Old Chan Tai San Footage

[SifuChow]

Here is some old video footage of Chan Tai San (http://sifuchow.blogspot.com/2008/01/chan-tai-san-at-temple.html) for those that are interested. I am not sure how long ago this was but he was still fairly young.

Enjoy!!!

[jmd161]

Impressive!


He looks a bit older than his 30's or 40's like the vid says though. I'd say maybe in his 50's at the time, unless, my eyes are just that bad?





jeff:)

[SifuChow]

Impressive!


He looks a bit older than his 30's or 40's like the vid says though. I'd say maybe in his 50's at the time, unless, my eyes are just that bad?





jeff:)

It's possible he is older in the video. I was guessing based on when he would have still been at the temple. I was thinking through the timeline and wondering if he would have still been there in his 50's. Maybe one of the other Chan Tai San students can verify when he moved to the US.

[diego]

Here is some old video footage of Chan Tai San (http://sifuchow.blogspot.com/2008/01/chan-tai-san-at-temple.html) for those that are interested. I am not sure how long ago this was but he was still fairly young.

Enjoy!!!

Very cool:)

[jmd161]

It's possible he is older in the video. I was guessing based on when he would have still been at the temple. I was thinking through the timeline and wondering if he would have still been there in his 50's. Maybe one of the other Chan Tai San students can verify when he moved to the US.



Really doesn't matter, though much more impressive done at an older age. In an case very impressive for sure.:cool:




jeff:)

[banditshaw]

Awesome footage. Thanks for sharing.

You can see the strength when he popped those wires. Great stuff!

[sanjuro_ronin]

He possess great chi !
:D

Loved the form he did, you can see the power.

[jow yeroc]

What a cool video!! Thanks.

[Lama Pai Sifu]

He's actually in his 60s in the video and it's shot around 1978/1981 when he was the coach of the Guangdong Demonstration team.

He is doing Lama at the temple, then does a bit of Lama followed by Bok Mei before the wire break.

It was around 1988 when I got this video tape, David Ross and I were in NYC Chinatown and I bought a Chi (Heih) Gung Demo tape. When I got home I was shocked to see that my Sifu was on it and called David right away. Nonetheless, it is a very cool clip.

I'm glad some of you have seen him now when he was a bit younger and it's obvious to see how much power he had. Compared to the average Chinese person (just look at the guy who put the wires on him) he was quite buff!

I still think he moved amazingly for someone at that age. I'm sure he was crazy-fast when he was in his 30's.

[jmd161]

He's actually in his 60s in the video and it's shot around 1978/1981 when he was the coach of the Guangdong Demonstration team.

He is doing Lama at the temple, then does a bit of Lama followed by Bok Mei before the wire break.

It was around 1988 when I got this video tape, David Ross and I were in NYC Chinatown and I bought a Chi (Heih) Gung Demo tape. When I got home I was shocked to see that my Sifu was on it and called David right away. Nonetheless, it is a very cool clip.

I'm glad some of you have seen him now when he was a bit younger and it's obvious to see how much power he had. Compared to the average Chinese person (just look at the guy who put the wires on him) he was quite buff!

I still think he moved amazingly for someone at that age. I'm sure he was crazy-fast when he was in his 30's.

I figured late fifties to sixties, but thought that might be off due to the age listed on the website. Very impressive!

It's nice to see old footage of one's sifu before they were your sifu. I've seen stuff of mine and it's impressive as well. You see what they can do now and often wonder how they moved when they were quite younger.

jeff:)

[sanjuro_ronin]

I'm glad some of you have seen him now when he was a bit younger and it's obvious to see how much power he had. Compared to the average Chinese person (just look at the guy who put the wires on him) he was quite buff!

I still think he moved amazingly for someone at that age. I'm sure he was crazy-fast when he was in his 30's.

One can see how powerful and fast he was and not for a "guy of his age", no, just pain fast and powerful.

[SifuChow]

He's actually in his 60s in the video and it's shot around 1978/1981 when he was the coach of the Guangdong Demonstration team.

He is doing Lama at the temple, then does a bit of Lama followed by Bok Mei before the wire break.

It was around 1988 when I got this video tape, David Ross and I were in NYC Chinatown and I bought a Chi (Heih) Gung Demo tape. When I got home I was shocked to see that my Sifu was on it and called David right away. Nonetheless, it is a very cool clip.

I'm glad some of you have seen him now when he was a bit younger and it's obvious to see how much power he had. Compared to the average Chinese person (just look at the guy who put the wires on him) he was quite buff!

I still think he moved amazingly for someone at that age. I'm sure he was crazy-fast when he was in his 30's.

Thanks for clarifying!!! I noted the age on the posting now. I am still trying to figure out when/what age Sifu arrived in North America. Do you know how old he was? I thought it was at a younger age which is why I figured that he must be still early 40's in the video. I believe he was around 70 when I met him and yes, he was definitely fast...he did a few things to me during training that made me scratch my head and ask "what just happened???"

[Yao Sing]

I never paid all that much attention but it appears to me that he does the same routine before popping the wires (saw it live a few times also). Is this true? Or is it a bit more random?

[lkfmdc]

I remember, Mike bought the video tape and goes home, I get a FRANTIC call from him! :D "Sifu is on the tape".... I was like "no f-in way!" but lo and behold there he was.....

It was shot when he was coaching the Guangdong team, but I have to check what dates those were....

[Lama Pai Sifu]

I don't think it was too random, he used to do pretty much the same thing most of the time, usually about 80% the same.

[lkfmdc]

always Bak Mei technique before wire break or breaking bricks with his head, can't really tell you why (it's a secret ;) LOL)

[SifuChow]

I agree. I don't think it was random. It seemed to be very similar every time he did it.

[diego]

I agree. I don't think it was random. It seemed to be very similar every time he did it.

i'm wondering if it has anything to do with bak mei uses short motions...makes his muscles tighter than CLF or Lama?...hop gar makes my muscles wide...:)

[Golden Arms]

I can't speak for him, but generally what the guy does before his break is more theatrics than for some reason. You either already have it, or you don't, if you have the real stuff.

[cjurakpt]

I think that the "explosive" energy of the bok mei, the feel of it when he played it before hand, got him psyched up to do the break; and it also looks very cool!

[Lama Pai Sifu]

You guys aren't looking at the obvious; When he is trussed up with wires, his motions are very limited. They would start to break if he started doing something like CLF or Lama. I had already asked him that and that is what he told me. Bok Mei is the only thing he can really do, quickly, without having some of the wires break prematurely. :)

[diego]

You guys aren't looking at the obvious; When he is trussed up with wires, his motions are very limited. They would start to break if he started doing something like CLF or Lama. I had already asked him that and that is what he told me. Bok Mei is the only thing he can really do, quickly, without having some of the wires break prematurely. :)

DOH.....:)

[SifuChow]

OK....this is funny. I don't speak Mandarin so have no idea what they were saying in this clip but one of my Mandarin speaking students came to class laughing. He said that it starts by describing the location and when it got to the shot of Chan Tai San they say something like "here is someone at the temple now...." as if it was not planned. It almost sounds like everyone in the area can just break out into a kung fu form at any moment. :D

[lkfmdc]

OK....this is funny. I don't speak Mandarin so have no idea what they were saying in this clip but one of my Mandarin speaking students came to class laughing. He said that it starts by describing the location and when it got to the shot of Chan Tai San they say something like "here is someone at the temple now...." as if it was not planned. It almost sounds like everyone in the area can just break out into a kung fu form at any moment. :D

By the way, the guy who uses two fingers to break stones, he is a Choy Lay Fut guy apparently from Jyu Chyuhn's lineage