Taoist Sects From Southern Canton

[YuanZhideDiZhen]

recently at

Plumpub.com (http://www.plumpub.com)

i found some vcd's containing forms from some famous sect of taoist wandering monks prevelent in southern and western canton. these sects known as the Night Wanderers and the Pine and Valley sects had their own styles. The vcd's offered show five or six forms from each sect. does anyone know if the forms that survive on these disks are the only ones remaining from the cultural revolution or if there are other forms available?

[Troy Dunwood]

In reference to taoist sects in canton there is similar history with our style as well "Eight Immortals Style" from Mo Dong (Wu Tang) Bronze Hall, as it was brought to Shin Ning, Kwongtung Province by Yue Ho Lung a taoist master back in the day and taught to our ancestor Lau Chan Mee. According to my Sifu Lau Yee Chan, who was the great grandson of Lau Chan Mee, stated that in our curriculum there are only three known skills that are still taught in china, Eight immortals Fist, Eight Immortals palms and the wu tang natural fist system. I am going to china in May and will be conducting research on Yue Ho Lung and the Lau Family, I know the skills you are referring to and I'll try to gather some concrete information on that as well. I'll let you know my findings.

[Ben Gash]

I'm confused, where does it say it's popular in Canton? :confused:

[YuanZhideDiZhen]

troy:
Thank you for your response. I eagerly await your reply. I heard from someone in the sfba that a younger monk survived from the night wanderers and this was all he knew. elsewhere it was that the two sects shared the same basic forms but had different styles of those forms: the descriptions of the disks indicate the most characteristic of the each style's method in thier preservation. so it may be all that remains.

They roamed in TaiShan province as well as the grey areas bordering Vietnam and Laos. Night wanderers are reputed to have survived in Cambodia but thats hard for me to believe with the severity of Khumer's massacre.

Ben:
indeed popularity is not an issue as much as prevalence in certain provinces. Canton is like saying "the Confederacy" with reguard to national identity and cultural differences to say "the Union". The Pine and Valley sect were dominant in the areas bordering Vietnam, and TaiShan. Both of which are in Canton. of the sects of wandering monks they had he highest population in these areas. The Night Wanderers were dominant west of the Pine and Valley sect but also overlapped in the Vietnam area. Both sects were actively hunted durring the Cultural Revolution.

I wonder if the night wanderer sect's style got absorbed into Tibetan arts? they seem to have a secret art that is altogether different than what thier buddist methods use ( read that on some other web page). I had a professor whom went to tibet. she was surprised to see taoists there. she commented on thier apparent freedom of movement and access to areas forbidden to westerners.

[7 star Method]

There are quite a few various styles still available, but hard to find people willing to teach them. I am personally a Pei Chi Pai descendant, and I myself practice a few different styles that have descended from my particular sect. One being Lu Long Hsing Pai, a style that was once a folk style, but changed after my teacher brought it to the Pei Chi Pai. Another would be a Spiritual fist style, which I cannot say the name of on the internet. This is a fighting style used during ritual as well as martial; It is very eccentric, but powerful indeed. Last but not least I learned another style that I was taught around 1990 which was referred to as "secret hands".
What I am getting at is there are many "old" styles that derived from Wu-Tang, but to find a master to teach them is very hard. The sad part of it is, and I mean this with no disrespect and the level of skill has nothing to do with old or new. Many (not all) of the styles that are taught on Wu-Tang now are not traditional routines, just routines made up from bits and pieces of 'old" routines that have been accepted by the government.

Tao-an

[YuanZhideDiZhen]

chat tsing:

thanks for your post.

would you teach the 'secret ritual forms' to someone and what would be your requirements for petition?

i have heard of similar forms but only by someone in passing knowledge of such things in existence.

is "secret hands" a snake-based tai chi grappling with head throws?

Pei Chi pai: how do you translate that nuance? is it 'creative achievement'; or 'streaming creation'?

[7 star Method]

would you teach the 'secret ritual forms' to someone and what would be your requirements for petition?

Yes and No, this is better left to a private conversation.


i have heard of similar forms but only by someone in passing knowledge of such things in existence.

There are a few people with lineage to different spiritual kungfu sets that belong to a variety of sects. This stuff is secret and usually only allowed to be learned by a very few in each generation.

is "secret hands" a snake-based tai chi grappling with head throws?

Secret hands have many fists, and YES, most Pei Chi Pai kungfu technique are very dangerous and like to control the face and head.
You would more than likely like Lu Long Hsing pai - fun stuff...


Pei Chi pai: how do you translate that nuance? is it 'creative achievement'; or 'streaming creation?

Pei Chi Pai or Baijipai = Pole Star sect - Military sect. It is an old sect of orthadoxed Taoism.

Taoan