Martial Arts stuff (from different thread)

Pretty nice Bruce!

Bruce wrote:Since we're discussing martial arts . . . .

Here's a nice depiction of martial spirit. It's vintage footage of Yip Man (who was Bruce Lee's wing chun teacher), demonstrating his art about a week before he died from throat cancer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbNETKezmns

Bruce

Those were some very simple moves. But within those simple moves, the energy was incredible. Simply amazing!

Thaak wrote:

Bruce wrote:Since we're discussing martial arts . . . .

Here's a nice depiction of martial spirit. It's vintage footage of Yip Man (who was Bruce Lee's wing chun teacher), demonstrating his art about a week before he died from throat cancer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbNETKezmns

Bruce

Those were some very simple moves. But within those simple moves, the energy was incredible. Simply amazing!

Some comments based on Andy's comment.

Simple moves are generally the most effective ones. Wing chun has specialized in simple techniques, and has the appearance of a no-nonsense sort of art. The sophistication of wing chun comes in its trapping hands practices, using sequences of simple techniques to exploit and control the opponent's responses. (By way of disclosure, my exposure to wing chun is very limited.)

Good martial art schools train in developing the sort of energy that Andy noted, through giving feedback on repetitive practice of fundamental moves. Technique is important, but technique and jin ("energy") combined together can have awesome effects. I hope nobody objects to my posting a link to one more vidclip. This is the grandmaster of the style of taijiquan that I practice, demonstrating explosive power that results from combining circular movements of different parts of the body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxxebP0u31g

But anyway, back to commenting on spirit. Yip Man's skill in the video clip taken shortly before his death makes me wonder about what he was able to do when he was in good health. It also brings to mind accounts of Morhei Ueshiba throwing people around on the mat shortly before his death, and about Muhammad Ali still working on the heavy bag -- after deterioration of their physical condition, those people could practice their fighting arts more easily than they could do some "normal everyday" sorts of actions.

Bruce

Amazing video Bruce! Many thanks for sharing it. Post as many as you like!

Bruce wrote:

Thaak wrote:

Bruce wrote:Since we're discussing martial arts . . . .

Here's a nice depiction of martial spirit. It's vintage footage of Yip Man (who was Bruce Lee's wing chun teacher), demonstrating his art about a week before he died from throat cancer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbNETKezmns

Bruce

Those were some very simple moves. But within those simple moves, the energy was incredible. Simply amazing!

Some comments based on Andy's comment.

Simple moves are generally the most effective ones. Wing chun has specialized in simple techniques, and has the appearance of a no-nonsense sort of art. The sophistication of wing chun comes in its trapping hands practices, using sequences of simple techniques to exploit and control the opponent's responses. (By way of disclosure, my exposure to wing chun is very limited.)

Good martial art schools train in developing the sort of energy that Andy noted, through giving feedback on repetitive practice of fundamental moves. Technique is important, but technique and jin ("energy") combined together can have awesome effects. I hope nobody objects to my posting a link to one more vidclip. This is the grandmaster of the style of taijiquan that I practice, demonstrating explosive power that results from combining circular movements of different parts of the body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxxebP0u31g

But anyway, back to commenting on spirit. Yip Man's skill in the video clip taken shortly before his death makes me wonder about what he was able to do when he was in good health. It also brings to mind accounts of Morhei Ueshiba throwing people around on the mat shortly before his death, and about Muhammad Ali still working on the heavy bag -- after deterioration of their physical condition, those people could practice their fighting arts more easily than they could do some "normal everyday" sorts of actions.

Bruce

Absolutely, I in no way meant the "simple" comment to be derogatory. I was just amazed at the aura of energy that seemed to envelop this man, clearly at the sunset of his life, while doing a series of very simple movements.

Thaak wrote:Absolutely, I in no way meant the "simple" comment to be derogatory. I was just amazed at the aura of energy that seemed to envelop this man, clearly at the sunset of his life, while doing a series of very simple movements.

Just for clarification: I understood what you meant, Andy, and didn't take any offense. I just thought I should provide some explanation for people who might not be as familiar with the martial arts as you are.

Take care.

Bruce

Bruce wrote:

Thaak wrote:Absolutely, I in no way meant the "simple" comment to be derogatory. I was just amazed at the aura of energy that seemed to envelop this man, clearly at the sunset of his life, while doing a series of very simple movements.

Just for clarification: I understood what you meant, Andy, and didn't take any offense. I just thought I should provide some explanation for people who might not be as familiar with the martial arts as you are.

Take care.

Bruce

ok, cool

Bruce wrote:...vintage footage of Yip Man (who was Bruce Lee's wing chun teacher), demonstrating his art about a week before he died from throat cancer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbNETKezmns

Thanks Bruce!

That's the first time I've seen this footage in - oh, must be 25 years (?) Ah, the wonders of Youtube


In this cine-film Yip Man is demonstrating a Wing Chun Kuen exercise form (taolu) called Chum Kiu, and the Muk Yan Jong form (the form involving the 'Wooden Man/Dummy').
On the same day, he was also filmed demonstrating another form: Siu Lim Tao.

In the light of discussion in other threads, about people changing what is taught in Reiki, it is perhaps interesting that the primary reason Grandmaster Yip agreed to appear in front of the cine-camera was so that after his death, there would be a visual record of the proper way to perform Siu Lim Tao, Chum Kiu and Muk Yan Jong
- as apparently some people were already making changes to the forms, for no good reason...



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Rlei_ki wrote:That's the first time I've seen this footage in - oh, must be 25 years (?) Ah, the wonders of Youtube


In this cine-film Yip Man is demonstrating a Wing Chun Kuen exercise form (taolu) called Chum Kiu, and the Muk Yan Jong form (the form involving the 'Wooden Man/Dummy').
On the same day, he was also filmed demonstrating another form: Siu Lim Tao.

In the light of discussion in other threads, about people changing what is taught in Reiki, it is perhaps interesting that the primary reason Grandmaster Yip agreed to appear in front of the cine-camera was so that after his death, there would be a visual record of the proper way to perform Siu Lim Tao, Chum Kiu and Muk Yan Jong
- as apparently some people were already making changes to the forms, for no good reason....

Hi, James,

Thanks for the background; it's very interesting. Prompted by your information, I looked for Yip Man performing the first form, Siu Lim Tao, and here it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmxMLp8TXno&feature=related

I couldn't find any vid of Yip Man doing the third empty-hand form, Bil Jee. Do you know whether he ever filmed it? Just curious.

Bruce

Bruce wrote:I looked for Yip Man performing the first form, Siu Lim Tao, and here it is...

Wow, yeah.

I had forgotten about the 'uninvited walk-on' !

I love the humble, totally informal no-frills attitude of the whole filming - a case of:

"I'll just stand here by the refrigerator and do my thing..."

Could you imagine that happening today?

I'm fairly sure that with many modern-day masters, it would be all professional staging and lighting, with some high-profile Pop-video director being flown in to work his 'special magic' on the presentation...

Bruce wrote:I couldn't find any vid of Yip Man doing the third empty-hand form, Bil Jee. Do you know whether he ever filmed it?

As far as I know there were just the first two, and the dummy form.
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On the subject of martial arts and (possible) links to Reiki, here is a video of John Stevens chanting Classical Aikido Kototama, a practice which is taught in some styles of Reiki with kotodama/kototama based on the mantras of the reiki symbols (or maybe the mantras of the symbols were derived from the kotodama?)

Anyway, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs53G4hsMwk

Ai to Hikari
Colin

That's vibrational toning
He makes it look easy.

I have been training wing chun for a few years now,
there is 3 forms,
and the dummy practice, knives and staff.
Bruce Lee I believed knew the 2 first forms and developed his style. (not sure about this, you guys might know better)

i have 3 films somewhere on my HD, will post them when i find them. i do believe one shows the basic staff move.

Anyway the biggest change in the style that has happened, is it has become a hard rather than its original soft form.
Here in Norway, also in Germany, UK and the US the hard form has become popular, but there are still many good schools that teach the soft or 'empty' form.

there is also a feature film on Yip Man called Ip Man i think. was a good film and gives intro to its form and function, as well as philosophy.

f