PDA

View Full Version : Goose



mantid1
10-31-2005, 08:13 AM
I did not want to hijack the forms names thread so I started this one.

Most know what the crane, cicada, tiger etc.... mean in the chinese culture.

What does the goose represent. I see alot of reference to the goose in mantis forms and in qigong but have never heard what it represents. If the crane if for long life and health does the goose represent navigating skills?

thanks for any info

While we are at it what about the swallow (the bird?) like from "swallow rushes the forest"?

mantis108
10-31-2005, 03:20 PM
Hi Mantid1,

Geese in Chinese culture is a herald of seasonal change. Since unlike human they have good logistics (regular flight pattern, routes and rest stops, etc...) without any tools , they symbolize accruacy and trust worthiness. The fact that their flight path is north-south is also symbolic of the ZiWu line (Midnight-highnoon line) wihich is also important to Chinese culture. Coincidentally, they are also mentioned in the Yijing (classics of change). I forgot with Hexagram it is but the text goes something like this: Geese approach landfall, the plumes can be used for pageantry. This actually refers to the flight formation rather than the feathers. If you are a fan of military strategies, you will notice that one of the 36 strategies also quoted the same source from the Yijing

So flying geese takes on the imagery of the birds took flight in numbers and in an orderly fashion. Lone goose however means that it's a relatively danger move because in nature a lone goose will not survive without the team. On the other hand, falling eagle (a flight manoeuver while it's on the hunt) is fierce, agile and rapid.

Hope this helps

Warm regards

Mantis108

-N-
10-31-2005, 03:45 PM
So flying geese takes on the imagery of the birds took flight in numbers and in an orderly fashion. Lone goose however means that it's a relatively danger move because in nature a lone goose will not survive without the team.
Single goose is also a cultural idea that signifies something unique and special because you expect it to be part of the ordinary flock. For example, my mother's chinese name is Sing Kwan, meaning "apart from the flock", a reference to a lone swan or goose that stands out from the rest. Applied as a woman's name, it can imply unique elegance/beauty/refinement.

Single goose exits formation refers to the abrupt left punch combined with the right grab that you see in White Ape Exits Cave. In the midst of your combination motions, the left punch pierces out, leaving the formation... a long splitting force that appears from nowhere. Elegant, sudden, refined, finesseful, devastatingly brutal. Pull it off correctly, and you want to film it in slow motion like in a John Woo movie, hahaha. One of my favorite moves.

N.

-N-
10-31-2005, 03:56 PM
While we are at it what about the swallow (the bird?) like from "swallow rushes the forest"?
Ok, another movie reference. You saw the Star Wars movie with the Ewoks? There is the speeder scene where they fight and chase each other through the crowded forest barely missing all the trees? That would be the American version of Swallow Rushing Through the Forest. There is a sword form by that name.

So if you can imagine a person so skilled with a sword that his blade arcs and swoops and cuts through the air and around impenetrable obstacles narrowly avoiding danger. It's so fast, you can't see it, and you just hear the the blade slicing through the air as it twists and arcs to parry and find its target.

N.

mantid1
10-31-2005, 07:53 PM
Thanks guys!

Great information!

This is a good example of why the knowledge of Chinese culture can be helpful in learning the kung fu.

Now that we are on the suject. :)

What would leaving the cave mean? Like in white ape and praying mantis leaves the cave?

Thanks again!

-N-
10-31-2005, 08:31 PM
One explanation that I've heard about "exit the cave" says that it is a reference to cautious deliberate movements when the ape first wakes up and ventures from his cave. I don't know that this is the definitive explanation though.

Here's one in a funny context. "Ha San"... descending the mountain. That is a reference to Tamo(?) descending from the mountain after achieving enlightenment. Prior to that, he'd stayed there for many years(?) Sorry, my buddhism is rusty.

So "ha san" means that the person has achieved great insight and understanding. If you have a form named, "whatever descends the mountain" it means that the form contains deep insight and knowledge of that particular whatever, be it a tiger, lion, etc.

So the funny part... I was hanging out with a Chinese speaking Eagle Claw teacher, who was quite an interesting character. He would make all kinds of wisecracks in Cantonese. One time he made a sarcastic comment about someone, let's say "JoeBlow", who thought he knew something special. He just smiled and said, "JoeBlow Ha San".

So if you want to insult someone by using a cultural reference, you can say "Ah, I see you came down from the mountain." :)


N.