Lim Pou Kuan - The First Fei Hok Phai Hung Gar Routine

This is the first Fei Hok Phai's routine. Chiu Ping Lok 'Sifu' made this routine to teach the fundamental stances ('mapu' horse stance; 'kunpu' arrow stance; 'ten ti pu' low stance; 'til key pu' cat stance; 'tan key pu' crane stance; 'key long pu' cross stance), punches and kicks, blocks and breathing exercises (external 'chi kun').

The 'Lim Pou Kuan' is a proper and very useful warm-up exercise.
'Lim Pou Kuan' means something like 'Stances and Punches Practice'
'Lim': Practice
'Pou': Stances
'Kuan': Punches

It is considered an easy routine. It is divided in two parts: in the first part, each movement is repeated four times and after each movement the student count ('one', 'two', 'three', 'four' or 'ja', 'ji', 'sam', 'sei'). Each movement can be done with full power, but it is not a routine to practice the speed. There is a space of time between each movement.

The second part of this routine is more dynamic, without the counts, but with the same rhythm of the first part.

Usually the student spend between one or two months to learn this routine.

Since a started to practice 'Fei Hok Phai' in 1985, the sequence of this routine was changed several times. When I just arrived in Ireland I made (one more time!) some changes on this routine. My idea was to keep the practitioner facing the same direction during the first part of the routine, and add more kicks to the routine.

I like to practice this routine as a solid base to warm-up at the beginning of my kung fu classes. Below, the first part of the 'Lim Pou Kuan', very slow and without strength, just to help my new students (and also to help my old Brazilian students!) to remember this sequence of movements.

For more information about Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan Classes in Cork City - Ireland, please visit my facebook page!

 

Southern Kung Fu

Kung Fu with Low Stance and Solid Type Characteristics

Description:

Stances are generally low, wide and solid with intermix of long and short hand techniques. Emphasis on large upper body movements, or long, or hard-power emissions.

Examples:

Southern (Cantonese) Styles, Fei Hok Phai, Hung Gar, Chow Gar, Choi Li Fut, Fut Gar, Hap Gar, as they are commonly seen and practiced.

Areas of evaluation:

Form and Spirit; Coordination; Agility; Power emission; Solidity

Definitions:

Form and Spirit:

Includes proper execution of movements and techniques. 

Good form and appearance. 

Good eye focus and the ability to covey spirit and intent of movement.

Coordination:

Proper coordination of hands, eyes, body, waist/hip and stances. 

Movements are completed in sync and in total unison.

Agility:

In addition to qualities embodied in nimbleness, there must be extraordinary flexibility, bounciness, overall speed and the ability to accommodate sudden changes in direction, focus, tempo, centre of gravity and range with total control

Power emission:

Include qualities of suddenness, sharpness and explosiveness in movements employing either the whole body or certain parts. 

The impact value must be visually clear and apparent. Must take into account the various types of power emission employed by different styles of Chinese martial arts.

Solidity: 

Conveying a sense of being heavy, hard and compact. 

Solid, powerful, with a high degree of stability.

To see a routine video:
Hung Tao Choi Mei Gar (Fei Hok Phai Hung Gar) routine called Sapt Fook Fu Kuan

For more information about Fei Hok Phai Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan or about me and my Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan Classes in Cork City - Ireland, visit my facebook page!

Heaven and Hell

A big, burly samurai comes to a Zen master and says:
“Tell me the nature of heaven and hell.”

The Zen master looks him in the face and says:
“Why should I tell a scruffy, disgusting, miserable slob like you?
A worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything?”

Consumed by rage, the samurai draws his sword and raises it to cut off the master’s head.

The Zen master says:
“That’s hell.”

Instantly, the samurai understands that he has created his own hell — black and hot, filled with hatred, self-protection, anger, and resentment. He sees that he was so deep in hell that he was ready to kill someone. Tears fill his eyes as he puts his palms together to bow in gratitude for this insight.

The Zen master says:
“That’s heaven.”

Tai Chi Chuan Movements

Tai Chi Chuan belongs to the soft arts type in Chinese martial arts; movements are usually slow and continuous without sudden stops or breaks, upper and lower body move in unison, emphasis on relaxed and natural movements with no sudden, hard or explosive power emissions.

There are five traditional schools or styles of Tai Chi Chuan: Yang Tai Chi Chuan, Wu Tai Chi Chuan, Chen Tai Chi Chuan, Sun Tai Chi Chuan, Wu/Hao Tai Chi Chuan.

Some areas of Tai Chi Chuan movements avaliation are:
Form and Spirit - Includes proper execution of movements and techniques. Good form and appearance. Good eye focus and the ability to covey spirit and intent of movement.
Relaxed firmness - Conveying a sense of sinkage and rooting. Movements are relaxed but without weakness. Ease of motion without tension throughout.
Coordination - Proper coordination of hands, eyes, body, waist/hip and stances. Movements are completed in sync and in total unison.
Nimbleness - Quickness and sureness of steps and stances. Ability to shift weight and change direction at will. Good balance throughout with no hesitation in movements.

The routine above is the 37 posture Yang Tai Chi Chuan form developed and performed by Chen Man Ching. Chen Man Ching was a student of Yang Chengfu "Sifu". Chiu Ping Lok (Fei Hok Phai Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan - Brazil) learned this Yang Tai Chi Chuan routine in New York (USA) with "Sifu" Chen Man Ching. The traditional Yang Tai Chi Chuan routine practiced at Fei Hok Phai is very very similar to this one, with just a few more movements.

I am teaching this Tai Chi Chuan routine (and others Tai Chi Chuan techniques) in Cork City, Ireland.
For more information about my Tai Chi Chuan classes and also about my Kung Fu classes visit my facebook page.

Fei Hok Phai Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan

The FEI HOK PHAI (Flying Crane Style) Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan was created in 1968 in Sao Paulo/Brazil, by a Chinese immigrant called Chiu Ping Lok (1938 – 2009). The style arose from the union of the various styles of Chinese martial arts learned by him (Hun Gar; Choi Gar; Mo Gar; Tai Chi Chuan).

SiGung Chiu Ping Lok is also known as Master Lope, an affectionate nickname gave him by his students.

Born on May 15, 1938, in the village of Chao Chun Tung, Taishan (Tai Sam), Guangdong (Kwangtung) Province, in southern China, he began his training of Chinese martial art with the age of 5 years.

His first teacher was his uncle, Sifu Chan Mun, who taught him a form of Kung Fu named HUNG TAO CHOI MEI GAR (Hung headand Choi tail), which is a compilation of two traditional styles of kung fu: Hung Gar and Choi Gar.

He also learned from a friend of his uncle, Sifu Man Sim, the MO GAR and HUNG GAR. It was said that the Sifu Man Sim, who was blind, had an extrasensory sensitivity.

At fifteen years old Master Lope moved with his family to Hong Kong, where he continued to train MO GAR (under the guidance of Sifu Hui Miu Sin), and HUNG GAR (under the guidance of Sifu Lan Fei Hung, better known as Hung Tao Teet – i.e., "Hung, the head of Iron ", because of his public demonstrations in which he warped and straightening three irons bar with his head).

Later, in Kowloon, Master Lope met the old Sifu Si Pak, who taught him TAI CHI CHUAN, YOGA, CHI KUNG exercises, techniques of NOI GAR (called "Kung Fu Divine”, by emphasizing internal energy in carrying out movements), techniques of SI MEI KWAN ("Bat Tail Rat" - a long pole, with about 3 feet long and has one end thinner than the other), and PA KUA CHAUN.

His martial training has also been enriched by a friend of education and training whose father worked at a local film industry in Hong Kong. There, Master Lope had the opportunity to gain experience in various styles and methods of warfare, as well as training to act as an extra in several Chinese movies.

Later Master Lope also made a quick passage through New York (USA) where he studied TAI CHI CHUAN with Sifu Cheng Man Ching.

Chiu Ping Lok went to Brazil in 1961 with the intention to continue his journey to the United States, where his parents and otherfamily members lived a long time. Master Lope was twenty-four years old and, arriving in Brazil, had only the support of an uncle. Graduallyhe learned the Portuguese language with the help of a friend. The year 1963 began giving his first lessons in Kung Fu over the weekend, at the Chinese Social Center of Santo Andre (Sao Paulo) where he taught HUNG GAR and MO GAR. During this period only Chinese immigrants settled in Brazil participated in the drills.

In 1969, he founded his own gym, called “Academy Tai Chi, Yoga and Kung Fu", acknowledged as the first Chinese martial arts academy in Brazil. Together with two other Chinese immigrants, Wong Sun Keung (who arrived in Brazil in 1959) and Chan Kowk Wai (who arrived in Brazil in 1960 - Northern Shaolin Style Master and founder of Sino Brazilian Association of Kung Fu), Master Lope was an early master of Chinese martial art to settle down and teach in Brazil.

Master Lope died in Sao Paulo (2009), Brazil, at the age of 71. There are ten "Sifu" of the FEI HOK PHAI directed certified by Master Lope. They are: Lee Wai Yin (died in 2009), Jair Melo Lima, Cintia Yan, Maria Luiza Horneaux, Valdemir Machado, Mario Kunio Masuno, Benedito de Barros Filho, Guilherme Eduardo Stamato, Valter Tadeu Ribeiro and Aparecido Marrera.

For more information about Fei Hok Phai Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan or about me and my Kung Fu & Tai Chi Chuan Classes, visit my facebook page!