Posts Tagged ‘Kung Fu’

Tang Soo Do

September 4th, 2009

Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, pronounced [taŋsudo]) is a Korean martial art promoted by Hwang Kee that has roots in various styles of martial arts, including Shotokan karate, taekkyeon, and in some schools Shaolin kung fu.[1]
Prior to the unification of the initial schools (or kwans) of Tang Soo Do in Korea under the Korea Taekwondo Association, the arts were known as Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, or Kwon Bup. The first recorded use of the term “Tang Soo Do” was by Chung Do Kwan founder, Won Kuk Lee. The Chung Do Kwan, along with the rest of the kwans, stopped using the various names when they unified under the name Taekwondo (and temporarily Tae Soo Do).
The Moo Duk Kwan, being loyal to Hwang Kee, pulled out of the kwan unification and remained independent of this unification movement, continuing to use the name ‘Tang Soo Do’. Some Moo Duk Kwan members followed Hwang’s senior student, Chong Soo Hong, to become members of a unified Taekwondo. Their group still exists today and is known as Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan (Moo Duk Hae) with an office in Seoul, Korea.
The late Hwang Kee officially changed the name of the art of the Moo Duk Kwan style to Soo Bahk Do as early as 1957, shortly after his discovery of Korea’s indigenous open hand fighting style of Subak. This change was officially registered, and the Moo Duk Kwan refiled with the Korean Ministry of Education on June 30, 1960. The organization was officially reincorporated as the “Korean Soo Bahk Do Association, Moo Duk Kwan.”

Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, pronounced [taŋsudo]) is a Korean martial art promoted by Hwang Kee that has roots in various styles of martial arts, including Shotokan karate, taekkyeon, and in some schools Shaolin kung fu.

Prior to the unification of the initial schools (or kwans) of Tang Soo Do in Korea under the Korea Taekwondo Association, the arts were known as Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, or Kwon Bup. The first recorded use of the term “Tang Soo Do” was by Chung Do Kwan founder, Won Kuk Lee. The Chung Do Kwan, along with the rest of the kwans, stopped using the various names when they unified under the name Taekwondo (and temporarily Tae Soo Do).

The Moo Duk Kwan, being loyal to Hwang Kee, pulled out of the kwan unification and remained independent of this unification movement, continuing to use the name ‘Tang Soo Do’. Some Moo Duk Kwan members followed Hwang’s senior student, Chong Soo Hong, to become members of a unified Taekwondo. Their group still exists today and is known as Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan (Moo Duk Hae) with an office in Seoul, Korea.

The late Hwang Kee officially changed the name of the art of the Moo Duk Kwan style to Soo Bahk Do as early as 1957, shortly after his discovery of Korea’s indigenous open hand fighting style of Subak. This change was officially registered, and the Moo Duk Kwan refiled with the Korean Ministry of Education on June 30, 1960. The organization was officially reincorporated as the “Korean Soo Bahk Do Association, Moo Duk Kwan.”

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Posted in Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do

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Kajukenbo

September 3rd, 2009
By combining techniques from tang soo do, judo, jujitsu, kenpo and kung fu, the kajukenbo stylist can defend himself in many ways. The techniques are arranged so that each technique will set up the next by following the reaction of the attacker’s body. Like most karate systems kajukenbo has katas or forms. These 14 katas are known as “Palama Sets” 1 through 14. Kajukenbo takes a number of it’s self defense techniques from it’s katas.
Although the Palama sets provide the kajukenbo stylist with many good techniques, kajukenbo’s strength lies in it’s self defense techniques. These self defense techniques are arranged and categorized into 15 grab arts, 21 punch counters, 15 knife counters, 13 club counters, 9 two and three man attack counters, and 26 advanced alphabet.
Kajukenbo was synthesized in the Palomas settlements of Hawaii during the years 1949-1952. Five practitioners of their respective martial arts developed Kajukenbo to complement each others styles to allow effective fighting at all ranges and speeds. Today kajukenbo is practiced all over the world. The principal organization for kajukenbo is the “Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute of Hawaii, Inc.” based in San Diego, California. techniques.

By combining techniques from tang soo do, judo, jujitsu, kenpo and kung fu, the kajukenbo stylist can defend himself in many ways. The techniques are arranged so that each technique will set up the next by following the reaction of the attacker’s body. Like most karate systems kajukenbo has katas or forms. These 14 katas are known as “Palama Sets” 1 through 14. Kajukenbo takes a number of it’s self defense techniques from it’s katas.

Although the Palama sets provide the kajukenbo stylist with many good techniques, kajukenbo’s strength lies in it’s self defense techniques. These self defense techniques are arranged and categorized into 15 grab arts, 21 punch counters, 15 knife counters, 13 club counters, 9 two and three man attack counters, and 26 advanced alphabet.

Kajukenbo was synthesized in the Palomas settlements of Hawaii during the years 1949-1952. Five practitioners of their respective martial arts developed Kajukenbo to complement each others styles to allow effective fighting at all ranges and speeds. Today kajukenbo is practiced all over the world. The principal organization for kajukenbo is the “Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute of Hawaii, Inc.” based in San Diego, California. techniques.

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Posted in Judo, Jujitsu, Karate, Kung Fu

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Hung Gar Kung Fu

September 3rd, 2009
Hung Gar Kung Fu incorporates both external and internal methods. It emphasizes strong stances, long and short hand techniques which encompasses straight, circular, and angular movements. The intent is to develop efficiency of movement, as well as coordination. This results in superior inside maneuvers, none more evident than the variation of kicks, mostly executed below the waist.Although the execution of movement appears to be hard, this system, in fact, incorporates both hard and soft techniques in a multitude of directions. The execution of advanced techniques are complex. Research has determined that Hung Gar possesses more intricate hand techniques and stance maneuvers than any other traditional system from China.
Its origin is from the “fighting monks” of the first Shaolin (Siu Lum) Temple in Honan (Henan) province.
The Shaolin system derived from Chuan Buddhism, a hybrid of Dhyama Buddhism and Taoism.As early as 500 AD, Da Mo, a Dhyama patriach from India, taught breathing exercises (qigong) to the monks.
This helped them improve their physical health so they could endure longer periods of meditation. The breathing exercises evolved into a fluid self defense system that was much softer in execution of movement than what developed later.
It included techniques, mimicking five animals – tiger, white crane, dragon, snake and leopard. These were developed, in an effort to protect the Honan temple.

Hung Gar Kung Fu incorporates both external and internal methods. It emphasizes strong stances, long and short hand techniques which encompasses straight, circular, and angular movements. The intent is to develop efficiency of movement, as well as coordination. This results in superior inside maneuvers, none more evident than the variation of kicks, mostly executed below the waist.Although the execution of movement appears to be hard, this system, in fact, incorporates both hard and soft techniques in a multitude of directions. The execution of advanced techniques are complex. Research has determined that Hung Gar possesses more intricate hand techniques and stance maneuvers than any other traditional system from China.

Its origin is from the “fighting monks” of the first Shaolin (Siu Lum) Temple in Honan (Henan) province.

The Shaolin system derived from Chuan Buddhism, a hybrid of Dhyama Buddhism and Taoism.As early as 500 AD, Da Mo, a Dhyama patriach from India, taught breathing exercises (qigong) to the monks.

This helped them improve their physical health so they could endure longer periods of meditation. The breathing exercises evolved into a fluid self defense system that was much softer in execution of movement than what developed later.

It included techniques, mimicking five animals – tiger, white crane, dragon, snake and leopard. These were developed, in an effort to protect the Honan temple.

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Praying Mantis

September 3rd, 2009

Praying Mantis Kung Fu uses guards, strikes, and footwork that look similar to the way a praying mantis attacks its prey or any unwelcome visitors. There are two completely different versions of Praying Mantis Kung Fu : Northern and Southern.

Northern style is characterized by fast hand movements. The hook hands are found in all the northern sub-styles. Northern Tang Lang Chuen’s main weapon is the blinding speed of the hand trying to control and punch the opponent.
It has a balanced combination of circular and straight movements.
There are simultaneous block and punch and strong chopping punches. Grappling, kicking, nerve-attack and weapons complete the northern branch.
In Southern Praying Mantis, Movements are continuous and circular, soft and hard, except in attack, where the middle knuckle (phoenix eye) of the index finger is used like a needle to pierce the internal organs.
History of Praying Mantis
About 350 to 400 years ago, in eastern Shantung Province of China, a monk named Wong Long went beyond his Shaolin Kung Fu teachings to create a fighting system that has passed the test of time and is second-to-none. Praying Mantis Kung Fu has been inspired by a fight between a cicada and a praying mantis. The mantis, with its, motionless stance, waited patiently for its prey to move within striking range. Suddenly, the scissors-like action of the mantis’s front claws snared the attacking cicada immobilizing the larger insect before the mantis devoured it. Fortunately for the thousands of martial artists to follow him, Wong Long returned home and observed the emerald green mantis’ techniques as it fought various insects. In this way Wong Long replicated and adapted the creature’s style into one of the most devastating martial arts known to man.

Praying Mantis Kung Fu uses guards, strikes, and footwork that look similar to the way a praying mantis attacks its prey or any unwelcome visitors. There are two completely different versions of Praying Mantis Kung Fu : Northern and Southern.

Northern style is characterized by fast hand movements. The hook hands are found in all the northern sub-styles. Northern Tang Lang Chuen’s main weapon is the blinding speed of the hand trying to control and punch the opponent.

It has a balanced combination of circular and straight movements.

There are simultaneous block and punch and strong chopping punches. Grappling, kicking, nerve-attack and weapons complete the northern branch.

In Southern Praying Mantis, Movements are continuous and circular, soft and hard, except in attack, where the middle knuckle (phoenix eye) of the index finger is used like a needle to pierce the internal organs.

History of Praying Mantis

About 350 to 400 years ago, in eastern Shantung Province of China, a monk named Wong Long went beyond his Shaolin Kung Fu teachings to create a fighting system that has passed the test of time and is second-to-none. Praying Mantis Kung Fu has been inspired by a fight between a cicada and a praying mantis. The mantis, with its, motionless stance, waited patiently for its prey to move within striking range. Suddenly, the scissors-like action of the mantis’s front claws snared the attacking cicada immobilizing the larger insect before the mantis devoured it. Fortunately for the thousands of martial artists to follow him, Wong Long returned home and observed the emerald green mantis’ techniques as it fought various insects. In this way Wong Long replicated and adapted the creature’s style into one of the most devastating martial arts known to man.

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Wing Chun Kung Fu

September 3rd, 2009

Wing Chun is a style based on human biomechanics rather than animal movements, using primarily straight line, fast, direct strikes and sophisticated simultanous blocking and striking techniques, redirecting the force of an opponent rather than attempting to meet such possibly greater force directly.

The origin of Wing Chun can be found in the turbulent, repressive Ching Dynasty which flourished over 270 years ago. It was a time when 90 percent of the Chinese people, the Hons, were ruled by the 10 percent minority, the Manchus. When all weapons were outlawed by the Manchus, the Hans began training a revolutionary army in the art of kung fu

The Sil Lum temple became the secret sanctuary for preparatory trainings of a classical style which took between 15 to 20 years for each person to master.

To develop a new form, one which would have shorter training time, five of China’s grandmasters met to discuss the merits of each of the various forms of Kung Fu. By choosing the most efficient techniques from each style, they developed training programs that would develop an efficient martial artist in 5 to 7 years, one third the original time. However before this new form could be put into practice, the Shil Lim Temple was raided and burned by the Manchus.

Ng Mui, a nun, was the only survivor of the original five grandmasters. She passed her knowledge onto a young orphan girl whom she named Wing Chun. The name represented “hope for the future”.

In turn Wing Chun passed her knowledge on to her husband. Through the years the style became known as Wing Chun. Its techniques and teachings were passed onto a few, always carefully selected students. In 1950 Yip Man started to teach Wing Chun in Hong Kong. One of his first students was the new Grandmaster, William Cheung, head of the World Wing Chun Kung Fu Association.

Wing Chun is a style based on human biomechanics rather than animal movements, using primarily straight line, fast, direct strikes and sophisticated simultanous blocking and striking techniques, redirecting the force of an opponent rather than attempting to meet such possibly greater force directly.
The origin of Wing Chun can be found in the turbulent, repressive Ching Dynasty which flourished over 270 years ago. It was a time when 90 percent of the Chinese people, the Hons, were ruled by the 10 percent minority, the Manchus. When all weapons were outlawed by the Manchus, the Hans began training a revolutionary army in the art of kung fu
The Sil Lum temple became the secret sanctuary for preparatory trainings of a classical style which took between 15 to 20 years for each person to master.
To develop a new form, one which would have shorter training time, five of China’s grandmasters met to discuss the merits of each of the various forms of Kung Fu. By choosing the most efficient techniques from each style, they developed training programs that would develop an efficient martial artist in 5 to 7 years, one third the original time. However before this new form could be put into practice, the Shil Lim Temple was raided and burned by the Manchus.
Ng Mui, a nun, was the only survivor of the original five grandmasters. She passed her knowledge onto a young orphan girl whom she named Wing Chun. The name represented “hope for the future”.
In turn Wing Chun passed her knowledge on to her husband. Through the years the style became known as Wing Chun. Its techniques and teachings were passed onto a few, always carefully selected students. In 1950 Yip Man started to teach Wing Chun in Hong Kong. One of his first students was the new Grandmaster, William Cheung, head of the World Wing Chun Kung Fu Association.

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