Beng Hong Curriculum Updated

The Beng Hong Athletic Association has modified its curriculum so that the material is presented in a more modular fashion.  That way, the practitioner can practice a group of forms that provide a more complete mind-body workout.  Clink the below link to view the curriculum.


http://ngochokun.wordpress.com/articles/

English Translation of the Chinese Gentle Art Complete Now Available

A new English translation of what we call the "Ngo Cho Bible" is now available . This translation came about from of team effort of Alex Co, Mark V. Wiley, and Russ Smith. Five Ancestor Fist rises above many styles by the fact that the early teachers documented the system well. Little guess work goes into trying to figure out the application of the "outward middle block". It has been preserved in writing and in an unbroken line of oral teachings. Because Five Ancestor Fist is a cousin art of karate, many of the principles and tactics from Five Ancestor Fist can be adapted into karate--giving the karate practitioner a credible glimpse of what the art looked like when it migrated from China to Okinawa. Click the link below for more information about the book and how to order it.
http://tambulimedia.com/kung-fu-books/bible-of-ngo-cho-kun/
There is much to share about the book itself (for example, the cultural implications of the book's title) that I will hopefully post about in the future.

Five Ancestor Fist Curriculum of the Beng Hong Athletic Association

I currently train Five Ancestor Fist under Dr. Mark Wiley, who formed the Beng Hong Athletic Association in direct affiliation with Alex Co of the Beng Kiam Athletic Association in Manila, Philippines. Dr. Wiley recently returned from an intense training session with his long-time mentor and friend and has crafted a general curriculum under the advice of Mr. Co for Beng Hong students. This is not the complete system of Five Ancestor Fist (there are around 40 empty hand forms and numerous weapon forms), but this ordering of material is designed to take a student deep into the essence of the art while providing a balanced training routine in modular format. The names of the forms are in the Hokkien dialect. The "Bible" mentioned below refers to a reference manual for Five Ancestor Fist written in 1915. Send me an email if you are in the Philadelphia area and I'll put you in touch with Dr. Wiley if you want to explore the art further. I'm in West Chester, PA.

1st Duan Black SashSam Chien (Three Tensions)
Qi Kun (Opening Fist) Structure Testing
Tian Te Lin Chien (Heaven, Earth, and Man Tension)
Li Sip Kun (Twenty Punches)Li Sip Kun Two-Man Form
Kong Ngo Ki Two-Man Exercise
Sang Sou Kun (Double Roundhouse Punch)
Sang Sau Kun Two-Man Form
Kim Chieng Wat Two-Man Exercise
Pieng Ma Chien (Even Stance Tension)
Se Mun Pa Kak (Hitting the Four Corners)
Se Mun Pa Kak Two-Man Form
Song Sui Kun (Double Banner Fist)
Song Sui Kun Two-Man Form
Sam Chien Sip Li Kun (Three Wars Cross Pattern)
Sam Chien Sip Li Kun Two-Man Form
Hong Be Chien (Phoenix Tail Tension)
Se Mun Kwa Sau (Four Direction Sweep)

2nd Duan Black Sash
5 Two-Man Exercises from Bible (Kun Chiu, Kim Chieng, Kai Chiat, Tioh Cha, Kao Yao)
Tan Lien Kwan (Single Continuous Kick)
Ngo Ho Chien (Five Tiger Tension)
Lieng Tao Chien (Dragon’s Head Tension)
Chian Li Ta (Chopping Attack)
Tit Kieng Chien (Straight Bow Tension)
Sang Lien Kwan (Double Continuous Kick)
Ching Lien He Sui (Seven-Foot Pole)
Tsai Hong Song Hui (The Elegant Flying Double Phoenix - Sai)
Pole Vs. Sai Two-Man Form
Tui Chong (Pursuing Fist)
Tui Chong Two-Man Form

3rd Duan Black Sash
Se Mun Tiao Cha (Deflecting/Intercepting the Four Corners)
In Tin Tat (Entwining Kick)
In Tin tat Two-Man Form
Ho Chien Wat (Crane’s Tension Method)
Cho Chien Wat (Ancestral Tension Method)
Kaw Tuan Kim (9 Sections of Brocade – 10 Exercises)
Lak Hop Kun (Six Harmonies Fist)

4th Duan Gold Sash
Sam To Tim Tao (3 Times Hitting the Head)
Sui Hua Chien (Elegant Tension)
Sa Kak Yiao (Three Corners Rocking Punch)
Sip Li Kun (Cross Punch)
Si Hong (Fourth Segment)
Ko Twi Pi (Drummer’s Flog)
Sai Tze Wan Sin (Lion Turning the Body)
Hi Li Po Pai (Child Holding the Tablet)
Se Mun Chao Tue (Attacking the Lower Four Directions)

A Brief History of Five Ancestor White Crane Fist

I was introduced to Five Ancestor Fist during a two-week visit to Xiamen City on the southern coast of Fujian in 1996. Mr. Xu Jing Ming (now deceased) and his student Wu Rong Fu taught me three forms of Five Ancestor White Crane Fist that developed in Xiamen City. What follows is a translation of a history that he wrote for me.

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Five Ancestor Fist is a branch of Southern Fist and one of the most famous styles in Fujian Province. It is popular in an area of Southern Fujian Province known as the Golden Triangle (the three cities of Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Zhangzhou). It is also popular in other places such as Jin Jiang and Longhai and in Southeast Asia in places like Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

A martial artists named Cai Yu Ming (1853-1910) in the end of the Qing Dynasty created the art. He was from Beng Wei VIllage, Wu Tang Town, outside of Nan Men in Quanzhou City (modern day Jin Jiang). His reputation was great and people called him "Beng Mei He" (Beautiful Crane of Beng Village). He was well and broadly learned and combined White Crane Fist, Monkey Fist, Tai Zu Fist, Louhan Fist, and Da Zun Fist into a unique style, thus creating Five Ancestor Fist. The techniques and characteristics are the hands of White Crane Fist, the leaping of Monkey Fist, the feet of Tai Zu Fist, the steps of Louhan, and the body of Da Zun Fist.

Cai Yu Min had many students scattered everywhere. It is said that he had ten famous students: Wei Yin Nan (also called Fen Tian Bao), Lin Jiu Ru (also called Gao Sai because Jiu and Gao have the same sound in Hokkien dialect), You Feng Biao (Ju San), You Jun An, Weng Chao Xian, Yang Yu Jie, Chen Yang De, Chen Jing Ming, Ke Cai Yun, and Gong Puo Zhan.

After Cai Yu Min created Five Ancestor Fist, he taught students according to their characteristic. In his many years of teaching experience, many students did not begin training with him but became his disciple only after Cai gained fame--and usually after they lost to him in a challenge match. After Cai Yu Min taught every student, that student created his own technique, style, and characteristics in his training and teaching practice. According to my research and investigation, there are three main groups that are primarily the same with small differences in movements, techniques, and characteristics.

The first group is called Wu Zu Bai He Quan (Five Ancestor White Crane Fist), taught by Yang Jie Yu. He founded the Xiamen He Wushu Guan. In this variation, the beginning postures of each form use the Four Step Beginning.

The second group is Wu Zu He Yang Quan taught by Chen Yang De, who founded the Xin An Wu Guan. They do the beginning postures of each form using the Eight Step Beginning. Some of Xin An's adherents consider Five Ancestor Fist synthesized from White Crane, Monkey style, Taizu Quan, and Xuan Nu Quan (Fairy Fist)--ommitting Louhan Fist--and absorbed the leg techniques of He Yang Pai. Therefore, the style is called Wu Zu He Yang Quan.

The third group, generally called Five Ancestor Fist, originated and is well known in Quanzhou and Jin Jiang. Some people believe that Wu Zu Quan is not a fist form but is a name for all five fist forms. They also call the art Taizu Quan. The beginning postures of every form use the Eight Step Beginning.

All these people have different opinions about the origin of Five Ancestor Fist. Many think that Cai Yu Min is not the founder but merely a great teacher who had significant contribution to the development of the art. This subject awaits further research and discussion.