question about northern shaolin (bak sil lum) books in chinese

[beiquan]

Hi, I'm hoping that someone (NorthernShaolin? ;) ) can help me here; I'm looking for the titles in mandarin (any romanization is fine) of the books written by Lung Tzu Hsiang and Yim Shan Wu on Bei Shaolin. I know of Lung's book "Taijiquan Xue"; I believe he also wrote a book on shaolinquan as well as a book with Yim on the BSL sparring set; I have heard as well that Yim Shan Wu also wrote a book on BSL. If anyone could give me any info on these, I'd really appreciate it, as I'd like to try to track down copies...

thanks,
beiquan

[Kung Lek]

you do know that Kwon Wing Lam has a book out about Moi Fah right?

That is a great book for anyone beginning Bak Sil Lum. Not to mention Yim Sheung Mo (pick a spelling) was his north shaolin teacher. Chan Kowk Wai is still alive and well. And if there are any publications regarding this style in chinese, I'm sure they are findable.

Gene? you know of any extra goodies available on the style?
peace

Kung Lek

Martial Arts Links (http://members.home.net/kunglek)

[NorthernShaolin]

Beiquan,

Hello again!

These are the only books in Chinese that I am aware that exist and was specifically on Kuo Yu Chang’s NSL. KYC was not a writer but only a true CMA fighter.

Back in 1952? Yim Shan Wu open a school in Kowloon with his classmate, Lung Tzu Hsing. As part of their advertisment for their school they featured a series of articles in a local newspaper. (Sorry but I do not know the name). The series included photos of both LTH and YSW performing the Shaolin Sparring set. The text for the photos was written by P’an Mao Chung who was one of the few martial artist that could write.

YSW was not educated enough to write a book while LTH, who could write, was busy writing his Tai Chi book (published in 1951) which is now a collector’s item. These articles on NSL sparring set were collected and later re-published by one of their student who worked in a publishing company. A limited number of books were printed for every student in the school in 1952.

LTH’s son (Lung Kai Ming) wrote an article with photos of his students performing the Northern Shaolin sparring set in New Martial Hero #63 (199) October 1977, page 16-18; #65 (201) October 1977, page 32-35; #66 (202) October 1977, page 44 –47. No history and the final part was not published. Only written text on the movements of the set along side of the photos.

LTH’s Tai Chi book was completely re-worked by Paul F.N. Tam (a disciple of LTH) in 1987 (Chinese), English version in 1991 by Shech Wah Tong Printing Press H.K. The book is title: Tai Chi Chuan: Theory and Practice, (very $). Interesting short history on GGM Kuo Yu Chang and his thoughts about Tai Chi Chuan on page 25-27.

LTH wrote another booklet on NSL called Northern Shaolin Chuan. Unknown year published by student. A limited number of booklets were produced and thrown in a corner of the school and was free for any student who wanted it. This book contained the names of the techniques for all ten NSL hand sets. This booklet had the same short introduction about NSL as the newspaper article mention above on the NSL sparring set.

This is what the short intro said: (Forgive my translations)

‘Fist arts can make a healthy body and develop self-defense because it matches the theory of movement. There have been one thousand variations since ancient times. There were many good ones. There were different styles although they used the same principle: The body, the step and the hand movements. There are eight gates on the body and three methods within the ten different fist arts (10 NSL sets). Within the ten sets there are 12 do’s, 3 joints, 3 spear points, 4 emptiness, 3 quickness, and 12 don’t’s.

If you have only seven of the eight gates, it will not be good enough. One must know all eight gates to be successful. The eight gates are fist, palms, elbows, head, hip, knee, leg, foot. The 12 do’s are: the heart is calm, the nerves are strong, the eyes are clear, hands are fast, shoulders are level, the body is straight, legs are spread, steps are strong, front leg is bent, rear leg is bent, the bones and joints are flexible, know the three joints, and know the three spears.

The three joints are top, middle and lower with special attention to the groin area. The top is the head, the middle is the heart, and the lower is the groin area. The three spear points are spear hand, spear toes, and spear shoulders. The three quickness are the mind, the hand and the eyes. The four emptiness are lifting the leg, side stepping, and pay attention to the top will create an empty bottom, and empty bottom into horse.

The 12 don’t are nervous, timed, lack of clear vision, slow hands, lazy legs, shaking legs, body is not center, shoulders are slopping, joints are not flexible, incomplete knowledge and understanding of the three joints, incomplete knowledge and understanding of the three spears, and the lack of understanding of the style.

If one the lack of understanding of the three joints and the lack of understanding of the three spears, then the student does not know the style.

The eight awareness are: the heart is always steady like a rock, the vision is bright like a reflective mirror, hands should be fast like lighting, foot movement should be fast like a bird flying back and forth, the foot should be light like walking on water, the body should be quick in dodging and turning, the body is still and strong like a mountain, and the body moves fast like lighting.

If you do not learn any of what is said above then you do not know the art of Northern Shaolin. Therefore if you keep studying and understand the NSL style, then the unfathomable meaning of NSL will come. In other words, if you do not study now, what will you do when you face the enemy?’

There you have it. Easy to read these words of wisdom from our GGMs of the past but one must keep repeating these words and find their true complex meaning as it relates to how we currently practice NSL.
:) :cool:

[buddhapalm]

Nice !

[beiquan]

thanks so much! once again you're a wealth of information.

KL - thanks, i have the WL book; i agree, it is excellent. lai hung's book is also quite good...

[SaekSan]

I'm in the process of acquiring a couple of copies. I'll keep you guys posted on what it's like. :)

[GeneChing]

Chan Kwok Wai's book is interesting - it covers #6 if memory serves, since that is traditionally the first set, but my spanish was not strong enough to fully understand it. Lai Hung's book on #6 is good. His author Brian Klingborg is a MA professional.
http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/title.cgi?title_id=490
Sifu Wing Lam and I were working on a few books - one on NSL and one on Hung Gar, but since I left his mail order company, we stopped work on it. Now it would be too much conflict of interest, so I'm sure he will publish it with another author. Although I still have all the notes on our research together, I feel it wouldn't be right to publish it on my own (besides it need a lot of verification still.) I am sure he'll continue on with it and it will be interesting to see where he goes with it.

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

[SaekSan]

Yes, it is on Duan Da. I wasn't aware that he had published it in Spanish, I thought he only did it in Portuguese... maybe I should get both and compare translations, fun!


:)

[Shaolindynasty]

I have a video of Chan Kwok Wai that I picked up in a bus station in Brasil, good Kungfu.


www.shaolindynasty.cjb.net (http://www.shaolindynasty.cjb.net)

[SaekSan]

He is good, no doubt about it. So SD, what was the vid about?

At the Kuoshu Pan American we talked to a father and son (they competed in 2 person sets) that study his style and compared notes on sets and what not, cool people with high skill.

:)

[NorthernShaolin]

There another book that I forgot to mention!

I remember that there is another book written by one of Kuo Yu Chang's disciple, Wu Siu Po, who became the Chairperson of Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Inc. in the 1970's. He wrote a book in Chinese about Kuo Yu Chang's Iron Sand Palm in the 1950's. It demonstrates methods of training the palm in 100 days, medications and applications. Photos were dark and hard to see.

Later Lee Ying-arng took this same book and re-published it in Chinese with his own pictures in 1960's. An English version came out title; 'Iron Sand Palm, Kung Fu', published in 1968 by Mslisa Enterprises, PO Box 1755 Honolulu, Hawaii 96806, printer by Unicorn Press, PO Box 2448, Hong Kong. These photos were clear and again demonstarted some applications. (Same ones)

Ten years later, the same book was printed in Taipei in 1979 under Unitrade Company LTD., Republic of China, translated and compiled by H.C. Chao, Distributed by McLisa Enterprises, PO Box 1755, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96806. Again the pictures were reeplaced but the English text remained the same. This time it has GGM KYC on the cover breaking 12 bricks and the book's title is: 'Instant Iron Palms'

Now according to my Sifu, the Iron Palm method is what GGM KYC taught to his students who wanted to learn. However the book only teaches the first level of the Iron Palm, that is striking with the palm against sand (bean)bags. It does not cover the second and third level of GGM's Iron Palm method which was reserved for his very close disciples. These two levels are are the hardest to complete with the third level being called 'Poison Iron Sand Palm'.

:) :cool:

[GeneChing]

Saeksan: Hmm, maybe it was Portuguese. Maybe that's why my high school Spanish didn't work too well.
Northern Shaolin: I have that Iron Palm in 100 days book, but didn't realize there were so many different versions. It lost me when it discussed wearing a mask when beating on the iron sand so the dust didn't get up your nose. Also didn't that book advocate using filings? I used to work with metal and filings always meant splinters...

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

[NorthernShaolin]

Gene,

You are right. It did say that. It has been a long time since I read these books. :) :cool:

[SaekSan]

GC: Ah, ok, gotcha! They do look alike, if you are interested I could translate the book for you. Was there a lot of text or mostly pics in the book? I am still waiting for my order to come in, hopefully it will be here soon.

NSL: It's great to see you back on the board, your contributions are always a pleasure to read and highly informative. I just shipped a package to you that includes the video, book, copies of the covers of the other books and the Wu Chow Publishing catalog, maybe you will be able to spot some other titles of interest that slipped by my poor Chinese reading.

NSL mentioned H.C. Chao having "tanslated and compiled" and that he "replaced the pictures" of a book that was distributed by McLisa Enterprises. That reminded me of a book, "The Essence of the Northern Fists" it was compiled and edited by Douglas H.Y. Hsieh, printed by Meadea Enterprise Co., Inc. in Taipei and distributed by McLisa Enterprises. During my research in Taipei I came across the original "Essence of N. Fists", it was published by Wu Chow Publ. in Sept of 1983 (Chinese Republic Year 72 ;) ) While paging through it I recognized the sets and decided to buy it. When I had time to actually sit down and go through it, I realized that this was the book that McLisa Entrp. released in the U.S. It has some of the same info and taolu (Gong Li Chuan, Shr Erh Lu Tan Tui and Duan Da Chuan), but it's illustrated instead of photographs and there is a little more info on the Chinese version that's not in the English one.

Has anyone come across other titles in which this occurs? Any thoughts as to why they would do that (release incomplete translations and change the layout)?

[GeneChing]

You know, I went digging for my copy of that book and I couldn't find it. My library has been in a horrible state of disarray for over two years now. I may have put in in storage somewhere. If memory serves (and mine seldom does anymore) it wasn't that much text and a lot of line drawings.
BTW, we ran an article on Chan Kwok Wai in Oct 2000 Kungfu Qigong
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/kf-200010.html

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

[SaekSan]

The article was written by Roberto Batista if I'm not mistaken.

There's a few pics of my Brazilian students and friends that competed in the Pan-Am Wushu tournament, it's one of those "treasured issues" because of that.

Oh well, if there's not much text at least I can add it to the BSL collection, but if you're ever interested in getting any text in Portuguese translated (not that there's much of a demand for it LOL) I'll be more than happy to help.

On the issue of memory, it is said that the first two things that you lose when you get old are short term memory and ... I forgot the second one. ;)

[GeneChing]

Glad you enjoyed that issue. It was sort of a pan-american theme. To bad pan-america is such a small part of our readership.
I'll keep you in mind next time I have to translate from Portuguese ~ but then there's that memory thing again.

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)