Question for Wah Lum people

[Tainan Mantis]

Lee Kwan Shan studied the Muslim Tan Tui style. So when he taught WLPM it included the famous 10 sets of that style.
The students were also taught the well known form gong li chuen.

The WLPM style consists of 12 forms. The most important 3 being Wang Lang's creations; Beng bu, lan jie and 8 elbows.

[18elders]

wahlum forms-
wah lum has 18 elbows but it is to me a southern form, not mantis
As far as lan jie, never seen it in wah lum

where are the famous 10 sets of the tam tui?
John has taught me, but never saw them in wah lum

[Joe Mantis]

So basically WLPM is really more of a Southern System than Northern?

[vixie]

This is the full name of the system that Master Chan was strong enough and kind enough to bring to the US and share with literally hundreds upon hundreds of people at a time when it was frowned upon for Chinese to teach Americans kung fu. No matter what happens in the future, I would not be where I am in my studies if it were not for the people who have passed the art of Wah Lum on to me...and, again, I am so very grateful.

Vixie

[Fen]

The sets that my stundent (That was with Sifu Chan Poi in the early 80s) look like northern sets to me. Tam Tui Or Tan Tui that he did look closce to the one I teach (10 Line Set)!

[NorthernMantis]

So basically WLPM is really more of a Southern System than Northern?

Could have fooled me with all the kicks.With most of the forms like 2nd form and little mantis sending me down the road I don't think it's southern.Oh yeah don't forget about 7 kicks.

[Joe Mantis]

Is the Tam Tui system and the 10 or 12 routine taught in the curriculum. It seems that 18 Elders implied that it was not?
Does anyone have information on Tam tui forms. I suppose those are taught after the basic 10 or 12 routines?
Is this included in WLPM?

[9dragonshijin]

18Elders is outta gas

[7kicks]

The Tam Tui you will see in Wah Lum are in the forms such AS 7 KICKS , 2nd form and so on. You will notice that there is a southern influence in the Wah Lum system due to the Mok Gar which was the original family system, which I think compliments it and makes it a very well rounded system and gives us a bit of an edge with the southern exposure we get.

Grandmaster studied under Lee Kwan Shan form 1944 to 1948. He continued to study under his Si Hings until he mastered the system.

[vixie]

7Kicks!
Thank you so much for clarifying!!!
Vixie

[Tainan Mantis]

18 Elders,
The 8 elbows I mentioned is not the same form as the 18 elbows which is better known among WLPM players. The tan tui is almost the same as what we learned in Taiwan.
I also haven't seen WLPM lan jie (would like to) but others have seen Master Chan perform it when he first came to the states.

7kicks,
The tan tui I mentioned is called SHR LU TAN TUI or 10 roads of tan tui. They are 10 simple 2 man sets much easier than the form 7 kicks, which has kicks from the tan tui style.

According to historical documents this style called tan tui comes from a temple of the same name. As these sets are so well known there have been many books written about them in China, HK, Taiwan and the west.

Lost Disciple,
I believe Master Chan used to teach this before he moved to Boston. I don't know if he taught it since then.

I recall that he didn't start teaching taiji until he moved to Orlando(I was told), so I guess he teaches different aspects of what he has learned at different points in his life.

[Joe Mantis]

Tainan,

Thanks for the insights. Appreciate much you sharing your knowledge.

[Olethros]

What I have heard is that WLPM is a Northern style at a Southern School, hence the use of cantonese in many places.

[Joe Mantis]

So, how many of the forms taught at the WLPM school are actually made up by Chan Poi. And which ones are they? I heard that he made up the 1st form. And I've heard that he made up 1-6. Which is correct?

Is there any exercises taught that help one learn the applications of such techniques?

[NorthernMantis]

You misunderstand wah lum forms 1-6 were the original forms made by Lee Kwan Shan.There are other original forms though like the tornado broadswords,our trademark weapons, more tam tui drills,I think, and spear forms.

Another thing sigun didn't only train with Chan Wan Ching after Lee Kwan Shan's death.There were other si hings as well,Chan Wa.

A cool little bit of history I found out a while back for us wah lumers ---->

I'm sure we've all seen secret of the warriors power where Lee Kwan Shan used the dim mak on the challenger right?Well there's a good connection with that and Chan Wan Ching.

Lee Kwan Shan had traveled a lot before settling down and he even went into Vietnam.After getting into some trouble there (another story) he came back to China to the province where si gung lived which is some where in the south.During there he started teaching some students and opened up a school.Tensions started building bacsically because he was a northen practitioner and they felt he was on the other martial artists territory.

Lee Kwan Shan was good friends with a Yang Taiji stylist,if I remeber correctly ,and even though they were good friends there was still some tension between them sometimes.The Yang stylist always tried to test lee Kwan Shan's kung fu but Lee Kwan Shan always refused.Frustrated ,I don't think I remeber his name was mentioned,the Yang stylist invited Lee Kwan Shan to a feast or party.Anyway it was something similar and during the feast the Yang stylist tried to make Lee Kwan Shan drink but was refused.The more refused the more Lee Kwan Shan got angry.I'm guessing since tam tui was his fmaily style he might have been Muslim and alchohol is not permitted in the religion of Islam,it's only a guess.Finally the Yang stylist must have done something abrupt or violent causing Lee Kwan Shan to react by twisting and striking the Yang stylist spine from behind.The result was that the agressor was disabled and could no longer walk.Lee Kwan Shan told his ex-friend to leave town with his school.Master Chan was rith there when it happened and he was a really young boy.

However before the Yang stylist left with his school, his family begged Lee Kwan Shan to take his younger brother as a disciple and be taugh at his school.That disciple was Mr. Chan Wan Ching, si gung's older kung fu brother.What a mind blower huh?

The End