Mike Biggie and Stephen Ong
The first time I saw Stephen Ong perform, my first thought was "he doesn't move like the other Kwan Ying Do people I've seen" (GD included). When Stephen demonstrates a form, he produces a coordinated, explosive, Fa-Jing-type power. The first time I saw Mike Biggie perform, my response was "Whoa!". Biggie produces the same explosive power, but in my opinion, it is even more evident.
It is obvious Sifu Allen, his GD students, and many of the Kwan Ying Do people have a healthy measure of external strength. I think Royal Dragon is accurate, however, when he describes GD's body alignment and structure. There is no doubt their strength developing forms (Goun Gee Kuen, Teet Lo Han Chin Ch'uan, and Stone Warrior) have paid dividends for them. It's obvious they can generate power, even from unorthodox positions. Is this desireable? Yes. Would I rather have the explosive Fa-Jing power Biggie and Ong possess? ABSOLUTELY! I feel GD and Chung Sing have much to offer. Knowing what I know now, however, it would have been nice to have started training with Biggie from the getgo.
Mike is dedicated to Kung-Fu and he is not afraid to share and teach his knowledge. His power transfers to weapons work as well. I remember stopping by late one Thursday night when he was in the process of opening his new school. He happened to be putting some of his weapons up on the wall. As I walked in, he was holding a Tiger Fork. This wasn't a wushu model, this sucker looked and later felt heavy. I asked him if he liked the Tiger Fork, and his response was "Do you want me to show you?" He proceeded to do a form. It was impressive. I have a copy of a Kwan Ying Do demonstration from 1983. On the tape, Al Wasil demonstrates a Tiger Fork form. It was like grade school compared to Mike's performance. Mike plays both Praying Mantis and Choy Li Fut. Although he is equally adept at both, I really enjoy watching him play his Choy forms. He knows his applications as well. I first became acquainted with Mike through a guy I met who had been a Yee Sing student for many years. He had attained black belt status, but learned he couldn't apply any of it when he met Mike. Biggie will play hands with you, and feed you back the amount of energy you feed him. It's a humbleing experience, but at the same time, a real eye-opener. I think North-East Ohio is fortunate to have someone of Mike's caliber teaching openly. Got to run.
Chuang Tzu
well there is a difference
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Knifefighter
You cannot tell if someone has functional power by watching him do a form.
From my limited experience when I see practicioners from the same schools (and different schools) perform a fist set (etc) I do notice a difference.
I notice those who actively spar and those who do not tend to play their set differently. Now this isn't completely true in every case but there seems to be a trend that if they to apply and spar they seem to perform their set with more aggressive manner than those who do not.
I verified by asking the practicioners. I may be wrong but has anybody else notice this?
Random Thoughts about Green Dragon and the Kwan Ying Do System
At a Q&A session I was attending (also on the Q&A video tapes), Sifu Allen mentioned having an extensive film library of Master Feeman Ong. Evidently, they had yearly demonstrations, which Allen helped film. He spoke of the huge difference between Ong and the so-called "celebrity masters" on the west coast (Ong being much better). After seeing his son Stephen perform, I regret never having had the privilege of seeing the Master Ong footage. At the end of the 1983 Kwan Ying Do demonstation video, Master Ong does break numerous bamboo rods (which are being held up only with newspaper), without ripping the paper. Unfortunately, there is no forms footage of Master Ong on this tape, due to a severe ankle sprain he sustained a few weeks earlier. You see him favoring his ankle as he walks up to the bamboo rods, and he actually slips and falls at one point during the rod-breaking performance.
I'd be curious if anybody in this forum has seen the footage, or has witnessed Master Feeman Ong perform live.
It has often been questioned on this forum if Allen really did train with Ark Wong. He mentioned it more than once at the Q&A sessions I had attended. I don't remember if he mentions that on the Q&A video tapes. If I remember correctly, he started, during his summer vacations, making treks out to California to train with Wong. I think he stated he had been with Ong approximately 4 years when he started training with Wong. He always spoke highly of Wong, and agreed with him regarding many things, including weapons training: You don't need years of empty-hand forms to be able to start weapons training. I have corresponded with a guy who trains in the Five Family/Five Animal Style. He told me he highly doubted Allen trained with Wong prior to watching the Q&A video tapes. After watching the tapes, he feels almost positive he DID train with Wong.
Chuang Tzu