Page 25 - Martial Science Magazine 2019 FEB DIG

thorities were very suspicious of such activ- sessed was tossing a 50-cent coin straight
ity. We will bow low and address “SIFU” in through a kerosene tin, which was taught to
front of every one. At the association we ad- me as well. Think it’s called, “fei-piau (flying
dress our two Sifu as SENG-KOR and MOK- knife)” in Mandarin.
KOR, the “KOR” means brother, as we have
our GM Li present at the association. How- Another person met was a Northern style
ever when we are out on an engagement, we Hung Kuen practitioner who, besides fist,
address them as Sifu. specialized in leg techniques as well. How
good was he? He could stand straight and
Ther were no tests per se. The practice of slowly lift a leg from his side all the way
Four Gates before learning any new sets is above his shoulder without bending his knee.
testament to being graded. Remember that Similarly, he can lift a leg straight up from
each sets of 2 minutes must be performed the front to touch his head. He taught me
with full force. If not Sifu will NOT teach you some basic kicks which he said was from his
any new chapter. So 2 minutes multiplied by style of Hung Kuen.
4 gates is 8 minutes of full force. The Tiger &
Crane set has 118 steps taking over 3 minutes Lastly I learned competition Wushu from
to practice one set. So Four Gates is over 12 China in the late 80’s while still learning in
minutes of full force training. Not easy. Hung Kar Kuen. I I learned “Chang Quan”,
“Nangquan”,and“Koon” as well, but have
12. have you dabbled in other arts? since forgotten them as I have stopped prac-
ticing them.
I picked up some boxing from friends who
have similar interests and also being influ- 13. how has your training aFFected you in your
enced by the late Cassius Clay in the 70’s. proFessional and personal liFe?
At the same time, I met a few ‘society’ people
who were apt to getting into real fights to These different arts and Sifu’s guidance have
keep their lives. After getting to know them somehow instilled a very disciplined ap-
for a while, and after much persuasion, you proach towards life and as a person, towards
can see the scars from blade wounds on their most of everything I do. This discipline and
arms and torsos. Some had very meaningful commitment has seeped into how I manage
tattoos as well, which signified their posi- my work life, towards my family and friends,
tion. On a whole, most were put into that po- my lectures, my counselling work, etc. It has
sition in their lives. It was not of their choos- instilled in me to give utmost respect to my
ing. It was out of self-preservation. GM Li, Sifu Yee Chuen Sen, Sifu Chang Sook
Mook, and my seniors, brothers, students and
Other arts picked up in the early 80’s while all fellow martial artists. It has also made me
at Petaling Jaya (Kuala Lumpur) was Jui-Jit- a more confident person in the way I handled
su, under the tutelage of Shihan GOH, a sixth my family and work. Surprisingly, after prac-
Dan master trained in Japan. I spent one and ticing Hung Kar Kuen for about two years,
a half years with him before coming back to my childhood asthma and gastritis has all
Johor Bahru again. His training was tough, gone!
twice a week. Besides rolling, we did about
100 to 150 throws and falls a night. In ad- 14. what let you to wenwu? how do you see its
dition, knife edge (of the hands) hardening value?
by striking a 4”x½” thick flat piece of steel
planted into the concrete floor, etc. I left my association a couple of years after
Another art learnt was from a Mao-san priest, my late masters passing away for personal
who was very apt with his straightened in- reasons. I was an advisor in one of the youth
dex finger, which could smash through a sol- programs, the Rakan Muda Wajadiri pro-
id pack of matchsticks lay flat on a table, and gram to be exact, where I met young Shihan
knock it on a wall continuously till the ½” of James. Even then, he was very enthusiastic
plaster all came out. Another skill he pos- about Bujinkan Ninjutsu. In later years I met

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