Hung Gar's "Bench Form"

[Zui Quan]

A legit form of the style or "just for show" bs?

[hskwarrior]

what does it matter to YOU? are you just bored? or looking to start some ****? if its not your system, don't worry about it

[GeneChing]

I learned that form many years ago. It wasn't particularly showy - mostly simple techniques and quite practical, a short to-the-point form. Good training for how to swing any bulky piece of furniture about. I wish I had kept that form but my bench was a pain to transport around.

I talked about it a little in my first Tiger Claw blog, way back in 2009: Kung Fu Fighting Bench vs. Pom Door (https://www.tigerclaw.com/blog/2009/08/kung-fu-fighting-bench-vs-pom-door/).

[PM]

http://practicalhungkyun.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/hung-ga-dragon-head-wooden-bench-01.jpg

“Dragon Head Wooden Bench” (Lung Tau Baan Dang)

http://practicalhungkyun.com/2014/09/dragon-head-wooden-bench-lung-tau-baan-dang/

[Zui Quan]

I guess the way i asked sounded a little bit offensive. Not my intention. It was just the shortest way i found to ask if the bench form actually bellonged to the style or it was just something "modern" made up for demonstrations or something without any kind of combat theory behind it.

[David Jamieson]

I watched "Return to the 36th chamber" and it had some bench form fighting in it that looked pretty good. It was the best part of the movie along with "roof top" style, which made me laugh. It was the old story of the kid who joins shaolin, spends all his time working at some mundane task and doesn't realize that by doing that, he is learning his Kung Fu.

Anyway. Worth a look for the bench fight scenes and the "roof top" style. It's a shaw brothers flick.

[GeneChing]

Some critics denigrate acrobatics from martial arts, but traditional Chinese acrobatics have long been in integral part, especially with opera Kung Fu. This reminds me of my favorite bench fight from Young Master - between two opera trained stars no less: Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao.


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x58ls8c_the-young-master-jackie-chan-vs-yuen-biao-bench-fight-japanese-cut-original-english-dub_creation

[yeshe]

Some critics denigrate acrobatics from martial arts, but traditional Chinese acrobatics have long been in integral part, especially with opera Kung Fu. This reminds me of my favorite bench fight from Young Master - between two opera trained stars no less: Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao.


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x58ls8c_the-young-master-jackie-chan-vs-yuen-biao-bench-fight-japanese-cut-original-english-dub_creation

I totally agree about the acrobatics,what we have to remember is that back in those days people did not even do exercises like push-ups or even jumping jacks so if you were able to do a cart wheel or a somersault that meant you were in very good shape much better than the average Joe and as a result you were tougher to
Another thing that I would mention is that it seems weapons that unlike handsets did not necessarily have to be from that style. As I understand it some of the weapons sets from Hung Ga came from Lam Sai Wing's previous styles, whatever they were ,and other weapon sets he picked up along the way.