similarities
Omarthefish, that's a nice, succinct comparison of three styles.
I have often pondered whether some Fukien styles should be classified as southern systems distinct from Cantonese styles. With so much mutual influence among southern styles it is difficult to separate their histories and features. I have seen southern lion that superficially resembles southern mantis and Fukien white crane, which may resemble some styles of small frame hung ga which...
Similarly, some styles of Fut Ga are hard to distinguish from Hung Ga or CLF or generic Siu Lam.
Tibetan White Crane, Hop Ga and Lama represent a migration of western styles into Gwangdung and can be lumped together as a separate branch of southern gung fu. But they picked up the nomenclature of Cantonese Siu Lam styles from their founders' experience with those systems, and the blending continues. Many of TWC headmaster Ng Siu Jung's students had been Hung Ga or CLF practitioners before getting into the Tibetan style. It is pretty well accepted that Wong Yan Lum's lama style had a huge impact on some teachers of other systems because of his personal accomplishments. Despite differences in theoretical approaches between the styles, I know of several Tibetan stylists who teach and/or train in a branch of lama and CLF simultaneously, considering them to be "sister styles." As a student in the '70s I heard about a supposed rivalry in Hong Kong between Hung Ga and Wing Chun as allied parties and CLF and TWC as the opposing family. Perhaps this was not widespread, but only involved certain schools. It serves to show that alliances are sometimes based upon recognized features in common and not upon lineage.
It seems to me that, in comparing superficial features, southern styles can be grouped into four or five types (of course, grouping is an intellectual exercise and has little to do with anyone's "reality). I'm not sure the same could be said about the huge variety of systems from the rest of China.
Be well.
jd
"Look, I'm only doing me job. I have to show you how to defend yourself against fresh fruit."
For it breeds great perfection, if the practise be harder then the use. Sir Francis Bacon
the world has a surplus of self centered sh1twh0res, so anyone who extends compassion to a stranger with sincerity is alright in my book. also people who fondle road kill. those guys is ok too. GunnedDownAtrocity