Martial Arts Gathering 2007.

[Eric Ling]

Hi everybody,

Want to take this opportunity here to announce an event scheduled to take place in Kuching Sarawak September 2007.

This is a Sarawak Tourism Ministry endorsed event to showcase traditional fighting arts called Martial Arts Gathering 2007 or MAG2007 in short.

In a nutshell this event:-

• Will bring together some of the rarest Kung Fu and Silats still in existence in SE Asia. There is a certain urgency to bring attention and preserve them before they disappear totally into oblivion. We have been working hard in locating and convincing many of the old Masters to participate in this event. (I posted clips in Wu Lin I Jia thread describing some of these art forms).

• Provide all participants an exceptional opportunity to interact and learn from these Masters, many of them breaking with traditions to work with us in this respect.

• Congregate all those passionate about traditional MAs to work together to look for answers to question regarding histories, theories and principles of traditional fighting systems.

Besides local Masters, we have also invited Masters and friends from around the world to come and share their research and experience.

In fact, Gene Ching (Kung Fu magazine) is one of our invited guests for this event. Presently, I am working out the details of Gene and Kung Fu Magazine’s involvement. At the very least, Kung Fu Magazine will be the exclusive magazine to cover activities leading up to and the event itself.

We also have, more or less, confirmed the attendance of:-

• Sifu Liu Chang I, Feeding Crane Taiwan.
• Russ Smith and his Sensei , Okinawa Goju Ryu.
• Evert Van De Meulen , Hungga.
• Martin Watts and his Yong Chun White Crane family.

I am hoping to hear Robert Hui (Mantis108) confirmation soon.

Besides the above folks, we have arranged for a good assortment of Masters from Singapore, East and West Malaysia spanning a variety of styles to come and share their skills.

Again I want to highlight that this is more than a demonstration of traditional MAs.

Spread over 3 days, the central concept is to get all to “touch hands”.

Please treat this as an invitation to come visit Sarawak and play this September.

I am preparing a dedicated website to provide all the details.

Warmest Regards.

Eric

[GeneChing]

From what Eric has shared with me so far, this looks like it'll be a remarkable event. I'm hoping that it all works out so I can attend.

[BruceSteveRoy]

hi eric, i was curious is there a website for this event? it sounds very interesting.

[Eric Ling]

hi eric, i was curious is there a website for this event? it sounds very interesting.

Yes, a website is under construction even as we speak..

For now I just want to provide some snapshots of the styles and some Masters who are planned to appear in this event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGBM_bmC2_A

This is not final but we have got, at this time:-

• Hakka boxing – 3 different Chu Gar lines. 2 tigers and 1 praying mantis.
• Southern Praying Mantis Fan Zhuang.
• WuZu or 5 Ancestors. I got folks from Kan Teck Guan’s line and I hope to confirm GM Chee Kim Thong’s Wuzu participation.
• Fong Yang Kung Fu.
• Hungga
• Choy Li Fut
• Chow Gar
• Buddhist Grand Ancestor Boxing
• Southern Grand Ancestor Boxing
• Tibetian White Crane
• Wing Chun
• Fuzhou Whooping Crane from 2 separate lines
• Yong Chun White Crane
• Feeding Crane
• Ancestral Crane
• Shaolin White Crane
• Dragon Tiger Zhuang
• Southern Fukien Shaolin / Lohan



The above is in no way exhaustive as we are still talking to many Masters from other styles to grace this event.

Plus we have many non-Chinese styles to be included, namely Malay silats and Indian fighting arts.

I will keep updating here.

Warmest Regards.

Eric

[forever3821]

do you have any idea of the location of the event, new york or cali?

[Ozzy Dave]

Hi Eric,

I'd like to say you're doing a fantastic thing for TMA. I'm new to the board but have viewed some of your clips in other threads - just brilliant stuff to watch these old masters and not so old masters!

I'll be watching for more details of the Sarawak event, it sounds like an exciting opportunity to see so many TMA in one place and its not that far from Oz.

Cheers and beers

Dave

[gojumaster]

forever3821

do you have any idea of the location of the event, new york or cali?

The location is Kuching, Sarawak.

Best Regards,

Russ Smith

[Eric Ling]

AAaaarrrrggggghhhh, the youtube clip above is not loading properly again……..

Here's the new link :- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmK4rjMDJIY

Okay, first I just want to thank all of you for your messages including those of who wrote private messages offering assistance… “THANK YOU”.

Now I am going to try & answer some your questions; watch out folks, I will be rambling a little here.

Why am I doing this ?

I love traditional fighting arts, pure and simple.

I grew up doing CKF. My dad and uncles are all White Crane boxers in their own rights and besides running the family business, they were all CKF. This was a much simpler time in Singapore when many immigrant Chinese were still tied, culturally at least, to the motherland. Folks work hard to uphold their cultural identities. Some of you younger folks might not know this but “Chinese New Year” was a enormous thing when I was a kid and many Kung Fu folks took center stage during the 15 days of celebrations with their prancing lions, dragons, KayLum and kung fu display everywhere.

I guess many took the arts for granted, thinking perhaps that it will perpetuate even if left to it own accords.

The 70s was an exciting time for CKF with Hong Kong churning out kung fu movies conveyor belt style. Every other movie was a kung fu movie. Very little plot but all actions and some very good traditional kung fu, if I may add.

This was also the time that you find all sorts of kung fu related books and magazines coming out of Hong Kong, Taiwan and even Malaysia. Personally, I see the 70s and 80s as the “golden era” of CKF in my part of the world.

Everybody wanted to do CKF and you won’t believe the number of schools back then in Singapore. It was like every roof top was a Kung Fu school of some kind and really you are totally spoilt for choice. Those of you who were there in the 70s and 80s will know exactly what I mean. I remember, on a typical training night, you would find hundreds of students training in Chin Woo Singapore, a few blocks away from Chinatown’s People Park Complex…senior folks doing Tai Chi, Pak Kwa and younger folks doing all styles of Northern Arts.

I spoke about this before elsewhere; it was also during this time that every Sunday mornings, Kung Fu high-hands would gather in a place called McRitchie Reservoir and play…

I cannot remember the number of Sunday mornings I spent, wide-eyed watching these folks do their Praying Mantis, Lup Hup, Hsing I, Eagle claw, Shandong Leopard boxing, Weituo and even Northern Moslem Kung Fu.

It was also at this same place that I met a group of Northern Lohan boxers who left me with deep impressions till this day….

Well, things took a different turn for CKF from the 90s onward, in SE Asia at least. For various reasons, CKF lost its place with most people gradually and steadily.

To keep a long story short, you need to look pretty hard today in Singapore to find authentic traditional CKF club. Most schools are defunct and many Masters are now teaching privately in their own homes or small places.

Many clan associations would have a symbolic lion/dragon troop with hardly any real kung fu training involved.

Sarawak, on the other hand, has always been a comparatively insulated country. Self-sufficient in many ways, with her rich natural resources, it was never really part of any mainstream CKF scene.

Many Chinese Kung Fu Masters here are satisfied with just keeping the arts intact within families and clans.

For me, discovering these Masters and their arts is like reliving my childhood thrill all over again. A feeling that I hope to share with all of you….

The downside is that without support, many of these Masters would not be able to sustain and many would suffer the same fate as I’ve witnessed over the years in Singapore.

With a group of colleagues and friends, we decided that something needs to be done now to avert anymore erosion of these art forms.

This coming event hopes to bring attention and support towards preservation.

Personally, I don’t wish to see these arts die out and become statistics in the archives of CKF.

This event aims to bring CKF lovers from all over to congregate and interact and share to work out projects to keep the arts alive.

Humbly, I think it would an excellent opportunity to start preservation and rejuvenation.

Not to mention that Sarawak is a gorgeous place to spend some vacation time. I will do up a photo-slide show of Kuching to give you an idea.

And ooops before I forget, I will buy the Carlsbergs….

Warmest Regards.

Eric


Errrhhh, please pardon my jerky English. I am more comfortable with letting my body do the talking….

[Firehawk4]

What kind of strange Wing Chun do you have over there ?

[Eric Ling]

Hi everybody,

Firehawk4, don’t know enough to say what’s strange or not...

This I do know; a Kung Fu friend here is getting me in touch with this group in Malaysia:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXtXdVPwQp8

I would be in West Malaysia soon to talk to several different schools there about their involvement.

From there I would be heading down to Singapore to do the same.

I mentioned that I am acquainted with Master Ku, Chu Gar Wng Chun. I will be seeing him regarding coming out to Sarawak this September.

Well, like I said, I will be updating here….

Warmest Regards.

Eric

[hasayfu]

Eric,

Just wanted to jump on the band wagon and wish you great succes on this momentous event. I'm usually in Johor in August but wo't be able to stay till Sept. (Kids have to get back to school) I'll just have to live vicariously through Gene and your youtube postings.

I find that Malaysia is a vestige of TCMA (CKF). You know Singapore better then me but I still remember the Lion Dance competion on Orchard Road (Takashima?). So many clubs (7 days of straight comps) and while maybe more modern, they still practice many of the traditions. (fun to see all the bai san on the streets)

I've also met a few traditional masters in Johor/JB and Chinese New Year is great with celebration. Though I share your observation that the new generation is losing touch with the culture. When I first went to Malaysia in 94, CNY was a full 2 weeks. If you didn't stock up on food, you could only find Muslim restaurants open. Now, I think it lasts about 3 days.

The same is happening in Hong Kong though the office of tourism is trying to revive it with the weekly Kung Fu Gok (KF Corner) they host in Kowloon park.

Terima Kasih

[Eric Ling]

Hi everybody,

Hasayfu, SAMA SAMA …..

Could you try and tweak your schedule a little and hop over to Kuching; it’s only 1 ½ hours away from Johor – connecting flights from Senai is so convenient these days.

Well, spent this whole Sunday with a group of Kung Fu high hands here to talk about the gathering.

I want to take this time to express my gratitude to Sifu Yokar Tan of Chin Woo Sarawak for making this session possible.

I met with Master Chang Kui Chang from Buddhist Grand Ancestor Boxing. I was really looking forward to the encounter because Grand Ancestor Boxing is one of the arts that I do.

Master Chong’s style is really an eye-opener. I thought I saw traces of Northern elements in his moves. To me, his “Buddhist” portion is reflected in the Lohan flavor laced movements found throughout the entire form.

This is thrilling to me because according to all records, Grand Ancestor or Tai Zu Quan started in Northern China and found its way down South. Could Master Chong’s Tai Zu be the predecessor of my Tai Zu? A sort of “half-way” version before it evolved to the style that I learned? Aaaaarrrggghhhh another ghost ……

Master Chong was kind enough to do a beginner’s form for the camera and later explained the fighting concepts that distinguish this art form. Simply put, no-nonsense fighting; remove all obstructions and penetrate swiftly, again reminding me of Shaolin Lohan boxing.

He also did a very remarkable “Wanderer’s Staff” form from his Tai Zu.

This Master is so versatile that he went on to describe his Praying Mantis, tiger, dragon, crane and phoenix kung fu.

So when I say Sarawak s full of “hidden dragons”, I am simply stating a fact. I am going to meet this Master for more sessions to “steal” his art hahahaha ….

Kung Fu folks around here are still sticklers to traditions.

Since I requested for a demo, its protocol that I do some Kung Fu first. A case of show me yours before I’ll show you mine.

So in the clip, you got yours truly doing a Whooping Crane form first … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4cRgutBbjI
And I thought I could get away with just watching!

Warmest Regards.

Eric

[Hendrik]

Hi everybody,

Firehawk4, don’t know enough to say what’s strange or not...

This I do know; a Kung Fu friend here is getting me in touch with this group in Malaysia:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXtXdVPwQp8

Warmest Regards.

Eric

Eric,

The clip looks like HK WCK lineage....


Best Regards
Hendrik

[Firehawk4]

Is Master Chongs Southern Mantis and Phoenix Kung Fu Related to the style called Chuka Shaolin Phoenix Eye Fist ?

[Eric Ling]

Hi everybody,

Firehawk4, apparently not.

Got to be careful with this; the one thing I’ve learned these last couple of years working with all the Hakka Masters around here is that “Chu” is a very widespread Hakka name.

So if you are in Sarawak and your family name is Chu, Chong, Bong, Ching or even Fong, chances are you’re Hakka or Kek (in dialect).

So if your style has got a “ChuGar” in front, it does not necessarily imply identicalness with other “ChuGar” kung fu; you got to look for verification besides the names.

According to Master Chong, his animal style is Hakka in origin but leaning towards “Daoist” philosophy.

His “crane” looks very recognizable to me though; the returning “flapping” palms is found in almost all Fuzhou cranes. We do it in the “whipping” staccato manner; his is more “fluid”.

Got a clip here showing Master Chong doing a portion of his 5 Animals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeepwEK7yDE

The second portion of the clip is really interesting. Something that is not regularly done these days; training with heavy weapons.

And folks, I mean HEAVY.

The “kwan dao” you see Sifu Yokar Tan handles weigh a solid 28 kg.

I was having problem lifting and walking around with that thing much less do a form.

I was told that they have a competition coming up in March using heavy weapons. Some weighs as much as 40 kg….

I tell you that I will definitely be there, in the audience, enjoying my Carlsberg.

I am absolutely going no where near these monster weapons.

No way Jose!

I will stick to my light & handy “butterfly knives”….

Warmest Regards.

Eric
.