The first form
white...@taomartialarts.com
Yes, we do it in sequence as Sleeping Crane, Calling Crane, Flying
Crane, Preying Crane, Shaking Crane, and Playing Crane. The sequence
depicts certain practices to cultivate the Qi. As crane sleeps to gain
the energy, wakes up and starts to call (like howling monkeys in the
jungle, first thing they do when they wake up is to howl as to soothe
their Qi). After that crane flies and preys for food. After crane has
fed, he will shake and play. (Shaking Jing is like the dog shaking the
water off in the smooth and round/figure8 motion.)
In http://www.taomartialarts.com/crn/crn_main.html, I described a bit:
Float, sink, inhale, exhale, White Crane Kungfu cultivates Qi;
sleeping, calling, flying, preying, Crane Forms breed spirit. And, The
first line is saying that coordinating the inhaling and exhaling with
the floating/un-weighting and sinking/weighting of the body,
respectively, is the practice to cultivate Qi. The second line,
Sleeping, Calling, Flying, and Preying are referring to the four
initial basic forms.
For the more advanced practitioner, doing the movements in the form
would not be much trouble, but the idea is to coordinate the movements
with the breathing, so it can cultivate the Qi. It's better to have
belt (like sash) around the waist below the navel. We inhale to upper
chest, when we exhale we push the belt out. Sash for us is used as
tool, not for ranking.
By practicing, practicing, and cultivating the Qi, our Jing will be
more pure and mature. (Of course, for some, they have the natural
ability, but for most of us are a long and hard practice; so is 功 夫
Gongfu named and meant to be.) And, to practice Qi, it's better to do
the 12 Qi practice as in
http://www.taomartialarts.com/crn/crn_qi_practice.html. I probably will
put the video on for it when I have time in the summer.
For Chinese in the old days, northern people are taller, so their
styles are long fist/kick for the longer strike, and southern styles
are opposite. Taekwondo is more like northern style and they have
pushed to extreme to maximize the effect (but not leave the lower part
open as for the show in the tournaments). Karate is more closed to
southern styles sometimes. I loved Taekwondo's kicks, lots of fun and
joy at my 20s, until I started my white crane that was more suitable
for my body-build. For my style of white crane, I have a lower kick
such as to the opponent's inside of the knee, a higher kick such as to
go straight up and down in front of me toward the opponent's center
line (with heel knife edge).
Hope the practice going well for you.
Regards,
Helen
---------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Helen
Just to let you know that I've learned the first of your kuens, the one
you call 'sleeping crane', which seems to be the easiest of your
routines. I'm studying them in the order you put them up on your
website. I assume this is how you teach them in the kwoon.
There is quite a contrast between taekwondo and whitecrane. The
korean art is mostly high level kicks, whereas crane seems to be hand
and arm movements with the kicks kept to a minimum. Is this the norm
for crane systems?
I've noticed that styles such as five ancestors and white eyebrow only
use low level kicking and the art practised by Martin Watts has hardly
any at all.
Anyway I wish you well and hope you weren't affected by the mud slides
in southern california recently.
Neil
None
illuminating. I've noticed that all of them have the same movement in
them, the hands sink to about dantien level in slow stages at dynamic
tension, then there is a short double palm strike. I',m assuming that
this is a release of chi. It's clearly important if included in all the
forms. Some of Martin's yong chun forms have this in them as well so it
must be part of the entire crane system.
Is there any link between your style and wing chun? Only I've noticed
some crossover in the way you defend your centreline and the tightness
of your elbows in relation to the upper torso.
Yes you're right about the southern chinese boxing arts, they do seem
to be predominantly about the hands and arms with kicks kept below belt
level. This is a more practical approach when you live in a wet, often
icy country like the UK with its narrow alleys and uneven flagstones.
I've done a fair bit of karate in my time and the one system that
resembles yours a lot is Goju, which is heavily influenced by arts from
Fujian province.
Once again thanks for your input and I hope to hear from you again.
regards, Neil.
white...@taomartialarts.com
Hope you can hear the sound on my video clips. If not, please go to
www.microsoft.com site to download the free Windows Media Player 10.
Probably I mentioned a bit earlier that we inhale from the nose to
upper chest and exhale with sound by pushing Dan-Tian, to practice Qi.
Each movement is with one breathing, and the breathing/Qi drives the
movement. Some movements in the practice may not be exactly as in
fighting, like double hand middle block, but we practice two sides at
the same time anyway in the form as Qi flows. Internally we call
‘it’ Qi and externally ‘it’ becomes force, and in-between the
feeling we call ‘it’ Jing. Qi is an abstract concept, cannot be
seen/measured, and has the property of Ying; when Qi is materialized in
martial arts, it becomes force which can be seen/measured, has the
property of Yang. As Ying and Yang intertwine …
I feel that Gojo (剛 柔) style could be very close to the feeling of
white crane practice if we add white crane breathing into it. For
Martin's yong chun, I have looked over his sifu’s website video, we
have a lot of similar moves but it seems that they don’t talk about
the breathing as we do. I am not sure the comparison with Wing Chun
since I only have seen a few moves not a whole form; Wing Chun and
white crane might have similar short distance fighting style and facing
the opponent square on (vs. karate and TaKwonDo standing sideway) which
will depict the crossover as you mentioned. Myself don’t feel the
connection with Wing Chun much.
I am not saying one style is more superior or not, it all depends on
the individual to apply it. My feeling is that there are many good
systems but it all depends on how individual absorbs the art and
what’s the objective of the art. To maximize our potential, we choose
a system or systems more suitable for our personality, incline, and
body-build. And, how do we know we have found it? Yes, we do when we
find it (with instinct and some sheer luck :).
Best regards,
Helen
jo
both Wing Chun (Yip Man lineage) and Fukien White Crane (lineage
unknown) and others styles. May I answer Neil's question. Wing Chun
is said to have been created from a fusion of White Crane and snake
style. The forms of Wing Chun were created on the Red boats from
combining separate techniques and although the share techniques and
principles with White Crane (and many southern arts) they are unique to
Wing Chun.
Jo
Helen Shen
Thanks very much Jo, for the information. I am wondering if you can
describe the feeling of your Wing Chun or your Fukien White Crane as
you move through the forms or applications (internally or externally)?
I understand that it is difficult to express it in words, please don't
feel obligated, however you feel like to talk about.
Best regards,
Helen
None
Thanks for the email it was most interesting. What do you mean when you
say the forms were created on 'the red boats'? I'm not familiar with
this phrase at all, are you refering to the junks in hong kong harbour
or something else?
I can see the snake influence in Wing Chun in in the third form,
which is mostly finger jabs. Whilst I haven't studied a snake system, I
do know snake forms from hung kuen and shaolin.
So how far advanced is your training in fukien white crane and wing
chun? Do you find that one style compliments the other? What I've
noticed is that the stances seem very alike and both arts use the
immovable elbow idea. Although the wing chun punch is very vertical
(thumb on top) whereas crane uses the corkscrew style punch (found in
karate). Which do you find easiest?
Nice to talk to you Jo.
Neil
jo
I sorry that I haven't replied sooner, this is because I don't own
a computer. I have spent some time thinking about your question and I
find I hard to answer. Firstly it is difficult for me to separate my
Wing Chun from my White Crane because they have become blended, this is
due to the fact that I been without an instructor for over three years
(I definitely won't be winning any prizes for my Wing Chun forms.) I
tend mostly to practice the Sam Chien (three wars) form at the moment,
as it is the key to the version of White Crane that I do. There is a
saying that goes "Begin your training by practising Sam Chien and
don't stop practising Sam Chien until your very end." The Sam Chien
looks external but in this style external and internal are not
separated, it is said that "hard and soft combine in use". How I
feel depends on how and where I train, when I can, I like go to a
nature reserve near where I live and train as the sun comes up. I
perform the form slowly with my eyes closed, and the golden sun on my
face and try I to imagine that I am a crane exploring the water. I
become the water. When I train this way I feel uplifted and peaceful.
When I train at home the emphasise is on tension and speed afterwards I
feel powerful and energised. I hope this answers your question. Please
can I return the question and ask how you feel when perform your forms?
Neil
The Red Boats I refer to are the Junks used by the Cantonese opera
companies. The Red Boats like the Shaolin temple provided refuge for
rebels fleeing the Qing and a place for the sharing of ideas and
techniques. I studied Wing Chun for three years. My knowledge of white
crane is limited to the Sam Chien form and some separate techniques. As
to how proficient I am well perhaps we will have the chance to touch
hands one day. As mentioned earlier both styles have become blended. I
must be going now, this conversion will have to be continued next
visit.
jo
you can think learning Wing Chun and White Crane like learning Spanish
and Italian they are so similar that is easy to get confused to which
one you are using. As to which punching method I find the easiest it
would definitely be the Wing Chun punch, the Karate style punch is to
slow, just try candle hitting and you will see what I mean. In the
style of White Crane I know, I have been shown only one punch which is
actually half way between the two as the fist is at a forty five degree
angle and is found in the opening fist at the beginning of the forms.
The application of this punch is to hit the sternum. However In my
training I have all but forsaken the fist in favour of open hand
techniques.
Jo
jo
confusion.Candle hitting is an exercise, which is used to improve the
speed and accuracy of your punch. Start by setting up a candle so that
the flame is at shoulder height. Starting at a short distance from
candle, throw your punch at the flame; the direction of the movement of
the flame indicates the direction of your power. Good clean power
should push the flame directly backwards without the flame shaking or
moving randomly. If you extinguish the flame then increase your
distance from the flame.