Friday, December 7, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Coming Soon - to be released this month. And a "Behind the Scenes" look!
China Southern Praying Mantis Kungfu Survey
Volumes 2, 3, 4 in one Hardcover Book
release date: 10/28/12
Volumes 2, 3, 4 in one Hardcover Book
release date: 10/28/12
Click here for a complete description.
Coming soon to Amazon and your favorite online booksellers!
Check back often.
Available Now! SURVEY Volume One and Volume Five:
Click here for descriptions.
Check back often.
Available Now! SURVEY Volume One and Volume Five:
Click here for descriptions.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Behind the Scenes
A look behind the scenes of the new hardcover book,
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| L-R) Louie Jack Man Sifu, RDH, and Jesse Eng Sibok Philly Chinatown, circa 1996 |
It seems like I have been working on this book since 1976, when I first met Louie Sifu. I think we all, the Mantis Pai, always knew I'd write this book eventually. In fact, the very idea that I might one day write a book has sometimes been a hindrance to my mentors opening up their hearts, I believe. It takes a long time to earn the trust of old fashioned Mantis men.
Speaking of old fashioned Mantis Men, someone recently said to me, "no one in the world has met more Hakka Mantis Sifu than you, RDH." Well I guess that may be true and among them all, I can say that the loyalty and genuine sense of brother-friendship among Lam Sang's personal disciples seems to me the strongest bond. Particularly, his first generation of disciples. They took their oaths and obligations to Lam Sang and each other very seriously. Even today there remains that feeling of kinship.
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| L-R) Louie Sifu, RDH, Harry Sun Sibok, circa 1994 at Siboks' New Jersey home |
One such promise they made was that if any of the group forgot any part of the training, the others would be obliged to teach and share the training again at any time. Even so, this obligation may not be as freely kept as some others! Even among brother-friends when it comes to Mantis, some can be a bit stingy!
But, still there was a strong sense of hierarchy, of real "Pai" or clan organization with everyone knowing their place. And at the top of the first generation disciples is Wong Baklim, the first inner gate disciple of Lam Sang.
Not the first student, that would be Wong Pak On. Pak On Sibok (Uncle), sometimes called, "On Jye", was Lam Sang's first student and also became a personal disciple, but Baklim Sibok was the first inner gate disciple Lam accepted. Pak On still resides in Philly and still keeps his Mantis up today!
Not the first student, that would be Wong Pak On. Pak On Sibok (Uncle), sometimes called, "On Jye", was Lam Sang's first student and also became a personal disciple, but Baklim Sibok was the first inner gate disciple Lam accepted. Pak On still resides in Philly and still keeps his Mantis up today!
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| Left: RDH, Bak Lim Sibok seated; Dai Sihing - Big Brother; and Jesse Sibok / Right: RDH, Baklim Sibok, and Harry Sibok circa 1993 New York Chinatown |
If the names are confusing you, then just keep in mind the point is brother-friendship. Lam Sang's disciples sincerely felt and observed the structure of a kungfu Pai as you might expect in the "old days" or as you might see in a kungfu movie with big brother at the head of the table and younger brothers in their order down the line, senior to junior.
Can you notice my place as a "junior" in the pictures opposite. Of course, big brother is seated and the senior brother is always to his left. That leaves me in the junior position on big brother's right. I am grateful always to be counted among them.
In traditional Asian culture, the senior position is left of center, not right. Left is considered the weakest gate and the senior student sits or stands to his master's weakest side, the left, in order to protect or defend for him. This is often seen in kungfu clan pictures.
Can you notice my place as a "junior" in the pictures opposite. Of course, big brother is seated and the senior brother is always to his left. That leaves me in the junior position on big brother's right. I am grateful always to be counted among them.
In traditional Asian culture, the senior position is left of center, not right. Left is considered the weakest gate and the senior student sits or stands to his master's weakest side, the left, in order to protect or defend for him. This is often seen in kungfu clan pictures.
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| RDH - Sibok Jesse Eng circa 1997 Brentwood, Tennessee |
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| RDH - Sibok Harry Sun circa 1995 New Jersey |
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| A Mantis family gathering! RDH, Big Brother Baklim, Harry and Jesse Siboks - New York Chinatown, circa 1993 |
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| RDH- Dai Sihing Baklim Circa 1993 NYC Chinatown |
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| RDH Bamboo Temple Assocation School #2, Alabama Louie Sifu Seated, circa 1997 |
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| RDH Bamboo Temple Association School #1, Alabama Harry Sun Sibok seated Left, RDH right circa 1996 |
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| RDH Bamboo Temple Association School #1, Alabama Jesse Eng Sibok seated right, RDH left circa 1996 |
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| The original manuscript circa 1994 for the Eighteen Buddha Hands Book |
You might be wondering what does all that have to do with the making of the Eighteen Buddha Hands book? Well, I'm coming to that. You see the original manuscript above, from the early 90s, included pretty much everything that is contained in the book just released. And I can't tell you why it was never published, except that it just wasn't meant to be.
Louie Sifu came down to my School circa 1997, taught my students, and we again made pictures for the book a third time. It just never got published. Harry Sibok's picture on the back cover of the original manuscript with Louie Sifu, I thought fit just right. Sun Sibok encouraged me to not publish all in one book, but make it into installments so that people might better be able to train and follow step by step. Alas, they are both gone now and never saw the book completed.
Now Available in Full Color, Hardcover Book!
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| Available on Amazon and fine booksellers now! |
Click here for a complete book description.
It was about a 2,000 mile round trip journey by car from NYC or Philadelphia Chinatown and we all made the trip several times down to my School. Once, Jesse Eng Sibok and I were detained for a traffic stop about 2am on the Interstate highway in Virginia going south. The state trooper said you were weaving and I explained that I was a bit sleepy and for the last two states there were no vacancies anywhere for a hotel room. The trooper said come back to my car and we sat for about 15 minutes while he called dispatch to find us a hotel room! In the next state over he secured a room for us and even escorted us to the state line. He was very courteous. But he still wrote me a ticket for speeding which I had to pay by Federal Express or show up in a Virginia court room a month later! All the while, Jesse Sibok was snoozing!
Another time, Harry Sibok had been down south visiting and my good student, Wes Anderson and I were driving Harry back home to New Jersey. It was late night again and we were almost back to Harry's home when he perked up from his rest and asked loudly of Wes and me, "What kind of Kungfu do you think I am practicing now?" Thinking he might be about to say Internal Work or Qigong meditation, I asked him to tell us without delay! He said, "I'm practicing 'Iron Ass' technique!" He had been sitting for some 10 hours as we drove through the night. We all had a big laugh!
There is a saying, "It takes a village to raise a child."
Well, in Mantis, I believe it takes a "Pai" to make a book!
And that is my point.
And now you know the rest of the story...RDH
Get yourself a copy of Eighteen Buddha Hands and you will find it both interesting and a valuable reference book - an instructional treatise of Hakka Mantis boxing. If not, I'll return your tuition / payment on the same day you ask!
And join our Pai - check the websites and locate a School or study group near you.
Or begin step by step DVD training today! Use the links right.
Click here and order Eighteen Buddha Hands on Amazon. I believe they have a free shipping offer.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Behind the Scenes
A look behind the scenes of the new hardcover book,
Work began on this book in late November of 2011, but really didn't take off until summer of this year.
The book is intended to fulfill the wish of my late Chu Gar Sifu, Cheng Wan, to continue the true heritage of Chu Gar Gao. If you have ever been to Hong Kong or China and looked up Chu Gar, then you know what a character Cheng Wan Sifu was. He was a true cultural icon in Hong Kong. That is Cheng Sifu (hat) on a movie set with Stephen Chow and other Hong Kong stars below!
In the very top picture standing to my left, is his son and my sihing, (kungfu brother) Cheng Chiu, who is featured in the book in an interview and demonstrating the Som Gin Yu Kiu, second Chu Gar form. The book also has Sifu, his father, demonstrating Som Bo Gin, the first form.
In the very top picture standing to my left, is his son and my sihing, (kungfu brother) Cheng Chiu, who is featured in the book in an interview and demonstrating the Som Gin Yu Kiu, second Chu Gar form. The book also has Sifu, his father, demonstrating Som Bo Gin, the first form.
In case you weren't sure, that'd be me, RDH, in blue (very top picture). And good friend, Robert, on my right and retired police detective, Brother Kong, on the far left.
It was steaming hot that day. We were lucky. It had been raining for several days and tropical storms were forecasted for the next day. We only had a one day window of opportunity to make the pictures of the Chu Gar form.
We all said Sifu (Cheng Wan) under that heavenly peach tree was looking down and keeping the rain away. For sure he would be happy with the book. His grandchildren have expressed their gratitude to me also.
Brother Chiu is a year older than I. He is 57 this year and teaches at a local community center in Sai Kung once a week publicly. Most train the Hakka Unicorn and some train Chu Gar Mantis. Of course, his troupe has numerous awards and always participate in the local holidays and celebrations. You can check the www.southmantis.com website for a clip of Ah Chiu playing Som Gin Yu Kiu.
Brother-Friend Robert (left) is pushing 70 now. He is more American than Hong Kongese, and spent decades in the USA. His role in the book was one of coordinator and sometimes translator. I have a hard time catching Ah Chiu's Cantonese and sometimes thick Hakka accent and so Robert's American English comes in handy! Ah Chiu and I speak Mandarin together but he still has that thick Hakka drawl!
There is no shortage of yachts and Roll Royces' in this quaint fishing village called Sai Kung, but it hasn't (yet) lost its traditional values either.
You can get an idea from the pictures below!
Modernization is inevitable. Let's hope Chu Gar Gao doesn't get left behind.
It took the better part of a long hot summer day to get the pics of Ah Chiu playing the form. And a large part of that was spent just trying to decide on a location. In the end, we returned to where we came from for the photo shoot...back to the community center. It is a large fenced in, gated area with modern conveniences and surrounded by huge ancient trees and shrubs. A refuge inside the otherwise busy streets.
When the day was done and the hot sun going down, everyone went to one of the probably hundreds of small street cafes for bottles of cold beer and spicy beef. I had to endure the whimsical remarks of my brother friends for not imbibing in the beer, but I enjoyed the spicy dishes just the same.
Afterwards, I hopped a train and made my way back several hours to Pingshan, the hometown of Kwongsai Mantis in China, where I sit writing this brief look behind the scenes for you!
And now you know the rest of the story ...
Chu Gar Gao: Southern Praying Mantis Kungfu
www.amazon.com keyword search "Southern Mantis Press"
Get a copy and if you are disappointed I'll return your cost on the same day you ask.
Coming soon - A Behind the Scenes look at this book in the making!
Chu Gar Gao Released!
Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other fine booksellers.
Key Benefits - Table of Contents
Chu Gar Mantis history
Boxing transmission
Six Chu Gar areas
Three kinds of Chu Gar in China
Chu Gar Mantis personal records
Sifu Chen Ching Hong
Sifu Yip Sui, Sifu Cheng Wan
Sifu Cheng Chiu
Sifu Dong Yat Long
Sifu Ma Jiuhua
Past Masters in Charge
Chu Gar applications
Single Bridge Tsai Sao,
Double Bridge Dui Jong
Mang Dan Sao Dui Jong
Ying Sao Shadow Hand
Gow Choy Hammer Fist
Locking Hands, Bridge
Tan Sao and Ginger Fist
Double Bridge Gwak Sao
Sticky Hand and Intercepting Hand Bao Zhang Palms
Chu Gar shadowboxing forms in pictorial
Som Bo Gin (Three Step Arrow) and
Som Gin Yu Kiu (Three Arrows Shaking Bridge form);
and more!
Book Specs
Hardcover
5.5 x 8.5
150 Pages
170+ Photographs
Full Color Interior
Acid Free Archival Quality
Instructional, Informative, Educational, and Entertaining!
Get your copy on Amazon.com now. Keyword search "Southern Mantis Press"
Chu Gar Gao Released!
Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other fine booksellers.
Key Benefits - Table of Contents
Chu Gar Mantis history
Boxing transmission
Six Chu Gar areas
Three kinds of Chu Gar in China
Chu Gar Mantis personal records
Sifu Chen Ching Hong
Sifu Yip Sui, Sifu Cheng Wan
Sifu Cheng Chiu
Sifu Dong Yat Long
Sifu Ma Jiuhua
Past Masters in Charge
Chu Gar applications
Single Bridge Tsai Sao,
Double Bridge Dui Jong
Mang Dan Sao Dui Jong
Ying Sao Shadow Hand
Gow Choy Hammer Fist
Locking Hands, Bridge
Tan Sao and Ginger Fist
Double Bridge Gwak Sao
Sticky Hand and Intercepting Hand Bao Zhang Palms
Chu Gar shadowboxing forms in pictorial
Som Bo Gin (Three Step Arrow) and
Som Gin Yu Kiu (Three Arrows Shaking Bridge form);
and more!
Book Specs
Hardcover
5.5 x 8.5
150 Pages
170+ Photographs
Full Color Interior
Acid Free Archival Quality
Instructional, Informative, Educational, and Entertaining!
Get your copy on Amazon.com now. Keyword search "Southern Mantis Press"
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