Origins of Shaolin Long Fist and White Crane Kung Fu

Shaolin Long Fist

The information which follows has been condensed and summarized by Mr. Alex Kiesel of YMAA Andover, MA from the book Shaolin Long Fist Kung Fu by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming (Unique Publications, 1981)

History of Shaolin Long Fist:

Our Lineage

The term 'Shaolin' refers to the Shaolin Temple in China which traditionally is considered one of the main training places of the Chinese Martial Arts. According to Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming in his book Shaolin Long Fist Kung Fu, the Indian Buddhist monk Da Mo (Boddhidharma) came to the temple in 527 A.D. for religious preaching. Upon seeing the poor physical condition and illness of the monks, he locked himself away for many years of meditation to determine how to strengthen them. When he emerged, he wrote his results down in two classics which became the foundation of cultivation of the Buddhist spirit and of the physical body at the Temple. The monks expanded Da Mo's exercises for internal power and external strength, developing from them self-defense techniques for protection from bandits in their travels.

Due to misuse of these skills by rogue monks, the Emperor ordered the Shaolin Temple closed, but it reopened again around 600 A.D. For the next thousand years the Martial Arts flourished behind the walls of ten Shaolin Temples, combined with a strict moral and behavioral code based on Buddhist precepts. Martial and moral instruction went hand-in-hand, and the monks gained the reputation of being upholders of virtue and justice.

After the Manchurian warriors conquered China in the 1600's they burned many of the Shaolin temples to the ground and the Shaolin monks dispersed around China, teaching their martial arts to help the people defend against the invaders. As each monk ultimately specialized in a different aspect of Kung Fu, and as the Shaolin Temple monks had also collected knowledge from styles arising outside the temple, the systems taught by the different monks around China took on differing characteristics leading to the diversity of styles that exist today.

Many weapons are trained in the Long Fist system including Staff, Sword, Saber, and Spear and others. Characteristics of the Long Fist System In Chinese Martial Arts there is a saying, 'Northern leg, Southern fist' which refers to the belief that the martial artists of the North specialized in kicking due to their longer and stronger legs. The people of the South, being smaller and stockier, specialized in the use of hand techniques.

Long Fist, being a Northern style, emphasizes the use of the legs. The style contains a wide variety of stationary, moving, spinning and jumping kicks. Not all of these are for practical use, but practice of the full range develops tremendous strength, flexibility and agility. Long range punches are employed, but the hands are used primarily for blocking and parrying. In YMAA training, techniques of Shaolin Chin Na and the White Crane style are trained for close-range fighting.

Stances in Long Fist are wide and low, allowing for a long range of movement and great stability and strength. The Long Fist fighter likes to keep the opponent at middle-to-long range distance to facilitate the use of kicks, and since kicks are of such importance, speed is crucial since it takes longer to execute a kick from long range.

The Manchus were finally routed from power in 1911 but seventeen years of civil war followed as the government tried to rid the country of the numerous warlords who stood in the way of a united China. It was during this time that the final burning of the Shaolin Temple took place.

During the early part of the 20th century when the Shaolin Temple was still active, two great martial organizations arose, encompassing many of the great styles that developed from the Shaolin and other systems.

One was the Jing Wu Association, and the other was the Central Guoshu Institute (the term Guoshu' means 'country technique'). The Guoshu Institute drew from the knowledge of a large number of respected Masters, including Jing Wu members, overcoming Martial Arts politics and age-old prejudices to discuss and explore the best techniques from among the many divisions. From this synthesis arose the style commonly known as Long Fist.

Master Han Ching-Tang (1903 - 1976) studied Long Fist as a second-generation pupil of the Central Guoshu Institute. He, in turn, taught Master Li Mao-Ching, who also studied Northern Praying Mantis, Chinese Wrestling and Sun Bin Chuan. Master Li passed on his knowledge to a number of pupils including Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, who still visits with and hosts Master Li on a regular basis.

Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu

The information which follows has been condensed and summarized by Mr. Alex Kiesel of YMAA Andover, MA from the book Shaolin White Crane (1996) by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, YMAA Publications.

History of the Southern White Crane Style

It is believed that White Crane was one of the five original 'animal' systems practiced at the Shaolin Temple and that it may already have existed by the time the monk Da Mo arrived from India in the 6th century. Later, during the 17th century, a woman named Fang Qi-Niang combined her White Crane heritage, passed down from her father, with movements she witnessed while observing the behavior of cranes in the river near her home. This was the beginning of the Southern White Crane system, which now includes four major divisions: Ancestral Crane, Eating Crane, Shouting Crane and Flying Crane. It is Ancestral Crane that Master Yang-Jwing Ming learned as a youth from his Master, Cheng Gin-Zao.

Characteristics of the Southern White Crane Style White Crane is one of the hundreds of Chinese martial arts styles, and White Crane itself can be divided into numerous schools, each with its own special characteristics and emphasis in training. However, the root of all White Crane styles remains the same. The White Crane learned and taught by Master Yang, Zong He Chuan, is considered the original Southern White Crane system.

Zong He Chuan translates as 'Ancestral Crane Fist.' The system is also known as ' Trembling Crane', 'Sleeping Crane' or 'Jumping Crane'. Each of these names describes a characteristic of the style. The Jin or martial power of Zong He Chuan derives from a shaking or trembling of the body that imitates the shaking off of water by a bird or animal. The legs are firmly rooted and the power is generated from the waist. 'Sleeping' may refer to the idea that the Crane practitioner is motionless until the opponent moves, at which time s/he physically explodes into defense while maintaining mental and spiritual calm. 'Jumping' refers to the jumping movements used in strategic footwork and escape.

White Crane is primarily a defensive system that specializes in the short range. Kicks are low and hands are used extensively in techniques that derive from the shape and movements of the Crane's wings or beak. The Crane is known for its dignity and calm appearance but also for the viciousness with which it defends itself.

White Crane practitioners also train in the use of weapons, including staff, double sticks, sai, saber, double dagger, spear and numerous other long and short weapons. Training in White Crane demands a conditioned body in order to withstand the great power that can be generated by the shaking Jin and the specialized whipping and arcing motions of the chest and spine. Without proper and progressive conditioning it is easy to damage the joints and internal organs in practice. Also, in order to reach the higher levels, the pupil must study and practice White Crane Qigong (cultivation of internal energy). For these reasons, only the most elementary of White Crane techniques and forms are taught in the first few years of YMAA training.

White Crane is a very deep and specialized style, and it is not possible to do it justice in a short summary. If you are interested in the theory, philosophy, history and methods of White Crane training, please reference the book Shaolin White Crane by Dr. Yang Jwing Ming for more information.

Origins of Yang Style Tai Chi

There are many different styles or families of Tai Chi Chuan. The five which are practiced most commonly today are the Yang, Chen, Wu , Sun, and Woo styles. All Tai Chi styles, however, are derived from the original Chen family style.

Some people believe that Tai Chi was developed by a Taoist Priest from a temple in China's Wu Dong Mountains. It is said that he once observed a white crane preying on a snake, and mimicked their movements to create the unique Tai Chi martial art style. Tai Chi was first and foremost developed as a martial art. In classical Yang style one first learns the form comprising of 112 basic postures. These basic postures, originally designed for martial application teaches the student how to optimally align the body structure to manifest or redirect power. The Chinese characters for Tai Chi Chuan (also written as Taijiquan) can be translated as the 'Supreme Ultimate Fist'. The concept of 'supreme ultimate' is often associated with the Chinese concept of yin-yang, this exhibits the understanding that one can see a dynamic duality (male/female, active/passive, dark/light, forceful/yielding, etc.) in all things.

Tai Chi, which is easily recognised by its slow and graceful movements, can perhaps best be thought of as a moving meditation. Tai Chi fosters a calm and tranquil mind, focused on the precise execution of its postures. Learning to do them correctly provides a practical avenue for learning about such things as balance, alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from the body's vital center, and so on. Thus the practice of Tai Chi can in some measure contribute to being able to better stand, walk, move, run, etc. in other spheres of life as well. Many practitioners notice benefits in terms of correcting poor postural, alignment or movement patterns which can contribute to tension or injury. Furthermore the meditative nature of the exercises is calming and relaxing in and of itself. In Chinese philosophy and medicine there exists the concept of 'chi', a vital force (bio-electricity) that animates the body. This 'chi' circulates in patterns, which are closely related to the nervous and vascular system. One of the purposes of Tai Chi is to foster the circulation of 'chi' within the body. These 'chi' cultivating exercises are known as 'chi kung'. Chi Kung accesses the same mechanisms used in acupuncture and other oriental healing arts, and has the effect of generally enhancing the health and vitality of its practitioners. Chi Kung can also specifically be applied to achieve healing. When 'chi' manifestation is coupled with the correct structural alignment, a very powerful whip-like penetrating force is generated, known as 'fa jing'. Tai Chi uses this force offensively to attack vital acupuncture cavities. Defensively Tai Chi teaches you great sensitivity in sensing your opponent's intent and movement as well as skills in neutralising and uprooting your opponent through exercises known as 'pushing hands'.

As a martial art Tai Chi is a medium range fighting system focusing on all categories of fighting namely 'Ti' - kicking, 'Da' - striking , 'Shuai' - wrestling, 'Na' - Joint locking.

Origins of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

The art began with Mitsuyo Maeda (aka Conde Koma, or Count Combat in English), a Japanese expert judoka and member of the Kodokan. Maeda was one of five of the Kodokan's top groundwork experts that Judo's founder Kano Jigoro sent overseas to spread his art to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries giving "jiu-do" demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers, boxers, savate fighters and various other martial artists before eventually arriving in Brazil on November 14, 1914.

Maeda met an influential businessman named Gastão Gracie who helped him get established. In 1917, his son Carlos Gracie, still a 14 year-old boy, watched a demonstration by Maeda at the Teatro da Paz and decided to learn jiu-jitsu. Maeda accepted Carlos as a student, and Carlos went on to become a great exponent of the art and ultimately, with his younger brother Hélio Gracie became the founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In 1921, Gastão Gracie and his family moved to Rio de Janeiro. Carlos, then 17 years old, passed Maeda's teachings on to his brothers Osvaldo, Gastão and Jorge. Hélio was too young and sick at that time to learn the art, and due to medical imposition was prohibited to take part in the training sessions. Despite that, Hélio learned jiu-jitsu by watching his brothers. He eventually overcame his health problems and is now considered by many as the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (though others, such as Carlson Gracie, have pointed to Carlos as the founder of the art).

Hélio competed in several submission judo competitions which mostly ended in a draw. One defeat (in Brazil in 1951) was by visiting Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura, whose surname the Gracies gave to the arm lock used to defeat Hélio (the Gracies threw in the towel only after Kimura had broken Hélio's arm).

The Gracie family continued to develop the system throughout the 20th century, often fighting vale tudo matches (precursors to modern MMA), during which it increased its focus on ground fighting and refined its techniques.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the 1990s, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first, second and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships, which at the time were single elimination martial arts tournaments. Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing, shoot-fighting, karate, judo, tae kwon do and wrestling. It has since become a staple art for many MMA fighters and is largely credited for bringing wide-spread attention to the importance of ground fighting. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submission grappling tournaments, such as the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

Origins of San Shou - Chinese Full Contact Kickboxing

San Shou is the official full contact fighting sport of modern Wushu which is rapidly growing in popularity both in the US and abroad. As an integral part of most Wushu competitions, San Shou has been an important event at the World Wushu Championships since its inception in 1991. Presently San Shou competitions are held in over 75 countries world wide. Recently San Shou has also become a professional sport in America.

The word "San Shou" also spelled "Sanda" translates as "unbound hand" and refers to free fighting where the rules are designed to most accurately simulate actual combat. San Shou matches are fought on a raised platform called the "Lei Tai". Historically, the Lei Tai dates back centuries in China where challenge matches were fought both bare handed and also with weapons with no rules?often resulting in death or serious injury. At the National Chinese tournament in Nanking in 1928, the fights on the Lei Tai were so brutal that the final 12 contestants were not permitted to fight for fear of killing off some of the great masters of the time. So changes were needed. Modern San Shou developed into a sport about the same time as modern Wushu during the 1960's by the Chinese Government. In order to define a standard kung fu fighting style, the great masters from all over China were given the task of organizing the huge heritage of Chinese martial arts in to a system of rules in which different styles could complete. Protective equipment was also added to further reduce the risk of serious injury.

The rules of San Shou allow for a wide array of full contact punching, kicking, takedowns and throws derived from the traditional application of Chinese martial arts. Finishing hold (chokes, arm locks etc.) have been excluded from the rules which forces the fight to continue at a fast pace. San Shou addresses the three ranges of fighting, kicking, punching and grappling which adds great realism to the sport. A fighter can win by a knockout or by points, points are also awarded for the techniques according to effectiveness. In a tournament, you fight for 2 rounds of 2 minutes each, plus a third round in case the first 2 score even. Forcing the opponent off of the platform is also a major technique of San Shou. It is a mistake to think of San Shou as just Kick Boxing because the strategies of San Shou are very different.

San Shou is the quintessence of Kung Fu.

Ving Tsun Kung Fu

Ving Tsun was originally passed down from teacher to student orally rather than through written documentation, making it difficult to confirm or clarify the differing accounts of its creation. Some have sought to apply the methods of higher criticism to the oral histories of Ving Tsun and other Chinese martial arts.[4] Others have attempted to discern the origins of Ving Tsun by determining the specific purpose of its techniques. Mentions of the art start to appear in independent third-party documentation during the era of the Ving Tsun master Leung Jan, making its subsequent history and divergence into various branches more amenable to documentary verification.

The common legend as told by Ip Man involves the young woman Yim Wing Chun (Wing Chun literally means forever springtime or praising spring) at the time after the destruction of the Southern Shaolin and its associated temples by the Qing government. After Wing Chun rebuffs the local warlord's marriage offer, he says he'll rescind his proposal if she can beat him in a martial art match. She asks a Buddhist nun- Ng Mui, who was one of the Shaolin Sect survivors, to teach her boxing; this still nameless style enables Yim Wing Chun to defeat the warlord. She thereafter marries Leung Bac-Chou and teaches him the style, which he names after her.

Since the system was developed during the Shaolin and Ming resistance to the Qing Dynasty many legends about the creator of Wing Chun were spread to confuse the enemy, including the story of Yim Wing Chun. This perhaps explains why no one has been able to accurately determine the creator or creators of Wing Chun.

Yip Man was well respected by other martial arts instructors in Foshan and Hong Kong. He was the first person to teach Wing Chun to a wider public. The style he taught was renamed Ving Tsun based on the sound in Chinese. After his death, many of his students formed separate schools.

Yip Man was well-known for having a very quick wit and an acid tongue. His teaching style, along with the very direct nature of the art and its despising of superfluous talk, infuses the art with a certain edginess. This is probably why Ving Tsun is well-known for being split into many factions.

Notable students of Yip Man include: Lun Gai, Gwok Fu, Leung Sheung(??)[1][2], Lok Yiu (??), Chu Shong-tin(???), Wong Shun Leung(???), Wang Kiu (??), Yip Bo Ching (???), William Cheung, Hawkins Cheung, Bruce Lee, Lo Man Kam, Wong Long, Wong Chok, Law Bing, Lee Shing, Ho Kam-Ming, Moy Yat, Duncan Leung, Derek Fung (??? Fung Ping Bor), Chris Chan (?? Chan Shing), Victor Kan, Stanley Chan, Chow Sze Chuen, Tam Lai, Ip Ching, Ip Chun, Lee Che Kong, and Leung Ting(??).

Leung Ting formed the IWTA or International Wing Tsun Association and taught an American student named Jeff Webb> Jeff Webb earned the rank of 5th degree level Master under Leung Ting and was the Head Instructor for North America for Many years. Master Jeff Webb left the IWTA to formulate his own theories and inovation on the style and started the NVTO National Ving Tsun Organization which has had great success. This is our branch of Ving Tsun Kung Fu.