Tag: Traditional martial arts

Posted on by

1st March News & Updates

Yee's Hung Ga Kung fu Academy, Qigong classes

We have a busy week ahead of us at YHGInverness. Our public Qigong classes are due to be reinstated to our timetable. We have students undergoing pre-tests on Saturday morning and we also have our exciting seminar, available to anyone, on Saturday afternoon.

Highland School of Qigong

Highland School of Qigong

Our public Qigong classes make a welcome return this week. Our syllabus has been developed further to add extra sensitivity for our students. Springtime is traditionally a time of year for cleansing, renewal, creativity and inspiration. We have developed our Spring Qigong Routine especially for the Spring months to help balance and encourage growth in these areas. We will also harmonise energy in the physical body to boost health and productivity.

Qigong Classes

Yee's Hung Ga Kung fu Academy, Qigong classes
Qigong Classes

Our public Qigong classes are due to return to our Inverness Academy this week. On Thursday the 5th of March we will hold regular public Qigong classes. These will continue every Thursday evening at 6.15pm. The classes are open to anyone, of any age, who are interested in learning the art of Qigong.

Classes will be priced at £5 per class. There is also the option to buy a loyalty card for £30. This will grant you a 7th class for free. They will follow a similar format to our previous Qigong classes where we will practice a set routine. A Qigong exercise will then be taught to individual students to practice throughout the week. Comfortable, loose clothing should be worn with flat trainers or plimsoles. If you would like to enquire further about these classes, you can email us directly to ask any questions. We will also post updates on our Facebook page:

If you prefer to learn privately, we still have 1-1 tuition available. These sessions can easily be booked with our online booking system. Just select a day and available timeslot that is suitable for you on our calendar below. Fill out your details and you will then be taken to PayPal. You can securely pay for your session with any debit or credit card at this stage. We currently have availability all day on Monday this week.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Spring Qigong Routine

Spring Qigong Routine

Continuing from our previous Autumn and Winter Qigong routines, our Spring Routine is due to be released this month. This will follow a similar format, with everything that you need sent out to you, completely FREE, in an email. This will include a warm up, main practice and cool down. Each exercise will have a video of it being performed. It will also contain brief instructions, an explanation of any theory and a list of the main benefits. A workshop will also be held a few weeks after the release of the routine. This will aid you in your practice and help to clarify any questions that might arise after practicing it for a short time. Any notes from the workshop and general feedback will then be compiled and sent out to everyone, which should aid further practice and development.

All this information will be completely FREE of charge to anyone who is interested in learning the art of Qigong. To receive this information, you only need to complete the form below. Once compiled, we’ll send it all out to you at the email address that you provide.

Rent Out Our School

Our Inverness school

If you have thought about running your own martial arts, yoga, meditation or exercise class but you’re put off by the high charges for renting space out, we have a great solution. Our Academy has a fantastic central location in Inverness. It is available throughout the day Sunday to Saturday. We also have Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights available for you to run your classes. If you wish, we can even designate space for your marketing and help get the word out on our social media platforms. It only costs £12 to rent out our school for an hour. If you need more time, speak to us about what you need and we can come up with a fair arrangement. As always, you can email us directly or read more about what we can offer you in this article: Space Available

Classes

Updated timetable

Our classes this week see the return of our public Qigong classes on Thursday evenings at 6.15pm. We also have our Forres classes on Friday evenings at 7-8pm for kids & 8-9pm for adults. New students who wish to start are more than welcome at either of these classes. If you wish to begin in Inverness, the best class to start with is Tuesday evenings at 7pm. See the following page for further information: How Do I Join?

Private 1-1 Tuition

Many students prefer to learn in private, with 1-1 tuition from Sifu Hepple. Perhaps you feel anxious about learning in front of other students or just want to learn at a faster pace. These classes are an invaluable tool for any students who wish to perfect their art. Whatever your reasons might be for learning solo, they’re easy to arrange. Simply select a date and available time slot, fill out your info and then pay securely by PayPal with any credit or debit card.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

An Interview With Sifu Frank Yee

Sifu Hepple being taught by Grandmaster Frank Yee. 28 May 2005. Aberdeen

If you would like some insight into what Hung Ga training is like, or want to weigh up the options of contemporary vs traditional, perhaps you’ve been training for some time but need a little direction, then this interview with Grandmaster Frank Yee is extremely insightful. It was published almost 20 years ago, in 2001, for Kung Fu Magazine. It discusses the history of the Hung Ga style, Grandmaster Yee’s own background, how he started in Hung Ga, training requirements and some really good, solid advice. You can read the full interview here: An Interview With Sifu Frank Yee

Inverness Pre-Tests

Pre-testing in Inverness

This coming Saturday (7th March) we have scheduled pre-tests for our students. These help our students prepare for the rigorous grading procedure, which we are quite proud of at Yee’s Hung Ga. We ensure that our students are fully capable for the level that they are testing. Simply attending a grading does not guarantee a pass in the Yee’s Hung Ga system. A student must undergo a number of tests to pass each grading. This ensures that the art of Hung Ga is passed on fully for future generations. It also means that our students are under no disillusions about their strengths and capabilities. The pre-testing stage also helps to settle any anxious feelings that our students might have about the main grading.

Hung Ga Techniques For Combat Sports

Hung Ga for combat sports

On the same day at 1pm, Yee’s Inverness will host a seminar, suitable for anyone, students and non-students, to attend. This seminar will be delivered by Sifu Michael Rose, instructor from Yee’s Hung Ga Peterhead and Vice President of Yee’s Hung Ga Europe. The seminar is all about the Hung Ga fighting system and how it can be used for various combat sports including; MMA, Sanda & Kickboxing. Sifu Rose can also advise on correct stance, positioning, stretching, diet & nutrition in preparation for competing. Boxing or MMA gloves are suitable for this workshop. A limited supply is available at the school but we recomend that you take your own.

Fight like a tiger!

If you’ve ever thought about competing or would like to know more about the training involved, this is your chance to gain the knowledge you need to take it to the next level. The seminar lasts for about 3 hours. It is suitable for both men and women, basically anyone interested in learning. For students of Yee’s Hung Ga it is priced at £30 and non-students £35. Tickets can be pre-booked, to avoid disappointment, here:

Hung Ga Fighting System for Combat Sports Tickets

Facebook event page for seminar

Coming Soon

We’re working on it….

The notes for our Winter Qigong Routine have now been compiled and will be ready to send out shortly. You can find out how our students got on in our Qigong classes, pre-tests and combat sport workshop next week.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Chinese Lion Dance

Chinese lion dance is a tradition which is at least 1000 years old. It is a fun, colourful way to bring a party atmosphere to any happy occasion. Weddings, festivals, parties, blessings, shop openings and, of course, Chinese New Year. Lion dance is huge in Asia and in many other parts of the world. As with most Chinese traditions, there are many myths, legends, symbology and folklore attached to these practices. We’ll take a look at the significance of the different lions and explore some of the hidden meanings behind them.

Yee’s North Scotland Lion Dance Team blessing a young couple’s wedding.

Chinese lion dances can be split into two main groups or styles, Northern and Southern. The Northern style is sometimes called Beijing style. It can be very acrobatic. They usually appear in pairs and have long, ruffled, shaggy orange and yellow hair. Dependant on whether the lion is male or female, it will have a red or green bow on the head. Male lions have a red bow and the female has a green one.

Northern lion dance tv spot. Note the coloured bows on the head.

The movements of Northern lions resemble those of a Pekingese or Fu Dog. Stunts and acrobatics such as lifts, jumps, walking on rattan poles, or balancing on giant balls are common. They sometimes appear as a family, with two large “adult” lions and a pair of small “young lions.”

A statue of a ‘fu dog’ guarding a temple, similar to a Northern lion.

Southern lion dance is usually performed as a ceremony or blessing. The ceremonies are performed to bring luck and good fortune. The Southern lions are decorated in many different colours and they have a very uniquely shaped head. There is a mirror on the forehead and a horn above it in the center. The performers animate the lion by flashing the large eyes and flapping the ears. The mouth also opens and closes.

A colourful green lion. Note the mirror on the top.

Southern lion dance is also known as Cantonese style. There are two main groups within the Cantonese style. Fat San (Buddha Mountain) and Hok San (Crane Mountain). There are other groups too, such as Fat-Hok (a fusion of Fat San and Hok San), and the Green Lion (Qingl Shil – popular with the Fukien/Hokkien and Taiwanese).

A selection of southern style lion heads at Yee’s Hung Ga, Inverness

Fat San is common amongst many Kung Fu schools. The movements are very powerful and require considerable strength. The lion represents each individual school and demonstrates a lot of the stances and footwork involved. It also shows how strong the students are. When performing, the most senior students are therefore chosen to represent their school with the lion. It is a great honour for students to be given this privilege.

A famous lion dance scene with a complicated choi chang using Fat San Lions from the film Dreadnaught.

The Hok San style combines a Southern lion head with Northern lion movements. Hok San focuses on life-like, realistic movements, and acrobatic stunts. The tail is shorter on this type of lion. Many lion dance troupes that perform pole (jong) jumping, use this type of lion. You will often see Hok San lion dances using three different coloured lions. A black, a yellow and white lion. The black lion is the youngest of the three. The movements of this lion are performed fast, like a young child with lots of energy. The yellow lion is the middle child, it’s movements are energetic and lively. The white lion is the oldest. You may see many other colours too. A red lion is common at weddings because the colour is considered to be lucky. The red lion also symbolises courage and strength. The green lion, however, represents friendship.

The three coloured Hok San lions. Black, Yellow & White. Performing in front of the Yee’s Hung Ga, Inverness Kung Fu school.

There are also three lions which represent three brothers in arms from the classic, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” The characters are Liu Bei, Guan Gong and Zhang Fei. Together they swore a blood oath to restore the Han dynasty. You can read more about Guan Gong and this classical Chinese novel in our article, “Who’s the guy with the big sword thingy!”

Statues of the three sworn brothers who founded Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms Period of China

The Liu Bei lion is the eldest of the three brothers. Yellow is the main colour of his face with a white beard and fur. The imperial yellow colour is significant because it shows that he became the first emperor of the Shu-Han Kingdom. The white beard and fur shows that he was very wise. He has a multicolored tail with a white underside, representing the five elements. He also has three coins on his collar, to show that he is the eldest. The Liu Bei lion is used by kung fu schools or organisations to show that they are well established. He is also known as Rui Shi or ‘Auspicious Lion’.

A Liu Bei lion. Note the yellow colour, white beard & fur and multicoloured tail.

The Guan Gong lion has red as the main colour of his face and a long black beard. His tail is red and black coloured with a white underside and white trim. He has two coins in his collar and is referred to as the second brother. He is also known as Xing Shi meaning ‘Awakened Lion’.

Guan Gong lion with red face, long black beard and red and black tail.

The Zhang Fei lion has a black coloured face with a short black beard. His tail is black and white, also with a white underside and white trim. He has bells attached to his body too. He has a single coin on his collar, showing that he is the youngest brother. This Lion is known as Dou Shi or ‘Fighting Lion’. This is because Zhang Fei had a short temper and liked fighting. Kung fu schools that are just starting out or those wanting to make a challenge might use Zhang Fei.

A Zhang Fei lion with a black & white tail, black face and black beard

Choi chang

Choi chang is a Chinese New Year tradition. Shopkeepers, restaurants and business owners attach a red envelope filled with money to a lettuce and hang it above the doorway of their premises. Kung fu schools visit the premises with their lions and perform the choi chang. The lions approach the lettuce inquisitively, with cat-like movements. They will jump up and eat the lettuce, keeping the money, and spitting out the chewed up lettuce leaves around the doorway. This brings good luck to the store during the forthcoming year. “Choi chang,” literally means picking the greens. It is seen as especially auspicious for the lettuce leaves to land on you. Sweeping the lettuce leaves up however, rather than picking them up, is seen as sweeping away the good luck and therefore unlucky.

‘picking the green’

Sometimes the lettuce is hung quite high, 15 to 20 feet. The prize in the envelopes of these lettuces can be quite considerable. Only the most skilled martial artists are able to obtain these lettuces, whilst dancing with a heavy lion head and in front of a watchful crowd. The higher the lettuce, the bigger the challenge and the greater the reward, in the red envelopes and from the crowd. Kung fu schools gain notoriety through this practice and therefore more students too.

Our lion performing the choi chang in Jimmy Chungs restaurant during a Chinese New Year celebration.

Many kung fu schools would take part in the choi chang. Occasionally more than one school might approach the same lettuce. If this is the case, the lions must fight a duel to decide a winner. The battle that takes place is not a street fighting brawl but one that uses the lion’s movements to impress the crowd. The greater the style and finesse from the performers, the greater the audience’s praise. The lions with the highest praise and cheers wins the right to complete the choi chang. The reputation of the schools are at stake during these duels so the performers must act with the highest respect and decorum.

Some famous faces in this clip demonstrate some lion dance etiquette & a battle between rival schools. From the film Martial Club

There are other types of challenges that a lion dance troupe may be confronted with instead of lettuces. Pineapples, bananas, oranges, pots, benches etc have all been used as barriers for the lion to overcome.

A lion dance performances using many obstacles for the lions to overcome. From the film The Young Master

Our own new year celebrations in Inverness will begin on Saturday the 25th of January 2020. We start out at Jimmy Chungs restaurant at 1pm, then on to the Eastgate Centre for about 2pm. We then proceed to the Victorian Market for 4.30pm and finally back to Jimmy Chungs for about 5.30pm for a final dance and some food. We would love for you to come and enjoy our celebration so that we may continue to honour this wonderful festive experience year after year. As always, we value your feedback so don’t forget to tag us in your photos #yhginverness #invernesscny20. You can also email us and let us know what you thought.

Posted on by

1st Dec News & Updates

We have a new article available for you to read this week. We also have Black Friday deals throughout our Fu-kit store. There are updates to our private tuition and class schedule for this week. There’s also more info on our Chinese New Year celebrations in Inverness and future articles and workshops coming soon.

Horse Stance

If you’ve trained in any martial arts, it is likely that you have come across the horse stance, or a version of it. It is a basic stance used for training. Many who subscribe to modern training methods may question its relevance. The horse stance is good for training the legs but is it not better to do some leg weights or squats instead of spending time sitting in one position? The length of time training this stance, especially in Hung Ga, doesn’t warrant its usage in a fight, so why not spend the time training something which will be more beneficial?

The Horse Stance

Read our insightful article on the horse stance and find out more about this, often misunderstood, training method. Try it for yourself and let us know what you think. Our article has an explanation with a short instructional video. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on our social media channels. You can always email us your thoughts too.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Our sale has now been extended further still. From t-shirts to accessories and teaware. Now everything is on sale! (Except our uniforms as these are already as low a price as we can get them!) We have dresses, skirts, leggings, shorts, t-shirts, polo shirts, hats, caps, teaware, beanbags, mugs, hoodies and much more! If you are thinking of buying a gift for your training buddies or loved ones who have a passion for Hung Ga, now is the time! We can only keep prices this low for a short time, so best get in there quick. Visit our Fu-kit shop for all sale items.

Classes

You may have noticed that we have made a slight change to our website so it is now more mobile friendly to navigate. All our features are there as normal, just the pages should be a little easier to find on your mobile or tablet device. Let us know what you think.

Current class timetable

We have private 1-1 tuition available all day on Monday 2nd Dec this week. You can book and pay for these by clicking on a day and timeslot on the following calendar.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Public classes are as per normal. Beginners are welcome to attend on Monday or Tuesday classes at 7pm. There are plenty spaces available in our kids classes for little ones to start too. We have 2 different age groups. 5-8 year olds are on Mondays at 6.15-7pm. We also have a class for 8-13 year olds on Thursday at 6.15-7pm. All are welcome to attend these classes. Sifu Hepple has an Enhanced Disclosure with the PVG Scheme, so you can rest at ease that your little ones are in safe hands. We have a lion dance class on Tuesdays at 6.15-7pm, before our main beginners class at 7pm. Why not come along and try both?

Chinese New Year

Yee’s Hung Ga Lion Heads

The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is not too far away. Our students are busy preparing in our Lion Dance class. Lions play an important role in Chinese mythology, and represent joy and happiness. It symbolizes power, wisdom, and superiority. The lion dance is one of the most important traditions in the Spring Festival. They are performed with the accompaniment of percussion instruments such as drums, cymbals, and gongs, synchronised to the lion dance movements and actions. People traditionally used to perform lion dances to bring luck and to get rid of the evil spirits. It is performed nowadays to bring prosperity and good luck, for instance at a shop opening, celebration or wedding. It is also a great way to create a festive atmosphere, bringing happy times and good memories. Kung fu schools have kept the traditional lion dance alive over the years. It is a great way to showcase the strong stances of the students at the individual schools. Lion dance can be quite hard work. It requires considerable strength to carry and animate the lion heads for any length of time. At Yee’s Hung Ga, these traditions have been passed on to our students so that they may carry it on for future generations to enjoy. If you are interested in our Spring Festival displays or would like to contact us regarding a private display or demonstration. You can email us directly or ‘like’ our special Facebook group, Yee’s North Of Scotland Lion & Dragon Dance Team.

Coming Soon

We have a few plans that we are working on at the moment. As mentioned earlier, we are preparing for Spring Festival next year on 25th of January. We also have some exciting workshops and a brand new Winter Qigong Routine that we are also preparing for. To avoid missing out on details of these exciting opportunities, make sure you enter your email below. If you would like to register your interest in any of these workshops, please email us directly.

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Posted on by — 1 Comment

The Horse Stance

The Horse stance, feared by some, celebrated by others! What is it, what’s the point? Let’s take a look…

Jackie Chan in Drunken Master

The horse stance (Ma Bu in Chinese), also known as the Four Point Great Stance (Sai Ping Dai Ma). It is not unique to Hung Ga, by any means, however it is of particular importance to practitioners of the Hung style. It is a basic stance for training the foundation. The foundation is the fundamental elements that support the three pillars. The fundamental elements being the strong body, including the bones, muscles ligaments, fascia and tendons. Ma Bu lowers the centre of gravity which helps the practitioner have a stable base. Practicing Ma Bu improves the structure of the body and the body’s alignment. Holding the stance can increase the stamina and determination of the practitioner, far beyond what they ever thought possible. With the correct posture, one can then focus on the breath. Having a regulated slow, deep breathing cycle has many calming benefits. It has been proven to reduce the heart rate and relax the body. With the relaxed, yet stable structure, one can then improve further with the circulation of fluids and the transportation of oxygen to the vital organs and the efficient removal of toxins, improving performance. With regular practice, the body can then heighten its performance further with the circulation of vital energy or Qi. Circulating qi around the body can have a huge benefit to physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, as well as increasing longevity, boosting energy levels and creating a barrier against diseases. This encompasses the three pillars we mentioned earlier. They are the body, the mind and the spirit. The physical body is trained by using the mind to focus and hold the static posture for a period of time. When the mind and body are synchronized in this way, over time, the spirit can elevated to higher levels.

Standing in Ma Bu takes time. It is hard. It is not the kind of practice for someone who is looking for quick results. At Yee’s, students train Ma Bu, it is a requirement for their gradings. As students advance through the system to higher levels, they must have a bigger and bigger foundation. They therefore need to train Ma Bu for longer periods of time. This is not just to pass a test but also to build the three pillars and to protect themselves from harm. This can be the downfall for many students who neglect to train Ma Bu. As students progress through he Hung Ga system, they learn more and more forms and techniques. Training Ma Bu often takes a back seat in favour of the other types of training. It can often be overlooked as it is so simple. Because it is simple, that doesn’t mean that it is easy. In fact it can be very difficult to maintain the stance for a long period of time. This is the nature of kung fu however, hard work and perseverance to achieve results. In today’s fast paced world, there are a select few people who wish to take this path. Most people try to take shortcuts or look for easier methods. For many practitioners the Ma Bu is a love/hate relationship. To succeed, you must enjoy the challenge and you must persevere through hardship.

Gordon Liu as Pai Mei in Kill Bill: Vol. 2

Are you ready to step up to the challenge? Think you can master the Ma Bu? Do you want to rise to the levels of previous kung fu masters throughout history? Good. Let your training begin….

• Stand with your feet together. Hands by your sides.

• Lift your arms up in front of you, palms up, and take a nice deep breath.

• Once you have breathed in, make fists and place them at the chamber (the groove above the hip and below the bottom rib) as you breathe out.

• Pivot on your heels and turn your toes out at an angle, creating a V shape. Pivot on the ball of the feet and turn the heels out. Pivot on the heels again to turn the toes outwards and then once more so that the toes are now pointing forward. Your feet should be fairly wide apart. Roughly the length of your lower leg.

Horse stance feet placement.

• Next, bend the knees and ‘sit’. Push your knees out so that they are above the feet. Keep your back straight and head up, with your fists in the chamber, elbows squeezed towards each other. The thighs should be almost parallel with the ground, at a slight angle. You can use a mirror to check your posture.

• Focus on your breathing. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and breathe through the nose. Take long, slow, deep breathes. Aim for 4-5 complete breathes in and out per minute.

• Great job. You’re now in the Ma Bu. You are practising an art which every Hung Ga master before you has also practiced, for centuries.

• Comfortable?

• Time how long you can maintain this stance for, without getting up. Every time you practice, try to beat your best time, even if it’s just a few seconds.

Sifu Hepple demonstrating the Ma Bu

How did you get on? How long did you manage before you had to get up? Let us know in the comments below. Send us an email or give us a tinkle on our social media channels.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

If you like this article and would like to see more, subscribe to our email list below.

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Posted on by

10th Nov News & Updates

It has been a bumper week this week at YHGInverness. We have had students gradings in Peterhead with Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee. He also conducted some amazing seminars for junior and senior students. Our ‘Furious Five’ t-shirt sale continues. We have updated info for private tuition and public classes this week. Chinese New Year draws closer, it will soon be time to dust off our lions. There are uniform updates for our kids t-shirts and adult shirts.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee (seated in the middle) surrounded by sifus from the three Northern branches (in black) and students being tested (in yellow)

Gradings & seminars in Peterhead

On the 5th of November, students from three of our North of Scotland branches congregated in Peterhead for gradings and seminars. Yee’s Hung Ga is an international association with branches all over the world. Inverness is one of three across the North of Scotland, along with Ellon and Peterhead. The Northern schools often collaborate together. We join forces for displays such as Belladrum and Chinese New Year, as well as fund raising events and also for gradings and seminars.

Our students train for a long time to prepare for their gradings. It can take a year or longer to achieve the standard necessary for the first grading. At Yee’s Hung Ga, we pride ourselves in the fact that we have a high standard set for the different levels within our system. Students need to train consistently with focus, passion and determination to succeed. For each grading every student is tested individually on form, knowledge, technical ability and foundation & endurance.

The form is a pattern, or routine, of fighting applications. It consists of various stances and methods to train the body and mind for combat. It creates awareness of surroundings, co-ordination, develops speed and different power applications, breath control, accuracy, endurance and confidence. It is the basic building blocks that we use to train ourselves with. Each student is asked to demonstrate the form for their level and is judged by a panel on how well it has been executed.

Knowledge is assessed by asking the students questions on the fighting applications contained within the forms. This can be tricky as there is often more than one application for any particular section within the form. Students are also asked question about philosophy, the history and development of the forms and the Hung Ga system, language, different ways to generate power and the students own personal development through their training. If the student is grading on one of the many weapons of the Hung Ga system, they are also asked about the weapon itself, its uses and limitations.

To understand how each student can use the knowledge and physical applications that they have learned practically, they are paired off with another student of the same level. They are then asked to spar with each other, using techniques of their level and ability. This is to gauge how well the students have grasped the basic principles, applications and concepts of their level.

The foundation and endurance of the students are really put to the test during the last part of the grading procedure. All students are asked to perform the basic stance, ‘sai ping dai ma,’ or ‘four point great stance.’ This stance is sometimes known as, ‘ma bu,’ or ‘horse stance.’ The length of time required to sit in this stance depends on the level the student is grading at. Jo Gow gradings, or our equivalent of black belt, can be half an hour or more. The stance can be difficult to master and the students must really focus to regulate their breathing. They must use their mind to overcome the physical limitations of the body, elevating the spirit above what is perceived as possible. This can only be done with regular and consistent practice. A break in practice, due to injury or personal circumstances, could set a student off course for years. We will discuss the ‘Horse stance’ in a future article and you can test your own endurance and stamina.

As we also have a pre-testing stage, it makes it a little easier on our students nerves when gradings come around. All our students did very well at handling their nerves though and this was reflected in their results.

Nerves of steel! Our students line up, ready for grading.

Sifu Pedro Cepero Yee also conducted two seminars whilst he was visiting. One for junior and senior students and another for senior students only. The junior seminar explored the devastating elbow techniques of the Hung Ga System. The applications learned in this seminar utilised ‘inch power,’ to generate a lot of power in a small space and concentrated at the point of the elbow. This can be very explosive. It can cause serious injuries or knockout. These techniques are only shown to loyal students who have demonstrated the restraint necessary to use them if a life threatening situation arises and not to abuse the knowledge frivolously. The senior seminar was to review key points on Grand Master Tang Fong’s famous form ‘Ngauh Gwat Sin’ or ‘The Beef Bone Fan.’ This form was created by our Great Grandmaster Tang Fong. It utilizes close range concealed techniques, locks, and pressure point strikes to disable an opponent. There are many practical applications for this unique weapon.

Display team

Chinese New Year

Chinese new year is just around the corner and we have already begun our preparations for this busy time of year. Chinese New Year officially begins on January 25th 2020, and ends on February 4th. It will be the Year of the White, Metal Rat. Chinese New Year is celebrated by more than 20% of the world. It’s the most important holiday in China and to Chinese people. There are lots of festivities everywhere. Yee’s Hung Ga are no exception, we perform lion dance displays, parades and demonstrations. If you would like to get involved, promote your business or would like us to perform a lion dance, please email us directly or get in touch through our social media networks

ALL our Furious Five t-shirts are now on sale!

Hung

All of our ‘Furious Five’ 5 animal t-shirts are now on sale in the Fu-kit section of our website. The prices have been discounted to give you some amazing deals such as our ‘Eye of the Tiger’ design. It comes in 14 different colours and is reduced from £20.50 down to £13.99.

You can also find our new kids uniform t-shirts and new adult uniform shirts on the Fu-kit section of our website under the uniform menu. They can also be purchased, in the school, from Sifu Hepple.

Completely FREE Autumn Qigong Routine

Autumn Qigong Routine

If you haven’t tried it already, we highly recommend that you give our Autumn Qigong Routine a shot. It is a gentle, low impact, form of exercise which has a huge impact on physical and mental health & wellbeing. It is easy to follow and shouldn’t take too long to complete. Best of all, it’s completely free and won’t cost you a single penny. You don’t have to subscribe or give away any personal details. There’s a description of the exercises, a YouTube video to follow along to and a detailed description of the main benefits and theory behind the exercises. The background knowledge and theory is a great way for interested beginners to find out more about qigong and its benefits. It should also be an interesting read for more advanced practitioners who are looking to further their studies and personal development with qigong.

If you’ve already tied out our routine, perhaps you’ve practiced it every day, we would really love to hear your feedback. Have you noticed any benefits? Did you enjoy the experience? Did you adapt the routine? You can email us your thoughts or leave your feedback in the comments section of our posts or on the YouTube video.

Current timetable for Inverness

Classes

If you fancy taking on the challenge and think you have what it takes to pass our rigorous grading system or perhaps you are interested in learning more about qigong or kung fu? Why not book a private tuition timeslot that suits your own schedule. You can book on our homepage, Facebook or Instagram pages. There is also an appointment scheduled below. This week we have availability all day on Monday 11th & 12th of November, as well as in the evenings on the other available days. Just check the calendar for specific times on certain days. Private tuition is a fantastic way to improve on your qigong & kung fu practice; whether it is learning new form, theory, meditation or a mix of everything.

[CPABC_APPOINTMENT_CALENDAR]

Forthcoming seminars & Workshops

We will be releasing details of two practical seminar workshops taking place at Yee’s Hung Ga in Inverness. These will be open to the public as well as Yee’s students. They will be an exciting opportunity to learn the theory and practical application of the five elements. One workshop will be based on qigong and the other on kung fu applications. To avoid missing out on details of these exciting opportunities, make sure you enter your email below.

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Posted on by — 3 Comments

The Sun-Toi (Ancestral Altar)

The Sun-Toi is the ancestral altar in the Mo-Kwoon (Kung Fu School). Kung fu martial artists bow to the Sun-Toi when we enter and leave the training space using the traditional ‘sun and moon fist.’ We light incense and place it in censers on the Sun-Toi. On special occasions we pour wine in the cups and put vegetables and/or meat on the Sun-Toi. It can be a small table or it could be the whole side of a wall. They can be ornately carved wooden masterpieces or a simple shelf-style structure.

The Sun-Toi (ancestral altar) at Yee’s Hung Ga, Inverness

Why do we bother? What is the point? Is it religious or specific to Chinese culture or just some bizarre, esoteric kung fu ritual? In this article we’ll answer these questions and address the necessity and value of the Sun-Toi in modern Chinese martial arts schools.

The Sun-Toi serves as a place that we can connect with the previous masters of the Hung Ga lineage. It is somewhere that we can show respect to our ancestors and keep their memory alive. We are thankful for the opportunity to practice an art form which they laid the foundation to. As practitioners, students, teachers and masters, we all hope that we will do our forefathers proud as we steer the art through modern times. We all share the common aim of making Hung Ga Kuen as relevant today, and in the future, as it was in the time of the people who passed it on to us.

The unmistakable figure of General Gwan on the Sun-Toi in Inverness

The Sun-Toi is placed in a prominent position within the Mo-Kwoon, so it is visible as soon as one enters the training space. They are uniquely personal to each individual school. Even in branches of the same school, such as Yee’s, you may find many differences from school to school. Despite there being so many differences, almost every Sun-Toi has a few common items that you may find upon it, regardless of kung fu style. General Gwan (Gwan Di, Gwan Yu) is a frequent figure which you will not only see in traditional Mo-Kwoons but also in police stations, restaurants, casinos, shops and even some family homes. His figure symbolises loyalty, trust, honesty and respect. He was known for his martial arts excellence and loyalty to his sworn brother. His figure is usually placed at the top of the Sun-Toi, to show the greatest respect. The Gwan Dao (The Spring Autumn Great Knife) is a traditional weapon named after General Gwan. Whilst performing with the weapon, there are many gestures which represent General Gwan. For example you may see the practitioner galloping as if he is riding his horse or perhaps composing his long beard in preparation for battle. It is also common to see miniature weapons, such as the Gwan Dao, on a traditional Sun-Toi. You may also see other figurines such as ‘Shishi’ or ‘foo-dogs,’ which guard the physical structure of the kwoon as well as the people who are part of it.

The censer at the foot of General Gwan on top of the Sun-Toi in Inverness

Almost every Sun-Toi will also have at least one incense holder. You may see censers for every level of the Sun-Toi or in front of pictures of the ancestors. Normally the biggest censer is placed in front of the central General Gwan figure. Many of the Hung Ga ancestors are excellent roll models, especially in today’s fast paced lifestyle of excess. They lead heroic, righteous, noble lives. Wong Fei Hung is almost certainly one of the most familiar. Their example has set a very high standard for modern martial artists to follow. Smoke from the incense is meant to cleanse the air of toxins that cannot be seen. It symbolises the connection between the ancestral spirits and our lives in the modern day. By lighting the incense we invite the essence of their positive character to motivate us in the proceedings of the present day. The smoke carries the thoughts, prayers and aspirations of the practitioner to the ancestors, or whomever they may be thinking of. As such, lighting incense can be an art form in itself. Martial artists treat the incense very respectfully and carefully, as if it were the ancestors themselves. The number of incense sticks can vary depending upon the proceedings but a common number is three, or a multiple of three, such as nine. The incense is carefully lit and fanned gently with the hand, rather than blowing or waving the sticks in the air. Two hands are always used to handle the incense and to place it in the censer. It is held above the height of the head as the practitioner bows, as if to elevate it above oneself. All these things are perceived as demonstrating awareness of the present moment, respect for tradition and appreciation of the ancestors endeavours.

Oranges, chopsticks and cups of water in front of photos of our ancestors

Fruit, such as oranges, are often placed on the Sun-Toi along with cups filled with water and also chopsticks. These are seen as symbolic gestures or offerings to pay reverence to the ancestors. The fruit represents the results of the hard work of the school. When you work hard, you gain the fruit of your labour. This is the basic principle of kung fu, to train hard and become good at what you practice, through the practice itself. Symbolically, water represents the cleansing of any wrongs. Many cultures apply the same meaning to water, to wash away sin. Water also benefits the whole world, we could not survive without it. The heart should be like the water, clear and clean. The traditional martial artist aims to be the same in their thoughts and actions. Similar to water, you may also see candles or oil lights. The light drives away the darkness and any pesky evil spirits. It represents the good in everyone. The righteous path that all traditional martial artists attempt to traverse.

Flowers signify the hard work needed to achieve a goal.

During special occasions, such as Chinese New Year; flowers, vegetables, dishes of rice, fish, chicken etc can also be placed on the Sun-Toi as a way to mark the occasion and celebrate the achievements of the Mo-Kwoon. Similar to fruit, flowers on the altar represent the hard work that accomplishes a goal or task. When you work hard your flowers will bloom. They symbolise the hard work itself, rather than the results, which the fruit represents. Wine can also replace water in the cups to signify the happy, cheerful mood of the proceedings. You may also see two chairs on either side of a traditional Sun-Toi. The right hand chair is reserved for the Si-Gung or visiting Sifus of the school. The left hand chair is for the Sifu, or Dai Si-Hing/Jai should the Sifu be away.

The Sun-Toi is not meant to be for religious purposes. As mentioned, they vary quite considerably from school to school. You may find that some schools have religious figures on their Sun-Toi if they have religious roots. For example a Shaolin school may have a figure of the Buddha because Shaolin kung fu originated in a Buddhist temple. There are many components to the Sun-Toi which can still be seen as worthwhile, without being seen as worshipping another faith. The fundamental purpose of the Sun-Toi is to pay respect to the origins and founders of the complete martial art system that we enjoy practicing daily in modern times.

If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and share on your social media. If you wish to be notified of future articles, like our forthcoming Autumn qigong article, as well as other notices, discounts and events, pop your email address in the box below and we’ll give you a shout when new posts are added. You can also follow our journey on social media. Like and share on Instagram, twitter & Facebook

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.