Muy fa
13-03-2012, 13:11
(Hier ein interessantes Interview von Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Association Chairman und Hung Gar Meister Kong Pui Wai)
During his stay in England, Chan Hon Chung Lineage Hung Kuen Sau To, Kong Pui Wai, gave the following interview to Combat magazine.
CM: Welcome to England Sifu; have you ever visited here before?
KPW: Yes, I was here in England about 10 years ago.
Would you give the readers a little family background on yourself?
I was born in Hong Kong, the youngest of seven brothers and sisters.
Did that make your upbringing hard?
On the contrary, I think that I was a little spoiled.
What kind of education did you have?
To the equivalent of your secondary level.
Did any other members of your family train in the martial arts?
Not to my knowledge.
How long have you been teaching the martial arts?
About 25 years.
Can you tell the readers about your training history?
I started training with Chan Sifu in Hung Kuen kung fu and still study the same system.
Has the system changed in that period of time?
Not at all.
What about the method of instruction?
Yes, that’s changed quite a bit. In the old days it was repetitive basic technique without much explanation, but now with so many other visitors from all over the world more explanation is required.
How did your relationship with Chan Sifu change over the years?
I went from being a student to becoming a member of his kung fu “family”.
Do you think that students from the East and the West are different?
Different faces, different colours, different cultures, same heart. In kung fu there is no difference. In time, anyone who studies assiduously becomes “family”.
Do you like England?
Yes, very much.
There seems to be a good bond between you and your host, Jim Uglow. How do you find the training here?
Jim and his students are “family”. The full-time kwoon here in Woodford Green is very Chinese. I feel at home here.
Some of the students who have trained with you here have remarked on your “soft” power and fluidity. Could you say a few words about this?
Kung fu is both soft and hard at different times. People often misunderstand the meaning of “softness”. It should mean that the body moves efficiently without any excessive tension. (Later Kong Sifu explained that it should be like a boa constrictor that wraps around its victim surreptitiously and doesn’t apply the killing pressure until the last moment)
What are your plans for the future?
To spread the benefits of all types of martial arts training as widely as possible.
How would you describe those benefits?
That martial arts study will benefit anyone from any culture, gender and age group. It will give good health and vitality to the breath, mind and body. It is an excellent method to relieve tension, stress and anxiety.
What are your thoughts on martial arts competitions?
They are a part of martial arts training, and are certainly a useful method to publicise the arts.
The magazines here in the UK have been full of arguments about the existence of chi. Can you help with an explanation?
I can only give what is a personal observation. The direct translation of the word “chi” is “breath”. So correct exercise with correct breathing gives proper circulation to the body. This increases health and vitality.
I have a friend who asks whether a pencil can be moved by chi…
I have already given you the best explanation and the benefit that can be gained by anyone who trains in kung fu properly with chi (breath). The magical aspects of training would take many, many years of good instruction, abstinence from eating meat, drinking alcohol and sexual activity, but I believe that it could be done.
Have political events in Hong Kong affected the martial arts [a year before this interview, it had been handed over from British rule to the People's Republic of China]?
Not really. We are working with the government on courses that will improve the sports coaching activities within the martial arts.
Finally Sifu, can you give any words of advice to the kung fu students who will read this?
Develop a healthy attitude to your study and to life itself, and through your kung fu training develop a deeper happiness.
(Aus: Inside Kung Fu)
During his stay in England, Chan Hon Chung Lineage Hung Kuen Sau To, Kong Pui Wai, gave the following interview to Combat magazine.
CM: Welcome to England Sifu; have you ever visited here before?
KPW: Yes, I was here in England about 10 years ago.
Would you give the readers a little family background on yourself?
I was born in Hong Kong, the youngest of seven brothers and sisters.
Did that make your upbringing hard?
On the contrary, I think that I was a little spoiled.
What kind of education did you have?
To the equivalent of your secondary level.
Did any other members of your family train in the martial arts?
Not to my knowledge.
How long have you been teaching the martial arts?
About 25 years.
Can you tell the readers about your training history?
I started training with Chan Sifu in Hung Kuen kung fu and still study the same system.
Has the system changed in that period of time?
Not at all.
What about the method of instruction?
Yes, that’s changed quite a bit. In the old days it was repetitive basic technique without much explanation, but now with so many other visitors from all over the world more explanation is required.
How did your relationship with Chan Sifu change over the years?
I went from being a student to becoming a member of his kung fu “family”.
Do you think that students from the East and the West are different?
Different faces, different colours, different cultures, same heart. In kung fu there is no difference. In time, anyone who studies assiduously becomes “family”.
Do you like England?
Yes, very much.
There seems to be a good bond between you and your host, Jim Uglow. How do you find the training here?
Jim and his students are “family”. The full-time kwoon here in Woodford Green is very Chinese. I feel at home here.
Some of the students who have trained with you here have remarked on your “soft” power and fluidity. Could you say a few words about this?
Kung fu is both soft and hard at different times. People often misunderstand the meaning of “softness”. It should mean that the body moves efficiently without any excessive tension. (Later Kong Sifu explained that it should be like a boa constrictor that wraps around its victim surreptitiously and doesn’t apply the killing pressure until the last moment)
What are your plans for the future?
To spread the benefits of all types of martial arts training as widely as possible.
How would you describe those benefits?
That martial arts study will benefit anyone from any culture, gender and age group. It will give good health and vitality to the breath, mind and body. It is an excellent method to relieve tension, stress and anxiety.
What are your thoughts on martial arts competitions?
They are a part of martial arts training, and are certainly a useful method to publicise the arts.
The magazines here in the UK have been full of arguments about the existence of chi. Can you help with an explanation?
I can only give what is a personal observation. The direct translation of the word “chi” is “breath”. So correct exercise with correct breathing gives proper circulation to the body. This increases health and vitality.
I have a friend who asks whether a pencil can be moved by chi…
I have already given you the best explanation and the benefit that can be gained by anyone who trains in kung fu properly with chi (breath). The magical aspects of training would take many, many years of good instruction, abstinence from eating meat, drinking alcohol and sexual activity, but I believe that it could be done.
Have political events in Hong Kong affected the martial arts [a year before this interview, it had been handed over from British rule to the People's Republic of China]?
Not really. We are working with the government on courses that will improve the sports coaching activities within the martial arts.
Finally Sifu, can you give any words of advice to the kung fu students who will read this?
Develop a healthy attitude to your study and to life itself, and through your kung fu training develop a deeper happiness.
(Aus: Inside Kung Fu)