Here's my xmas present for you

[David Jamieson]

Ok all you southern pracs, here's my christmas present for you.

enjoy.

[Pork Chop]

Nice...
I figured I'd rather have the real thing though.
I'll let u know how it goes. hehe

[David Jamieson]

the real thing? is there such a thing? lol

strawberry fields forever

[Ai Lek Ou Seun]

Seeing Lam Si Jo doing this form in a medium height stance, I'm wondering why the current Hung Ga training emphasizes such low stance work?

The stance height in this form looks about the same as what we practice in CLF.

[David Jamieson]

I don't think Lam Sai Wing is the founder of the Hung Gar system. But that's one of the older attempts at illustrating the set. Those were all drawn from photos.

There are other photos of Lam Sai wing, in fact there are a great deal of them scattered round. Lot's a textual information too and it is said that it was LSW that popularized Hung Gar into more of what we see today.

Huang Fei hung was real famous for sure, But LSW was downright public with his Fu.

[Ai Lek Ou Seun]

In my lineage we call all of the real old guys Si Jo as a sign of respect. Just trying to show respect to you Hung Ga players.

Even though I know that is not the literal meaning.

Any idea as to my question?

[South Paw]

I've been told that GM Lam Sai Wing is using "medium height stances" because of his old age. Photographs were taken later in his life.

Forms are usually done in a lower stance.

[Ai Lek Ou Seun]

So you're saying because of his advanced age he could no longer do the low stances?

How old do you think he is in these drawings?

Anyone have any idea?

[David Jamieson]

That set of drawings were done before he was really advanced in age. There is another set of photos of him when he is much much older and he is wearing the black gard with the white frog button front and the huge studded belt. Those are still pretty cool pics of LSW though.

this set is from when he was considerably younger than that and are the same illustrations as found in the books he himself had published. He wrote those books between '17 and 23 according to one pretty good source. So that would've put him between 57 and 63 years old in those photos.

He could still do the low stances, but I think the form was not exactly static when demonstrated by LSW and therefor the stances are more apropo to a demonstration of teh set as a fighting set. Or the applicable postures one would use with teh actual application of the techs within.

Now, 57 to 63 ain't that old for a kungfu master, just check out Chiu Wai or his brother or even Wing Lam who is no spring chicken either lol.

Will a young man do them differently? Yes. Everyone gives their Kungfu their own flavour to add to the overall taste.

Deep stances are quite often for training purposes only really.

[SiuHung]

Originally posted by Ai Lek Ou Seun
Seeing Lam Si Jo doing this form in a medium height stance, I'm wondering why the current Hung Ga training emphasizes such low stance work?

The stance height in this form looks about the same as what we practice in CLF.

The low stance thing...yahhh...well...It's a relative thing. Relative to what you're doing.
For some, the theory is train low so you build strength. Some it's train low, fight higher. Some others (whom I agree with) train different levels: high, medium, and low because the height of your stance will vary with the application and intent being expressed. These drawings, and remember please that these are an artitist's impression, are somewhat "neutral" in stance.

[GARRA DE TIGRE]

before start to train choy lay fut , i 'd have a hung gar base and one of the things i'd have more problem to adjust was the bow and arrow stance . in clf is performed with 2 feets in a same line . but in hung gar you perform the stance very open . the clf version is for have more speed and fast reaction . hung gar version search a more solid base for his tiger techniques .
there is some schools that combine hung gar and clf formsd in a same teaching program . i wonder how they adjust this details .

[David Jamieson]

these are an artitist's impression

well actually they are tracings. where paper is laid over a photo and the image from the photo is traced.

so they aren't really an artists impression.

People who start kungfu are always sitting in grueling stances that are at the maximum lowness. When they learn their first form, they again continue with the low stance. (except for styles where high stances dominate the style...such as wing chun, but these styles put more emphasis on learning to fight quickly)

The actual expression in a set is different and low stances require more energy from the performer and subsequently don't have as much effectiveness for fighting because you can't give that power to force issuance and instead are using it to build your frame.

anyway...I'm sure there will be continuing arguments about shape and depth etc etc as well there should be. Keeps us all thinking about how wecan make our fu better for us as individual practitioners without spoiling it with each of our owns nherent laziness.

[MasterKiller]

My X-Mas present to you....

[David Jamieson]

ooooo..thanks MK.

This is where oneupmanship pays off for you.
kudos!

[SiuHung]

Originally posted by Kung Lek
[B]well actually they are tracings. where paper is laid over a photo and the image from the photo is traced.

so they aren't really an artists impression.

Oh.
Sorry, I must have been misinformed as to the origin of the illustrations.