Photos and Video by Amada Alcantara Dreeben

One of Bruce Lee’s famous sayings was, “Be like water, my friend.” During that interview Lee went on to explain that philosophy in a psychophysical context. Specific to a hydraulic Ving Tsun analogy, “Be like water… blasting out of a fire hose,”

Ving Tsun Kung Fu is all about hitting the bull’s-eye. Compared to other styles of Kung Fu, Ving Tsun is more like a gun or a bow and arrow than an assortment of other weapons and tools. Essentially a student learns one punch, one palm strike, and one kick with the end goal of sending that weapon out into the opponent under any type of attack. Everything else we learn in Ving Tsun is still ultimately employed to clear a path, evade, bypass or wedge whatever is in our way in order to accomplish that one objective – to hit the bull’s eye. Ving Tsun is primarily a specialized striking art that exclusively uses “elbow-in technology” coupled with a dedicated centerline-based operating system.

The standard Ving Tsun protocol is to learn the system step by step, with each stage of training building on the previous stage. This skill set develops specific attributes that connect in a progressive fashion to complete the physical and mental Kung Fu package. If an attack comes, you “throw your arms forward” (enter and engage the enemy), then “point and shoot.” Each arm and each leg now has a mind of its own, functioning independently through a reflexive/sensitivity-based empirical methodology developed through chi sao training. Once up and running, these contact reflexes work at lightning speed without thinking. When one punch impacts, the Ving Tsun exponent will replace that strike with another and another (phon sao), all while driving the opponent backwards with chung chi (forward energy from the legs with body weight) till he falls or ceases hostility. In essence, you don’t “react”; rather, you “respond.” The “gun” just doesn’t go off. Instead, you calmly pull the trigger. Just like when driving a car aggressively, as you encounter obstacles, you maneuver around them; but your goal is to always move your vehicle forward. You don’t have to stop and tell your foot to step on the brake or the gas while your hands turn the wheel; you do it automatically when the need arises. We always seek to move forward in Ving Tsun; this is the underlying metaphysical philosophy. Hence Ving Tsun’s name: “Eternal Springtime.” Spring is a season of forward and aggressive new growth.

 

Grandmaster Moy Yat’s Family Ving Tsun

Our Luk Dim Poon Kwan (six-and-a-half-point pole) in this story is from the Moy Yat Ving Tsun family. Moy Yat was one of Yip Man’s top students [ed. Yip Man is also known as Ip Man, as portrayed in many popular recent films]. He stayed with Yip Man for fifteen years as a faithful disciple up until his death in 1972. Before Yip Man died, the rule was: Ving Tsun is not to be taught outside the family to non-Chinese. At that time Bruce Lee, as a student, did not comply with the family’s mandate. Consequently, he was cut off from Yip Man’s Kung Fu family. Bruce Lee had to continue his Kung Fu with older Kung Fu brothers apart from Yip Man.

After Yip Man passed, Moy Yat emigrated to NYC to live and teach traditional Ving Tsun Kung Fu to all races without restrictions. Moy Yat had the distinction of being the youngest of Yip Man’s students to open a Ving Tsun school in Hong Kong. There, Yip Man would frequently spend a lot of time at Moy Yat’s school, and his wife Helen would cook for the Grandmaster. As a trusted disciple and companion, Moy Yat would regularly accompany and assist Yip Man while he taught private lessons to many students that are now notable masters still alive today. Moy Yat was also the best man at Yip Ching’s (Yip Man’s son) wedding.

Under Yip Man’s tutelage, Moy Yat completed the entire Ving Tsun system. As a Sifu, Moy Yat passed this system along to his students and disciples exactly the same way he learned it back in Hong Kong, without changing or modifying anything. So exacting was Moy Yat in replicating Yip Man’s life and persona here in America that he insisted that his students become “special disciples” and spend “Kung Fu life” with him to get the entire system. For many Americans who were used to immediate gratification, this was a tall order, requiring patience, commitment, time and money. Not all were willing or able to make the sacrifice. Today there are hundreds of Ving Tsun schools throughout the world with the Moy Yat family lineage. Many sifus from other Ving Tsun families with different sifus also list Moy Yat as one of their instructors. Even Dan Inosanto, back in the early ‘80s, paid a visit to Moy Yat’s school in NYC’s Chinatown to take private lessons with the grandmaster.

Sifu Kevin Martin (Moy Ya Tse) (special disciple #20-A) began his Ving Tsun Kung Fu under Sifu Julian Cordero, who was a first generation student of Moy Yat when the Chinatown school opened in the 1970s. Martin later became one of Moy Yat’s dedicated disciples who completed the Ving Tsun, lived the Kung Fu life and got the whole system. Martin is a “walking encyclopedia of Ving Tsun” and can recount the history and personal stories about Yip Man that Moy Yat shared with him over the years, including many of the “inside” little-known facts about the style and the family. During his time at the school, Martin had the privilege of making several trips to Hong Kong and China with Moy Yat. On one trip, while visiting with Yip Ching, he actually got to play the dummy form in Yip Man’s house on Yip Man’s personal muk young jong! After Grandmaster Moy Yat’s passing, Sifu Martin actually travelled back to Henan in northern China to the famed Shaolin Temple with the Moy Yat family. Fulfilling Moy Yat’s wishes, Sifu Kevin Martin had a permanent plaque and shrine erected to recognize and honor Grandmaster Moy Yat for all time. Ving Tsun enthusiasts can forever visit and pay homage to Grandmaster Moy Yat!

Sifu Julian Cordero Kevin Martin’s first Ving Tsun instructor.

 

Beginning Luk Dim Poon Kwan Training

The Luk Dim Poon Kwan is one of only two weapons contained in the Ving Tsun system taught at the last stage of training. Specifications of the pole itself vary from family to family. Made of very heavy hardwood, the pole is generally eight-and-a-half to nine feet long with an inch-and-a-half at the base tapering to one inch at the tip (sometimes referred to as a “mouse tail pole” because of the taper). Some schools employ even a longer pole reminiscent of “pushing the red boat.”

The standard curriculum is as follows: After completing the muk yan jong form (dummy), the student begins pole training by first learning “Battle Punches” (jin tsui) to develop his jin ma (square horse stance). Battle Punches resemble something you might expect to see in Shaolin, not in Ving Tsun. The purpose of jin tsui is preparation for the Luk Dim Poon Kwan horse stance. The next stage is Biu Kwan (thrusting pole). Biu Kwan is the main offensive/defensive technique used in the Luk Dim Poon Kwan. Biu Kwan includes the movements Dirn Kwan and Teal Kwan, the two primary vertical blocks of the weapon along with the straight (Biu Kwan) thrust launched from the jin ma stance. From there students may progress to Chi Kwan (sticking poles). He or she will need to have three poles. One is a heavy, high quality, expensive Luk Dim Poon Kwan imported from China to be used only for forms practice. The other two poles are for full-hard contact Chi Kwan where the wood takes a beating. The fourth phase of pole training is the Luk Dim Poon Kwan form.

 

The Pole as a Weapon and the Actual 6-and-a-half points Pole Form

The Ving Tsun Kwan, once mastered, is a deadly weapon as easy to use and accurate as firing a gun. It is only taught at the later stages of training because this skill is both a responsibility and a liability. In fact, during a seminar, Moy Yat stated that anyone could learn the Luk Dim Poon Kwan; you don’t need Sil Nim Tao, Chum Kiuand Biu Je. We have an idiom in Ving Tsun: “When using the Kwan, don’t expect two sounds.” This means we make contact with our opponent’s weapon only once, and then we strike. One strike from the Kwan could kill the opponent; fight over! By the time you hear the sound, the opponent is finished. Luk Dim Poon Kwan is very powerful and therefore dangerous. The tip of the pole is unforgiving. You can even hit any part of the body with the Kwan and the effects can be devastating.

In combat, you can do a lot of different things with any long staff. Flashy techniques like figure eights (often called “flowers”) might look good and feel good, but in actuality may not be that practical against another weapon and moreover could leave large, gaping holes in your defensive structure. However, the longer the staff you wield, the less you can do with the end you are holding. Offensive techniques become relegated to the long end and tip, similar to a spear point. The six-and-a-half points pole form has different movements that you will probably rarely use outside of form practice. It’s like the difference between duties and responsibilities. Duties are what you have to do; responsibilities are what you might have to do. For example, a good portion of techniques in the siu nim tao, chum kiu and biu je forms are movements you might or might not need. The concepts that each form teaches and represents are actually more important than the physical techniques contained within them. A good Ving Tsun practitioner knows it’s all about engagement with the three main hand techniques: Tan, bon and fuk applying superior structure followed by a centerline strike driving forward. While this is a very simple and straightforward concept, it takes lots of diligent practice to master due to the ever-changing subtleties of angle direction required during the split-second engagement.

 

Biu Kwan

Occupy, turn and recover the centerline is the essence of the Luk Dim Poon Kwan form. Biu Kwan is the main offensive technique used in Luk Dim Poon Kwan. At least half of the Luk Dim Poon Kwan form consists of the Biu Kwan movement. In essence, the three basic actions that comprise the Biu Kwan will stop almost anything coming at you. The Ving Tsun Kwan as a weapon is comparable to medieval jousting on horseback, or a long spear on the battlefield. The pole shaft propelled with extreme velocity, supported by an integrated skeletal structure, has to find a superior angle upon contact against the opponent’s lance to deflect it and simultaneously strike down the jouster in one swift motion. Defining that superior angle could mean the difference between a one- or two-inch placement dictating success or failure. The three main Kwan parrying techniques are Tan Kwan (palm up), Huen Kwan (circular), and Fuk Kwan (cover or hide).

Applications for the other movements in the Ving Tsun pole form are for multiple opponents, recovery, specific defenses against various weapons, odd angles of attack or for weapon retention. Finally, playing the pole develops “long arm” energy to the Ving Tsun practitioner while strengthening the body’s core muscles. The Luk Din Poon Kwan is a great training tool for building overall strength in the arms and legs by strengthening ligaments and tendons as well as increasing the power of your punch. Once the Luk Dim Poon Kwan is learned, it should be practiced, along with battle punches, regularly as part of your maintenance routine. Unfortunately, a lot of Ving Tsun students who get the Luk Dim Poon Kwan don’t play it that often because it’s so strenuous.

 

Chi Kwan Revealed – The Nature of Chi Kwan

Ving Tsun training methodology employs a safe exercise to practice realistic applications against another pole. This exercise is called Chi Kwan. Chi Kwan (sticking pole) is the 3rd phase of training in Luk Dim Poon Kwan and is an exclusive training method of Ving Tsun Kung Fu. Actually, Chi Kwan is an advanced two-man sticking pole training exercise where two Ving Tsun practitioners attack and defend their centerline with their Kwans. One should train in Chi Kwan for at least one year.

The nature of Chi Kwan is to occupy and control the centerline at all times. In other words, one must prove that their Kwan is in the centerline. Very simply, if there is no noise from hitting the other Kwan, you or your partner are not on the centerline. The main idea is to put one’s Kwan on the centerline, making one’s partner go off the centerline. Take the space of the centerline by knocking your partner’s Kwan off the centerline and then Biu Kwan in that space. The centerline that the two Kwans are fighting for in Chi Kwan can actually be as small as two inches. In Chi Kwan, only one Kwan can be on the centerline at any given time. When the Kwans hit, only one Kwan is left on that small centerline – hence the saying, “Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time.”

 

How to Perform Chi Kwan

To begin Chi Kwan, face your opponent sideways in the Kwan Jong stance with the tips of both poles touching to form an X. From there, both students execute high/low crescent sweeps with the poles to measure the distance, forming an X each time.

This movement is to ensure that neither practitioner is so close that a Biu Kwan thrust would make contact, which could cause serious physical injury. Once safe distance has been established, the first student executes the Biu Kwan thrust. To counter the thrust, student #2 will Dirn Kwan to block the strike. Immediately #2 drops into the horse and Biu Kwans in return while #1 must Teal Kwan to block #2’s Biu Kwan and so forth in a one-two, one-two rhythm. After several rounds, students will reverse the roles of Teal Kwan and Dirn Kwan. Once you start playing Chi Kwan, you realize just how vigorous this exercise really is, while learning how to use the jin ma (square horse stance) in a dynamic functional combative motion through sinking and rising.

Chi Kwan practice along with the form itself can differ from family to family. For example, Ip Ching’s school has other Chi Kwan drills that employ specific movements in the pole form to defeat other angles of attack. Advanced training in the pole can include free fighting: pole against pole or pole against bart chum doa (Eight Way chopping knives) and other weapons. However, this training can be very dangerous, with a high risk of injury, and should only be attempted by master level students under the supervision of a qualified instructor who can monitor and referee when the fighting gets out of hand or the weapon distance starts creeping too close.

 

Fine Points

Because Chi Kwan is only a drill to develop attributes and not sparring, students should focus on precision of movement and body structure. Many variations of the Luk Dim Poon Kwan exist amongst Ving Tsun families. In fact, there is much debate as to whose form is authentic and whose is made up. Yip Man did not teach the form very often in Hong Kong, and when he did, it was never practiced by non-special disciples. What also happens is that, over time, some teachers make little changes to the form, adding their own unique flavor and trademarks to the system. However, when these changes keep happening over several generations, the original standard can be watered down and even changed completely into something different. Like I always tell my students, “Play the form any way you want, but try to teach it exactly the way you learned it to preserve the system’s integrity.” It is quite true that a few Ving Tsun sifus did not formally learn the pole; they got it on the down low, one way or another. How do you tell the real from the fake? Sifu Martin gave me this cryptic answer: “Once you learn the form, you will know if others have the real thing.” My answer to the reader is: by watching how each hand grips the pole, measures the length, and how the arms align with the body in the Kwan Jong. Overall what really matters is, attention to detail. Moy Yay always stated, “The little details make the difference.” Executing the pole should never look sloppy; it should be sharp and precise.

Students must focus on proper grip and body alignment. A common mistake is to use isolated muscular energy from the arms and shoulders instead of “long arm” bridge energy with two-hand body unity. Another mistake is not sinking deep enough in your jin ma stance during the Biu Kwan thrust. If you’re comfortable in your horse, chances are you are sitting too high. In a proper jin ma, the outside line of your legs should be square while the inside line should be round.

The Ving Tsun idiom states that Luk Dim Poon Kwan uses the shoulder as the centerline. Maintaining the “side centerline” is a critical detail a student must be aware of. In Ving Tsun, when facing your opponent with your side in the Kwan Jong or jin ma stance, your shoulder becomes your centerline, as opposed to the middle of your chest when facing him squarely. Hunching over is another bad habit many beginners make. Maintain a straight torso even though you are tilted back at an angle. Also, don’t let your jin ma mutate into a forward bow stance when you execute the Biu Kwan thrust; keep a square horse with the hips tucked upward. All of the above is easier said than done.

On a deeper level, Chi Kwan can act as a bio-feedback method to help the brain focus properly. Thrusting the pole, feeling your partner’s violent block through the wood and into your hand, the resonating loud “crack” when wood strikes wood as you block your opponent’s Biu Kwan with pinpoint precision-- All of this trains the mind, eye, and body to connect and be calmly focused while the body is under extreme pressure.