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Thread: Kung Fu in Korea

  1. #1

    Kung Fu in Korea

    From The History of Hapkido by Dakin Bur**** (2001):

    Chinese Martial Arts in Korea:



    Many Chinese immigrated to Korea after the Chinese Revolution of 1949, including at least four teachers of k’ung hu (gongfu in Chinese): Poom-Chang Lim (1910-1982), Kyung-Ban Kang (1912-), Sue-Chon No, and Master Koo. Lim taught orthodox praying mantis style in the Seoul area. Kang taught praying mantis as well and was still teaching in Pusan and Taiwan in 1989. Chon taught the p’algwae (eight trigrams; bagua in Chinese) or “palm strike” method in Inchon. In China, he was called “the gate guard of the rich.” Koo taught six harmony Seorim k’ung hu (Shaolin gongfu), which was also known as changkweon (long fist; changquan in Chinese). Duk-Kang Lee studied under Master Koo and as of 1989 taught in Seoul. The teachers of monkey, crane, and “ying chun” styles “are not considered experts in these styles of kung-fu, because many feel they learned from books or videos.” According to Victor Cheng (c1947-), Chinese martial arts in Korea in the 1950s were very traditional:

    “Old teachers closed their doors to anyone non-Chinese. Not Chinese, not get accepted. At the time, they referred to the Chinese system as 18 weapons or 18 techniques. It was only after a couple of students at my school opened their own schools that Koreans were accepted into the kung-fu system.”

    Because of the closed nature of the schools, it is probable that gongfu had little impact on the development of Korean karate in the 1950s. In recent times, the Chinese arts have been much more widely distributed. As of 1989, there were about 450 k’ung hu gymnasiums in Korea. Eighty percent of these are Shaolin long fist, eight percent teach praying mantis, five percent teach p’algwae, and the rest are miscellaneous systems. The four k’ung hu associations in Korea are the Taehan K’ung hu Hoe (Korean Gongfu Association; about 100 gyms), the P’algwae Hoe (Eight Trigrams Association; about 30 schools, centered around Inchon), the Korean and Chinese K’ung hu and Musul Association (about 20 schools around Korea), and the Taehan Shipp’algi Hoe (Korean Eighteen Techniques Association; about 20 gyms). As of 1994, Kwang-Sub Kim was the President of the Taehan Shipp’algi Hoe, which was strongest in Seoul and Taegu City. Kim himself began studying shipp’algi at the age of sixteen under Myung-Duk Yoon. Kim’s main school is the Hanguk Muye Weon (Korean Martial Arts Institute) in Sin-Chon district of Seoul. The majority of k’ung hu schools are independent and do not belong to an association. Moon-Tak Hong (1948-) was a student of Poom-Chang Lim in praying mantis and shipp’alki, beginning his studies sometime before 1964. Hong was a member of the Korean K’ong Hu Association and in 1984, he was appointed to the post of vice-president of the World Guoshu Association (based in Taiwan). In 1986, Hong began building contacts with the People’s Republic of China Wushu Association and the Hangju City Martial Arts Association.

    I have always wondered what "sipalki" is exactly. "Eighteen Weapons." A lot of websites have told me that it refers to something in the Muye Dobo Tonji, a military manual very much influenced by Qi Jiguang's "Ji Dao Xin Shu." Others have told me that it is a compliation of the popular styles of Kung Fu found in Korea- long fist, praying mantis, and bagua.

    Can anyone tell me what the curriculum for Shippalgi looks like? I remember seeing a video about it, and it featured tantui forms and weapons. Maybe in terms of barehand taolu, all shippalgi has is Tantui?

    Thanks.

  2. #2

  3. #3
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    shippalgi
    shippal = 18, (not to be confused with shibbal which means something like "F*** off!"
    There was a guy I knew on an elevator, and a Korean asked him which floor, with his mis-pronouniation he got in a fight.)
    gi = team, club
    so shippalgi means something like "18 team/club"
    Last edited by JaguarWarrior; 11-15-2005 at 08:31 PM.

  4. #4
    Jaguar Warrior, I was wondering because you're in Korea (and it seems like you know Korean), do you have any info on sipalki? Not the one that is a reconstruction of the Muye Dobo Tongji...the other kind that is a combo of long fist, praying mantis, and bagua?

    I heard in Korea, they practice forms like "O Bo Kwon" (Five Stance Fist? wubuquan); "Keum Gang Kwon" (Diamond Fist? jinggangquan)...i dunno what else

  5. #5
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    While this doesnt exatcly address your question, an interesting tidbit about Korean Kung Fu:

    Many years ago I studied a form of Praying Mantis that was taught by the same teacher that I took Tang Soo Do lessons from, guys name was Sahbomnim Donald Richardson. It seems an odd combination, Chinese Kung Fu and a Korean art taught together. Turns out my teachers teacher was a Korean master by the name of Chul Woo Jung. He spent some time in a Northern Chinese temple learning some variety of Northern Prayign Mantis and then taught it alongside his Tang Soo Do classes. The name of the praying mantis he calls So Rim, which Ive been told means Shaolin in Korean...Fitting I suppose

    A cached google page that outlines some history:

    http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache...ng+fu%22&hl=en

    Hope you find something useful in there...

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by taichi4eva
    Jaguar Warrior, I was wondering because you're in Korea (and it seems like you know Korean), do you have any info on sipalki? Not the one that is a reconstruction of the Muye Dobo Tongji...the other kind that is a combo of long fist, praying mantis, and bagua?

    I heard in Korea, they practice forms like "O Bo Kwon" (Five Stance Fist? wubuquan); "Keum Gang Kwon" (Diamond Fist? jinggangquan)...i dunno what else
    I've only been in Korea for about 3 months, I'm studying korean to make my life here a little easier. Also, my sifu doesn't speak much english so I want to bridge the gap. I study Praying Mantis.

    I don't know anything about this sipalki martial art you mention though.

    By the way those numbers are actually Chinese, the Koreans adopted them from when the Chinese ruled them. They have 2 number systems they use here for different things.
    1 = il
    2 = ee
    3 = sam
    4 = sa
    5 = O
    6 = oo
    7 = chil
    8 = pal
    9 = ku
    10 = shib

  7. #7
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    hey jaguar warrior....
    curious where you're doing praying mantis. i've been in korea for a year now, but in seoul only a couple months. i began taekwondo and karate recently but did some kung fu back in the states. anyways, what subway stop is your gym at? thanks

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    Quote Originally Posted by madhusudan
    hey jaguar warrior....
    curious where you're doing praying mantis. i've been in korea for a year now, but in seoul only a couple months. i began taekwondo and karate recently but did some kung fu back in the states. anyways, what subway stop is your gym at? thanks
    I can hook you up! Check your PMs.
    Tai Ji Mei Hua Tang Lang Quan - for life.

  9. #9
    Hi MasterKiller,

    I remember there being an article about ship pal gi in IKF back in the late '80s. The person featured learned this style from one master and later went on to learn bagua from that master's good friend, Master Lu (in the article spelled Master No), the same master of Park Bok Nam. There was no temple reference in the article with regard to ship pal gi. It consisted of northern styles like Mantis and Monkey and well as weapons. The term ship pal gi, as mentioned previously on this thread, referred to the weapons taught.

    The Temple reference is new to me with regard to this style.


    mickey

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaguarWarrior
    I've only been in Korea for about 3 months, I'm studying korean to make my life here a little easier. Also, my sifu doesn't speak much english so I want to bridge the gap. I study Praying Mantis.

    I don't know anything about this sipalki martial art you mention though.
    Sip Pal Ki (Ship Pal Gi) is just the Korean term for the Northern Shaolin long fist style that is prevelant in Korea.

    I heard in Korea, they practice forms like "O Bo Kwon" (Five Stance Fist? wubuquan); "Keum Gang Kwon" (Diamond Fist? jinggangquan)...i dunno what else
    Keum Gang Kwon is Golden Fist, not Diamond Fist. 金 黃 拳

    Other forms are

    • Qing-nian kwon (young fist) 青 年 拳
    • Mi hwa kwon (plum blossom flower fist) 梅 花 拳
    • A ga kwon (Yue family fist) 岳 家 拳
    • So chu kwon (small reducing fist) 小 縮 拳
    • Dae ban che kwon (big carriage wheel fist) 大 搬 車 拳
    • So ho yun kwon (little tiger-swallow fist) 小 虎 燕 拳
    • Dang rang kwon (praying mantis fist) 螳 螂 拳
    • Hok ho kwon (black tiger fist) 黑 虎 拳
    • O ho kwon (five tigers fist) 五 虎 拳
    • Kerro kwon (open road fist) 開 路 拳
    He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher. -- Walt Whitman

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  11. #11
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    Koo taught six harmony Seorim k’ung hu (Shaolin gongfu), which was also known as changkweon (long fist; changquan in Chinese). Duk-Kang Lee studied under Master Koo and as of 1989 taught in Seoul.
    By the way, that article is incorrect. Lee's teacher was not "Master Koo," but Lee Young De 李永得.
    He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher. -- Walt Whitman

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  12. #12
    Thank you Master Killer for the Chinese characters for the names of the forms.

    I was wondering, does the name Ship Pal Gi derive from anything particular? "18 Skills"...I think that what it means.

    Have you ever heard of a form called Gang Rou Quan (Hard Soft Fist), and Luo Han Gang Rou?

    Also do you know of the names of the common weapons forms practiced? I learned Mei Hua Dao and Da Lang Gun.

    Thank you.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by taichi4eva
    I was wondering, does the name Ship Pal Gi derive from anything particular? "18 Skills"...I think that what it means.
    The name means "18 weapons" or "18 Techniques."

    There may be a different system for just weapons. I've seen some schools that refer to the 18 weapons separately from the open-hand sets. But I don't know why.

    Some people refer to the open-hand sets as Kwon Bup (fist boxing), Shaolin Pai, or "Original Shaolin." But generally, Ship Pal Gi describes the whole Long Fist system including weapons and hand sets.

    Have you ever heard of a form called Gang Rou Quan (Hard Soft Fist), and Luo Han Gang Rou?
    I think have a video of it at home, but I don't know the translation of the name.

    Also do you know of the names of the common weapons forms practiced? I learned Mei Hua Dao and Da Lang Gun.
    The only names I know for weapon sets are "O Ken Yan Do" (six harmony broadsword) and another sword form called "Chui Li Do" or something close to that.

    If you need more detailed information, the guy to contact is Master James Theros in Indianapolis. He teaches TKD and SipPalGi and has access to some great resources. Here is his website: http://www.level10martialarts.com/
    Last edited by MasterKiller; 04-20-2006 at 12:23 PM.
    He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher. -- Walt Whitman

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  14. #14
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    Kung fu styles in korea Shi pal gi, Kook sool kwon, hwa wrang do.

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