Eagle claw kung-fu

[Shaolin Fighter]

Has anybody here haved studied Eagle claw kung-fu? If so do you like it and is it a good means of self-defense? Are there any joint locking techniques and if so are they realistic in today's world? I'm just trying to find out some info before I study this art. Thankyou in advance...

[ngokfei]

yep

Chin Na (kahm Na) ie: joint locks is the trade mark of the style.

I like it. Northern Shaolin Long Fist Basics, Fan Tzi stepping and whipping power. Ying Jow: Joint Locking and Vital STriking skills.

What more could you want from one style.

[Snake]

Hi! i've been studying Eagle Claw for a few years now, and I can only echo the comments made above. I really enjoy the system, although it can be on the complex side, I enjoy the challenge. Lots of joint locks and a lot of techniques that are excellent in self defense.

[Tainan Mantis]

Do any of you Eagle Claw people practice 8 Step Continuous punches?

[Ben Gash]

To be honest it doesn't really use any more Chin Na than any other longarm style, they just make a bigger deal out of it. The forms look largely like longfist. It's a good, solid system and I'd certainly recommend it.

[SETANSI]

from training Choi Lay Fut since 1986 I have a good Idea what long fist looks like. My gwoon did a demo in castro valley with Jeanie lau's Eagle Claw School. From what I saw there Eagle Claw is a Northern Style and very different from long fist wich is a southern style .
dont know many who think they are similar

[Brad]

Most longfist systems are northern

[Arhat of Fury]

from my understanding longfist is southern.
Brad are you sure?



AOF

[GeneChing]

Hers's some videos to get you started:
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsma...72joinloc.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsma...2joinloc1.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/pr-ma11.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsma...eagclawbo.html

[sean_stonehart]

AOF... it's always been my understanding that long fist is a northern style, but southern system have long arm techniques in them like CLF & Hung Gar. Long fist systems include Hua, Pao, Zha, Hong, etc... That's always been my understanding.

Mind you... I'm easily correctable too..

[Arhat of Fury]

Interesting,
I dont think I ever read or was told specifically that longfist was southern, it was more of a default belief.

Anyone have more input.

AOF

[ngokfei]

Yes it is a compiled northern Long Fist Style.
Ying Kuen was the original name of the style. A Fan Tzi teacher took the basic forms he had (alot of shaolin sets) and added the trademark Clawing andLocking technqiues to them. So actually there is not true Eagle Claw style just what it is traditionally called Fan Tzi Ying Jow.

Most of the Long Fist Eagle Claw sets only have rudimentary locking skills. The set Lin Kuen (connecting Fist) which was compiled by Chan Tzi Ching a famous Eagle Claw teacher, has the most Joint Locking and counters in one set. Why because he truly only wanted to practice those skills and so he put them together in one form. His inspiration comes from a much older Lin Wan Kuen set and the Completeness of the Tam Tui form he learned from the Chin Wu group.

Today I've seen 3 different versions of this set. Most popular is the one that Lau Fat Man learned from Chan Tzi Ching but even then there are differences between each of his students. Chan also had a much earlier version which was very simple only about 3 movements for each road. Then there is the much newer version which is said to have been formulated by Chan's students after his passing during the war. My personal opinion is that the students didn'thave much time to practice during the war (no kidding) so certain things were forgotten so they just merged a new set together with the documented names. (just my opinion)

Any how Lin Kuen is the set to learn if you really want to see how the style is really practiced.

For a glimpse of this set Sifu Wing Kit Lam of the Chan Tzi Ching Lineage has put out 3 books on Eagle Claw. His first one which documents the classic form poetry has at the back of the book the 1st 10 roads of lin kuen demonstrated. They closely match the form that I learned from Sifu Shum.

I think the website for ordering is kungfumaster.hk.com He also has good books on the Classic poetry of the Chin Wu and Praying Mantis sets.

[dsn]

I'm currently doing Northern Eagle Claw here in Atlanta. If you like locking and heavy gymnastics, you'll probably like Eagle Claw as well.

Whose school are you looking at?

-
Jeremiah Spradlin - North Eagle Claw Student - Atlanta

[sean_stonehart]

Jeremiah, I saw you Saturday at Sifu Walker's demo in College Park. Good performance of that form!

[dsn]

Wow. Thanks a lot. I've only recently gotten Ng Fu Kuen to a point where I could make it all the way through the form without collapsing from exhaustion. Now, all I need to do is be able to hit the 'splits' directly after the back handspring.

-
Jeremiah Spradlin