siu muy fah kuen part 1

[GARRA DE TIGRE]

Hello clf brothers

In the southern fist online comunity , there is the hung gar forum . is very popular and the topics and discussions have a great quality of knowledge and friendship between differents hung gar branches . one of his topics was a patience step by step analisys of the gung gee fook fu kuen form . starting with the first movement , every member explained the way he learned the movement according his branch and his own interpretation of correct posture , energy and combat application .
With a lot of members in this forum who train and some teach the choy lay fut system of grandmaster lee koon hung , I was thinking maybe we could start a similar topic with siu muy fah kuen , maybe the most commun representative form .
I’ll start based upon the master lee koon hung poster , with the first steps . if you think would be a good topic , please . feel free of join .


I think before start with the fist steps we could anylize the name :

Siu muy fah kuen - small plum flower fist

Siu muy fah is the national flower of china , many styles have a form called muy fah kuen . the petals of the flower represent the 5 nations of china :

Han – original Chinese
Moon – Manchurian
Moan – Mongolian
Woy – muslim
Jong – Tibetan

Someone wants add something about the right and wrong relation between the name of the form with his footwork . also how many forms in the lineage have the name muy fah ?

[Serpent]

Most systems with a Shaolin root will have various moi fa forms.

Siu moi fa is named in relation to the energy and method of the form. The form is fast, quick and changes direction rapidly. When a plum blossom falls from the tree, think about how it flutters and moves, very hard to catch. Hence the name.

[Ben Gash]

here, you count 'em

[David Jamieson]

I believe teh term "moi fah" is in relation to the petals of teh plum blossom and how direction of form goes in as many directions.

IE: 4 petals = 4 cardinal directions.

Of course, some plum blossoms have 5 petals and so 5 directions is the path the form takes.

The plum flower also blossoms while there is still snow, and so, it is considered hardy and enduring. THis is also related to the forms that bear the name.

[Serpent]

Moi fa in general refers to five directions based on the five petals. Like Sup ji ( + ) refers to the four cardinal directions. Siu moi fa kuen as a form is in reference to the directions also, but also in reference to the type of energy in movement as I mentioned earlier.

[Fu-Pow]

I don't have much to input.

All I can say is I've been doing this form for a very a long time....too long!.

And its probably the form I've practiced the most times because I learned it starting back at my Hung Ga school (although slightly modified.)

There are some nice moves in there but some that I really don't understand the application very well even after studying it for a long time.

[Sow Choy]

I was taught....

Plum Flower is a symbol that represented China as a country... Relating to the restoration of the Ming Dynasty. So the name was to stand for the Chinese having their own country again, similar to Chan Kai Shek and Taiwan. Also similar to the Japanese Sun being their symbol...

As far as directions it would be 5, but in our form in the LKH lineage, their is only 4. I believe you will find the names given more as a representation then as a literal meaning or by a move by move clue finding artifact...

After all those who know CLF will find most of the forms have much more in common than they do different I even notice this in other branches that I have been lucky to see outside of our own.

I had the pleasure of visiting one of Grandmaster Wong Ha's students Master Gary Seto in Vancouver, nice clean and traditional stuff...

I think his website is www.setokungfu.com if any are interested...

What next Garra de Tigre? Did you have questions about techniques in the form?

Joe

[yutyeesam]

sow choy/clfnole/fu-pow,
sorry to bother you.

after the second sow choy of the form, you do biu jong, chuin la, yum tsop, and the kick.

what kind of kick do you all do? heel? side heel? toes? ball of foot?

thanks
123

[Sow Choy]

123,

As far as I know, toe kick... Thats how I have always done it.

Joe

[CLFNole]

This might not help much but some do toe and others heel.

I was taught a toe kick and thats what I teach. I think Joe is the same with this one although he can ring in and answer.

Peace.

[yutyeesam]

ok. thank you, this is very helpful. my sifu calls this dang toi, or nail kick, which is basically the ball of the foot. on gm lkh's poster, it is a toe kick. it is important to me to know this, b/c doing a ball of the foot dang toi requires me to thrust more with my hips than with a toe kick.

123

[Fu-Pow]

I do.....

Deng Geuk (Nail Kick)

It's like a side kick with the outside part of ball of foot.

You could do it as a snap kick also with the top of the foot but I prefer the Deng Geuk because

1) It is very powerful

2) You have more targets to choose from

The snap kick from this position can only effectively kick the groin or chin. The Deng Geuk can hit anywhere on the torso, or the groin or the throat etc.

However, you should be able to execute both from this position because in combat you have to be flexible enough to take any opportunity that reveals itself.


Peace.