Where are all the Complete Monkey Style systems?

[B.Tunks]

Anyway, on a more serious note Gino kicked it off with some very interesting questions about Monkey styles and this is where it got to. My own interest is due to having trained monkey boxing, mantis boxing (with the obvious monkey/ape aspects), studied Chinese history and zoology. Couldn't help myself. Gino kept reinforcing the big tailless primate angle and therefore I had to point out the obvious. In all honesty, looks to me as if its if it's a modern creation from outside China. As a keen researcher I'm sure you are not far off the same conclusion.

BT

[mooyingmantis]

Anyway, on a more serious note Gino kicked it off with some very interesting questions about Monkey styles and this is where it got to. My own interest is due to having trained monkey boxing, mantis boxing (with the obvious monkey/ape aspects), studied Chinese history and zoology. Couldn't help myself. Gino kept reinforcing the big tailless primate angle and therefore I had to point out the obvious. In all honesty, looks to me as if its if it's a modern creation from outside China. As a keen researcher I'm sure you are not far off the same conclusion.

BT

As I said previously:

To set the record straight:

2. The style was originally a marriage of Northern Shaolin basics, Di Tang ground fighting and Monkey Boxing.
3. It was passed to me as Monkey Boxing (Houquan)...

This is what I was told, that is what I know.

If you focus on the first few seconds of the form, that is only designed to get the attention of those watching, you are really missing the point. The meat and potatoes come afterwards. 'Nuff said!

[Fa Xing]

Oh, i could care less about the fancy stuff, but I would like to see it in action against resisting partners (ie a little sparring ).

And I am recovered forms junkie myself, 7 years clean with only a minor step back here and there lol.

[mooyingmantis]

Oh, i could care less about the fancy stuff, but I would like to see it in action against resisting partners (ie a little sparring ).

And I am recovered forms junkie myself, 7 years clean with only a minor step back here and there lol.

Agreed! If it doesn't work in combat, it may as well be ballet. Combat has ALWAYS been my emphasis in CMA.

[ginosifu]

Anyway, on a more serious note Gino kicked it off with some very interesting questions about Monkey styles and this is where it got to. My own interest is due to having trained monkey boxing, mantis boxing (with the obvious monkey/ape aspects), studied Chinese history and zoology. Couldn't help myself. Gino kept reinforcing the big tailless primate angle and therefore I had to point out the obvious. In all honesty, looks to me as if its if it's a modern creation from outside China. As a keen researcher I'm sure you are not far off the same conclusion.

BT

I have studied Northern Shaolin (Gu Ru Zhang lineage) for over 20 years. The founder of the our Monkey style, no doubt had an in depth knowledge of Northern Shaolin. In the forms, if you can look past some of the simian or monkey gestures, you will see the Shaolin influence, however the theory and strategy is Monkey oriented.

Maybe I should have not put the Chimp and Gorilla reference with the Tail less part. It was just to separate our Monkey from all other Monkeys styles that may have tails.

The founder was from a northern province (Shanxi) and if I had to guess it would be Gibbons that people were emulating up there. However, there is no relationship to Tong Bei or White Ape boxing in our system. I am not sure why everyone thinks that all Gibbon boxing is either Tong Bei or White Ape though?

ginosifu

[B.Tunks]

All cool. Very interested in this stuff, though it's usually not a sensible use of time. Fascinated (but not obsessed) by origins/development and spend a fair bit of time digging through my own material to find sources - generally not what they are publicly presented as. Even recent history is very murky...

T

[mooyingmantis]

All cool. Very interested in this stuff, though it's usually not a sensible use of time. Fascinated (but not obsessed) by origins/development and spend a fair bit of time digging through my own material to find sources - generally not what they are publicly presented as. Even recent history is very murky...

T

Brendan,
Agree on all points!

And that is why I never put much stock on anyone's lineage. Almost every lineage that I have researched in both Japanese and Chinese arts eventually came down to folktales and speculation.

I present our Monkey lineage as legend. Learn from the moral story behind the legend and don't sweat the details.

As for me, I prefer knowing what the guy standing across from me can do, his ancestors won't be hitting me.

[B.Tunks]

When it comes down to fighting, yes lineage means nothing. However, when it comes to passing on a valuable tradition, I think it has its place.

[Fa Xing]

As for me, I prefer knowing what the guy standing across from me can do, his ancestors won't be hitting me.

That is one of the smartest things I have read on here!

[phoenixdog]

I plan to post the complete mi tsung i system and lineage to answer some questions about pure monkey kung fu styles. In my view, the monkey "antics" that are so prevalent in some monkey styles were either added for performance effect or to pay respect to the monkey king connection to budda. If you think about the characteristics of monkey style rather than imitation of a monkey, you will see that monkeys stay very, very low to the ground and are very cruel and viscious. Last year, a pet monkey ripped the face and testicles off it's owner. This is how monkeys fight, ripping, tearing, gouging, breaking, smashing. Very fast and agile, very low to the ground. Hsing yi monkey, mi tsung i and di tang {grand earth) have none of the comic, useless antics in most monkey styles because it serves no purpose in combat.

[ginosifu]

I plan to post the complete mi tsung i system and lineage to answer some questions about pure monkey kung fu styles. In my view, the monkey "antics" that are so prevalent in some monkey styles were either added for performance effect or to pay respect to the monkey king connection to budda. If you think about the characteristics of monkey style rather than imitation of a monkey, you will see that monkeys stay very, very low to the ground and are very cruel and viscious. Last year, a pet monkey ripped the face and testicles off it's owner.This is how monkeys fight, ripping, tearing, gouging, breaking, smashing. Very fast and agile, very low to the ground. Hsing yi monkey, mi tsung i and di tang {grand earth) have none of the comic, useless antics in most monkey styles because it serves no purpose in combat.

This is very true. Just in the news recently a chimp ripped the face and hands off of a woman. It was all over the news how she got a new face thru facial reconstructive surgery.

You are very right about fighting Monkey, it should be viscious and should not carry the "Antics". I think we can all say that the Antics were added for audience pleasure. Many kung fu master of old would demonstrate their skills for marketing purposes. Even now we all need to market our stuff so we add things that our target audience will enjoy.

Anyways I am anxious to hear your history and info on Monkey style

Thx

ginosifu