Northern Shaolin kung fu

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In its broadest sense, "Northern Shaolin" (Chinese: 北少林; Pinyin: běishàolín, Cantonese: Bak Sil Lum) refers to the external (as opposed to internal) martial arts of Northern China referring to those styles from the Northern Shaolin Monastery in Henan. At its most specific, "Northern Shaolin" refers to the style disseminated by Gu Ruzhang ( Cantonese Ku Yu Cheung).

Characteristics

The Northern Shaolin style of kung fu is one of the most prominent traditional northern styles of Chinese martial arts. The northern styles of kung-fu generally emphasize long range techniques, quick advances and retreats, wide stances, kicking and leaping techniques, whirling circular blocks, quickness, agility, and aggressive attacks.

The system teaches empty-hand techniques and weaponry through predetermined combinations, known as forms, routines, or movement of sets. The students learn the basics by practicing the routines until the movements in the routines can be executed naturally based on instinct. Then, two or multiple man sets are practiced to train responses and applications of techniques learned from the sets. The practice sets/routines are not only practical in applications but are also graceful and artistic in nature. The fluidness of the movements combined with acrobatic techniques are trademarks of the Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu sets.

The Northern Shaolin style of Kung-Fu was made famous by the late Ku Yu Cheung. There are many legends of Ku; according to tales related by his close students, Ku's father was an accomplished exponent of the Tan Tui (Snapping Kicks) Kung-Fu form. When he was young, Ku traveled throughout Northern China to learn all the northern kung-fu systems. He was renowned for his Iron Palm techniques and the application of the long spear weapon. He organized all his learnings into what is the Northern Shaolin Kung Fu today.

History

The monastery in Henan is the original—and possibly the only—Shaolin Monastery; references to other Shaolin temples are largely if not entirely absent from the records of the original Henan temple. As the reputation of the Shaolin martial arts grew during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), its name became synonymous with external martial arts, regardless of whether an individual art traced its origins to the Shaolin Monastery in Henan or not. As a result, the "Shaolin" moniker was applied to other Buddhist temples with strong reputations for martial arts. The most noteworthy and influential of these is a temple—possibly two—located in Fujian Province. The characteristics of the martial arts taught at each temple were so different from each other that they became identified with their place of origin.

The Northern Shaolin style associated with Gu Ruzhang was first taught to a lay disciple, the celebrated 18th century master Gan Fengchi of Jiangsu Province, by a Shaolin monk named Zhao Yuan, born Zhu Fu, a member of the Ming royal family who joined the sangha after the Ming was overthrown by the Qing in 1644. (Gan is also remembered for founding the martial art Huāquán 花拳, literally "flower fist", about which he wrote the book Introduction to Huāquán.) Gan in turn taught Wan Bangcai, who taught Yan Degong, who taught Yan Sansen, who taught Yan Jiwen, who taught his nephew Gu Ruzhang (1894–1952).

Generation 1-7

朝元和尚 (Monk Zhāo Yuán)
甘鳳吃 (Gān Fèng Chī)
萬邦才 (Wàn Bāng Cái)
嚴徳功 (Yán Dé Gōng)
嚴三省 (Yán Sān Xǐng)
嚴機溫 (Yán Jī Wēn)
顧汝章 (Gù Rǔ Zhāng)

Yan Jiwen also taught Gu the skills of Iron Body and Iron Palm. On a famous occasion in 1931, Gu is said to have demonstrated the latter on a horse.

Among the martial artists who gathered at the Central National Martial Arts Institute in Nanjing in 1928, Gu placed in the top fifteen and was included—alongside Fu Zhensong, Li Xianwu, Wan Laimin, Wan Laisheng, and Wong Shao Chou—in the Five Southbound Tigers (五虎下江南; pinyin: wǔ hǔ xià jiāng nán; literally "five tigers heading south of Jiangnan"), five masters of the Northern Chinese martial arts sent to Guangzhou to organize another National Martial Arts Institute.

In Guangzhou, the name "Shaolin" was already associated with Hung Gar and other styles, so Gu's style came to be known by the name Northern Shaolin. Also by the names Bak Sil Lum in (Cantonese) and Bei Shaolin in (Mandarin)

Generation 8

Gù Rǔ Zhāng taught Northern Shaolin to Yim Shang Wu, Lung Chi-Cheung, Yu Zhen Shen, Ma Qin Biao, Lam Kam Tong, Chin Men Chen, Poon Chu, Sang Tse Chung, Wu Siu-Po, Lai Gan Jing, and Others.

Generation 9

Their students include Wong Jack Man (Wong Chia Man), So Bin Yuen (Johnny So), Lung Kai-Ming, Wu Zhao Xiang, Chan Kowk Wai, Lai Hung and Others.

Wong Jack Man (Wong Chia Man) who in turn taught Paul Eng, Robert Louie, Herb Leung, Arthur Chin, Greg Hayes, Joseph Crandall, Peter Ralston, Brent Hamby, Byong Yu, Rick Wing, Kwong Wing Lam, Al Dacascos, Kam Yuen, and others.

Wu Zhao Xiang who in turn taught Nelson Ferreira.

So Bin Yuen (Johnny So) taught Ken Hui (Hui Ho Kwong)

Generation 10

Robert Louie in turn taught Jason Louie, Arthur Lim, Gordon Lew, Roland DeJong (spelling?), Clarence Lee, Frank Lum, Jason VanWinkle (Fen Wen Ke), Justin Chin, Gary Suen, Sue Huey-Chin.

Ken Hui (Hui Ho Kwong) who in turn taught Troy Augborne, Kisu , Mike Lewis, Steven Baugh, and others.

Kwong Wing Lam taught Ted Mancuso, Gary Shockley, Gene Ching and others.

Generation 11

Steven Baugh in turn taught Raul Baugh and others

Kisu in turn taught Ryan Byone, Arjuna Woods, Harold Hazeldine, Shin Koyamada and others.

Jason VanWinkle (Fen Wen Ke) who in turn taught David Hood, Shua VanWinkle, Bodhi VanWinkle and others.

The Northern Shaolin curriculum of Gu Ruzhang

	Chinese	Mandarin Pinyin	Cantonese
Open the Door	開門	Kāi Mén	Hoy Moon	Essential Entry/Basic Skills To Shaolin
Lead the Way	領路	Lǐng Lù	Leng Lo	Leading the Attack
The Sitting Horse	坐馬	Zuò Mǎ	Jo Ma	Counter Attacks
Pierce the Heart	穿心	Chuān Xīn	ChunSam	Heart Piercing Strikes
Martial Skill	武藝	Wǔ Yì	Mong I	Combat Techniques
Short Strike	短打	Duǎn Dǎ	Tun Da	Close-Encounter Combinations
Plum Flower	梅花	Méi Huā	Moi fa	Breaking the Ambush
Uprooting Step	拔步	Bá Bù	Bat Bo	Open-Space Fighting Combinations
Chained Fist	連環拳	Liánhuánquán	Lein Wan	Chained Multiple Strikes
Pattern Method	式法	Shì Fǎ	Sik Fot	Essential Techniques from Other Styles

Fighting Methods found in Bak Sil Lum

External links

Characteristics

History

The Northern Shaolin curriculum of Gu Ruzhang

Fighting Methods found in Bak Sil Lum

See also

External links