CKF Application Clips.

[Eric Ling]

“which is the oldest version of sam jien kuen you are aware of? is there any fiitage that can be seen on youtube? I have seen five ancestors version, several white crane versions, of course the okinawan versions. I believe you had mentioned taizhu?”

Hi Ten,

Which is the oldest? Like I said before, if I consider historical chronology, I would say Taizhu.

Is this a Taizhu invention; no I think the root stretches all the way back into Shaolin Lohan boxing philosophy. I know I am not alone in this opinion. I interact with many CMA scholars and this view is actually shared.

Variety of Sanchins that are commonly talked about:-

1. Yong Chun White Crane – You can find this in Martin Watts’ site.
2. Shaking Crane – Their site carries pictures of this version.
3. Feeding Crane – Sifu Liu Chang I’s tape features 2 forms and one of them is Sanchin.

Wuzhu (GM Kan Teck Guan’s line) does 3 separate Sanchin forms:-

1. 7 Steps Sanchin
2. Heaven, Earth and Man Sanchin – I will be posting a short excerpt.
3. Character 10 Sanchin – This form was posted by me earlier.

Wuzhu from other lines like GM Chua Geok Beng and GM Chee Kim Tong also do their own versions of Sanchins.

There is one version that I saw in West Malaysia many years ago that is really fascinating. This is from, yet, another Wuzhu line and this version is called “White Crane Sanchin”.

Exciting for me because it bears very strong resemblance to one version that I do in Fuzhou Crane.

TaiZhu does 3 sets of Sanchins also known respectively as Heaven, Earth and Man. I will post a short clip of the beginning movements of these.

Now if you look at Fuzhou Cranes; Ancestral and Whooping Crane, you will again find assorted versions.

One in particular should be the focus of karate researchers; the “Tiger Crane Sanchin” done in old Whooping Crane.

Almost mirror image.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am in the midst of organizing all my materials, prints and videos to go on-line. This should be ready in the next couple of weeks I hope and there I will present as much info as possible regarding this subject matter.

Okay 1 short clip and the mock-up of the on-line library site that I am presently working on.


Clip : Me teaching the beginning sequences of TaiZhu Sanchin.

Pic : My soon-to-be launched online MA library. This is a mock-up skin of the entry page.

Regards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg9hiiyI4Xk

[TenTigers]

Facinating-yours looks extremely similar to the opening of sam bo gin-but with closed hands, the sup ji saam jien looks like lung ying/bak mei.
the deeper you get, the more exciting it becomes.
I can't express how grateful I am that you are putting this info out there. I know I am not alone in this respect.

[Eric Ling]

Hi everybody,

Got 2 short excerpts here:-

1. Wuzhu “Tien Ti Ren Zhan” or “Heaven Earth Man Sanchiem”. Like this because it sort of reminds me of my MingHe Sanjin. Here you see “3 Angles” or “triangular” stance as opposed to the “hourglass” stance normally seen in other Sanchiems. The hand sequences also bring my “5 elements” concept to mind.

2. Hakka Tiger Sam Bo Jin. This is really an intriguing form as far as I am concerned. Got it from GM Liu Kao Chye here in Sarawak Typical Hakka expressions in delivery but strangely the form also evokes impressions of another Southern Fukien/Fuzhou style; Lion Boxing.

Ten, the Sanchiem trail is, in reality, a very long and meandering one.

Besides those that we spoke about so far, records exist to suggest that many other Fukien/Fuzhou styles also integrate Sanchiems in their training.

There is one style that you normally don’t hear much about and that’s “Fong Yang” or “Phoenix Sun”. This was taught in Singapore and Malaysia and I think it was also exported to the UK some years back.

Fong Yang, according to its Late GM Tan Siew Cheng, is also known as “Beggar’s Art”. Itinerant folks (not Hakka) who gathered skills every place they visited.

Fong Yang is another Sanchiem-centered style.

Then we also got “Ngo Mei Pai”. Ngo Mei is the nun who escaped the burning in Southern Fukien that you generally read about.

This style is really into “iron shirt” Sanchiem.

Both these 2 styles had very strong following in Singapore when I was growing up there.

One of the things I hope to attain in my website is to feature them by visiting and interviewing descendents before they disappear into further oblivion.

With any luck (and a lot of diplomacy I suppose) I’ll get them to do some of their forms and techniques.

Regards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp9Yk89m7ns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbcFu0qn8qY

ps. if the good weather holds (this place is smothered by haze these last few days), I will shoot my Ancestral Crane's SanZhan for you.....

[mantis108]

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for sharing these treasures with us all. The amount of material you have is beyond impressive.

I have to say that your Taizu San Zhan is most remarkable. You know sometimes you'd have a "click" the light bulb is on movement. This is one of those when viewing your Taizu San Zhan. I often wonder about the logic of Wing Chun's Sui lim Tou. Why of all things, it is the most fundamental building blocks to the system in particular the Yee Gee Kum Yeung Ma. BTW, does this San Zhan has 7 steps - 3 forward, 3 backward and one forward once more?

As for the Hakka Tiger, I have mentioned my thoughts to you in previous emails. I can see it's relation to my particular version of Jik Bo.

BTW, I don't want to be bother but then I really couldn't open those files except for the Hakka Tiger that you sent as an attachment. So I can't comment on them. I am so looking forward for them.

Anyways, I really really appreciate the generous sharing. I wish we could meet in person since so much information can be share much rapidly that way. That are so much for me to learn.

Warm regards

Robert

[Eric Ling]

Hi Robert and all,

Thank you for your kind words.

Wish I had more time to include more but……..

Guess my concentration in on the website that I am working on.

Anyhow, just want to say that “interpretation” is totally fine in my book.

“Interpretation” based on “ignorance” creates a lot of “accidence” – to quote one of my mentors.

You are really sharp with your observations.

Have you heard of a Wing Chun teacher called Randy Williams? Heard someplace that he was one time, the personal bodyguard of Steven Seagal.

Randy wrote a series of books on Wing Chun (very well done) and he was in Singapore about ten years back; started a Wing Chun class there.

This was in a facility known as “Singapore Martial Arts Instructors Association” where my Tai Chor Sifu Teo Choon Teck also had a regular class.

Know for a fact that Randy and Sifu Teo had many exchanges; you know comparing Wing Chun and Tai Chor. And to answer your question; yes, 7 steps in all the Tai Zhu San Chiems.....

I will resend those “Babulien” files to you.

Want you to see the original version before mainland mutated them into a dance.

Take care my friend.

Regards.

Lalalala….. got a appointment to meet a Hakka Praying Mantis Boxer today. Getting my handy little digicam ready……lalalala

[Eric Ling]

Hi everyone,

Continuing the saga of Sanchiems…..

Got my student to do the first portion of my Ancestral Crane’s Sanzhan. The introductory form in Fuzhou Zhong He Quan.

Comparatively “harder” than my Whooping Crane’s Sanjin, this Sanzhan, like I mentioned earlier, looks awfully close to the Wuzhu “White Crane Sanchin” I saw all those years ago in W. Malaysia,

All my students do this form first before proceeding further into the arts.

Some Taiwanese friends also commented that this version is comparable to many Sanzhans they do in Taiwan…hmmmmm….

I am excited about the second clip.

The gentleman in the clip is Edmund Wong from Sibu, a town to the north of Kuching where I am at.

His style is “Southern Shaolin Hakka Praying Mantis”. According to Edmund, this was taught to him by his dad.

Wong senior learned this style from a monk who left China and resettled in Sarawak.

I spent a bit of time “touching hand” with Edmund after the shoot. True enough, this young practitioner is very good with his “Mo Kiu” hands.

Well you know what they say; “You could tell by just one look (touch hand)”…….

Regards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmz3bwTiAxw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DYUiP1tGU4

[Eric Ling]

Hi everybody,

Lazy Sunday afternoon, thought I post one more short excerpt.

“Babulien” or “8 Linked Steps” done by Whooping Crane.

What you see is probably the “oldest” version of this form which is still practiced by the Singapore MingHe group.

This form is also known as the “2nd Sanzhan” by senior Whooping Crane folks and if you look at the form closely, it does follow similar attributes.

“Babulien” is not unique to Whooping Crane. I know for a fact that “Resting Crane”, a certain line of “Flying Crane”, Fuzhou Ancestral Crane and some other Fukien styles also do forms with the same name.

So Robert, if I view White Crane through numerical lenses, I would have a model that looks like this:-

• 3 Zhans (battles) or in some styles 3 Xin or 3 Stars referring to stepping pattern.
• 4 Men or 4 gates which is how most White Crane break down fighting domains.
• 5 Hsing or elements.
• 6 He or 6 combinations . The 3 internal and 3 external elements.
• 7 Xin or 7 stars. The 7 body weapons.
• 8 bu or 8 steps. The 8 ways to link all the above.

Well, like I said, it’s Sunday….time to lay back and break a Carlsberg…..

Regards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cf6WZBKD2w

[Eric Ling]

Good evening folks,

Another White Crane clip…

Just in case you guys don’t visit websites in Chinese, here’s a clip taken off Taiwan Feeding Crane Sifu Liu Chang I's website.

Enjoy.

Regards.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIwtjkz2ldw

[mantis108]

Hi everybody,

Lazy Sunday afternoon, thought I post one more short excerpt.

“Babulien” or “8 Linked Steps” done by Whooping Crane.

Does the Babulien meant to teach Cun Jing Jie Li (inch power section strength)? I am wondering what's the relation of it, if any, to BaFen in some crane line?

What you see is probably the “oldest” version of this form which is still practiced by the Singapore MingHe group.

This form is also known as the “2nd Sanzhan” by senior Whooping Crane folks and if you look at the form closely, it does follow similar attributes.

“Babulien” is not unique to Whooping Crane. I know for a fact that “Resting Crane”, a certain line of “Flying Crane”, Fuzhou Ancestral Crane and some other Fukien styles also do forms with the same name.

Thanks for the info. It's getting more and more interesting.

So Robert, if I view White Crane through numerical lenses, I would have a model that looks like this:-

• 3 Zhans (battles) or in some styles 3 Xin or 3 Stars referring to stepping pattern.
• 4 Men or 4 gates which is how most White Crane break down fighting domains.
• 5 Hsing or elements.
• 6 He or 6 combinations . The 3 internal and 3 external elements.
• 7 Xin or 7 stars. The 7 body weapons.
• 8 bu or 8 steps. The 8 ways to link all the above.

Very nicely stated. It gives a clear progression of the system IMHO too. Interesting enough, in the northern Eagle, there is a form called Babu Lianhuan. It's also about using 8 steps/ways to learn/drill fighting with the form's techniques.

Warm regards

Robert

[Firehawk4]

Can you tell me more about Ngo Mei Pai and its Sam Chien form ? I wonder if Ngo Mei Pai is the same art that is in Vietnam called Nga Mei Phai or Wu Mei Pai that comes from the Nun Ng Mui . Robert

[Eric Ling]

Hi Robert and Firehawk4,

Robert, Ba Fen is done in Yong Chun White Crane. The “chun jin”, to me at least, appears to be close to some Hakka styles PM execution. Besides Martin Watts’ materials, I got some other info on this to send to you.

Babulien, on the other hand, doesn’t include this. And you are right; many systems talk about “8” methods including the Eagle Claws you mentioned.

Heard of another Shaolin set called “5 Animals 8 Methods”? Refreshing because this is supposedly a “Northern” product; long range stretched out postures/execution and yet using the 5 animals as feature.

Firehawk4, I think it’s the same Ngo Mui Pai.

I got some articles on this but they are in Singapore at the moment, sorry.

This is what I remember;

• This style was brought to Singapore by the Late GM Tan Siow Koon, a Fukienese.
• Taught under the banner of “Leng Sai Pugilistic Association”. Leng Sai means Dragon Lion.
• One of NMP students was Anthony Wee, the gentleman behind the “Bushido” magazine published in Singapore. Anthony had his own spin off school known as “Shun Lin”.
• When Mohammed Ali visited Singapore in the 70s, a NMP Sifu was “chopped” at the throat by Ali in a promo event.
• A very “hard” style. Seen some of their stuff and they are all into “throat tightening” every time they execute a technique. Personally they look a little White Crane, a harder version maybe.

I will post more when I lay hand on those magazines and I think I still have some video footage of their performances somewhere…..

Got one more excerpt for you guys; a Hakka style Kung Fu from Hong Kong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVRxjeyg8e4

Regards.

[Eric Ling]

"Ba Fen Chun Jin" taken (stolen) from Martin (mad Englishman) Watts' website.

Seriously, I think Martin is doing a super job in promoting his style of White Crane.

Regards.

ps. Martin, if you're reading this, Skype me and tell me how pi$$ed your are...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4clsIv4sD0k

[Shaolin Master]

The HK hakka style is Baimei (or ykm) dishaquan (白眉地煞拳).

[Lau]

Ls, I think the practitioner is from Yau Kung Moon
Best Regards Lau

[Eric Ling]

Hi Shaolin Master, Lau and everybody,

Not certain whether it’s ditsa or not – quite a common name for forms.

Got the syllabus of GM Kan’s Wuzhu Quan linked and #19 is their “ditsa”.

Read in the other thread that there’s Jow Ga or Chou Jia practitioner on board.

Well my wife did a few years of Jow Jia in Singapore and her Sifu, Fong Fook Wah, is a good personal friend of mine.

Did visit her school and watch their training and got to tell you I really like what I saw.

Love the way they blend Hungga, Choyga and Bak Siu Lam…

Got a clip here extracted from their promo trailer used during the “1st International Jow Jia Wushu Conference” held in 1999 in Singapore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XafrOJGwlo

Regards.