Hi Sal,
First of all I must say I am really impressed with the historical articles you have on your site at http://www.naturalcma.bgtent.com. (hope that counts as another link for the google ranking). Damn, you must have spent a whole lot of time on those articles and I can imagine that you might even have lost one or two girlfriends over obsessing on Gongfu, haha.
I'd like to ask permision to use some of the information in your articles to provide background information on history and forms for some 20 or 30 students. I just translate some stuff to Spanish and write a few pages on the styles we train and give them to the students.
It's not like I'll publish it in book form, but still I feel I should ask permision out of respect for your hard work.
By the way I found some striking resemblances between some of your articles on an australian website http://www.shaolin.com.au/history.htm, but it doesn't credit you for it. They ask consulting them before using any material on their website, so guess they themselves could have given you some credit. Don`t know if you mind or not.
Over the last year I´ve been digging into some martial arts history myself and it is so complex that there were a lot of things that had me puzzled. The more I read your stuff, the more answers I got, but a whole new bunch of questions came bubbling up. So I'll ask some of them and hope you find the time to answer.
I compared Yilu Taiji Chen from Chen Shitong lineage I practice with Shaolin Taizu Chang using your article and I see what your saying. It was real fun comparing all the moves and finding how they really are the same even though yilu chen form takes me like 10 times the amount of time it takes to do taizu chang to complete. I have always thought gongfu and taiji are basically the same thing and now it seems your investigation backs this up. I already practice Xiao Hong Quan in a taiji manner one day and a harder way another.
I wish I could provide you with some useful information in return but I guess you just know so much more than I do. Asking so much at once make me feel a bit guilty, so if i can return a favor, just ask.
Thanks a lot
First of all I must say I am really impressed with the historical articles you have on your site at http://www.naturalcma.bgtent.com. (hope that counts as another link for the google ranking). Damn, you must have spent a whole lot of time on those articles and I can imagine that you might even have lost one or two girlfriends over obsessing on Gongfu, haha.
I'd like to ask permision to use some of the information in your articles to provide background information on history and forms for some 20 or 30 students. I just translate some stuff to Spanish and write a few pages on the styles we train and give them to the students.
It's not like I'll publish it in book form, but still I feel I should ask permision out of respect for your hard work.
By the way I found some striking resemblances between some of your articles on an australian website http://www.shaolin.com.au/history.htm, but it doesn't credit you for it. They ask consulting them before using any material on their website, so guess they themselves could have given you some credit. Don`t know if you mind or not.
Over the last year I´ve been digging into some martial arts history myself and it is so complex that there were a lot of things that had me puzzled. The more I read your stuff, the more answers I got, but a whole new bunch of questions came bubbling up. So I'll ask some of them and hope you find the time to answer.
I compared Yilu Taiji Chen from Chen Shitong lineage I practice with Shaolin Taizu Chang using your article and I see what your saying. It was real fun comparing all the moves and finding how they really are the same even though yilu chen form takes me like 10 times the amount of time it takes to do taizu chang to complete. I have always thought gongfu and taiji are basically the same thing and now it seems your investigation backs this up. I already practice Xiao Hong Quan in a taiji manner one day and a harder way another.
- what is the story about Shaolin keeping the 2nd and 3rd of Tai Zu road secret? Is there maybe a family style that teaches all 3 roads or do we really have to wait till Shaolin opens up. Is there any good material that documents these forms, books, video, vcd's...? I know Taizu is not mentioned in latest volume of Shi Deqian`s book. At page 112 and 113 there are 3 Chang Quan forms in text only. Are these the Taizu forms? I started learning chinese a few months ago but my skills are nowhere near to being able to read DeQian's Encyclopedia. The Tagou books have the first road only.
- Could you tell me which moves in Yilu Taizu are supposed to be slow and soft and which are supposed to be fast and hard? It would be fantastic if you could include this in the article. Is the way it is done here in national geographic documentary at 4:15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYvig13hDWs a good way to go?
- What's the story on the second road of Xiao Hong Quan? I`ve never seen this performed by anyone. Is it supposed to follow the first road or is it a separate form?
- There is a lot of historical information on Rou Quan in your articles but these forms also seem to be kept inside Shaolin. De Qian mentions 3 flexible fists on page 113, 114. Are these the rou quan routines? I believe the first one is pictured with drawings on page 870. There is also a General tai Ji form with drawings on page 876. Then there is the arhat 18 palm form on page 1016 with drawings that at least in the drawing has a taiji feel to it, stepping with the heel first,... etc.
- Xin Yi Ba: Another mystery it seems. no material to be found except for youtube videos of dejian and the small drawings on page 961 of Deqian books that says Xin Yi Ba. The encyclopedia also lists at page 197 Shaolin Xin Yi Quan, and at page 374 Xin Yi Chang Quan. Are any of these the real Xin Yi Ba? Has Chang Hu XinYi Men Quan anything to do with this or not? Any material to be found? again articles, books, video...etc.
- Any idea where to find a complete version of the shaolin wuxing bafa Quan?
- Do you know Shaolin Big power form (Da Li or maybe Da Li Gong???)? I learned this a few years ago from a monk ank recognized it later when I bought thee Tagou handbook vol 1 on page 308. There's also a small much larger power form (Xiao Li???) listed which I haven't learned. I've never seen them performed by anyone else and Shi DeQian doesn't seem to list them Do you know the chinese name and some background on this style? Or is this a modern invention?
I wish I could provide you with some useful information in return but I guess you just know so much more than I do. Asking so much at once make me feel a bit guilty, so if i can return a favor, just ask.
Thanks a lot
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