White Crane & Tai Chi in Port Macquarie

We (Ron and Maurice) recently returned from a highly successful Workshop on the north coast teaching Taiji and White Crane principles to instructors of the Kumiai-Ryu Martial Arts System in Port Macquarie at the Kumiai-Ryu National Instructor's Conference.

A great time was had by all and follow up events will be held in the future.

My "White Crane Boxing"

A Personal Statement:

Let's not beat around the bush, lets not make any mistakes ... the White Crane Boxing taught via the White Crane Research Institute is entirely my own creation based on my personal study of the Wong O'Gan Pyon's and Zhuan Ping's Chinese White Crane taught to me by my former instructor Yabiku Takaya and Nian Chen Fai and that of my own continuing research.

The art contained within the White Crane Research Institute is my “art”, my “creation”. It is the result of my own personal research and experiences within Crane-Fist and the martial arts. It is my personal interpretation and embodiment of Baihequan and the martial arts as I understand it to be ......

Our members are trained personally and are entrusted with the essence and spirit of Crane-Fist. They are encouraged to pursue their own research and understanding, and to integrate it into their own lifestyle.

Not really considering myself as an expert in the Chinese combative traditions my preoccupation with them has however, progressively escalated since my childhood. Notwithstanding, I do hope that my writings here is neither too long nor boring and that it might provide you with the necessary information with which to confirm and re-evaluate your overall understanding of White Crane Boxing while discovering its alternative purpose and inner-most message.

Whilst Minghequan (Calling Crane Fist) serves as the basis for our studies, other forms of White Crane Boxing such as Feeding Crane Fist 食鶴拳 and Shaking Crane Fist 宿鶴拳 have had a significant impact on that which we study and impart via our schools.

Many hard, ardous and lengthy hours, months, years of continued study, research, training and refinement have gone into the collective syllabus of the White Crane Research Institute including the study of rare manuscripts made available to us via Master Su YingHan 苏瀛汉師父of the YongChun YiYun Wushu Research Society 永春怡云武术研究会 (YongChun Joy Cloud Martial Arts Research Board/Society) and footage given to me by Great Master Ruan Dong of Fuzhou 福建, China. A great many hours, burning the candle at both ends and “night porridge” has been placed in the sudy of Chinese texts and rare footage of the old masters, Crane players from a generation soon to disappear, performing their arts for prosperity.

A great deal of walking the martial pathway to the heart of White Crane Boxing has been undertaken by myself so that you, the reader and student may take away something of value from this or our art and teachings. An instructor gives a lot for so little in return. I only ask that you are serious and dedicated to your study of our way and that you in turn, promote and preserve our teachings.
And remember, it is the heart, the essence, the energy and the spirit of White Crane Boxing in all of its forms that we strive to embody in that which we do.

I am something of an eccentric and therefore my views have spilled over into the art I research and study. This is the natural way of things. I am considered a rebel because of my views regarding the martial arts. I make no apology for this as this is as it is.

I do not seek to be well known, entering tournaments, making books after books and DVD’s after DVD’s, nor appearing in countless magazine articles and I have no interest in the world of martial arts politics. I simply practice my art and am all the more happier for it.

In my own school I teach Baihequan in non-traditional manner, which means I have added some fighting tactics, basic kicks, and few other elements to make practice more interesting and beneficial for students. I don't need to "defend" what I do. I am not here to win a popularity contest. Anytime someone steps outside the box to take a stand that is different from the accepted practice is reason enough to be criticized by others, and no where is this more evident than in the martial arts. Having come up through the ranks since childhood (during the seventies) and having stayed active for the past 39 years or so --- along with going to extremes to better understand what has remained terribly ambiguous, unsystematized and relatively incoherent (particularly with regards to the study of Taolu/Xing) I and those who choose to walk this path with me remain happy. I see myself as a seasoned veteran, no longer willing to accept and or swallow the ignorance, arrogance and incongruous practices so widespread in this tradition. I’d guess that the idea of “legit,” or “authentic” martial arts, is probably based upon the Chinese tradition (Okinawan/Japanese also have a similar motif) --- pedigree/lineage; i.e., if your style IS NOT connected directly (or possibly even indirectly) to some “original” Chinese/Asian tradition then it's NOT legit/authentic! The idea of functionality has long been reason for some of us seniors to re-evaluate many of the long-established practices of traditional Wushu. Much of it has to do with the contextual premise that technique is supposed to work against. Such “re-evaluation” has, without question, given birth to a myriad of eclectic Wushu-like “traditions.” Some of this Western-based eclecticism has been done within the accepted boundaries of Chinese cultural landscape and social mindset, some has not and then there’s stuff that is way out there. I am sure that one could even argue that even the most accepted Chinese traditions (Wushu, Gongfu) are eclectic by nature. The Martial Arts industry (of which Wushu is a part) is largely unregulated. Based purely on this one issue alone I don’t believe there’s anything stopping anyone “making up something” and calling it whatever they want. My ongoing comparative study with progenitor forms (Fuzhou, YongChun, Shaolin), has given me much to consider when trying to accurately evaluate the essence, energy and spirit of same.

Instead of only taking from the martial arts, we must also consider putting back into that which has given us personal strength and power. All power and success has to do with putting knowledge into action through mastering the world within.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY OWN PERSONAL APPROACH AND UNDERSTANDING AND TAKING THINGS TO A MORE HIGHER, FAR MORE INTERNAL APPROACH TO MY PRACTICE ... LOOKING AT HUANG SHEN SHYAN'S MARRIAGE OF TAIJI AND WHITE CRANE BOXING AND SHAKING CRANE FIST 宿鶴拳. THIS HAS LED ME AWAY FROM SLAVISHLY COPYING GREAT MASTER RUAN DONG'S APPROACH TO SOMETHING FAR MORE INTERNAL IN CONCEPT., PRACTICE AND EXPRESSION. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THIS IS THE HIGHER PATH TO WALK.

THE WHITE CRANE TAUGHT AT THE WHITE CRANE RESEARCH INSTITUTE IS MY OWN!

WCRI Philosophy

As an authentic martial art “Baihe Jingqishen Quantao” acknowledges Oriental philosophy that relates directly to Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. Essentially, Buddhism addresses balance, Daoism addresses ancient Chinese medicine, and Confucianism addresses ethics and morality. Given that the Chinese Martial Arts stem largely from Indian attitudes and culture, “Baihe Jingqishen Quantao” seeks to embrace a degree of Indian philosophy. We also look to Chinese Chan philosophy aiming to shatter illusion and the development and cultivation of oneself.

This then is our philosophy:

Jing Qi Shen:
Resresenting the core principles and philosophy of our White Crane (“Baihe Jingqishen Quantao”), Jing is defined as Essence and Energy, Qi can be defined as Energy, breath or air. It's akin to the notion that energy and respiration are connected, that energy and spirit resides in each breath. Shen can mean spirit but also means mind and expression. It is essential that all White Crane Research Institute members embody and understand this philosophy as they represent the key to the heart of our art and to mastery of not only the art but the self.

You (Nimen):
Following on from the philosophy and meaning of Jing, Qi and Shen is the most important aspect of philosophy within the White Crane Research Institute ... You!!! “Baihe Jingqishen Quantao” is something you practice and do for one person - yourself! It is you and only you who can actually benefit directly from your training. Doing it for yourself is not selfish but is the path to exploring the art within that of your own personality and understanding. It is essentially making the art your own which is the aim and philosophy of all good Chinese martial arts.

Chan:
Chan is the form of Chinese philosophy. Chan is itself derived from the Sanskrit Dhyana, which means "meditation". Contained within Chan is the philosophy of subconscious understanding … This it is the same within “Baihe Jingqishen Quantao”. Indeed, the “forms” (Xing / Taolu) one learns within “Baihe Jingqishen Quantao” are, effectively the physical embodiment of this aspect of Chan philosophy. This is something we refer to as "flashes" within our training, those special times when you simply "know" that what you are doing is right, when everything just comes together! This is also a philosophy of the renowned Carl Jung which he called "Collective unconscious". The collective unconscious is also known as "a reservoir of the experiences of our species." Jung emphasized the importance of balance and harmony. He cautioned that modern people rely too heavily on science and logic and would benefit from integrating spirituality and appreciation of unconscious realms.

Karma and Compassion:
“Baihe Jingqishen Quantao” is at its heart a compassionate form of martial arts. One that believes in ‘karma’ and therefore “cause and effect’. The physical skills one learns within “Baihe Jingqishen Quantao” should only be used against another individual as a very last resort. Our techniques involve the minimization of violence and are only raised to the use of Knockouts and beyond given life-protection situations.

Wenwushuangdao:
Traditional Chinese Martial Arts always acknowledge the concept of the Warrior Scholar Way often refered to more simply as “Wenwu”. “Wenwushuangdao” literally means “Literature (Wen) Martial (Wu) Together (Shuang) The Way (Dao). Many highly-acclaimed martial arts Masters were said to be men of “Wenwu”. This meant that they balanced their studies (reading, writing, and physical martial arts practice) they would thus attain the highest degree of both skill and understanding. This is the key to understanding within “Baihe Jingqishen Quantao”.

Wude:
Ultimately the success of a student is not determined by his or her external abilities, (strength, speed, flexibility, etc.,) but rather by the students morality and character. This is known as Wude.

Wude includes two aspects:

Morality of Deed

Morality of Mind

Morality of Deed includes five elements: Humility, Respect, Righteousness, Trust and Loyalty.

Morality of Mind also consists of five elements: Will, Endurance, Perseverance, Patience and Courage.

Traditionally, only those students who had cultivated these standards of morality or Wude, were considered to be “worthy” of being taught White Crane.

Morality of deed is most important to the teacher as it concerns the student’s relationship with the Master, their fellow students, other martial artists and the general public. Students who are not moral in their actions are not worthy of being taught since they cannot be trusted nor respected. Furthermore, without morality of deed they may abuse the art and use their fighting ability to harm innocent people. Therefore Masters will watch their students carefully for a long time until they are sure that the student meets their standards of morality of deed before allowing them to start any serious training.

Morality of mind is for self-cultivation, which is required for reaching the final goal. The Chinese consider that we have two minds - an emotional mind and a wisdom mind. Usually when a person fails in anything it is because the emotional mind has dominated his or her thinking. The five elements, within the morality of mind, are the keys to training and they lead the student to the stage where the wisdom mind can dominate. This self-cultivation of the mind is the spiritual goal of White Crane.

This is but a small overview of the philosophy within the White Crane Research Institute.

Martial Arts Conformity

Some people go their entire lives locked in to some type of martial arts worship, totally losing themselves in the process. But you see this will never be for me as I like to step outside the conventional and go places others fear to tread.

You see, in life most move through our lives in a state of waking sleep, a state of psychological, cultural and yes even spiritual hypnosis. Instead of experiencing life and ourselves consciously from moment to moment as living breathing human beings we are conditioned by society to follow like sheep.

Instead of asking and reflecting on the hard, deep and truly meaningful questions about our lives, about who we truly are and where we are going, most look for answers to questions that just don't matter. Most people experience life based on external considerations fashioned on the conditions and social ties of out upbringing, education and social culture. We become what other people expect us to be rather than what we truly want to be.

Every person is born into a crowd that is already conditioned by society. The parents are conditioned, the teachers are conditioned, the whole community is desensitized and conditioned. Awareness is all too often sacrificed to conformity.

Existence becomes a trap, a cog in the wheel of the great machine that is modern society. It is to be observed that there are more than one way of looking to the world. One is to read the morning paper and nightly news (or the conventional path of martial arts) and believe everything we are conditioned to believe never truly asking questions for ourselves. We remain conditioned like sheep by those in "positions of authority". Or we can begin to question the mass hypnosis and awaken to the new perspectives and possibilities of our own making. This is the same within life as it is within the martial arts. I know which path I choose to walk .... Do you?

I have two banners in my Wushu Guan which I look at daily:

The first one says:

"Tranquility. The peace that comes when energies are in balance, relationships in harmony".

The second one says:

"Become loyal to your innermost truth. Follow the way when all others abandon it. Walk the path of your own heart".

These are qualities I try to internalise in my students.

“Don’t surrender your individuality, which is your greatest agent of power, to the customs and conventionalities that have got their life from the great mass ... Do you want to be a power in the world? Then be yourself”
~ Ralph Waldo Trine, 1886-1958 American Poet & Writer ~

Rely to Comment ...

Julen said about the "White Crane Principles" post...

"Really, great article. I am a Lee Kong Yong Chun Bai He Quan student."

Thank you. I try my best to impart real and usable information. Please feel free to contact me directly at: baihe@bigpond.com

Tales of "Empty Chi"

It takes a great deal to get me "steamed up" but I recently read of a post by a so-called well known Crane follower who is more of an commercial entity than a practitioner who as per usual had a great deal to say about the subject of internal martial arts training and the well known Taiji/White Crane Exponent Huang Shen Shyan/Huang Xin Xien.

This guy went on to write that Master Huang was a great Taiji stylist but not very well known nor regarded for his White Crane!!! This Dollar-Bill Crane went on to state that he had once crossed hands with Master Huang a and was pushed up against a wall but this was largely due only to his own "superior fighting skills". Oh he of little ego! He then goes one to state the he never studied White Crane or Tai Chi with Master Huang but still has the audacity to run him and his skill down.

To quote this guy from his own blog:

"Hey, if you want to say something, say it in the open, veils are for the ladies and sissies."

Well big guy, how about it!

What it must be like to live in his world of self superiority, ego and commercially vested interests. This same guy once dissed Great Master Ruan Dong as being only a "Wushu" stylist but then went on to produce a DVD using footage of Great Master Ruan Dong performing his Crane Boxing for which I am sure he did not give of the proceeds of the sale of this DVD to those esteemed masters who gave of their time to perform their arts for same!

This guy is a well known seller of of all things Chinese Martial Arts related. He most likely reproduces copyright material of others on his blog site never giving credit to the real authors and will sell such material as being his own.

He is fast becoming known of a man of "Empty Chi", a "Dollar $ifu" who would sell his own mother if it would bring him a profit! For one so "well" versed in things Crane, he sure has a lot to learn about the control of one's own ego and is missing one essential ingredient of the martial arts .... that of modesty.