The State of Martial Arts in India

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Kung fu history has it Shaolin was founded by a Tamil monk by the name of Bodhidharma who brought the art to China from India. With Shaolin in the limelight, how's martial arts doing in India, Shaolin's ancestral homeland? Not too badly apparently if this clip is anything to go by...

Peking Opera vs Hung Kuen

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This has got to be one of the best martial arts fight scene ever. From the movie The Pedicab Driver, it pits Sammo Hung (Peking Opera) against Lau Kar Leung (Hung Kuen). Sans blood and gore, yet still a thriller, from a bygone era of Hong Kong cinema. The dialog is in Cantonese with English subtitles. [Note: Peking Opera training includes Northern and Southern Chinese martial arts, it's not just 'opera'.]

Eye Candy Wing Chun

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According to Google Translate, the caption of this video says "Traditional Wing Chun" in Serbian. According to some traditions, Wing Chun is allegedly a lady's kung fu, handed down from Shaolin nun Ng Mui.  This legend does makes some sense seeing Wing Chun sports a closed/narrow stance and dainty movements in contrast with other Cantonese arts with male patriarchs such as Hung Kuen and Choy Lee Fut. Maybe, just maybe, there-in lies the secret of Wing Chun...

Punch Bag Fail

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This clip is both humorous and instructional. It is not easy to hit a target with a punch, or with any anatomical weapon for that matter, without extensive training, though it might seem easy and natural at first glance. In fact, in some rare traditional styles, the punch is practiced countless number of times until it is as lethal as a bullet. [Spotted at: Kungfu Magazine.]

Choy Lee Fut Fighting Style

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Here's a dynamic demonstration of another Southern Long Fist style: Choy Lee Fut. In this video, Sifu Thomas Fuhr, a student of Grandmaster Chen Yong Fa, demonstrates combat sequences and drills from Choy Lee Fut. Unlike the Damaru-like use of long fists in the previous clip on Lama Kung Fu, Choy Lee Fut uses long fists to reach intended targets from wherever the fists initially are. As you can also see, if the distance is close, Choy Lee Fut will use shorter fist techniques.

Related Post: Lama Kung Fu's Penetrating Fist

Lama Kung Fu's Penetrating Fist

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Lama Kung Fu is a style of esoteric Southern Long Fist which is said to hail from the Western reaches of China. The name Lama itself is from the Tibetan word meaning monk. Though it has external similarities with Northern Long Fist, internally, it is said to resemble Xingyi. Those casually acquainted with Long Fist styles might conclude the the hand is kept straight - hence Long Fist - to allow techniques can be applied at arm's length. But actually it has less to do with distancing. In this clip, Sifu Michael Parrella demonstrates some of the finer aspects of the Lama Long Fist. From the video, you might be able to discern a possible Tibetan aspect of the art: the flinging hands are akin to the strikers of the Tibetan Damaru. You heard it first here at Daily Kungfu! [The video is draggy at the start and the end, and the audio is poor, but do persist.]

The Cambodian Martial Art of Bokator

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Sorry folks, we are still in the midst of sorting out our Martial Challenges series. In the meantime, have a look at the Cambodian martial art of Bokator. It looks quite like Muay Thai but according to reseachers, Bakator is a more complete system with grappling and weapons, whereas Muay Thai has in modern times morphed into a kick boxing sport. Watch out in the clip for the combat application of a scarf, a soft weapon which is more commonly associated with Silat.

Muay Thai vs Taekwondo Redux

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We have previously posted a Taekwondo vs Muay Thai matchup here where the Taekwondo fighter got the better of his Muay Thai opponent. In this clip, the tables are turned - this 1993 thriller has the Muay Thai fighter demolishing his Taekwondo counterpart.

What gave the Muay Thai fighter the upper-hand? Watch the video first and check out the pointers below.

• The Muay Thai fighter kept it simple. He used only roundhouse kicks. In contrast, the Taekwondo fighter tried a range of technically difficult kicks. (Think also how much more focused the Muay Thai training would be)
• The Muay Thai fighter did not step back from the Taekwondo fighter's kicks. Instead he held his ground and easily caught waist level kicks or jammed higher ones.
• The Muay Thai fighter had a calmer countenance and looks much more battle ready. Probably as a result of long training and experience. In other words, it could be a pro vs an amateur bout, so in this light the Taekwondo fighter didn't fail too badly.

Further to this clip, there are a slew of videos showing Taekwondo practitioners handing it to their Muay Thai counterparts but in almost all of them, the Muay Thai guy is a north Asian, not a Thai. Having said all this, we understand elite Taekwondo fighters in Korea are highly capable but do not display their art in public.

Martial Arts Challenge Matches

Here's a recap of match-ups we have covered thus far at Daily Kungfu:

• Mande Muda vs Cimande Pusaka
• Tiger Kungfu vs Real Tiger
• Wing Chun vs Piguaquan (Movie)
• Leung Jan vs Yip Man (Movie)
• Kungfu Publisher vs Taiji Master
• Kickboxer vs Kickboxer (Movie)
• Wing Chun vs Real Boxer (Humor)
• Choy Lay Fut vs 3 Styles (Movie)
• Shaolin Kungfu vs Western Boxing
• Silat vs Taiji
• Professional vs Amateur
• Tibetan Crane vs Street Punk
• Russian AK47 vs American M16
• Fuzhou White Crane vs Hakka Tiger
• Japanese Katana vs Kali Twin Machetes
• Bagua Deer Horns vs Kali Sticks
• Sabre vs Foil
• Shaolin Sword vs Japanese Katana
• Taekwondo vs Muay Thai
• Monkey Kungfu vs Capoeira (Movie)
• Taijiquan vs Baguazhang (Movie)
• Taijiquan vs Xingyiquan
• Taijiquan vs Bajiquan
• Southern Mantis vs Choy Lay Fut
• Wing Chun vs Pak Mei (Movie)
• Karate vs Drunken Boxing

More coming up in our special series on Martial Arts Match-ups.

Muay Thai vs Kung Fu

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Okay folks, next up is a special series on a topic you might find interesting: Style A vs Style B match-ups. Since this is a weekend and since many Style A vs Style B matches often end up looking like Kickboxing A vs Kickboxing B, we will kick off with a campy interpretation of how a Muay Thai vs Kung Fu match-up might, or should, look like...

The Ten Keys of Wing Chun Combat

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Here's an excellent and concise introduction to ten key concepts in Wing Chun combat:

1. Economy of Motion 
2. The Triangle 
3. Simultaneous Attack and Defence 
4. Bridge Hand 
5. Straight Line Attack 
6. Immovable Elbow 
7. Trapping Hand
8. The Centreline 
9. The Four Corners 
10. Face to Face. 

These concepts can be applied to any martial art.

Related Posts: The Ten Elements of Choy Lay Fut, Hung Gar Ten Combat Hands