Drunken Boxing / Drunken Kung Fu

[Vash]

Thanks anyway, Shane. Doesn't seem like there's sh!te for martial arts 'round here, with the exception of my school, and another in a close-by town.

Thanks for the responses. Peace.

[anton]

Drunken style always comes up in MA forums. Just posting to say that this has been one of the most informative threads I have read on the subject... good stuff dudes, esp Shane.

[Vash]

For those in the know, what are the fundamental differences between the Drunken forms of Shaolin origin and those of the Taoist lines?

[Vash]

Another thought . . .

Why are there so many styles of kung fu which contain a drunken form? Do these forms share a common ancestry? Are they influenced by a particular person?

Or, were they developed independently, as much as martial arts of the same national origin can be?

Oh, ttt.

[PHILBERT]

I own that Zuijiuquan book. Half of it is in Chinese and half in English (the Chinese is translated into English so both can read it). It is 155 pages, and has only drawings and its more Wushu. Good book to learn a form and movements, but it doesn't divide it into sections of footwork, hand work, stances, etc. Just the form.

[Vash]

Ugh. I'm trying to avoid anything Wushu.

Guess I'm a neo-Classical as opposed to a neo-Traditional.

[Vash]

Does anyone have any more non-wushu links besides those already posted?

[Vash]

ttt

[Gangsterfist]

Of course at one point I asked my sifu about drunken style kung fu as well. I am fortunate to have trained with people who have a pretty broad knowledge of martial arts. Of course some knowledge is limited. My sifu has trained in the 5 animal styles of shaolin along with some monkey boxing and a little bit of drunken boxing. He has showed us some drunken crane techniques, and some drunken monkey (also a few others but can't quite remember). Of course I do not know any forms, I was just showed a few techniques and a few movements from some of the forms. My knowledge is limited but I do know a few practical uses for some types of drunken boxing.

Drunken crane seems to be geared against multiple opponets (or at least the few movements I have been shown). There are techniques where you will front kick, and then lean back and strike both arms out with cranes beak attacks, attacking three opponets at once. There are many variations of this movement.

Apparently the history behind drunken monkey boxing is that it was developed by a man in prison. His cell had a view of a huge tree. In that tree dwelled tons of monkey that ate the fruit of the tree. The fruit would sometimes ferment and the monkeys would get drunk off it. He witnessed a smaller monkey fight a larger one while drunk. The smaller monkey would just flail his body around to avoid being grabbed and also used dead weight to avoid being picked up. The prisoner (sorry I am terrible with chinese names I always forget them) mimiced these movements and created drunken monkey boxing based off the actual drunken monkeys in the tree. He then used it to escape prison and taught his kung fu to others. Of course this is all myth I believe, and more than likely some monk one day realized he could root himself in akward stances if he trained for it.

So, the few applications I have learned are really anti-chin na or anti-grappling like techniques. If someone grabs you or bear hugs you drop your weight, post on one leg, then flail your body in cirular motions, wrap your non posted leg around one of theirs to gain leverage and sweep them to the ground with you on top of them. Of course that is one way to do this basic technique, and other systems probably use something similar.

I will have to ask some of the people I train with that know more, and if they know of any really good books, website, etc I will post it here.

[Gangsterfist]

Good post shane-

I would just like to comment on the animal styles. Initially the animals styles were mimicing animals. However, it is the animals instinct to do what they do to survive. We are copying their instinctual acts. So we then change what they do into something that is more applicable to our structure. There will always be a human factor because we are not cranes, snakes, tigers, leopards, eagles, and so on.

Also, to my knowledge not too many animals get drunk. Monkeys have been known to get drunk off fermented fruit, and I read stories about how monkeys in India will bust into peoples homes, raid their cabinets, and drink their liquor (man monkeys rule).

Out of all the drunken styles and practitioners I have seen, I would have to say some of the best stuff I have ever seen was from Jackie Chan.

[Vash]

Shane;

Excellent stuff. Please, post as much as you want. You're obviously knowledgeable on the subject, and that's what this thread is for; gathering knowledge.

Another question . . . How many systems are Drunken Styles? From what I've been able to find on that most reliable source that is the internet, I've seen Lau Family Eight Immortals . . . and that's it. Your sifu has exposed you to another Drunken style. I'm guessing that it's not the most common combative art.

[Vash]

Also, thanks for the link to the plum flower post training article. Very good read.

Well, I ordered that CLF Drunken form tape linked in the inital post. I'm going to watch it soon as it comes in, but I'm not going to start trying to train it 'til I get back full-swing into training. Then, I'm gonna spend about a year learning the form (as much as one can given the circumstances).

Anyway, I'll post a review after I see it.

[Xebsball]

things i do when im drunk:

smoke
dance
laugh more

[Vash]

Cool. Thanks. At least I know there is more out there in terms of Drunken instruction. Guess I'm gonna hafta go out of state for it, though.

[Gangsterfist]

I have only been exposed to drunken animal boxing. My sifu doesn't want to train us in any of that stuff yet. He says a lot of it is not really practical unless you really dedicate yourself to it, and it goes against a lot of what we have trained for in our classes. He wants us to focus on our wing chun and taiji more than anything. So, I will only get bits and pieces from my sifu.