HFY Chi Sau Workshop Nov 11th thru 13th Arizona Hung Fa Kwoon

Grandmaster Garrett Gee will be following up on his recent visit to the Arizona Kwoon on the weekend of November 11th thru 13th and will be conducting another public workshop further showcasing the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun family Chi Sau methods as preserved and passed down through the Hung Gun Boxer society.

The Wing Chun of the Hung Gun or “Red Bandana” Boxer society has a rich and unique history from its Shaolin origins through such notable ancestors as Cheung Ng aka Tan Sau Ng early 1700’s, whose name was derived from his peerless use of Tan Sau to express the whole art through one technique. Later in the mid 1800’s, Hung Gun Biu a high ranking member of the Hung Gun Wui or “Red Boxer Society” who made a significant contribution to the art known today as Hung Fa Yi wing Chun Kuen. The art continues on to the present day thru the efforts of the current lineage holder Grandmaster Garrett Gee who started teaching private students on his arrival in the United States in 1975 and opened his teaching up to the public from around the year 2000.

Since his first exposure to the public and in recognition of all our ancestors who went through so much to protect and preserve this branch of Wing Chun through a turbulent period of Chinese history Grandmaster Gee has tirelessly worked to spread the art of Hung Fa Yi to any who genuinely identify with his teachings. He continues to travel to all corners of the globe researching the roots of our art and meeting countless members of the martial arts community, Wing Chun and otherwise. He is always received with the utmost respect and his credentials are recognized by all who meet him, making him privy to much inside information.

This workshop we are pleased that we will be having visitors from Europe and the Eastern USA attending with an interest in representing the art of hung Fa Yi wing Chun in their respective locations adding to the existing branches in China USA and Brazil.

The public workshop is open to all martial artists regardless of style or experience and will span two days and will be followed by private training on the third day. As always anyone with an interest in attending please contact myself or the WHFWCKA HQ thru the information listed below.

Brief update:

Hello everyone. The latest HFYWCK Chi Sao Workshop was actually a special occasion not just for the calendar date (11/11/11) but also for the workshop attendees who were treated for the first time to witness first hand a side by side comparison of the Siu Nim Tao form between Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun and Traditional Wing Chun.

Representative Sifu Dale Vits of Traditional Wing Chun, a 20+ year veteran TWC Sifu from Sifu Robert K Smith of the William Cheung lineage, came to participate in this workshop to share his knowledge and experience Hung Fa Yi directly. Among many comparisons examined over the weekend, we were given direct permission by the head of the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun lineage Grandmaster Garrett Gee to allow us to video record the Advanced Siu Nim Tao form of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun side by side with Traditional Wing Chun’s for public record and historical documentation. The video will be released publicly in the very near future for all to see.

Lastly, the Kung Fu Tong Research Team’s senior member Richard Loewenhagen, who has written numerous works on Wing Chun history for magazine publication over the past 15+ years and the main author of the book Mastering Kung Fu, has authored another two articles by Grandmaster Garrett Gee. These two articles have been submitted for publication and we look forward to its release. For now I will keep this update short, and I will follow up with a thorough review and further information later for the community.

Savi

A few new posts from the last two days have been shared here: HFY Chi Sao Workshop

I'm still typing up my review. I'm four pages in, using Microsoft Word.

I have posted my full write up in 3 separate posts here: HFY Chi Sao Workshop I imagine it's a lot to take in because the degree of information delivered by Grandmaster Garrett Gee was quite extensive. I left out a lot of things regarding technical aspects, and focused the write up on the "infrastructure" of all the different modules of information and training. It is by no means an all encompassing take on the methodology... But I hope I conveyed enough of the subject matter to get the ideas across.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read the information.

I have also been updated that TWC Sifu Dale Vits, who has devoted 20+ years of his life to the prosperity of the Wing Chun community, has decided to pursue discipleship to Grandmaster Garrett Gee and the Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Pai. He has an extensive background in a variety of martial arts, and in light of the latest workshop he has decided to start anew in learning and commiting to a new journey into Hung Fa Yi. I would like to personally welcome Sifu Dale Vits. He is a very humble gentleman with a strong passion and personal dedication to martial arts.

During the course of this weekend’s workshop of November 11th, 2011, Grandmaster Gee took us on a journey into the ways of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun’s methodology. Many questions that permeate the world debate about Chi Sao (sticking hands) have definitive answers in Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun. The scope of the workshop was much larger than just Chi Sao. Many questions were raised… What is Wing Chun? What does the Center Line truly mean? Do techniques really matter? What is Chi Sao? Is Chi Sao only for sensitivity training? Is Chi Sao for fighting? How does Chi Sao work against other fighting styles? How does Wing Chun work against other styles? What is different about Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun’s Chi Sao than others’ Chi Sao?

From my observations of the Wing Chun world, Chi Sao is for the majority just a training method used to develop one’s sensitivity for bridging with another person based on three "pillar" techniques. Strikes can be trained from every position, as well as the ability to receive and issue energy through the contact points. “Pushing” Horse, footwork in other words, is also a part of Chi Sao. Typically Chi Sao begins by offering both arms to bridge with an opponent to use the Tan, Bong, and Fuk Sao (Dispersing, Wing, and Covering Hand) rolling arm platform. The actual use of one’s “personal space” can vary greatly across the spectrum.

I’ve trained in the Ip Man system from the beginning and through the weapons. I shall use my education of it as a comparison. Firstly, the way I learned Ip Man Chi Sao was through several stages of development. Here is a general breakdown:


• Dan Chi Sao; a single arm rolling pattern involving Fuk/Tan Sao, Dim Jeung/Jut Sao, Punch/Bong Sau.

• Poon Sau; drilling the basic rolling hands of the Tan, Bong, and Fuk Sao techniques.

• Luk Sao; develop the ability to deliver equal energy and reaction in both arms on every roll.

• Jow/Jip Sao/Daan Da; training to track center, learn to connect and disconnect bridges, apply basic single and double hand strikes

• Tsui Mah; learn how to apply proper footwork in conjunction to applications of Chi Sao to create openings and inequalities in the bridges and facing


From my experience, doing Chi Sao always begins with two people agreeing to roll hands first. It is typical to extend one or both arms out to set up the common "Tan/Bong/Fuk Sao" rolling arms platform to initiate. The gateway into HFY’s Chi Sao learning track does not begin in this way. In fact, the whole IDEA of Chi Sao is akin to an entirely different language and culture! In the HFY culture, Chi Sao is not a technique nor is it an exercise. It follows no other known methods of stage development in any capacity that I am familiar with. In fact, the disparity is so great that even discussing a Tan Sao, Bong Sao, and Fuk Sao become irrelevant as a starting point. For pretty much everything I have come across in the Wing Chun community about what Chi Sao is or is not… and with respect to Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen, Chi Sao is a true diamond that one must earn even in fighting.

Before we dove into HFY's Chi Sao methodology, we had to answer what it means to Chi Sao. We had to understand the importance of protecting the integrity of one’s center of gravity to one’s body, to not deviate in action or get caught up in “concept-less” techniques. We had to comprehend that the circumstances presented by an adversary were inconsequential; their emotion(s), words, attitude, and even their chosen form of assault (striker, grappler, etc…), all became pointless in light of a higher understanding. A person with true confidence who is literate and capable in the language of Time Space and Energy only sees things as a motion (or motions) in space. Consequently, one’s actions have to be guided by the software of the art in order to subject an aggressor’s actions to the science of Wing Chun. Actions and techniques must have an absolute idea that drives it, and that idea must be rooted in unyielding truth. Far too commonplace does it occur where people think matching a specific defensive technique to a specific offensive technique is the way of things.

Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun’s checkpoint system has become habitual to me in many of Life’s areas. Do certain things TRULY matter, when you see the reality that is staring back at you? Is it the technique, the attitude, the emotion, the action, or what you do with yourself, which is more important? Hmmm... Also, what does the HFY motto of “We live and die on the Center Line” mean? How much value do you place upon it? You should not run away from the Center Line in combat; rather, exhaust all possible solutions before it becomes necessary to move to a different line and position. There are conditions that must be upheld in order to stand with the science of the art, the importance of staying true and disciplined to the center of one’s gravity and vector to target, and every guardrail must be identified for every opportunity to stray away from the science of Time Space and Energy into “personal” interpretation.

For many years now many people have heard, borrowed, repackaged, misinterpreted, misrepresented, and even stolen, the terminology used in the art of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen. As matter of fact, what I have been told from the very beginning is that the language of HFY is genetic (and in every sense of that word)! The hardware and software of the art goes hand in hand. People can say (and have said) they have certain things, but unless they have the precise science (what some people would call the DNA) to express the concepts and the hardware as it has been designed, they can only talk. Either that, or they can only understand and do things on a self-based standard.

One of the most amazing aspects of the art, in my opinion, is that the science has so many fail-safes. The only thing that can actually change regarding the art is the person using it! While I believe this art is in a league of its own, it still offers the means to dialog with any other martial art. One of the most unique factors in HFYWCK is the language, meaning the science behind the “art”. For those that seek a deeper education in HFYWCK, the language must be understood just as an engineer must understand the programming language of a software platform. A "technician" isn't quite qualified to decipher things without the correct education to the field of study.

For an art that professes to be able to achieve Maximum Efficiency, and to claim to have a Formula that is so precise that nothing can be changed, added, or subtracted, I have come to realize after more than a decade of learning HFY that what I learned in the very beginning is consistent today as it was before. Hung Fa Yi holds true to form. More importantly, I have come to realize how intricately woven are the fundamentals of the art, from the most basic of things to the most demanding aspects of HFYWCK. It is the real deal andit is designed to engage any and all types of attackers; grapplers, strikers, kickers, what have you . Does it have the means to get people to a point of achieving Maximum Efficiency? Does it have a formula that preserves the integrity of the art’s design? YES, YES, and a whole lot more. In fact, the art is truly a science because everything it entails can be precisely measured on a scientific basis. It is entirely logical and grounded in fact. Every engagement can be explained through equations. Cause, Effect, and Consequence, is an inescapable reality.

Part 2: The Roadmap of the Workshop

• Stage 1: HFY Two Point Defense and Three Intercepting Tools for Engagement

• Stage 2: HFY Gravity and Centerline test

• Stage 3: HFY 4 Elbows Energy Concept

In Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun, there are two things that separate techniques and ideas. The first form of the art named Siu Nim Tao, translated as “Little Idea Beginning”, is a form that serves as the periodic table of elements in Wing Chun. It contains all the hardware needed to apply oneself in combat. The central theme for application of those techniques can be discovered in another track of learning called Siu Lien Tao, translated as “Little Drilling Beginning”. This particular track of development outlines proper application of all tools through the language of the art, the form of communication called Time Space and Energy. All context required to gain proper skill from the tools in SNT is provided in the SLT training… Gravity Concept, Reference Points, Line Theories, Box Theory, Gate Concepts, Energy Management Concepts, timeframe distinctions… the SLT track provides all the context necessary to train the tools of the Siu Nim Tao. Therefore, both tracks are unequivocally necessary to decipher the science.

Although the workshop topic is about Chi Sao, Hung Fa Yi’s mode of operation identifies the first protocol of combat as ENGAGEMENT. The Tan/Bong/Fuk Sao platform does not fit in to the terms of engagement here. The emphasis for addressing adversity must be met with an understanding of the correct way to establish contact first. If you decide to willingly bridge with the intention of using the Tan/Bong/Fuk Sao, you have unwisely given your adversary far too much intelligence about you. Consequently, you will have also created additional and incalculable variables to handle, thus making the challenge far more complicated. Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun’s approach to engagement is through an arsenal of bridging hands called Kiu Sao(s). These tools are designed to keep points of contact outside your close quarter range of space, and penetrate into the opponent’s inner gates in a simple, direct, and efficient manner.

There are three key HFY concepts involved for a safe and advantageous engagement. One is called Two Point Defense, the second is called Three Point Intercepting Bridge, and the third is HFY’s Box Theory. All three ideas are required to understand proper engagement. The Two Point Defense has to be clearly defined: the point of interception and the point of control. There are three tools you can choose from (Three Point Intercepting Bridge), and they are all within the first few movements of the Siu Nim Tao form: Tai Sao (Lifting Hand), Chum Sao (Sinking Hand), and Tiu Sao (Picking Hand). Through the context of HFY’s Box Theory, which defines the boundaries between close quarters and long range, there is but one goal. What is the intended result? A dominating position of all aspects of leverage and range control through a single contact point of control: the Jung Gwan, meaning the mid gate position. The byproduct of achieving the Jung Gwan is a near if not total collapse of the attacker’s offensive capabilities.

Once the practitioner develops their technical proficiency in their ability to engage, the next stage of development focuses on the relationship of the aforementioned tools to the person’s center of gravity. During this stage of training, structure testing becomes the priority. Structure testing assesses one’s ability to achieve a connection to HFY’s reference point system, known as the Ten Bright Points. This reference point system details specific points in space correlating to the person’s whole body in all three dimensions of space and the HFY concept of Heaven Human Earth. The test is not just to identify strengths and weaknesses in a person’s structure, but whether or not the person is actually able to protect his/her center of gravity without ANY additional motions to maintain it. Can you uphold your self-center line (axis of symmetry), and stay true to the vector to target without over or under commitment?

The close quarter training stage involves developing HFY’s Four Elbow Energy Concept, which is also a skills set. The four elbow actions are: forward, opening, sinking, and rising. At this stage new techniques are introduced to facilitate the development of each action: Fuk Sao (covering hand), Tan Sao (dispersing hand), Lit Sao (separating hand), Fut Jeong (Buddha palm), Chum Sao (sinking hand), Wu Sao (guarding hand). Through the pairing of these tools, designed to not only help you identify the four elbow actions but to also help you understand that through the scope of Cause, Effect, and Consequence, each action is deliberate. The proper effect must match up with the initiating cause, for if they do not then the consequence is not only a loss of space, but a total loss of position and leverage. This segment of the process is crucial for your ability to become an effective and capable close quarter combat fighter. This also helps to not hyper focus on one’s hands to get the job done, but to allow the elbows to initiate and react much more quickly to stimuli. To a non-practitioner of HFYWCK, this could look similar to single arm chi sao albeit in different applications.

Part 3: The Road Map of the Workshop and Conclusion

• Stage 4: HFY 3 Strike Chi Sao development: Neutralize

• Stage 5: HFY Reference Point Structure Chi Sao: Structure Energy

• Stage 6: HFY Four Corner Chi Sao: Stabilization Checkpoints


The fourth phase of this process takes a look at the three most common strikes: the punch, the palm strike, and the chop. Hitting pads are recommended to practice targeting, releasing full power, and impaction. When delivering strikes to a training partner, range control and proper body mechanics are the focus. Every strike should stop within an inch or two from surface target. For both partners in training, sticking to the bridge is just one ingredient to do things right. Neutralization is the overarching theme here, so PROPER bridging/contact points are critical to control the numerous exchanges. Comprehensively, all aspects of the prior stages come in to utilization here. Box Theory is used to address initial engagement. All four elbow energy challenges are tested for Center Line ownership. HFY’s Five Line Theory is the focal point to shift lines of energy to and from the Center Line. Challenges from the high to low bounds of the upper body are tested for weaknesses of structure and energy. Stabilization of range depends on your ability to engage the Jung Gwan (mid gate) and defend the close quarter boundary. In essence, each dimension of space and time are tested upon you under the conditions of being able to use neutralizing energy for every attack, every act of harassment, every disengagement and reengagement of bridges, and every challenge to your center of gravity. It is up to you to be able to dominate your personal space without giving up an inch. There are a total of 5 major exchanges designed to train your alertness and overall awareness in Time Space and Energy.

Stage five continues on to focus on the aspect of Structural Energy. Under the context of stabilizing the vertical Center Line and the 3 centers of the body, Structural Energy is the weapon of choice. The aim is to use whole skeletal alignment, proper positioning, and on/off energetics for superior leverage on the bridge. A revisiting of two techniques come back into play from stage 3 (elbow energies) which are Lit Sao and Huen Sao. These two tools are used to illustrate the conditions of leaving and tracing the Center Line and Center of Gravity. With the inclusion of these two techniques, the focus then doubles from sharpening your mental acuity of the vertical center line and its 3 reference points to include a focus of HFY’s Box Theory as well. Lit Sao is used inside of the box and Huen Sao is used to go outside of the box.

The final phase covered for the workshop takes a look at HFY’s Four Corner Defense training and Flowing Energy. Additional striking and bridge play explores the spaces of the upper body, dividing the space into four quadrants with skill challenges done at each zone. Dai Bong Sao (Low Wing Arm) and Side Gum Sao (Side Pressing Hand) are introduced for lower/inner gate attacks while punches and palm strikes continue as upper gate challenges. An important factor not to be overlooked is HFY’s concept of Heaven Human Earth as it relates to the Four Gate Theory. Complete with Leung Yi Ma footwork, the purpose of this part of the Chi Sao methodology is to learn, through sticking, how to occupy space with correct energetics and reference point based structure to stabilize the four corners of the upper body.

All in all, the 3 day weekend of Chi Sao training provided more than enough material in both breadth and depth that people could train these specific lessons for a minimum of one year and still have plenty left to work on. The initial offering of Tan/Bong/Fuk Sao, from the perspective of "Engagement", is actually a violation for combat. To come up against a boxer, grappler, or kicker, with the idea of closing the gap in a Chi Sao formation is an illusion. I can see why people say what they do if this is the way of things. Through Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen, I recognize that the reality of the Center Line involves a high degree of discipline to not float around like many artists and fighters do when sparring or fighting. Wing Chun teaches you that in order to control the conditions of Time Space and Energy, your position in combat must be constant and stable in order to challenge your counterpart. To shuffle around and feel out your opponent is counterproductive to the concept of maximum efficiency. Many things have to occur in order to force a person to react with Chi Sao. Until then, Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun provides more than enough combat mechanisms to address the unknown.

Everything I have shared is only in regards to certain aspects of single arm bridging via HFY’s Kiu Sao and Chi Sao platforms. There is also a great deal of extensive training for people to discover and journey within HFY’s Kiu Sao and Chi Kiu trainings as well. Every technique Grandmaster Garrett Gee utilized for this comes right out of HFY’s Siu Nim Tao form. The language of this magnificent art is a truly unique form of communication. It is both poetic and scientific, yet without being able to understand the language and culture of training that goes along with it, most people will never be able to see beyond the surface through their own filters of comprehension. There are still many more exciting things in the road ahead for practitioners of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun. The head of our lineage gave us a peek into the design of the art and where it comes from. Through all of the structure testing, positional challenges, energy training in HFY’s Ng Mui Ying Jong Faat (5 petal reaction method), and timeframes described by the software of the art, I must say this latest workshop has simply thrown more fuel on a continually burning fire within this martial artist.


With many respects to Grandmaster Garrett Gee and Master Richard Loewenhagen, may Wing Chun live on forever. History. Philosophy. Culture. Combat.

~Savi Kruich

Thank you for the information guys. Very insightful post.

Savi may I pm you regarding HFY. I would like to pick your brain regarding your system… if I may.

Thank you for the reply. I do not come here often, but feel free to email me instead. Redflowerfist@yahoo.com

Update

I have seen preliminary footage of what will soon be released, as recorded from the latest Chi Sao Workshop in AZ, the demo of HFY's Advanced Siu Nim Tao form. How much interest there is on this forum to view the video? I can post a link here once it's released.

Merry Christmas to you all!
Savi