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!
