"The Spirit of Kung Fu" from Si Fu Leo Au Yeung.

[A Joyful Proces]

Hi folks,

Over the past year or so Si Fu Leo Au Yeung has worked with filmmaker Patrick Watkins to produce a documentary covering his background of kung fu styles; "The Spirit of Kung Fu".

With a look at everything from Wing Chun to the three treasures of Hung Gar Kuen to Choy Lay Fut & various weapons styles; with demonstrations, techniques & history looked at for all.

This is the first part, covering Wing Chun.

There is much more to come in the very near future.

Part One:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrE8uEw9JVk

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrE8uEw9JVk

Cheers all!

[PalmStriker]

:) Thanks for posting, JP! Getting ready to watch the video right now!

[bawang]

where the mao does he live, it looks like even a down syndrome paraplegic can attract kung fu students if u live in the right area. im super jelly for reals

this is like my dream job. i hope one day i can do this too. *rubs testicles

[MightyB]

Good job guys! I really liked the cinematography and editing. The creative use of the gopro was really innovative. You guys came up with a cool way to put together a martial arts doc. I'd like to see more.

[A Joyful Proces]

Thanks guys. Cheers MB, took them a lot of work to put this together so much appreciated that it's appreciated!

Not gonna say any else about your post Bawang other than to state that Si Fu Leo is originally from Hong Kong, but now lives & teaches in London...

Part 2 is now up for anyone interested, a look at some Southern weapons & hung gar foundations:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L2hS9xbaWQ&list=UUfjBFOpduR2pcBdKXygS7rw

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L2hS9xbaWQ&list=UUfjBFOpduR2pcBdKXygS7rw

Thanks again...

[Pete]

where the mao does he live, it looks like even a down syndrome paraplegic can attract kung fu students if u live in the right area. im super jelly for reals

this is like my dream job. i hope one day i can do this too. *rubs testicles


how come you post stuff like this most of the time? i seen your thread about the big ass dao which was actually interesting... you seem to have decent knowledge but can't use it constructively :o

nicely made vid although i only watched up until the wing chun started :D

[bawang]

how come you post stuff like this most of the time? i seen your thread about the big ass dao which was actually interesting... you seem to have decent knowledge but can't use it constructively :o


my words are the screech of a vulture hovering above a rotting corpse.

"the spirit of kung fu" is the smell that emits from it.

[GoldenBrain]

my words are the screech of a vulture hovering above a rotting corpse.

"the spirit of kung fu" is the smell that emits from it.


I hope you're taking notes on what you write. A book of bawang'isms could be very lucrative. :p

[A Joyful Proces]

It would be lovely if you could quantify the problems that you see with reason more so than quotable flippancy, BW. Everyone's on a learning curve here; why present that you know better with mere condescension over discussion?

[MightyB]

It would be lovely if you could quantify the problems that you see with reason more so than quotable flippancy, BW. Everyone's on a learning curve here; why present that you know better with mere condescension over discussion?

That wouldn't be nearly as fun. I wouldn't take his criticisms too seriously. I'm pretty sure he's never stepped foot in a kwoon but he seems to read a lot - sometimes he's quite racist... although I think he hates the Chinese most of all even though I think he's Chinese. He seems to have an irrational fear of Caucasian weight lifters and judges all TCMA based on what he perceives as that martial art's ability to defend against said Caucasian weight lifters. So far he's judged all TCMA as lacking - especially Wing Chun and anything that comes from Hong Kong.

[GoldenBrain]

That wouldn't be nearly as fun. I wouldn't take his criticisms too seriously.

Indeed! :D

Some of the stuff he says is absolutely hilarious, sometimes it's crude and makes me cringe, and every now and then he offers up some nuggets of sage wisdom. With bawang you take the good with the bad and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[bawang]

That wouldn't be nearly as fun. I wouldn't take his criticisms too seriously. I'm pretty sure he's never stepped foot in a kwoon but he seems to read a lot - sometimes he's quite racist... although I think he hates the Chinese most of all even though I think he's Chinese. He seems to have an irrational fear of Caucasian weight lifters and judges all TCMA based on what he perceives as that martial art's ability to defend against said Caucasian weight lifters. So far he's judged all TCMA as lacking - especially Wing Chun and anything that comes from Hong Kong.

its perfectly understandable to think like you do if kung fu just is a "alternative" hobby to you, like bobbel head collecting, tranny chasing and battletech centers.

your school is among the last kung fu school in michigan. in the final extinction phase of american kung fu, you are milking the last bit of ego validation and power fantasy fulfillment that is left in the empty withered husk of your kwoon. propagation of the art does not matter. what matters is that you are satisfied. you are like the last dodo clucking loudly at the sky. count every second.


It would be lovely if you could quantify the problems that you see with reason more so than quotable flippancy, BW. Everyone's on a learning curve here; why present that you know better with mere condescension over discussion?

the problem is you pretend to not know what the problem is.

[Pete]

wasn't someone suggesting a kung fu magazine tournament ? bawang vs mightyb go!

[bawang]

wasn't someone suggesting a kung fu magazine tournament ? bawang vs mightyb go!

are you a young man?

[Pete]

are you a young man?

now i'm worried...yes...youngish... your not a priest are you? :eek:

[bawang]

:rolleyes:
now i'm worried...yes...youngish... your not a priest are you? :eek:

there is something called future shock, when society progress too fast for previous generation to adapt. then people hold on to relics from the past to ground them mentally.

most these people into kung fu are baby boomers. they hold on to their 1970 version of kung fu for nalstalgia, but it is a sickly nalstalgia. 1970s era kung fu is broken and is not sustainable for continuation of the art.

every few months some random guy comes and promotes a video with brazen title like "heroes of kung fu" "legends of shaolin" which consists of noodle arm transsexual form drills and the person looks like they are on disability assistance. videos like this caters to boomers. but in 20 years they will not matter. they will be gone like locusts, swept away by the winds of time. by then the few kung fu people left will have to clean all the sh1t stains that they left behind.

that means you and me. but probably just me. i have seen many come and ultimately go, and i dont blame them.

[MightyB]

bawang vs mightyb go! We've tried it before but it always ends up as a contest to see who can pick up the cutest tranny. In case you're wondering, there are no winners in that game.

[Brule]

That wouldn't be nearly as fun. I wouldn't take his criticisms too seriously. I'm pretty sure he's never stepped foot in a kwoon but he seems to read a lot - sometimes he's quite racist... although I think he hates the Chinese most of all even though I think he's Chinese. He seems to have an irrational fear of Caucasian weight lifters and judges all TCMA based on what he perceives as that martial art's ability to defend against said Caucasian weight lifters. So far he's judged all TCMA as lacking - especially Wing Chun and anything that comes from Hong Kong.

Context is everything. When your Sifu is this guy, you can see why he is so jilted.

http://www.chiinnature.com/

****, can't post youtube links from work. Anyway, look him up on youtube.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Here is the thing about Bawang having a valid point ( to a degree).
What we have are videos about the "spirit" of Kung fu and what is shown is what?
Forms in the air and lots of talking.
So, what is the spirit of Kung fu?
Well, we know from those videos what it isn't and it isn't fighting.
See the issue?
Kung Fu is and always was, foremost, about fighting.
If one wants to do a video on the Spirit of Kung Fu then perhaps, just perhaps, MAYBE include some actual fighting?

Too much to ask for eh?

[sanjuro_ronin]

That wouldn't be nearly as fun. I wouldn't take his criticisms too seriously. I'm pretty sure he's never stepped foot in a kwoon but he seems to read a lot - sometimes he's quite racist... although I think he hates the Chinese most of all even though I think he's Chinese. He seems to have an irrational fear of Caucasian weight lifters and judges all TCMA based on what he perceives as that martial art's ability to defend against said Caucasian weight lifters. So far he's judged all TCMA as lacking - especially Wing Chun and anything that comes from Hong Kong.

If you are referring to Bawang, you are quite incorrect.
He has a very good knowledge, both practical and theoretical of REAL TCMA.
Probably knows more about the history of TCMA than most here, I mean REAL history based on military and historical writings, not made up anecdotes.
If you look deeply into his posts, you will see the hidden truth in his critique of TCMA and why, as a Chinese, he has the right to be so upset about what people have turned it into.

[MightyB]

Kung Fu is and always was, foremost, about fighting.


Says you, and You know nothing Jon Snow, I mean Sanjuro. (depending on your perspective), Kung Fu is so much more than fighting. What we think it is or should be doesn't matter because it is what it is.

Needle through a Brick. http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/needle_through_brick

[MightyB]

If you are referring to Bawang, you are quite incorrect.
He has a very good knowledge, both practical and theoretical of REAL TCMA.
Probably knows more about the history of TCMA than most here, I mean REAL history based on military and historical writings, not made up anecdotes.
If you look deeply into his posts, you will see the hidden truth in his critique of TCMA and why, as a Chinese, he has the right to be so upset about what people have turned it into.

A man can read all about fishing, but knows nothing about fishing until he's set his bait and casts a hook into the water. See, I can talk in riddles and parables too.

Translation -

How can a person criticize real TCMA if they've never touched hands with a practitioner of real TCMA?

I would say that he has no practical knowledge in this context, only theoretical, and he's basing it on a notion of what he feels TCMA should be. It's not bad to have an opinion on this, but he does a major disservice to TCMA at the same time because he gives no credit, nor is he qualified, to all the good practical stuff that can still be found in TCMA.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Says you, and You know nothing Jon Snow, I mean Sanjuro. (depending on your perspective), Kung Fu is so much more than fighting. What we think it is or should be doesn't matter because it is what it is.

Needle through a Brick. http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/needle_through_brick

Kung Fu is FOREMOST about fighting, that is what I said.
I didn't say it was JUST or ALL or even MOSTLY, but foremost.
Get the difference.

[sanjuro_ronin]

A man can read all about fishing, but knows nothing about fishing until he's set his bait and casts a hook into the water. See, I can talk in riddles and parables too.

Translation -

How can a person criticize real TCMA if they've never touched hands with a practitioner of real TCMA?

I would say that he has no practical knowledge in this context, only theoretical, and he's basing it on a notion of what he feels TCMA should be. It's not bad to have an opinion on this, but he does a major disservice to TCMA at the same time because he gives no credit, nor is he qualified, to all the good practical stuff that can still be found in TCMA.

What makes you think he hasn't?

[bawang]

A man can read all about fishing, but knows nothing about fishing until he's set his bait and casts a hook into the water. See, I can talk in riddles and parables too.

Translation -

How can a person criticize real TCMA if they've never touched hands with a practitioner of real TCMA?

I would say that he has no practical knowledge in this context, only theoretical, and he's basing it on a notion of what he feels TCMA should be. It's not bad to have an opinion on this, but he does a major disservice to TCMA at the same time because he gives no credit, nor is he qualified, to all the good practical stuff that can still be found in TCMA.

last year i rehab from herniated disc 3 muscle tears. earlier this year i was recovering from concussion which is why i didnt post here. 3 years ago i was 120 pounds now i am 196 i aim for 200. i put in work. i transform myself according to my visions and dreams of kung fu and make them reality. what the fuk have you done?

[MightyB]

even wing chun (I'm saying this tongue and cheek, I actually like wc and can't understand all the hate on this forum, ok, I understand because that world is sooooo political) even wing chun which he seems to hate the most... he's an hour away from a wing chun / jow ga school in grand rapids that has a great reputation, and is taught... OMG, by a Hong Kongese man. If Bawang is so sure of his knowledge, I'd suggest going and playing at this place in Grand Rapids. It'd be a great humbling experience for him.

[bawang]

even wing chun (I'm saying this tongue and cheek, I actually like wc and can't understand all the hate on this forum, ok, I understand because that world is sooooo political) even wing chun which he seems to hate the most... he's an hour away from a wing chun / jow ga school in grand rapids that has a great reputation, and is taught... OMG, by a Hong Kongese man. If Bawang is so sure of his knowledge, I'd suggest going and playing at this place in Grand Rapids. It'd be a great humbling experience for him.

i am at the point at my life where i can actually say with confidence i prolly whip they ass simeply by the statistical fact that i train with mma people and they are a kung fu school. at 17 you might have made me think twice, but these days i scare children.

[MightyB]

lwhat the fuk have you done?
Trained, competed, listened, learned (learning), cross trained, cross competed (still learning). In short, I'm trying to open my mind to more than one possibility. Even though I'm just a hobbyist, and will never be all that great, I've still done a lot.

[bawang]

Kung Fu is FOREMOST about fighting, that is what I said.
I didn't say it was JUST or ALL or even MOSTLY, but foremost.
Get the difference.

are you still teaching sanjuro, how is training man.

[MightyB]

i train with mma people and they are a kung fu school.

Good to hear. Most TCMA schools seem to be getting more MMA inclined these days.

[bawang]

Good to hear. Most TCMA schools seem to be getting more MMA inclined these days.

i wrote this like 5 years ago but let me repeat again, at 17 after high school i left home to big city 1000 km away with the goal of training kung fu , meeting people, and working at chinese restaurant to support myself financially. this was what my first teacher did in the 70s. i changed my mind within 5 months and went to college after meeting a bunch of fuked up people and the realization that my teacher was still working at restaurant at age 50 and can only be intimimate with prostitutes, as a direct consequence of pursuing a career in kung fu instruction. i met tons of people from all martial arts since my youth.

i mock arrogant kung fu people after witnessing too many naive people trying to use kung fu and get seriously injured along with unbearable humiliation. unless you have experienced it, you cannot understand the feeling of tremendous shame and loss after dedicating yourself for YEARS, putting in hard work, trusting in someone, investing time and effort, only to be destroyed mentally and physically.

[MightyB]

i wrote this like 5 years ago but let me repeat again, at 17 after high school i left home to big city 1000 km away with the goal of training kung fu , meeting people, and working at chinese restaurant to support myself financially. this was what my first teacher did in the 70s. i changed my mind within 5 months and went to college after meeting a bunch of fuked up people and the realization that my teacher was still working at restaurant at age 50 and can only be intimimate with prostitutes. i met tons of people from all martial arts since my youth.

i mock arrogant kung fu people after witnessing too many naive people trying to use kung fu and get seriously injured along with unbearable humiliation.

This I can agree with... unfortunately you do sometimes have to take the good with the bad. I've met some people with real skillz in areas that I personally wanted to improve that had questionable skills in the area of practical fighting ability. They'd say things that I knew were untrue and I'd just grit my teeth and keep my mouth shut. In the end, I felt it was worth it, but that's something you have to determine for yourself and each situation is unique. All of the really good competitive MMA guys I know do this too (take the good with the bad, keep their mouth shut, etc. I saw it in Judo when a top BJJ guy came in, donned a white belt, and humbly listened to a top thrower's comments about newaza. He put up with it even though he knew the newaza wasn't up to par with his BJJ because he was there to learn take downs. He got very good at takedowns btw)

[sanjuro_ronin]

are you still teaching sanjuro, how is training man.

Nah, life is far to complicated and busy for me to train anyone.
As for myself, after my SPM teacher left for Macao I was kind of "what now", but as He said before I left : You already know more "hows" than even me, you just gotta find out the "why" ( I think He might of read that in a fortune cookie...).
So, I train and I teach those that wanna learn ( some cops I know and a few bouncers when we get together) and try to find "my way".

[bawang]

This I can agree with... unfortunately you do sometimes have to take the good with the bad. I've met some people with real skillz in areas that I personally wanted to improve that had questionable skills in the area of practical fighting ability. They'd say things that I knew were untrue and I'd just grit my teeth and keep my mouth shut. In the end, I felt it was worth it, but that's something you have to determine for yourself and each situation is unique. All of the really good competitive MMA guys I know do this too (take the good with the bad, keep their mouth shut, etc. I saw it in Judo when a top BJJ guy came in, donned a white belt, and humbly listened to a top thrower's comments about newaza. He put up with it even though he knew the newaza wasn't up to par with his BJJ because he was there to learn take downs. He got very good at takedowns btw)

the thing is you are resigned to the situation of kung fu, and i am prepared to shape it to my vision. kung fu is now a very tiny cult sport/hobby, if you dedicate yourself to it and put work in, you WILL have a say and you WILL be somebody. but you must put in the work.

if you cannot find mr myagi then become him.

[MightyB]

the thing is you are resigned to the situation of kung fu, and i am fully prepared to shape it to my vision. kung fu is now a very tiny cult sport/hobby, even smaller int he coming years. if you dedicate yourself to it and put work in, you will have a say in the future of kung fu. if you cannot find mr myagi then become him.

you are overlooking the "faults" of some kung fu people because you feel you cannot change anything, only what you do. i verbally urinate on them because in 20 years i know i will have my say and the power to shape and influence kung fu and they already dont matter to me.

true, but I say you don't have to urinate on them. You can ignore them, or try to see if they have anything of value to offer just in case there's a nugget that maybe they're not even aware of... like the first video in this thread - he talked about using angles and he slightly moved forward on the intercept. That's something I was aware of, and did a little bit in my own interpretation of MA, but after watching the vid, I put more effort into moving in while moving off line just to see what would happen. Like I said, I'd do it (move in while cutting the angle) instinctively before, but now I'm trying to be more aware of it to analyze how it effects my opponent.

The fact of time is that, no matter what you're training, in 20yrs you'll be the Miyagi by default (instructors retire). Then it is your time to ad your influence to the martial arts.

[bawang]

The fact of time is that, no matter what you're training, in 20yrs you'll be the Miyagi by default (instructors retire). Then it is your time to ad your influence to the martial arts.
thats not the case with america. american culture is disposable and transient, it never repeats itself. in the 90s people still ackowledge kung fu, even if they saw it as a joke. today most of the millenial kids dont even know what kung fu is.

also with the dawn of internet and social networking, you cant really mentally abuse and milk someone and get away with it. the "endure suffering to learn oriental secret" angle also isnt there. student retention just isnt there. like i said before the old ways are not sustainable.


You can ignore them
after seeing someone choking on their own blood while spasming from neuron short circuit because they put faith in chop socky, i cant quite say the same. the kicker is after that the same people who taught him mocked him.

[MightyB]

i mock arrogant kung fu people after witnessing too many naive people trying to use kung fu and get seriously injured along with unbearable humiliation. unless you have experienced it, you cannot understand the feeling of tremendous shame and loss after dedicating yourself for YEARS, putting in hard work, trusting in someone, investing time and effort, only to be destroyed mentally and physically.

Well, that does suck and there's no excuse for that deception you endured.

But, here's the good news, and it sounds like you found a place - there is good MMA in your area. A lot of these people trace their MMA roots to Dan "the Beast" Severn - in addition to being a pioneer in MMA, he really was a great wrestler. The BJJ in Lansing is solid (Machado lineage), it comes from East West Martial Arts out of Canton MI. And the Judo in MI is actually quite good. Lansing/MSU is central in that world. Hopefully you found a good Gym to cross train and have fixed the Kung Fu.

[Jimbo]

I've always felt that, in general, if you want to study CMA, it's better to have a solid background in non-CMA fighting styles first, such as karate/boxing/kickboxing, judo/wrestling, or any others. Most of the best CMAists that I've personally known had extensive experience coming in, and it certainly helped me. There are exceptions, of course. And as with choosing any art/school/teacher, you must be picky...doubly so for CMA.

[Pete]

:rolleyes:

there is something called future shock, when society progress too fast for previous generation to adapt. then people hold on to relics from the past to ground them mentally.

most these people into kung fu are baby boomers. they hold on to their 1970 version of kung fu for nalstalgia, but it is a sickly nalstalgia. 1970s era kung fu is broken and is not sustainable for continuation of the art.

every few months some random guy comes and promotes a video with brazen title like "heroes of kung fu" "legends of shaolin" which consists of noodle arm transsexual form drills and the person looks like they are on disability assistance. videos like this caters to boomers. but in 20 years they will not matter. they will be gone like locusts, swept away by the winds of time. by then the few kung fu people left will have to clean all the sh1t stains that they left behind.

that means you and me. but probably just me. i have seen many come and ultimately go, and i dont blame them.


:eek: that's more like it! i can understand where your coming from now...and i agree. i honestly feel a little sick when i see some of the kung fu guys out there who look terrible to start with, then you see they are teaching people that ****

i'm gonna be there to clean that **** with you by the looks :D


the thing is you are resigned to the situation of kung fu, and i am prepared to shape it to my vision. kung fu is now a very tiny cult sport/hobby, if you dedicate yourself to it and put work in, you WILL have a say and you WILL be somebody. but you must put in the work.

if you cannot find mr myagi then become him.

posts like this are much better... quite motivational there man

[Kellen Bassette]

i am prepared to shape it to my vision. kung fu is now a very tiny cult sport/hobby, if you dedicate yourself to it and put work in, you WILL have a say and you WILL be somebody. but you must put in the work.


I agree, the old business model doesn't work. You see people rethinking their Kung Fu training all the time. There's an entire generation whose perception of Kung Fu is based on movies. This is why I think it's important to use the history to demonstrate that Kung Fu really was about fighting.

How the next generation perceives Kung Fu depends on what we are training, teaching, putting out there.

Kung Fu is so vast, we're always having arguments about what it is, what is or isn't traditional, we can put forward the best or worst of it, each generation decides the future tradition.

[A Joyful Proces]

Well Part 3 is now up, this one looks at choy lay fut, hung gar & the tid sin kuen, iron wire fist... martial arts as passed down through Lau Kar Leung.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nLBqmahkf0

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nLBqmahkf0

Ta...