This post is about how I got hold of this original picture taken in 1969 at the fist official meeting of the “Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Association Ltd” (renamed “Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Dragon and Lion Dance Association Ltd.” in 2006), inspired and founded by master Chan Hon Chung. The picture has an extra value added by a figure in the background, a man bound to become a kung fu legend after his death.
Leggi tutto “Chan Hon Chung with Ip Man at the first HKCMAAL meeting”
Ricevo un grande e inaspettato numero di richieste da persone che vogliono imparare l’Hung Kuen di Chan Hon Chung che ho appreso tra il 1977 e la fine degli anni 80 nei miei lunghi soggiorni a Hong Kong, all’Hon Chung Gymnasium, 729 di Nathan Road. La cosa mi fa molto piacere, anche se sono sempre restio a farlo, visto che ho molta stima del termine (oggi inflazionato) “maestro” e non mi considero tale. D’altro canto capisco di essere custode di un bene raro e non ritengo giusto non condividerlo.
Leggi tutto “Info per chi vuole imparare l’Hung Kuen di Chan Hon Chung”
“In fact, the author seems to make a very pointed argument that Hung Gar is in its essence not a technical system of physical movements, but is instead an expression of culture. He doubts the ability of anyone who was not born within the Chinese language and society to genuinely master the art, let alone teach it. In fact, one cannot help but escape the impression that for him the Chinese martial arts are “authentic” precisely because they emerge from (and ultimately reduce to) an expression of Chinese culture. Still, reading between the lines it seems that he felt that being immersed within his network of Kung Fu Brothers was enough to give him access to some of the inner aspects of the art, and make up for his own lack of deep cultural background.”
Hung Kuen stances: a correct execution is the most important assumtion for the serious student. In every martial art the forms are basically a symbolic (if not “metaphoric”) way to avoid the contaminations, aimed to keep and hand down the set as pure as possible. But every student should know that – albeit in a full respect of the tradition – a significant quantity of realism must be kept in the practice. Master Chan Hon Chung granted a great importance to this realism, that was part of his teaching starting from the stances, the actual pillars of the whole system. Our master always pushed us to keep realism in our practice of the forms, explaining that the Hung style is not about dancing or showing off, but it’s about fighting, for real.
Leggi tutto “Hung Kuen stances: how to avoid the pollutions”
A few words about the “one finger bridge” and the “three extensions”. Back in the days in the Hon Chung Gymnasium in Hong Kong this gesture – so peculiar to Hung Kuen and a significant symbol in the Chinese secret societies tradition – was held in great consideration and trained with care.
I had the honor to learn Tit Sin Kuen, the ultimate form of the Hung Kuen school, 30 years ago from master Chan Hon Chung, in his country house and to refine it with my elder brother Cheung Yee Keung. I kept a daily written trace of what I learned and spent a few hour asking question to master Chan with the help of my elder brother Chan Kwoon Kwok. In my old paper notebook I still have pages of pages of notes, memories, drawings, comments.
