What makes an art a "Pai" ?

[Andy]

Does anyone know why some arts use the term Pai after their name and others do not? What makes an art a "Pai"? Let me hear from informed sources.

[SifuAbel]

Pai is similar to Gar in meaning. Being a family or group. It can losley mean style.

[Chinwoo-er]

Pai is a term used as a collective noun for a veriaty of styles. Gar or Moon is the specific styles. Shaolin, Wudan are Pai. Hung Gar, Eagle Claw, Praying Mantis, Mizong, etc, are the Moon or Gar. Of course, technically speaking, North Shaolin should be labeled as one of the moons under Shaolin.

Moon is the term prefered in the North and Gar is the term prefered in the South.

Hope that cleared it up a little

[David Jamieson]

Pai is "school" or "clan" and is specific to a particular regional interpretation of the art being studied.

it is similar in meaning to Ryu of the japanese traditions. It has more to do with identification of a style than the content of the style.

Gar is "family" and Moon or Mun is "gate" or "society"

peace

[logic]

www.pailum.com/codes.htm

[TaoBoy]

My understandinng:

Pai = style
Gar = family
Mun = society
Hui = academy

[PLCrane]

logic,

The "pai" in pai lum means "white". I believe that it's a different character from the one other styles use for "family".

[eric_thomson]

Kwoon, Gwoon, Gun, Guan = School

[Ford Prefect]

3.1415...

[guohuen]

And what's the square root?

[anton]

i^2 = -1

[Serpent]

Isn't a square root shagging the librarian chick?

(I think only antipodeans will get that one).

[anton]

heheheh

[Former castleva]

"Pai" may also mean "mark",like "trademark" or related,just a sidenote.

[Andy]

Why is it that you rarely hear of the Wing Chun style referred to as a "pai"?