What's with the "new" Yin Shou Gun?

[Damien]

Hey all,

Has anyone else seen this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9kT3RXLbso

Apparently a "new" version of Yin Shou Gun. This is part of the official video series for the Duan Pin syllabus. Something horribly mislabelled? An attempt to impose their will on the world and show who the true and sanctioned shaolin practitioners are by replacing possibly the most famous Shaolin form?

You've got to think that if it was a mislabelling someone would have spotted that, and if it is, why isn't the actual Yin Shou Gun in the syllabus anywhere (there's a whole series of videos on the included forms).

Overall the form selections in the Duan Pin syllabus seem very strange to me. Neither a concentration of one style in an attempt to make a more coherent system, nor a spread of some of the most well recognised Shaolin sub styles.

What are your thoughts?

[GeneChing]

There's some discussion of yinshougun variations in our Yin-shou-gun thread.

[Damien]

This isn't a variation on Yin Shou Gun though, this is a completely different form. The sequence is completely different, longer and contains different moves. It's not a matter of interpretation, shen fa etc.

The only sensible thing I can think of would be another road that I've not seen before, but again that would be an odd decision...

[GeneChing]

My point was just that there are variations. Why they went with this version instead of what most of us are practicing is beyond me.

I think it's mostly about toeing the line, ya know? Get everyone with the program...

[bawang]

yin shou gun just means palms down grip, so it is not a descriptor of a particular staff style.

[GeneChing]

yin shou gun just means palms down grip, so it is not a descriptor of a particular staff style.

Technically true however within the Songshan Shaolin curriculum, it has referred to a specific form. Now it refers to two specific forms there.

[bawang]

Technically true however within the Songshan Shaolin curriculum, it has referred to a specific form. Now it refers to two specific forms there.

The Songshan syllabus has always been opaque though. Most forms trace back only to Liang Yiquan and theres no info about lineage trees beyond him.

[GeneChing]

I differ about Liang Yiquan. He was clearly influential on defining the modern Shaolin curriculum (perhaps until these new duanpin variations) but you can't discount Liu Baoshan, Wu Gulun, or Jiao Hongbo. Personally I believe Jiao had the biggest influence because he set up what was being disseminated to foreigners back in the 90s.

[bawang]

I differ about Liang Yiquan. He was clearly influential on defining the modern Shaolin curriculum (perhaps until these new duanpin variations) but you can't discount Liu Baoshan, Wu Gulun, or Jiao Hongbo. Personally I believe Jiao had the biggest influence because he set up what was being disseminated to foreigners back in the 90s.

That is logical and makes sense and I concede to that. Although main point was that due to the opacity, it is hard to conduct in depth technical and historical analysis of shaolin forms, such as yin shou gun #2. Have you ever conversed with the abbott about this topic? What is his opinion on developing the non-performance aspects of Henan shaolin?

[GeneChing]

I got an exclusive interview during Abbot-Shi-Yongxin-s-2023-West-Coast-visit-amp-Shaolin-Kung-Fu-Games. I just need to transcribe it all (transcription programs are horrid if there's Chinese involved). It'll be published in a month or so. We did discuss the duanpin but not the new Xiaohongquan specifically. I regret not asking about that now. We only had a limited time and we were racing through other topics. Didn't broach non-perfomance Shaolin Kung Fu either, but I feel he's been making a lot of headway there.

[mickey]

Greetings,

Since this thread's inception, I often wondered if there was a connection between this pole form and the Black Tiger pole form. With a little looking, I got my answer. This is a "wushu" version of a Black Tiger pole form (allegedly):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q65e_9qqj9Y


mickey

[Li Tang]

My point was just that there are variations. Why they went with this version instead of what most of us are practicing is beyond me.

I think it's mostly about toeing the line, ya know? Get everyone with the program...

All the new duanpin makes no sence at all for me.