The 5 major Cantonese Kung Fu styles.

[Eric Ling]

We often hear this; the 5 major Cantonese styles of Kung fu are "Hung, Lau ,Choy,Li and Mok".

Do you think this is a accurate statement?

Yes , No and why ?

[clfsean]

IMHO those represent the 5 families, but not necessarily the 5 major Cantonese styles.

Hung Ga --- sure that one's easy.
Lau Ga -- disappeared & partially absorbed into Hung Ga
Mok Ga -- still around a little bit, but not predominent or prevelant like Hung Ga.
Choy Ga -- still around a little bit, but not predominent or prevelant like Hung Ga.
Li Ga --

If I were to name 5 major Cantonese styles, it'd be more like:

Hung Ga
Choy Lee Fut
Hung Fut
Fut Ga
Lama Pai

or something like that.

[Eric Ling]

clfsean said:

IMHO those represent the 5 families, but not necessarily the 5 major Cantonese styles.

Hung Ga --- sure that one's easy.
Lau Ga -- disappeared & partially absorbed into Hung Ga
Mok Ga -- still around a little bit, but not predominent or prevelant like Hung Ga.
Choy Ga -- still around a little bit, but not predominent or prevelant like Hung Ga.
Li Ga --

If I were to name 5 major Cantonese styles, it'd be more like:

Hung Ga
Choy Lee Fut
Hung Fut
Fut Ga
Lama Pai

or something like that.

Agree with you that this idea was popular back some time ago in Canton.

And they really did named them "5 Major Southern Fists".

Could be because other styles that came along were combinations or hybrids of these 5 styles.

Take your CLF and Chou Jia for examples;CLF has 2 of the 5 and Chou Jia is also known as "Start with Hung and end with Choy" Kung Fu.

However, I agree with you that Lama Pai also played a prominent role in that era. The other would be Wing Chun.

Just my $.02.

Thanks.

[TenTigers]

in more recent times I suppose it would be Hung-Ga, Choy Li Fut, Wing Chun, and Bak Mei?

[Suhana LIM]

Eric said:

And they really did named them "5 Major Southern Fists."

Thanks.

Eric ni hao

Can you tell me what are they?
Xie xie.

Cheers.

[Eric Ling]

TenTigers said:

in more recent times I suppose it would be Hung-Ga, Choy Li Fut, Wing Chun, and Bak Mei?

Allow me to add another to your listing – Chou Jia or Jow Gar depending on whether you say it in Mandarin or Cantonese. However, must not be confused with Jow Gar; the SPM style.

I am talking about the “starting with Hung and ending with Choy” CKF and the reasons for including this are:-

• Wife is from this style – need to protect myself. Hehehehe

• But seriously, if I take Singapore as the focus, Chou Jia must be one of the biggest and most established institutions with at least 10 branches spread all over the island. This is really something in modern metropolis Singapore. The only other “rival” I can think of is perhaps the “Siao Lim” Ven Sek’s group. Most other CKF styles are sadly fading from the active scene, not that the scene is very active to begin with. What you see mostly would be “Wushu”, TKD, Sports Karate and Silats. All these have one thing in common; they are competition events in regional and international sporting meets.

On the Fukien side, I think the 5 main prominent styles would be;-

1. Siao Lim or Southern Shaolin (Fukien).
2. Ngo Chor or 5 Ancestors.
3. Tai Chor or Grand Ancestor.
4. Eng Choon Pek Hok or Yong Chun White Crane.
5. Ngo Mui or Wu Mei (in Mandarin).

I am talking with Singapore in mind of course.

[essence]

Good day everybody.

To add my 2 cents. Through Singapore, I have come to understand Jow Gar as Eric has explained, Hong Tou Cai Wei, or Hung Head Choy Tail. Apparently considered one of the more well-rounded systems encompassing emphasis on both punches and kicks.

Lee Gar is not extinct! It may well be disappearing. I met Singapore's Lee Gar's system holder. He is known by the nickname of Boxing Sai and was a very well-known lei tai fighter back in the day.

Today, he is a TCM doctor and although he teaches Lee Gar, it is only on a form basis. He was telling me that he charges around 2-3k for one Lee Gar internal form. Very expensive and I feel that this might make the system become extinct.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[Suhana LIM]

[quote author=Eric Ling link=board=southern&thread=1109303629&start=5#0 date=110939

On the Fukien side, I think the 5 main prominent styles would be;-

1. Siao Lim or Southern Shaolin (Fukien).
2. Ngo Chor or 5 Ancestors.
3. Tai Chor or Grand Ancestor.
4. Eng Choon Pek Hok or Yong Chun White Crane.
5. Ngo Mui or Wu Mei (in Mandarin).

I am talking with Singapore in mind of course.
[/quote]


Da jia ni men hao

In Indonesia, the most known styles are Ngo Cho Kun (Southern) or Shantung (Northern) styles.

Cheers.

[pitbull]

in my opinion the 5 major fujian styles are:

1 ngo chor kun
2 peho kun(all birds included including engchoon)
3 zhi ran men/zhi dien meng-natural gate boxing
4 tai zu chuan
5 of course...dog boxing..im reluctant to call it dog style ;D

[Suhana LIM]

pitbull said:

in my opinion the 5 major fujian styles are:

1 ngo chor kun
2 peho kun(all birds included including engchoon)
3 zhi ran men/zhi dien meng-natural gate boxing
4 tai zu chuan
5 of course...dog boxing..im reluctant to call it dog style ;D

Pitbull ni hao

Pit, can you tell more about Zhi Ran Men style?
TIA.

Cheers.

[pitbull]

its very popular in XIAMEN. and is somewhat like fujian's JKD since it has no katas...it started some 80 yrs ago i think

[diligentmantis]

Hi , Zi ran men is the natural boxing system.

www.ziranmen.com


sean

[Suhana LIM]

Da jia ni men hao

Thank you Pitbull and Sean for the information.
I know a bit about this from an ad in my local paper. But in there it was advertised as a "martial for 25 years and older" and focusing on the meditation side. A bit strange, since it is owned by the same master (as the one in the site)

Cheers.

[nothingness]

There are masters teaching hakka styles in Indonesia. However, they are only teaching these to the inner Hakka circle. I don't know which styles are they. I only recall seeing some of them when I was younger. I specifically remember the phoenix eye punch and the center-start punch. I was too young to remember anything.

[Eric Ling]

nothingness said:

There are masters teaching hakka styles in Indonesia. However, they are only teaching these to the inner Hakka circle. I don't know which styles are they. I only recall seeing some of them when I was younger. I specifically remember the phoenix eye punch and the center-start punch. I was too young to remember anything.

Hi nothingness,

Gathering info on Hakka styles in SE Asia is part of what I am doing now.

Many Sarawakian Hakka players are linked to Hakka styles in Indo.

So far, 2 styles are beginning to emerge and they are your “single knuckle and hands out stay out” styles.

1. Chu Gar Kao – exactly which line is something I am still examining. I am supposed to start shooting some of these guys doing their forms.

2. Some form of SPM. Again not certain which stream. The late Sifu Chong that I spoke about much earlier on has a surviving younger brother. Through some connections, I might be able to meet this younger Chong. He is supposed to be in Kalimantan somewhere.

3. Emei Praying Mantis ?? This is something new for me. Read about this a long time ago but always dismiss it as WuXia novels stuff. However, there is a Hakka player here who claims to do this. Seen him in action and got to say; very different.
Lots of slapping with open palms – just like some Northern Mantis but according to this player, it is Hakka.

Even here in Kuching, Hakka styles were taught mainly within families. These days, folks are more “open” and Fuzhou like me are starting to pick up some Hakka.



;D ;D ;D