Page 24 - Martial Science Magazine 2019 FEB DIG

I also picked up skills in;
Sanda was only taught to our seniors. During
1. bare hands form sets (12 chapters the 80’s into the 90’s, GM stopped teaching
including Iron Wire, Tiger Crane, 5 animals due to external influence.
taming tiger, etc.),
10. although there are no real “black belts” in the
2. Single head Long cudgel (5 set includ- chinese arts (especially at that time), when did you
ing Six and half point staff, 5th Master Yang First attain an equivalent level?
Pakua staff, Eyebrow height staff, etc.),
I only realized that when Sifu insisted that I
3. Double head long weapons (4 sets teach all new comers into the association at
including letter 10 staff, mixed taming tiger Kwong Siew Wai Koon when there are many
double head staff, Tiger tail staff) more senior students who joined way before
me. I end up being addressed as Ta Shi Xiong
4. weapons set (including sleeve short (Big Elder Brother).
knife, single and double broad sword, Red
smoke spear, Kuan Dao, Golden Coin spade, Other incidences were when Sifu always
Chang-kul set, Wooden bench set, etc.) wanted me to start and end in most of the
performances we are engaged in. That means
5. Most forgotten are the five sets of I’ll be the first person to perform a bare-
two and tree man fighting sets hands set, followed by my junior and seniors.
At the end of the martial arts performances,
6. Break down of different set move- I will almost always end with my Six and A
ments into practical application. Half Point staff (Loke Tim Poon Kuan). Sifu
No, it is not easy to absorb as we need to would always say, “Look after the younger
have a lot of conditioning, practice on our ones.”
own, if you forget what’s taught for the day,
the master will be quite annoyed. Quite a 11. what were the tests like? were there any kind oF
lot of people gave up due to the rigorous re- ceremonies?
quirements. I did not get to practice much as
I wanted to as I was required to teach all the No, there where no ceremonies during my
new-comers into the association. time as “gangsterism” was rife and the au-

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