village / district styles

[David Jamieson]

Do you practice a style that has transformed from a temple version to a family version to a village or district version?

this transformation has occured with several styles over the years.

most notably the Shaolin root styles that spread far and wide.

Hung Gar, CLF, WC and the likes, not to mention other non-shaolin styles.

How far is your style from the temple?

peace

[Water Dragon]

How many of the hundreds of styles out there do you think are distinct in that they can't be traced to a common root? Kinda your question with a twist. As for my stuff, I honestly don't know. I couldn't even quote you the lineages without going into my notes.

[Black Jack]

The common root being not always a connection to a single source but to the essence of survival. Good things always tend to float to the top, similar techniques can be seen the world over without any crossbreeding, to me this is a sign of a common root.

Not the question Kung Lek but I thought it might fit.

[jon]

There is a LOT of village Hung Ga around.
My Hung Ga has been though village and back to mainstream in some ways.
My sigung Collin Chao was taught by his father, he then went to YC Wong for the authodox version of the system. My Hung Ga has still got elements of the village influence as well as the mainstream. We proberly have a some movements slightly differently and we tend to whip more in some of our strikes.
However we still have the four pillar forms and they still follow pretty closely to the structure of the Canton version.

[wangsizhong]

i studied qing cheng pai in china for a couple months. took me too long to find any schools...
anyway, i studied from a guy who looked like he might have been a taoist priest (hair long enough for a topknot though he didnt wear one around the school) and a long goatee. the style is taken from qing cheng mountain which was twenty minutes up the road. he also teaches classes at the mountain so its basically like learning "straight from the temple".

Wang Si Zhong

[Water Dragon]

Do you see a lot of similarities with other systems? Or is it more unique?

[GeneChing]

Inside China's ultimate 'kung fu village': The secluded mountain community where all residents practise martial arts and everyone has a secret weapon (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-3213998/Inside-China-s-ultimate-kung-fu-village-secluded-mountain-community-residents-practise-martial-arts-secret-weapon.html)

Everyone in the rural village in Tianzhu, central China, practises martial arts each day without fail
Different kung fu styles are learnt and used and people fight each other to improve their skills
No one knows why they all know kung fu but their unusual tradition has made the village famous

By Qin Xie For Mailonline

Published: 09:41 EST, 28 August 2015 | Updated: 09:48 EST, 28 August 2015

A Chinese village recently came to fame when it emerged that everyone who lives there is a martial arts expert.

The self-sustaining village, deep in the mountains of Tianzhu, central China, seems to have shunned the outside world.

Ganxi Dong village is home to the Dong people, one of the 56 recognised ethnic minorities in China.

Incredibly, everyone in the secluded village knows a different style of kung fu, reported People's Daily Online.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BB4C18800000578-3213998-A_Chinese_town_recently_came_to_fame_when_it_emerg ed_that_everyo-a-42_1440765217993.jpg
A rural village recently came to fame when it emerged that everyone who lives there is a martial arts expert who practise as they farm

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BBC6DC000000578-3213998-image-a-61_1440765322374.jpg
Self-sustaining village, deep in the lush-green mountains of Tianzhu, China, seems to have shunned the outside world with its tradition

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BBC6D6200000578-3213998-image-a-40_1440765217953.jpg
Residents pursue different styles of the sport so several types of kung fu are practised in the village, almost unique to each individual

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BB4C14000000578-3213998-The_self_sustaining_town_deep_in_the_mountains_of_ Tianzhu_China_-a-44_1440765218042.jpg
The residents compete against each other to improve their skills and their arena is not limited to land. Above, two people fight in stream

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BB4C17900000578-3213998-People_of_all_ages_practice_kung_fu_in_the_town_wh ich_appears_to-a-43_1440765218029.jpg
People of all ages practise kung fu in the village, which has historically done so. It's not clear how long it has been a martial art world

According to reports, a few different types of kung fu are practised in the village.

Everyone is well-practised in the art, which seems to be their only hobby aside from farming.

Their weapons range from just fists to sticks and pitchforks.

Incredible images of the village has recently emerged, which has been widely shared on Chinese media.

They show a few traditional-style buildings in a rural setting.

In the picturesque landscape, village folk of all ages brandish sticks and swords while mid-practise.

They train by fighting each other as well as on their own and there are no exceptions.

It's not clear why everyone practises martial arts or how long it's been the case.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BB4C15D00000578-3213998-Town_folk_train_with_and_without_weapons_which_ran ge_from_long_w-a-49_1440765218194.jpg
Village folk train with and without weapons, which range from long wooden sticks and pitchforks to swords. Shoes are optional as well

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BBC6D7A00000578-3213998-image-m-60_1440765310162.jpg
They train each and every day by fighting each other as well as on their own; and there are no exceptions to this long and unique tradition

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BB4C19100000578-3213998-They_train_each_and_every_day_by_fighting_each_oth er_as_well_as_-a-47_1440765218174.jpg
Boy, above, trains and practises with his dad. The moves are often inspired by wild animals such as dragons, snakes, tigers and leopards

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BBC6DA200000578-3213998-image-a-58_1440765297402.jpg
As there are no exceptions to the kung fu practise, even girls are expected to become experts in whatever style of kung fu they choose

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BBC6DCB00000578-3213998-image-a-57_1440765291502.jpg
It's not clear how they decide what kung fu style to learn as there are so many different styles practised in the village since the beginning

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Locals have two theories about their unusual situation.

One claims that the area suffered regular heavy attacks from wild beasts that would kill their livestock and injure the villagers.

To try and combat the problem, six families had to pick a strong youth to create, develop and learn martial arts.

They modeled their actions on the moves of dragons, snakes, tigers and leopards.

As each family trained in a different type of movement, different strains of kung fu were invented.

To continue the tradition, each family had to continue training under their strain of martial arts.

Another saying goes that when the families first moved to the area to set up a village, they were frequently pillaged by their neighbours.

In order to protect themselves, the villagers invited a two martial arts experts to teach them the art of combat.

The skills they learnt was then passed on to the rest of the villagers.

However, since it has been a tradition for a long time, no one can be certain of the real reason.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BBC6D6600000578-3213998-image-a-56_1440765282142.jpg
Man above trains with a two-pronged pitchfork. It's a classical Chinese weapon. Other villagers also use wooden sticks and swords

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BB4C0F200000578-3213998-Locals_have_two_theories_about_their_unusual_situa tion_both_invo-a-50_1440765218272.jpg
Locals have two theories about their unusual tradition, both involved protecting themselves from attack from the outside world

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/08/28/13/2BB4C0E600000578-3213998-However_since_martial_arts_has_been_a_local_tradit ion_for_a_long-a-48_1440765218176.jpg
However, since martial arts has been a local tradition for such a long time, no one can be certain of the real reason behind the practise

Great photos. If anyone wants to submit an article (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/about/guidelines.php) on village styles, I'm always open to them when they are shot on location like this.

[Kellen Bassette]

Way cool..... :cool:

[mawali]

My sense is that many style were/are village styles but due to the family inheritance(s) within the village, anyone who was alot 'smarter" and able to see beyond the 'secrecy', was able to learn basics then market that style to a greater audience then reap the rewards of his borrowed style, albeit in his name. It can alos help if the outsider left the village environment and find a larger city to parlay his new found vocation. Sound familiar:confused:

From reality, even when Chen style came to Beijing, many did not believe that was the original because, despite the alleged "lack of education of Yang Chengf, he got to Beijing before Chen:D

[GeneChing]

There's embedded videos behind the link.


'Everybody was kung fu fighting': Inside the Chinese village where all residents practise martial arts - from fruit vendors to chicken farmers (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6231461/Inside-Chinas-kung-fu-village-residents-martial-arts-experts.html)
People in Daxi, the 'kung fu village', have taken up martial arts for generations
Many practise kung fu daily - once in the morning and once in the evening
The tradition started after a Shaolin monk moved there about 150 years ago
A kung fu class is keeping young people in the village interested in the sport
By TRACY YOU FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 03:44 EDT, 3 October 2018 | UPDATED: 04:40 EDT, 3 October 2018
This is definitely not the place to pick a fight with strangers.

From toddlers to pensioners, from street vendors to random farmers, everybody at Daxi village in China's Guangxi province is kung fu fighting.

All of Daxi's 8,000 residents practise martial arts twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening - leading the community to be called the 'kung fu village'.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/10/18/10/397B3AFF00000578-0-image-a-10_1476782274606.jpg
Every resident in Daxi, China, practises kung fu in a tradition that has been kept for 150 years

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/02/17/4700104-6231461-image-a-17_1538499219968.jpg
A fruit vendor practises rod fighting next to his stall on a street in Daxi in Guangxi province

It is said that people in Daxi started practising kung fu after a Shaolin monk moved to the place in south China about 150 years ago in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

The kung fu monk, Tang Laoshun, had to escape Shaolin Temple after it was repressed by the imperial armies for having attempted to overthrow the Emperor.

Zhong Molin, a respectful kung fu master in Daxi, told the local Yulin News that Tang was constantly bullied by the locals when he first moved to Daxi. However, he fended off the locals effortlessly with his excellent martial arts skills.

Once Tang used a pair of chopsticks to catch every single rock thrown at him by the locals; and another time, weapon-less Tang defeated the village's best kung fu fighter who came armed with a long rod, Mr Zhong said.

Stunned by Tang's supreme moves, the residents of Daxi decided to practise kung fu with Tang and the tradition has been kept until today.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/02/17/4707140-6231461-image-a-18_1538499224648.jpg
A chicken farmer sharpens his skills while looking after his birds in the 'kung fu village' in China

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/02/17/4707152-6231461-image-a-19_1538499229394.jpg
The village's ancestral temple is the main venue for residents to learn martial arts skills

Mr Zhong is a sixth-generation kung fu descendant in Daxi and runs a class in the village teaching literature and martial arts to young people.

He said residents in the village had the habit of practising kung fu for half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening.

Apparently, they specialise in different weapons from rods to spikes to sabers, all kept in the village's ancestral shrine.

'Our ancestral temple is our main venue of teaching kung fu,' Mr Zhong said to Yulin News, adding that people could also practise at their homes, on their farm or by their street stalls.

There is another theory on why everybody likes martial arts in Daxi.

With a history of more than 700 years, Daxi village is situated at the foot of the Liuwan Mountain.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/10/02/17/006A4CFB00000258-6231461-image-a-1_1538499060871.jpg
Daxi locals started learning kung fu after a monk moved there from Shaolin Temple (file photo)

Liang Yuancheng, a seventh-generation descendant, told Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po that his ancestors had to protect their land from thugs frequently, which made them good fighters out of necessity.

Mr Liang said there were many thieves in the mountain range in ancient times and they often stole from homes in Daxi. Therefore, the locals had to learn kung fu to drive them away.

'The villagers had been practising kung fu by themselves until Tang Laoshun taught them the skills systematically,' Liang explained.

Liang Disheng, 88, is one of the eldest kung fu practitioners in Daxi. He said Daxi residents followed one principle - that is to only use kung fu for the purpose of defending, not attacking.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/03/08/4720194-6231461-image-a-6_1538551222240.jpg
Daxi is not the only village in China where all residents practise kung fu. The Ganxi Dong village in Guizhou province, south China, is another example. Residents of Ganxi Dong are pictured showcasing their moves and weapons in 2015

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/03/08/4720196-6231461-image-a-7_1538551224525.jpg
It is said that everyone in Ganxi Dong, a secluded community deep in mountains, is well-practised in martial arts, which seems to be their only hobby aside from farming

In a latest report by Pear Video, Mr Liang said kung fu was a lifestyle of people from all walks of life in Daxi.

'Some of them rear chickens, some of them sell fruit, some of them raise pigs. You wouldn't be able to tell they know kung fu because most of them keep a low profile.'

With the changing of times, young people in the Daxi tend to spend their free time watching TV or playing video games.

But the village's kung fu class has managed to keep the tradition alive among millennials, according to Mr Liang.

'The kung fu class has brought good impact (on the youngsters). Many of them now take part in it.

'The village's two grain-drying yards are often filled with people practising kung fu, even during the Chinese New Year.

'The trend of learning martial arts has indeed returned,' a proud Mr Liang said.

Daxi is not the only village in China where all residents practise kung fu. The Ganxi Dong village in Guizhou province, south China, is another example.

According to reports, a few different types of kung fu are practised in the secluded village deep in the mountains. Everyone is well-practised in the art, which seems to be their only hobby aside from farming.