Hung Gar

Discussion in 'Kung Fu' started by BklynJames, Mar 21, 2016.

  1. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member



    So 26 seconds in we have a drunken walk and butterfly palm sequence.

    In the video the practitioner uses two different mechanics - a spiral (neither expanding or contracting) for reversing the hands then a liner expanding circle mechanic for the push. In this case the spiral would be a dragon mechanic and the push a cranes wing mechanic.

    The practitioner could have chosen to drive the push from a spiralling expansion in which case it would be a dragon mechanic for both the reversing the hands and the push. in fact this movement is suited to the dragon application as spiralling the hands loads the dynamic tension into the tantien ready to be released in the push.
     
  2. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    actually on closer inspection the practitioner may be driving the push with a spiral mechanic but the way he breaks the sequence down masks the movement making it appear more linear.
     
  3. BklynJames

    BklynJames Kung Fu New Jack

    Ok im following so far. Steps into horse and explode into bow projecting the butterfly strike. So I should be replacing the essence with mechanics I guess.
     
  4. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    Yep you got it! two (of many possible) ways to do the move.

    as you rotate the butterfly palms make a slight contraction of the spine forming a c back. then as you move from horse to bow you convert the rotation of the hips in the lateral plane to a forward movement in the horizontal plane at the same time opening the c back (the muscles in the back contract and throw the chest forward adding force to the forward vector).

    If the movement of the hips is timed to co-inside with the opening of the c back at a steady rate the resultant vector is a straight push riding an expanding sphere of movement. i would call this a cranes wing mechanic.

    This movement can be augmented by a spiral expanding one half of the torso and contracting the other. Thus recruiting an additional group of muscles and so increasing the power of the movement. I would call this the dragon mechanic.

    I you want a good visualisation of dragon mechanics watch kung fu panda 3. Awesome.
     
  5. BklynJames

    BklynJames Kung Fu New Jack

    I watch all three of the KFP Series with my kids almost weekly. Its hilarious that Shifu does Fu Jow in the first one...
    As for the movements Im thinking this will be a loooong road. Im always interested in reading anything if you can recommend something.
     
  6. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    I dont know of any good hung ga books. Some of my kungfu brothers have written books but I believe they were self published so hard to get hold off. That is a good reminder for me to follow up on that thought - although as I have had a migrane for 19 out of the last 21 days, I am currently a little bellow par, so it might be a while until I get round to it.

    I have just got a copy of the INNER STRUCTURE OF TIE CHI by Mantak Chia, It was so good that I just ordered a few more of his books. It is not hung ga but a human body is a human body and you can see a lot of overlap.
     
  7. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    That's a pretty decent book,Tom. Not what everyone does but not another TC yawn book.

    And if it means anything I say that even tho' I don't care for the guy and didn't learn any of his stuff.

    If any of those titles you ordered are his older volumes you may find the illustrations are by my junior TC sis,Sue MacKay. And that guy in that book you have,Mac Stewart? Used to come to my 2nd teacher's seminars for ph. Nice fella,haven't seen him in ages since he moved west.
     
  8. Subitai

    Subitai Valued Member

    Wow Tom...You don't know of ANY good Hung Gar Books????

    And I thought we might have had some mutual respect or even comraderies!

    This; “Southern Shaolin Ling Nam Hung Gar” by sifu Lam Kwong Wing (2003) is an excellent Hung Gar Book.
    - It has History, basics, fundamentals and applications... a whole lotta gems given away in this book if you look.

    also

    Lam Chun Fai has a Great Hung Gar book: Hung Kuen Fundamentals (Gung gee fok fu kuen) 2013

    Both books are great with a wide depth of information...good for anyone who's serious about Hung Gar.
     
  9. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    When I said that I didn't know of any good hung gar books. What I meant was, I have never read a book on hung gar, so I am unable to recommenced any hung gar books.

    However now that you have kindly provided some recommendations I will eagerly follow them up.

    I can also assure you that I have great respect for your abilities both as a Hung Gar practitioner and for your generosity in sharing your understanding on this site ! :)
     
  10. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    Apologies Subitai - grammar and punctuation suffer during a migraine. the above should say.

    I can also assure you that I have great respect for you, both for your abilities as a Hung Gar practitioner, and for your generosity in sharing your understanding on this site ! :)
     
  11. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    Erk ! just seen how much those books are on abe - will have to go on my Christmas list.
     
  12. Subitai

    Subitai Valued Member


    Hey man! You know we're cool! :)
    Btw, another book...look at this post: http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?58585-2-Great-Hung-Gar-Books!!!


    About $30 for those books ...I agree, it can be pricey for some. But I'm the kinda guy who'd save up and spend $100 on a book if I thought it would advance my skill somehow.
     
  13. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    About $30 for those books ...I agree, it can be pricey for some. But I'm the kinda guy who'd save up and spend $100 on a book if I thought it would advance my skill somehow.

    Totally with you on this. Unfortunately no copies of the books available in the Uk and if you add postage from US and exchange rates - it comes out around $100 per book. But Christmas is not that far away. :)
     
  14. BklynJames

    BklynJames Kung Fu New Jack

    Well guys, still humming along. Just recently tested for Fu Hok and that is definitely a form to remember..!! Im enjoying Hung Ga more and more...!!
     
  15. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    Many Many Congrats on the progress !

    Quoted from way back when in the start of the thread.

    Much stepping off line in the fu hoc form! have you tried using your Aikido to analyse the form? Pick a movement in the form that have a feeling might be an application or a throw. Find a willing training partner.

    Think of the movement. Think about how your centre moves when you do the movement. Think about how your limbs can create rotations and spirals if they were attached to an opponent. Then try applying those movements and rotations to your partner to see what happens. Do you create locks, do you escape a lock, do you break the posture/balance of your partner, do you restore your own posture or balance?

    Play and learn from contact. Always begin slowly with little force and a compliant partner. I have for example “discovered” some throws that put an unpleasant amount of stress on the partners neck or back.

    Only increase your own speed and force and the level of active resistance from your partner once you know and understand the effect you are creating.

    Use the hung gar principles, the hung ga hands and hung gar stepping – you don’t what to create a hybrid new art but try applying your aikido understanding of movement to help you to discover more of what is in the hung ga forms.

    once you have had a good trawl for movements you think you can see applications in try the opposite approach. take a movement you don't understand at all. anylise the forces and vectors. then try to see if you can do something useful with it against a partner.
     
  16. BklynJames

    BklynJames Kung Fu New Jack

    Yes I have been playing with Hung Ga back and forth using Aikido to analyse both for similarities. Moving off the line is one of the similarities between FuHok and Aikido. But the really big difference is the generation of power in HG and the differences between the animals in their attack method. Just recently finished learning the gross movements (and I mean very gross movements) of The Five Animals form, and I do see a decent amount of Aikido in Dragon with the Hip movements. One thing I did notice is im getting stronger..!!!
     
  17. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    could you please expand on what you mean by the hip movements and the similarities in dragon. ( just to clear up potential confusion do you mean in dragon hands or in dragon stance, if you mean dragon stance which stance to you refer to as dragon?)
     
  18. BklynJames

    BklynJames Kung Fu New Jack

    So in the opening of 5 animals you have two sections where you pivot to one side. That would be where the power is generated from.
     
  19. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    do you have a video or illustration you could reference? not all hung gar schools perform the sets exactly alike. There are also several different ways to pivot depending on the stance you are in with or without stepping. this increases the scope for confusion.
     
  20. BklynJames

    BklynJames Kung Fu New Jack

    Hey People,
    Still humming along. As for the video I should be able to get you one on the movements. So in the beginning of the 5 animal we do short arm dragon. Where we grab the arm pivot th body to break the arm.
     

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