BSL Lyrics: Shaolin Broadsword

[GeneChing]

Again, like I mentioned in the Shaolin Staff thread (see http://forum.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=13315 )
I have two versions of this, one from Sifu Wing Lam and another from Sifu Chan Sau Chung. The same parallel of between NSL and PKmonkey staff exists in broadsword.

BSL version

PEK KWAR DARN DO: DOWN CHOP, HANGING THRUST SINGLE BROADSWORD
1. Protect the shoulder, hooking hand pose.
2. Immortal points the way.
3. Backwards golden hair pin points down.
4. Back kick.
5. Lift the torch, burn up to the sky.
6. Lion fights with the rabbit.
7. Diagonal down cut.
8. Little ghost carries the umbrella.
9. Riding the horse through the gate.
10. Rolling the body, covering and blocking.
11. General reigns the horse.
12. Spinning upward, wave the broadsword.
13. General reigns the horse.
14. Poisonous snake crosses the road.
15. Green dragon stretches its claws.
16. Sit in horse stance, wave the broadsword.
17. Cut open the stomach and remove the heart.
18. "Yeh Cha" the nocturnal ghost searches the sea.
19. Cut open the stomach and remove the heart.
20. White snake spits out its tongue.
21. Immortal stretches his back.
22. White ape offers food.
23. "Sheung Jing" the immortal plays the flute.
24. Green snake goes through the hole.
25. Yellow dragon turns around.
26. Chopping bamboo, through the trunk and the branches.
27. Sprinkle the plum flowers.
28. Chun dynasty king sheathes his long sword.
29. Tornado kick.
30. General reigns the horse.
31. Mount Tai crushes the head.
32. Brutal king lifts the urn.
33. Sit in horse stance, wave the broadsword.
34. Hawk turns in flight.
35. Black tiger steals the heart.
36. Dancing flower overcomes the tiger.
37. Green dragon goes in the sea.
38. Crane stands above the chickens.
39. Wild horse breaks out of the stable.
40. Immortal sprinkle her flowers.
41. Turn around, chop the snake.
42. Fisherman castes the net.
43. Jade belt across the waist.
44. Pretty girl turning and spinning thread.
45. Double kick.
46. Striking the tiger pose.
47. Back step, finish form.

Pek Kwar Monkey version

Left and Right High Block
Immortal Seeks the Path
Fierce Tiger Pounces on its Prey
White Snake Flicks its Tongue
Blowing Wind, Fluttering Leaves
Giant Python Pierces the Heart
Wise Man Tai Gong Catches Fish
Broadsword Follows Turning Body
Willow Leaves, Flying Flowers

[NorthernShaolin]

Gene,

Same except for:

After #15 we do #25 to make the change direction easier.
#17 and #18 we do these moves three times.
#42 and #43 again we do these moves 3 times
Between #43 and #44 we perform in a left bow stance, three over the back, across the left shoulder vertical strikes. Do not know the name of the lyric.

[GeneChing]

But we repeat 42 & 43 3x too. Not 17 & 18, though, we just do those once.
And I think 44 is the name of those final cuts you mention or at least part of it - something about the hand and sword coordination akin to working a big loom. we do those 3x too.

[Subitai]

Sorry to Necro this thread... But I thought it was better choice to ask a question about this form.

It seems i've seen so many versions of it and some that have whole sections that I recognize as borrowed (seems like). Almost as if there was a general knife set that had this pattern and then all the other styles adopted it and made it there own. Or it could be it came form just one family and everyone copied it?

Basically from the Bak sil lum perspective...did Northern Shaolin adopt it from Pek Kwar or the other way around? Is it a chicken or the egg deal?

Or does it go so far back that nobody really knows?


Any history buff on this...just curious?

Thanks

[GeneChing]

Good on you, O.

Personally, I think it's a chicken-egg problem. So in answer, I'll take the Buddhist reply to the chicken-egg koan: The chicken is the egg.

TC Media Intl. actually produced a video of the Pek Kwar Willow Leaf Broadsword (柳葉單刀) from the Monkey lineage of Chan Sau Chung (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=259). Unfortunately, that's out-of-production. It was originally produced on VHS and sales weren't high enough to warrant conversion to DVD (there are several titles of this category - someday we might still convert them). I worked on that video however and could clearly see the connection between it and the BSL version, although it was much shorter. Since you asked, I just pulled up the script I wrote for that video and am adding the lyrics from it here (as you can see, they are much shorter, but so was the form):

Left and Right High Block 左右昂
Immortal Seeks the Path 仙人問路
Fierce Tiger Pounces on its Prey 猛虎撲食
White Snake Flicks its Tongue 白蛇吐信
Blowing Wind, Fluttering Leaves 搖風擺柳
Giant Python Pierces the Heart 大網穿心
Wise Man Tai Gong Catches Fish 太公釣魚
Broadsword Follows Turning Body 刀隨身轉
Willow Leaves, Flying Flowers 柳葉飛花

[Subitai]

Thanks big bro :) Allow me to share what sparked my interest;



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYx_apqZ2HM


Kung Fu Brian wrote:
It is from the Pek kwar tai shing system as taught by Ken Dak Hoi. My Sigung and him were very good friends. I am not sure when it was introduced to the hung gar system, but this particular version is for sure from the Lam family. I do know that other lineages do teach it. Their flavor is different however and looks different. I learned it from My Sifu Yc Wong. I think (not sure) that my Sifu learned it from Ken Dak Hoi directly.