, NJ 08831 Sifu Green 973-714-2748

NEW MEXICO -----------Mountain Path Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy 7717 Roberts St. NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 Sifu Rob Bibeau 505-681-5603 www.shenabq.com NEW YORK ---------------Goodland Trading, Inc. 823 6th Ave. New York, NY 10001 Alex 212-643-8216 International Xin Wu Men Martial Arts Association /DID\HWWH6WUHHW$WKÁU New York, NY 10003 Long Fei Yang 917-577-5158 www.xinwumen.org City Wingtsun 1024 Sixth Ave. 4 FL New York, NY, 10018 Sifu Alex Richter 212-354-9188 Yee's Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy 366 7th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215 Sifu Peter Berman 718-768-7762 Sitan Tai Chi & Martial Arts / America Taiji Health Qigong 227 Michael Drive Syosset, NY 11791 Lynn Lin 516-677-1798 www.sitantaichi.com NORTH CAROLINA ----Hung Gar Kung Fu Academy Rt. 21 North, Mooresville, NC 28115 Rick Panico 704-663-6305 David Chin’s Hop Gar and Tai Chi Center 2444 Dunn Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28301 Sifu David Chin 910-485-0039 OHIO ----------------------Ving Tsun Museum 5715 Brandt Pike Dayton, OH 45424 Benny Meng 937-236-6485 www.vtmuseum.org OKLAHOMA -------------Academy Of Self Defense, Siu Lum Pai Gungfu 2603-D S. Memorial Dr., Tulsa, OK 74129 Ray Hildreth 918-664-8202 PENNSYLVANIA ---------Academy of Ving Tsun Kung Fu 424 3rd Ave New Brighton, PA 15066 Dale Steigerwald 724-847-3300 www.academyvingtsun.com

PENNSYLVANIA (continued)----------------Academy of Ving Tsun Kung Fu 424 3rd Ave New Brighton, PA 15066 Dale Steigerwald 724-847-3300 www.academyvingtsun.com Philadelphia Wing Chun Kung Fu 117 North 10th St. Suite #4 Philadephia, PA 19107 Art E. Eng 215-351-6227 www.philadelphiawingchun.com RHODE ISLAND ---------Way Of The Dragon 877 Waterman Ave. E.Providence, RI 02914 Wen-Ching Wu 401-435-6502 SOUTH CAROLINA ----Shaolin Kung Fu Studios 196 Stonebridge Drive Myrtle Beach, SC 29588 Shifu Fred Christie 843-597-5634 www.kungfu-sc.com TEXAS ---------------------USA Chin Woo Federation 899 East Arapaho Road Richardson TX 75081 Jimmy K.Wong 972-680-7888 www.chinwoo.com International Shaolin Wushu Center 6515 Corporate Drive #L2 Houston, TX 77036 Shifu Shi Xingying 713-272-0276 www.internationalshaolin.com The Kung Fu School 8811 Emmott Rd. Ste 1600 Houston, TX 77040 Sifu Houston Fuqua 713-474-6660 www.thekfschool.com USA Kung Fu Academy 4327 South First St. Suite 104D Austin, TX 78745 Jeff Hughes 512-707-8977 www.usakfa.com Shaolin Wushu Kung Fu 1721 Saulkleinfeld Dr. Ste H El Paso, TX 79936 Jaime Perez 915-820-8192 www.shaolinwushukungfu. com VIRGINIA ------------------Jow Ga Shaolin Institute 600-D Carlisle Dr. Herndon, VA 20170 Lee/Momenan 703-742-7800 www.jowgashaolin.com First Defense Martial Arts Center 291 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon,VA 20170 Nick Masi 703-835-9054

Become a Kung Fu Tai Chi distributor & get your school listed here. Call Joan Chien at 1-800-628-6552 94 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

Kung Fu Tai Chi is distributed by the following fine locations VIRGINIA (continued)---U.S. Wushu Academy 2979 Prosperity Ave. Fairfax,VA 22031 Christopher Pei 703-698-8182 www.uswushuacademy.com Laughing Dragon Kung Fu 3006 Berkmar Drive Charlottesville,VA 22901 Chris Goodbar 434-973-0318 Jow Ga Kung Fu Assn. HQ. 3221 Virginia Beach Blvd. Virginia Beach, VA 23452 Sifu Hoy Lee 757-463-8888 www.jowgakungfu.com WASHINGTON ----------Seattle Kung Fu Club 658 S. King St. Seattle, WA 98104 Master John Leong 206-624-3838

WISCONSIN --------------Shao Lin Boxing Methods 202 Travis Ln., Waukesha, WI 53189 Sifu Steve Kleppe 262-548-8824 www.shaolinboxingmethods.com

PUERTO RICO -----------Lily Lau Eagle Claw Latin America Headquarters Calle Ricci #40 Patillas, Puerto Rico 00723 Shifu Raul J. Abreu Tanon 787-647-5063 [email protected] SOUTH AMERICA ------Lily Lau Eagle Claw Rua Halfeld, Galeria Pio X 8-4 Piso, Sala 413 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais BRASIL 36.010.240 Sifu Clodoaldo de Silva Castro 32-3213-5778

EUROPE -------------------Lily Lau Eagle Claw Lesvou 12, T.K. 11 47 Galatsi, GREECE Sifu Christos Papachristos 69724-04665 [email protected] China Sports & Culture Heemskerkstraat 3 6971 DW, Brummen NETHERLANDS Patrick Willemse (0031) 6 1345 73 81 www.shaolinstore.nl Lily Lau Eagle Claw 48 Gainsborough Road Great Barr, Birmingham B42-1NA UNITED KINGDOM Sifu Hari Singh Dhesy 44-07739-536739 [email protected]

This list is available online! Join today and your school or store will be listed on KungFuMagazine.com. Listings include live hyperlinks to your website! Contact Joan Chien 1-800-628-6552 [email protected]

Wood Breaking Boards 8mm 20-3508PS: $1.53 12 mm 20-3512PC: $2.48 18mm 20-3518PC: $3.43 Nothing gives you the feel of power like wood board breaking. These wood boards are a great way to train and save money! Ordinarily, you have to buy expensive new wood planks from your local lumber yard, and then cut them down to size before you break them

Rebreakable Boards You can break boards! With Tiger Claw’s Rebreakable Boards, you can learn how to break safely and easily, without the wasting your money on costly wood boards. Tiger Claw’s Rebreakable Boards are designed by the World Champion Breaking Legend Dr. Dan Netherland. Features extra-wide handles and protective foam padding on both sides.

BLUE 20-31U: $26.49 Average (9” x 16 1/2” x 1/4”) RED 20-31R: $30.49 Strong (9” x 16” x 1/2”) BLACK 20-31K: $33.49 Extra Strong (10” x 17” x 1”)

Phone Orders: 800. 824. 2433

International Calls: 865. 686. 4862

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 95

KUNG FU HOROSCOPES: August 7 to October 8, 2016 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this period is autumn, belonging to the element of metal and the organ of lung. Lung controls your qi, hair and skin so respiratory, digestive and skin issues arise under the autumn moon. In the TCM five-element theory, metal opposes wood and the organ associated with wood is lung. TCM prescribes moistening the lung and nourishing the yin. The liver is associated with wood. Hot, spicy food belongs to metal. Therefore, avoid hot and spicy food because it can harm the liver in autumn. To nourish your liver, acidic food is better because it is associated with wood. Autumn is the season of restraint so stay very warm. Avoid winds to prevent catching a cold. When cold winds get into your body, they will cause disease. Preventatives: 1. Get up early. Don’t stay up late. Go to bed before midnight. According to TCM, vital energy and blood go through the gall bladder, liver, lung and large intestine sequentially after eleven. If you don’t have enough rest, then your reflective organs won’t be restored and this will cause disease. 2. Protect your joints and back. Keep warm. 3. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to avoid “dryness evil.” Dryness evil will cause a dry cough. 4. Eat less hot, spicy food. Eat more acidic food. 5. Exercise more. The first period of this forecast is called bing shen (щ⭣); the second period is ding you (б䝹)

In

The following two recipes are recommended for this time of year:

Lotus Seed, Lily Bud, Jujube and White Fungus Porridge (㬞ἇਸ㙣㗩) 100 gm lotus seeds

50 gm white fungus

50 gm lily buds

20 large jujubes

Ground lotus seeds, and then add all the ingredients together in a pot. Add adequate amount of water and bring to a boil, then simmer until lotus seeds are softened. Benefits: Purifies heart, moistens spleen and invigorates lung. Alleviates thirst, dry cough and poor sleep. Consume daily. Avoid if suffering from a cold with a cough.

Herb Tea to Remove Dryness (৫⠕㥦) 5 gm Astragalus (huang qi 哳㣚)

10 gm goji berry (gou qi ᷨᶎ)

5 gm Radix ophlopogonis (mai dong哕ߜ) 3 gm roasted licorice (zhi gan cao⛉⭈㥹) Ground the above herbs into powder, add adequate amount of your daily drinking water in a pot, bring to a boil, then let simmer 30 minutes. Benefits: Nourishes yin and moistens dryness. Alleviates throat discomfort and continuous cough. Drink as your daily tea.

Rat 啐: 1924 Wood, 1936 Fire, 1948 Earth, 1960 Metal, 1972 Water, 1984 Wood, 1996 Fire, 2008 Earth 8/7–9/7: You will be emotionally fragile. Avoid emotional entanglements. Think things through. Do not react emotionally when in distress. 9/7–10/8: Set a proper work and rest schedule for yourself and stick to it. Avoid over-indulging in anything. Most of all, avoid associating with the wrong friends. You know which ones. Steer clear. “I'm finally locked into the now, and it's great.” Rat Rick James Ox ⢋: 1925 Wood, 1937 Fire, 1949 Earth, 1961 Metal, 1973 Water, 1985 Wood, 1997 Fire, 2009 Earth 8/7–9/7: It’s a period of happiness and optimism, as well as a good time for you to be competitive. So don’t hesitate. Enter into competition and reap your just rewards. Concentrate on your work. 9/7–10/8: Your fortune forecast is high. This can be a very prosperous period as long as you make sure to do what’s important quickly. “For me, looking back is akin to being on a tightrope and looking down. It doesn't help you in the present moment to deal with what you have to deal with in order to move forward.” Ox The Edge 96 KUNG FU B TAI CHI OCTOBER 2016

By Wilson Sun (with Gigi Oh and Gene Ching)

Tiger 㱾: 1926 Fire, 1938 Earth, 1950 Metal, 1962 Water, 1974 Wood, 1986 Fire, 1998 Earth, 2010 Metal 8/7–9/7: Prepare yourself. It’s going to be a period of hard work. There is a tendency for some upcoming trauma. Be sure to drive with the utmost care. Buckle up. 9/7–10/8: An opportunity approaches, but you must reach out and grab it to succeed. Your true talents will be revealed under the limelight. “We’re in this life, and if you’re not available, the sort of ordinary time goes past and you didn’t live it. But if you’re available, life gets huge. You’re really living it.” Tiger Bill Murray Hare ‫ބ‬: 1927 Fire, 1939 Earth, 1951 Metal, 1963 Water, 1975 Wood, 1987 Fire, 1999 Earth, 2011 Metal 8/7–9/7: You’ll feel depressed and lack energy. Make sure you get enough rest and sleep. Make an exercise schedule and stick to it. Proper exercise is very important. 9/7–10/8: You may suffer from poor physical fitness, fatigue and irritability. It’s easy to get angry now, but mind your tongue. Avoid disputes with others. “I shall not change my course because those who assume to be better than I desire it.” Hare Victoria Woodhull Dragon 喽: 1928 Earth, 1940 Metal, 1952 Water, 1964 Wood, 1976 Fire, 1988 Earth, 2000 Metal, 2012 Water 8/7–9/7: Work hard. However, still pay great attention to getting adequate rest. Without enough rest, you are prone to discomfort, illness and physical suffering. 9/7–10/8: Your communication outlook is good. This will help improve your relationships with others and eliminate misunderstandings. Talk it out and capitalize on this period. “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Dragon Carlo Gambino Snake 㳷: 1929 Earth, 1941 Metal, 1953 Water, 1965 Wood, 1977 Fire, 1989 Earth, 2001 Metal, 2013 Water 8/7–9/7: Avoid strenuous or high-impact activities and sports. Beware of anything that might pull tendons or break bones. Take a break from sparring during this period and focus on your form. 9/7–10/8: High energy is in your forecast. Seize the moment and plunge fully into your work and studies. “There are always door openings. And gradually, it accumulates. The opportunities open up in front of you.” Snake Buzz Aldrin Horse 俜: 1930 Metal, 1942 Water, 1954 Wood, 1966 Fire, 1978 Earth, 1990 Metal, 2002 Water, 2014 Wood 8/7–9/7: A period of painstaking trouble lies ahead. You’ll feel like you have to do the same stupid things over and over again. The only way to win is through perseverance. 9/7–10/8: Give total concentration when doing anything or it will be hard to succeed. Be very careful about speaking out. You are prone to offending your elders now. “Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century.” Horse S. J. Perelman

Ram 㖺: 1931 Metal, 1943 Water, 1955 Wood, 1967 Fire, 1979 Earth, 1991 Metal, 2003 Water, 2015 Wood 8/7–9/7: Keep your wits about you. You’ll succeed by leveraging power strategically. Win through cleverness. 9/7–10/8: A low period lies ahead. You’ll feel depressed and grumble about everything. Take a vacation if you can. Go someplace entertaining or educational. Be sure to get some relaxation time in. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.” Ram Sir Barnett Cocks Monkey ⥤: 1932 Water, 1944 Wood, 1956 Fire, 1968 Earth, 1980 Metal, 1992 Water, 2004 Wood, 2016 Fire 8/7–9/7: Don’t rake up the past and complicate your affairs. Let sleeping dogs lie. Mind your own business to avoid a whole new set of troubles. 9/7–10/8: You’ll need your friends to assist you. You’ll also need to keep your wits about you. This is a good time to repair a relationship or deal with an unresolved matter. “It is madness for sheep to talk peace with a wolf.” Monkey Thomas Fuller Rooster 䴎: 1921 Metal, 1933 Water, 1945 Wood, 1957 Fire, 1969 Earth, 1981 Metal, 1993 Water, 2005 Wood 8/7–9/7: You’ll feel restless and argumentative. This won’t reflect well with those around you. Be careful what you say. Be very considerate of others. If you don’t, it may come back to haunt you.

9/7–10/8: You’ll feel physically and mentally fatigued, tired of speaking out. Take a fun vacation. Cultivate your fitness and health. “Publicity can be terrible. But only if you don't have any.” Rooster Jane Russell Dog ⤇: 1922 Water, 1934 Wood, 1946 Fire, 1958 Earth, 1970 Metal, 1982 Water, 1994 Wood, 2006 Fire 8/7–9/7: You’ll invest a lot of effort but receive less reward. You’ll find yourself doing things repeatedly. To help things run more smoothly, plan everything you can in advance. 9/7–10/8: Your future holds many twists and turns. You might lack confidence. If you listen to others, you might be suddenly enlightened. “I'm becoming far more interested in just functionality and making sure my body is as strong as it can be so I can swing my kids around and not worry about aches and pains.” Dog Matt Damon Pig 䊜: 1923 Water, 1935 Wood, 1947 Fire, 1959 Earth, 1971 Metal, 1983 Water, 1995 Wood, 2007 Fire 8/7–9/7: Your forecast is full of wealth and high spirits. Seize every opportunity that comes your way. Exploit every victory for another win. 9/7–10/8: Personal problems are in your forecast, but you need not worry. Approach these imminent issues calmly. Think them through. A good path will emerge. “Work is important to me. I want to do things for principle, not just for the sake of doing them.” Pig Tracey Ullman

Astrologist Wilson Sun is a Feng Shui Master from Shanghai – [email protected]. Read more Kung Fu Horoscopes online at KungFuMagazine.com

OCTOBER 2016 KUNG FU B TAI CHI 97

KUNG FU WISDOM

China’s Western Daliang Mountaina Luorong Cattle Farm ѝഭ㾯䜘བྷ߹ኡ⍋㔂⢋൪

By Xiao Jiaze In a slight departure from the usual Chengyu calligraphy published in Kung Fu Wisdom, this issue’s installment is a traditional landscape painting by the cover master, Xiao Jiaze. Traditional landscape painting is known as Shan shui (literally ‘mountain water’ ኡ≤). Daliang Mountains are a mountain range the forms the border between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. The Chinese calligraphy labels the setting and adds that it was painted by Jiaze in Kentucky, USA in 2016. Master Xiao gifted this to Kung Fu Tai Chi when he visited the headquarters. He was accompanied by Master Jack Fu Xueli of southern California. Jack Fu was the cover master for the July+August 2007 issue.

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Tiger Claw Elite Monkey King Champion Ding Wei is a part of the

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