I wanted to continue the discussion from the non-Lau Gar thread here. I'm not really buying that Lau Gar is a Hakka art. I beleive that SPM in all it's incarnations (Iron Ox, Chow/Chu Gar, Jook Lum) are Hakka arts, so what do you mean by, it's a Hakka style mixed with SPM? Typo? Is there any evidence that would answer any of Sliver's questions? Do you have a video on hand of a form that draws from SPM? Do you guys have a Saam Bo Gin?
I think the UK people call it a Hakka art because Jeremy Yau (his father and grandfather, etc) are Hakka. I would contend that unless it was originally practiced as a Hakka village defence art then it is not a Hakka art.
My Sifu and Sifu BuckSam Kong say "Lau Gar for life." It's taught as the first set at Kongs Siu Lum Pai. Then Si Mui Fa from CLF before Gung Gee and Fu Hok and Tid Sin Hung Kuen (s). At least that is my experience fwiw. I assume it's part of the other Lam family schools curriculum in HK &c. I've never heard anyone say it's not legit, although I've heard from a few that they don't like it. Old post I know but I thought it was worth reviving.
oops not from the Uk are you! Ah someone from Bucksam Kong's group. Famous sifu!! This is not the same lau gar as the set done in Hung Gar/Huung Kuen. It is a family system from a gentleman named Jeremy Lau and has no resemblence to the other system. Some argue that their system was first.. who knows as the are not related. Hope that helps. LFD
Ah that makes more sense. Despite the maybe "stiff" appearance compared to other HG sets, sifu Mallen always said it was the best entry point for the new Hung disciple. Buck says practice it everyday for the rest of your life (Ill try but not ready to promise that lol). As we learned it, it provided intro to stances and hands that form Hung Gar. I value it most for stance training.
Interesting that you talk about the "stiff" appearance of Lau Gar because it is actually one of the most fluid sets in the hung curriculum - (our branch has two Lau gar forms and they are both very flowing). They both have a prominent wave like motion where you break forward, roll back then break forward again. You can explore the motion by playing it slow as if it were tie - chi. Something like tiger and crane with 45 degree step off's and hops etc does not work so well slow and smooth, it has an intrinsic staccato rhythm to many of the movements - but Lau Gar glides from one end to the other.
:bang:One of my pet peeves. Tai chi s NOT repeat NOT any other style done slowly. It is its own art with its own set of principles. You have to apply those principle to make it done like it was Tai Chi Chuan. If you want to do moves in another style slowly to figure stuff out about it, that is fine. but it does NOT make it TCC style. Yes Ned, yes it is. You are correct.
No, in fact not view of Tie chi at all. I am just using the speed of practising tie chi as a reference point. Hung gar forms are often practised at different speeds but slow for hung gar is still fast compared to tie chie. The instructor in the link bellow is practising the form slowly for hung gar. You can even hear him say it. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiXhhDOgz_0"]lau gar - YouTube[/ame] My comment was an observation from one hung gar practitioner to another about how insight may be gained about the hung gar - lau gar form from playing it at the (unusually slow for hung gar) speed of tie chi.
I understood what he said without difficulty. I think you are mis-representing what he has said. It isn't unusual to play a form at a slow speed to better understand some aspects of it... he said play it slowly ''like'' tai chi, not that tai chi was just any style done slowly.... I don't think Tom is ignorant of the other aspects of TCC or that he equates TCC with just a slow training speed... Just saying LFD
If you're discussing hung gar why bring taiji into it ?To me it's just a lazy analogy, why not simply say"I like to practice this form slowly" and explain the reasoning in terms related to the style ?
makarov， you make so much sense, i trained up to black sash in lau gar, but before that i had a "mickey mouse" lau gar teacher,who prefered drinking to practicing. so i understand why people think this way, i myself gave it up to go to china to learn wing chun and hung gar.although i think master yau is a genuine master & i still miss training in the lau gar, because my teacher also was genuine. thanks for ur post
