Modern "Hakutsuru" ?

[Eric Ling]

These are scans from a “White Crane” book published originally in Japan. I acquired the translated version done in Taiwan.

The author claimed to be a Goju-Ryu high-ranking practitioner and later switched to “White Crane” under the tutelage of a Taiwanese Sifu Dong Zing Lung.

Modern day “Hakutsuru”?

[Gojumaster]

Eric,

I have this book "Fujian Shaolin Quan Ru Men", also. This author is Kinjo Akio, who I spoke about earlier. I met him while training in Okinawa, as he teaches Tai Chi on Sunday mornings at the Okinawa Prefecture Budokan, where I sometimes train.

Evert has some excellent footage of his teacher and some students performing Sifu Lung's Plum Blossom Crane.

Best Regards,

Russ

Eric said:

These are scans from a “White Crane” book published originally in Japan. I acquired the translated version done in Taiwan.

The author claimed to be a Goju-Ryu high-ranking practitioner and later switched to “White Crane” under the tutelage of a Taiwanese Sifu Dong Zing Lung.

Modern day “Hakutsuru”?

[Eric Ling]

Gojumaster said:

Eric,

Evert has some excellent footage of his teacher and some students performing Sifu Lung's Plum Blossom Crane.

Aha Evert,

Where is my copy

[Mercury]

Hakutsuru generally, is I feel, an Okinawa interpretation of Chinese White Crane. Certainly in relation to Goju Ryu, I believe that Okinawan teachers were taught by White Crane teachers but not exclusively. Crane/Tiger and Lohan boxing were I think strong influences on Okinawan martial arts, but I do see these teaching as having been absorbed as ‘eclectic’ teaching.

Okinwan teachers didn’t pass on the Chinese forms without changing them first. Partly out of respect to their Okinawa teachers and also to play down the Chinese influence, so making it Okinawan. Later this changed even more with the Japanese anti Chinese feeling.

The Okinawan teachers at the turn of the century wanted to add to their depth of Karate, so looked to Go Kenki, the Chinese tea merchant and White Crane teacher to add missing elements. I think that this may be the source of most modern day Hakutsuru.

A great many karate people want to learn White Crane/Hakutsuru so giving their Karate greater content. However it is very difficult for a Karate student to perform White Crane like White Crane and not Karate Crane because we find it difficult to give up the feeling of strength. I do see this interest in Karate’s roots as very positive, but finding genuine teachers is difficult because with something new it becomes a commodity in many people hands.

[Eric Ling]

Hello Mercury,

Find this statement interesting:-

“Difficult to give up the feeling of strength.”<br>
I assume you are referring to the “hard” strength that is normally associated with Karate? And this is the same reason why I find it tricky to reconcile Karate with typical Chinese White Crane.

Chinese White Crane is really all about vibrating “jin”. From the bottom of the foot all the way to the finger tips, Chinese crane players are constantly drilling to reach this. In fact, I would even go as far as saying that many techniques would not work fully unless they are executed with the proper “jin”. The older Crane Masters put it this way; wrong “jin”, wrong bird.

This is also how White Crane forms performance is assessed. Not so much in movement’s accuracy but more the display of “jin” required.

About the only form/kata that I hear this aspect mentioned is “San Chin”. I once asked a Goju-Ryu friend this and his answer was San Chin is practiced to “sensitize” the body and mind to achieve maximum power.

And Sanchin is not done in the usual Karate’s feeling-of-strength manner.

This is the major reason why I keep saying “San Chin” might be the only White Crane form to be transmitted in its entirety.

Attaching pics of "jin" play from "Shaking Crane".

[Victor]

In the American martial arts scene (and I can only describe the North East US area, there are various martial sub-cults that can be found. Things like Kama, Aiki-jutsu and even Hakutsuru often are associated with 'secret' cult-like status.

Isshinryu has no Hakutsuru, but I have a story about one.

It was about 18 years ago that one of my students, then a 3rd Dan in a pretty fair Goju school decided to switch systems and change to my group. His school after 20 years had just switched to a Shorin group, and everything was changing.

The senior instructor the school associated with started by teaching "Matsumura No Hakutsuru" to the dans in that program. There were a series of 5 clinics where the form was taught, the instructor claimed he had received it from Hohen Soken (Soken Hohen to the purist I guess).

Of course going with me he choose to share it and it became another interesting form to study.

It was quite a long form, about 2 times the length of Kusanku kata, it incorporated obvious crane techniques, a very wide range if hand and finger strikes, and many other movements linking it to various Okinawan kata. For example it had ground kicking like that in Unsu kata too.

He gave me a video record that group kept during hteir instruction. The interesting thing is the Goju Dans turned it into a Goju kata, with an entirely different movement style than they were originally shown. I understand this as they weren't trained to separate themselves from their original movement.

Now the form is neat. I showed it to Ernest Rothrock and he agreed it showed similarties to Chinese technique. One of his studies was in Northern Crane for a year, which he described it as one of the 'hardest' stystems he ever performed. In fact I spent some time with Ernest and he reviewed how he would chooset to perform various sections within the form.

Case closed, for I wasn't associated with the school or the group they came from. Several years later the school changed groups again (not the issue here) and I began a quest try and figure out the source.

Checking with several Matsumura Seito people I've seen they checked and nobody had any knowledge of Soken Sensei doing anything like that form. In fact a copy of that very brief video made its way from Japan to Washington State (at my request) and a very senior Okinawan researcher was entranced when he saw it, seeing its signifance. But on checking with his sources came up with the same findings I had found. It wasn't from Soken linegage, regardless of what that instructor once claimed.

Also in time when I have seen other Chinese 'Crane' performances, the difference was too great, just a touch in places.

Which brings the great question, why take the time to craft a truly interesting kata exercise, craft something truly unique and useful to the Okinawan stylist, that also links many practices together, and still try and claim it had different origins?

For it is a good form, a good practice?

I never understood that. I actually think the instructor that taught it didn't originate it, but perhaps somebody other senior within an old organization that no longer exists.

I'm too old to do more than just run it to remember, and, even as nice as it is, it doen't fit my students needs or the shape of their art.

Perhaps this will offer a very little perspective of what may exist within contemporary karate.

With respect,

[Eric Ling]

Thank you for that story.

I got one for you – not White Crane but Pak Kua. Different style but perhaps the same motivation at work.

White Crane, to the Chinese, is nothing “exceptional” – simply another Fukien Southern Kung Fu styles not strutted to any special status. In fact, when I was learning White Crane, I was repeatedly ribbed for doing a “3 steps forward 3 steps backward “style Kung Fu!

But Pak Kua is really something else – with its circling and weaving in/out flamboyant movements, many wanted to learn this. Only problem was there were very few Pak Kua Sifus willing to teach this art form. Very secretive was the norm with Pak Kua those days.

So some schools “made up” their own Pak Kua-like forms. And they come in all configurations. I remember a Pak Kua Tai Chi, Pak Kua Snake and even Pak Kua Praying Mantis. A little like what is going on in your part of the world perhaps?

I think I still got a flyer selling “Pak Kua Iron-Sand Palm” somewhere in my library. And guess what, on the flyer was a picture of an old Sifu breaking coconuts hahaha… What is it with martial arts and coconuts?

So maybe the east and west is not so different after all.hahahaha

Thank you Sir.

Eric

[Mercury]

Eric when I stated about karate people finding it difficult to give up strength I must clarify that this is an over geralisation on my part and apologies if I have caused offence to anyone.

This is limited to my observation as a karate student myself and a large number but not all karate players that I have encounterd.

Having practised mainstream Goju for 10 years and then another 10 years but with a different emphasis it took me a long time to learn to let go and start to use the body as a whole. Where as before I was strong and would tense the joints in isolation rather than 'connection'. with rest of the body

In deed its still something i'm constantly working on.

[Gojumaster]

"Mercury",

When you introduced your self, I had asked you some information about your background and training...considering the lineage you mentioned.

I am curious,

Russ

Mercury said:

Eric when I stated about karate people finding it difficult to give up strength I must clarify that this is an over geralisation on my part and apologies if I have caused offence to anyone.

This is limited to my observation as a karate student myself and a large number but not all karate players that I have encounterd.

Having practised mainstream Goju for 10 years and then another 10 years but with a different emphasis it took me a long time to learn to let go and start to use the body as a whole. Where as before I was strong and would tense the joints in isolation rather than 'connection'. with rest of the body

In deed its still something i'm constantly working on.

[Victor]

Hi Eric,

Actually the Hakutsuru example is one of the more rational, or good ones, for the form actually has meaning if one chooses to explore it.

The reality of what's out there in the states (as opposed to what's out there elsewhere in the world) is beyond amazing. Systems like Shaolin Kempo which is a derivative of some karate system, that uses chinese names and is a total hodgepodge of arts.

Or Aiki-jutsu with so many different groups teaching this 'art' with no link to Daito-ryu Aiki Jutsu, and instead are steped up Jujust systems.

I remember over 25 years ago when Cindy Rothrock was a national competitor in forms and weapons. There were players filming her routines, and a number of months later her moves were showing up in their forms.

The number of examples even I've experienced,as a very minor player in the arts, is beyond counting.

On the other hand there are those who practice bagua (Pak Kua) and are legitimate. One individual I know in Massachusetts, practices a variety of bagua and tai chi systems. He was a translator for the US government (Japanese and Chinese) and trained in a variety of arts. The sort of guy who makes me stop a Chinese 'kung fu' movie to show me that the words being spoken do not match the Chinese and English translations at the bottom of the screen. And he takes issue with many of the instructors such as you're describing too.

I"m certain why so many people do what they do is beyond me.

Victor

[Eric Ling]

Hi Victor,

First let me say what an privilege it is to have you participating in our little forum.

I am most impressed with straight-talking folks who know exactly what they are talking about.

I think what we are witnessing is brought about by greed!

Greed for power, fame and the monetary rewards that comes along. And it is not confined to just the US. You don’t have to look very hard to see the same thing happening in many other places.

Unfortunate but undeniable.

And I really don’t think anyone can do anything to curb this. Some old Kung Fu families have been torn asunder all in the name of status.

Going westward exacerbated the problem IMHO.

Thank you.

Eric