Choy Li Fut

The art will take your strengths and use them to your best benifit. I went to a couple of schools where the instructor's trained at the same place my instructor trained. Each instructor had their own strengths. One was very heavy into chin na, the other on quick attacks to set up the bigger blows, and my instructor was more of a smash and bash.

Although they all learned the same art each took his own "element" and ran with it. All of them taught these same elements but each were more refined in there given areas. My instructor taught quite a bit of chin na but not as detalied as one of the other teachers who had a 5th degree BB in Akido prior to CLF.

Kevin

I should add that when my instructor taught chin na he would tell us that it was not his strong suite but that he needed to show this to us because one of us might find it to be what our strength was. Now for myself I thought he was very good at it but not as good as explaining it. Thats why I like it when people get a chance to train at other schools within their same style because each teacher has their own strengths and weaknesses.

Kevin

Thats awesome!
The school i'm currently looking at is:

http://www.choylifut.ca/choylifut/schools/school2/default.htm

That whole site will tell you about the organization it belongs to etc. If you know something questionable about the way they teach or so forth please let me know. Anyhow you've been a great help! Thanks!

Greetings, I am Dai SiHing Charles Abraham of the Winnipeg Plum Blossum Choy Li Fut Centre. I am very pleased to hear of your interest in our Art. I will share with you some of the knowledge of our System based on my humble experiences in the Art and some of the history imparted on me by my SiFu ( TaiSiFu Niel McRitchie). I hope this not only helps you to better understand Choy Li Fut, but allows a way for you to experience something tuely wonderous, something that is yours to be had if you would so wish it!
Our Gung Fu Father, Master Chen Hueng divised his 'system' of Martial Arts based on his experiences in gung fu. He used these techniques to his victory. And after MUCH contemplation, and even MORE practice he grave life to the Art we would come to Know as Choy Li Fut. From his Uncle Master Chan Yen Woo we recieved our open hand techniques and palm strikes. Stick Hand and inate sensitivity and reaction skills. Palm techniques with "inch power" and "soft power" finger tip strikes. Angular and short footwork on attack and defense. Buddha Palm techniques such as Gong jeung and Chaan Jeung. Famour for the Buddha Palm form.
From Master Lee Yau San we recived our techniques like gwa,kup, jong, Jin Choy. He emphisized techniques that draw power from deep rooted stances, with lightning fast and powerful hand strikes. Counter-offensive primarily, and evasive skills on defense.Specialized in clinging and covering defensive skills.Ferocious attacks, with penetration and determination. Famous for the Lohan Fook Fo and Chong Kuen (long fist) forms.
And Monk Choy Fook, From here we get our Northern Feet! His training emphisized short, medium and long range techniques, with nimble foot work and Dynamic kick from the Northern Shaolin. Emphisizedstance penetration, a blend of soft/hard techniques, and relaxation during delivery of technique. Compound attack and defense and syncopation of limbs. Taught Chan meditation and hit medicine. Famous for Sup But Lohan internal exercises.

Choy Li Fut therefore has a VAST arsenal, made to match the practitioner's dynamic and complex nature.And yes friend we most definately incorperate Chin na (seizing or bone breaking techniques), aka Grappling. With ground techniques as well as stand up grapple's. Choy Li Fut Also offers internal sets and has a WIDE range conditioning drill and weapon forms. It doesn't fall victem to the 'jack-of-all-trades master of NONE' syndrome that you speak of , nor does it suffer from the OVER SPECIALIZATION of many of the style's I have seen and experienced. Choy Li Fut can be started at 6 or 60. It can be practiced throughout your whole life. Choy Li Fut reduces stress and fatigue while promoting vibrant health and wholeness of Mind and Body. It a great means from which to seek not only perfection in combat, but perfection of 'being'! It achieves this by offering up a SYSTEM from which to learn from rather than a STYLE . If you so wish to experience Choy Li Fut, I would gladdly and honorably offer my service's as a guild into the kwoon, into the World of Choy Li Fut! Until you've seen the awsome beauty of the Plum Flower and smelt from it's pettle's ...my words no matter how eligant or scholorly will only fall shy.

My E-Mail address is thorodinsson@msn.com, please allow me to anwser any of your other question's about our Art, and once again let me invite you to come and experience Choy Li Fut for yourself.

Thank you all for your time, I humbly submit my response .

Powered by Choy Li Fut, Dai SiHing Chuck.

PS sorry about the horrible grammar. I was in a rush and didn't get to spell check ....If it's any consulation, I am far better at Choy Li Fut than writting on forums. In any case I am eager to hear from you and hope to soon .
Powered by Choy Li Fut, Dai Sihing Chuck.

Awesome to see someone who goes to one of the clubs in Winnipeg! I'll probably send you and email soon.

What is the main difference in Hungar and Choy-li-fat? What is the main difference in movement and flow? Tiger Crane and Plumb blossom?

Hung gar is a bit more rigid/harder than CLF. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. CLF has a bit more northern influence. Hung Gar strikes would be like getting hit with a lead pipe, whereas CLF strikes would be like getting hit with a ball at the end of a chain. That is how each style describes what it is like to get hit by their strikes.

Kevin

So CLF has better kicks and higher stance more mobile, both practictioners really like their system and stress flowing power strikes using chi force. What kind of crane influence does CLF has in it long/short hand sets. Hungar has plently
because of its orgin.

CLF tends to have more kicks. Better I'm not so sure about. In CLF forms crane is used for in close and in the long fist forms too.

Kevin

Allot of the structure of Hung Gar and CLF is very similar. CLF is "famous" for wheel punches, after all its a version of Choy gar. Hung Gar has techniques that are similar to wheel punches.. but no the same. They both have animal influence.. Hung gar has much more. I Studied a hybrid of both styles Jow ga in my teens.. We had some people from both schools. They are both based on "forms".. so take that to mean what you want. They both claim to be “fighting” styles. I have not seen any Hung gar or CLF player use a technique thats “unique” to their style. They both have allot of weapon forms.
Here is a good list of Hung gar forms:
http://www.wle.com/store/v_hung.html

CLF is more than capable of being used in a real fight.. I don't see many people currently with that ability.. but I know someone who was with WC in feud against CLF in HK. I don't remmber 100% what he said.. but they were very strong fighters.

I don't like the wheel punches, the low stances or animal movements anymore. They don't work for me JMO.

Very informative as is the other replies but particularly I liked your 1st hand account of both styles in your Jow gar class and the wheel punch common to both.

The form base system I'm puzzled by because most eastern systems are Form based, with exception Kuntoua (even they are just like most Silat systems). Except or JKD the no style system what Gung-fu or Chuna-fa system is Form less???

Are you talking about CLF powerful upper cut punch when you mentioned wheel strike???

And wouldn't the stance be higher in a real fight then how its practiced in form? Why does these Trad Chuna-Fa systems now not make it for U?

I've heard of the WC & CLF wars, from CLF prespective they felt at long range they were better.

Yes allot of asian arts use "forms" or Kata to remember ideas.

Allot of styles push Forms as the "main" aspect of the style. (they may claim to not.. but in reality forms are the style).

I show you 2 diff. examples of a typical class:

1. Jow Ga: stretch, aux ex. :30min , practice kicking/wheel punches alone:20 min, Pract/learn forms:the rest of class.

2. WC class: stretching:10 min, 2 min: group form, 20 Min Chi-sao, 1:30 Hr. Sparring/fighting drills.

What is a wheel punch? Its a major CLF punch..
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...6lr%3D%26sa%3DG

Wheel punch (the name we gave it): Sau,Pow,Kup,Jong
They are all circular. so wheel called it a "wheel" punch.

Biu is something you will see in HUng gar.
if you watch this video, then look for these punches.. the form is very similar to what we have in our style.
http://www.floridakungfu.com/Kyle%20Ping%20Kuen%20wm.wmv

I have tried to fight in a few fights in a "traditional" low stance with wheel punches.. lets just things didn't go well. I don't know how people fight like that.

I was impressed by the difference and variety of uses and punches I assume the parry could also be a palm strike. If the stances were more mobile and higher. I could see were CLF got its reputation as a fighting art even if they are consumed by forms.

Your example of a Wing Chun class sparring for 1:30 minute of every clas was a shock. Most of the WC clases I visited or attended concentrate on Chi Sao and basic forms, weapons and 1 hr. of bare fist continuous sparring several partners on the floor at 1 time, not many kicks, floor fighting.

The CLF followed the same cirriculum with less Chi Sao and more weapon forms with about 1 hr of (1 pair at a time) continuous semi-full contact gloved sparring variety of everything on the floor and jumping.

Is this not the traditional Intermed-Advanc class format.

It depends on what you are looking for in MA. I didn't do allot of sparing in my other MA style. SO I have no timing and reactions.. Thats a big problem. My teacher says that Ip man used to say that the only way to learn to swim was to get in the water. The only way to learn to fight is to fight. JMO

In CLF forms are for health first and for fighting applications second. When fighting stances should be upright and very mobile. When doing forms stances will be lower to increase leg strength, help stretch tendons and muscles. CLF forms one should feel the stretch in the muscles throughtout the entire body.

Some schools are more form based than others. Although we did forms our school was not based around forms. IMO forms are a lot easier to teach to a bunch of people than to work one on one doing drills with each student. IMO again I think this is why so many MA have no fighting ability. Because it is never taught.
Kevin

In practice, pushing yourself to the limit in every movement, even sparring, is the best thing. Because when the real thing comes around, your muscles,co-ordination, etc. will be at higher capacity and faster then in training.
For example if you can fight in lower stances with ease, then your explosiveness, speed, and strength within normal level stances/fighting will be much stronger. Also it IS possible to use gong fu stances, even low, efficiently in fighting situations, but it takes ALOT of training. If you can get into a low Pu Bu, and then spring up in the air, or move back, up, or forwards without hardly any effort, then it has amazing advantages over those who can't.