In this article I explain the difference between SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN and other wing chun lineages and why I changed.
In the meanwhile I have been visiting my Sihing Ridha Lhiba twice in Nice and learned a lot about SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN. The time has come to visit my Sifu Wayne Yung in Hong Kong to be directly advised by him and to attend my Bai See – the traditional ceremony to become part of the SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN MUN (family).
So, Hong Kong I’m coming. You have to know, I don’t like travelling. Especially to big, confusing, frantically mega cities. Then, I always have an uneasy feeling. But, due to my expectations of my Hong Kong visit, all stresses and strains were set aside. After arrival I assumed to see signs directing my to the baggage claim. In fact I just saw signs I didn’t understand. I decided to follow a sign that looked less wrong and started a long walk including several escalators and the total loss of orientation. Suddenly, I stood in front of a underground.
“I won’t step into this tube, not knowing where it goes to and without my luggage”, I thought desperately.
But there wasn’t another option. Fortunately, a friendly Chinese “took me by the hand” and lead me finally to my luggage. Almost happy again, I decided to take a taxi directly to the hotel instead of using public transport with having the chance to get lost somewhere in Hong Kong. Heading to the taxi rank, I showed the driver the hotel address, leaning back into the backseat and being glad to have had the address ready in Chinese letters. Lucky me! After an hour ride luck disappeared and we stood in the middle of a never ending traffic jam. The taxi driver turned to me, presented the bill and asked me to leave the car by saying:
„直然后离开，然后直然“
I didn’t understand one single word, of course, and so it happened what I wanted to avoid: suitcase in my hand and having no clue where I am in Hong Kong.
In the end, I arrived at the hotel. I really made it, I was in Hong Kong and after all, I was able to see forward to the upcoming training and the Bai See ceremony. The check-in clerk told me that Sifu Wayne already dropped by to welcome me and take me to diner. What an honour! Sifu wanted to welcome me personally! Unfortunately, due to my delay we missed each other. So I took the chance to get a shower after my 24 hour journey. I just finished right in time as Sifu Wayne and Sam (one of my Sihings) stood right in front of my door.
“How will he be?”, I asked myself. Until then, we spent hours and hours by chatting and video conferencing and I had learned so much already from him. But seeing him face-to-face is definitely different.
SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN GermanyI opened the door and warmth fulfilled my room. We started immediately with the training and I got a lot of background information. As I hadn’t eaten something for a long time we went to a fast food restaurant – still practicing. Can you do dan chi (single arm chi sao) with a burger in your hand? Of course! What will the other guests think about us? Who cares, we were well away. At 2 am after 20 hours travelling and 7 hours practicing I fell into my bed. But can you really sleep after such a day? Well, 3 hours… Next morning, after breakfast, I wanted to explore Hong Kong. I stepped out of the hotel and into monsoon rain. I felt like someone poured a bucket of water over my head. I kept on walking but haven’t seen anything lovely. OK, back to the hotel, Sifu is coming in a few minutes.Again a day filled with training until 2 am. Unbelievable, Sifu Wayne, the official representative of SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN ASSOCIATION spends so much time just with me alone! And he is incredible. I attacked him and he responded with a hit storm as I would be lying under a sewing machine. All this with so much speed I couldn’t see his hands any longer and so precise that I felt every punch but without getting hurt. (e.g. he touched my lips as if a fly has landed on – with this speed and power – unbelievable)
I went to bed at 3am, getting four hours of sleep. Breakfast, short rest and training continued. This time Sifu Wayne came along with my Sihing Wallace and an actor. Sifu coaches many Kung Fu actors. Again I got plenty of information on all topics I ever wanted to know. And, certainly, I had a fantastic training again. Siu Lim Tao, Chum Kiu and Biu Gee, which have been unchanged since the beginning of wing chun. Training ended again at 2 or 3am.
After four hours of sleep, a delicious breakfast and a short break another trainings session began. Chia Sao training! The SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN chi sao is a totally different experience than that kind I used to know and practiced until now. That meant for today, never ending chi sao lessons. My Sihings and Sifu Ho arrived at the evening. Sifu Ho is a Master of the Iron Rings, a totally different Kung Fu style. I had the chance to practise with a Master of the Iron Rings on a rooftop in Hong Kong – this sounds like a movie, with the difference that it was my movie with myself on the screen.
SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN Bai SiSifu Ho and my Sihings arrived to witness my Bai See ceremony which began soon. Sifu Wayne sat in front of me and my witnesses stood around me. I kneeled in front of Sifu and said it would be a great honour for me if I could join the Mun (wing chun family) and be a part of it. And I would be very happy if he would accept me as his disciple. By speaking to him these words I gave him a red coloured envelope. Thereafter I passed him a cup of tea. After Sifu had drunk the tea he told me to be glad to admit me to his Mun. He as well advised me that there still would be a lot to learn – SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN, training methods, Chinese culture and many more. Additionally, Sifu appointed me to be the representative of Germany and he puts his trust in me to represent SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN with honour and respect. After he handed a certificate and a flag over to me, my Sihings congratulated me and welcomed me to the family. These moments were heart shaking to me and even now writing these lines I am again close to tears.With the end of the ceremony we went for dinner. We all were in a good mood and it was a great evening. After dinner at midnight I thought to go back to the hotel to conclude this fantastic day. But Sifu asked me:
“What are you going to do now?”
“I’m going to bed”, I replied tired-to-death.
“What?”, he asked with eyes wide open.
“I will do some exercises”, I answered feeling unsure.
“Good!”, he agreed.
So we went to the park to continue our training for three more hours.
SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN SLTAfter just three hours of sleep and a good breakfast I went to the rooftop practicing the forms. One of the hotel clerks saw the signs of SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN on my t-shirt and asked: “Do you practice this?”
“Yes”, I replied proudly.
“I was accepted by Sifu Wayne Yung to be his disciple and admitted to the Mun.”
He stepped back and looked at me with his eyes wide opened. “Wooooooooowwwwwww”.
As if he has had a close encounter of the third kind.
Now I realized the high status SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN has at Hong Kong. What an honour to be accepted to be part of this Family.
The following days were repeating themselves: training and information with no end:
I learned techniques I haven’t heard anything about before. For example the “Ton Kiu” technique doesn’t exist in my prior lineage but is of immense significance.
I practiced training methods I haven’t seen before: “Chop Stick” training is fantastic to develop once skills. (we don’t catch flies like in Karate Kid and don’t poke somebody’s eye out ;-) )
I learned known techniques totally different, e.g., the SNAKE CRANE “Bong Sao” hasn’t much to do with the “Bong Sao” I learned to know.
I got knowledge of combat concepts which show “fight” in a complete different light
I learned the difference between snake and crane techniques. The knowledge of the precise difference was the missing link to enable me to use them in the correct way.
I got to know step techniques that work a lot better for backward moves if you are under pressure.
And finally, I found out that sleep is overrated ;-)
I have been fascinated by the way how Sifu Wayne always explained very clearly. His vivid examples allowed an easy transformation. As well, he identified my specific difficulties and mistakes immediately and showed me solutions that saved me a lot of unnecessary training lessons.
Sifu Wayne, my Sihings Sam, Wallace and Lee Kai Ju invested so much time that I am still breathless. The warmth, willingness to help and matter of course to welcome me to their party was overwhelming. I didn’t even dream of such a wing chun family. I still was an active part of the best Kung Fu movie I had ever seen.
Back home in Germany I realized that something has changed me. I’m not speaking of the techniques but I felt that I finally arrived. SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN isn’t a backyard fighting club, the main point is to transfer the martial art techniques to our life. This journey has been an arrival and a beginning at the same time to me.
As a conclusion I may say that within my 25 years of practicing wing chun I have seen a lot of things. I met good, less good and excellent Sifus. But Sifu Wayne plays in a different universe. I can’t compare his skills to anything I know.And I have to add as a Sifu, it’s feeling really good to know that my school is now traditionally rooted including a family tree that goes back to the Founding Fathers of wing chun – basically, conceptually and energetically.
SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN Germany
SNAKE CRANE WING CHUN Germany
My sincere thanks to Sifu Wayne Yung, Wallace Tse, Sam, Lee Kai Yu, Sifu Ho Hung Sun and all other Sihings for these extraordinary experiences.
Author
Sifu Thomas Klüh
