Path to Hak Fu Mun Continues

When I arrived in Hong Kong it was 6pm in the evening. By the time I had taken the airport express train to Central and then the MTR to my hotel in North Point it was about 7.30pm. I phoned Eric Tsai (my Si-Hing) who informed me that he would come to my hotel to meet me. So while I was waiting for him to arrive I had a quick wash and unpacked my clothes. When he arrived I greeted him and gave him a few gifts that I had brought with me. One of these was a CD with a lot of photos, which I loaded into my lap-top and explained some of them to him. After this we then walked across the road to the local restaurant, which we had used several times on our previous visit.

Over dinner we talked about several ideas Eric had had about unifying the association by having common stamps, certificates etc. I also mentioned how co-incidental it was that after only recently finding Eric, that he would soon be moving to Australia and also after all the trouble of trying to sort a flight out over the New Year holidays and couldn’t get anything reasonable, I had come this week instead. Now the following week the government had forced final closure of Grandmaster Wong’s gym. Apparently this had been going on for some time and the student’s association of Grandmaster Wong had been forced into this position or they would be sued. So for health and safety reasons the prefabricated gym on the roof had to be dismantled.

Eric said that due to this a few of his students and myself would spend the next three days ensuring that we all learnt the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy. We then talked about other aspects of the syllabus before moving onto other topics such as family, Christmas and moving to Australia. After a great meal and a few beers we then left the restaurant arranging to meet the following morning.

Before breakfast I went across the street to the local park, which Eric had used several times on our last visit. After a quick warm up I practiced Dan Chong (Single Pole Dummy) on a post and then went through Tie Sin Sam Gin Kuen (Tie Sin is a very long, higher level form). I have been practicing these two forms almost every day since I was taught them so that they would both become a natural flow of muscle memoir. I then returned to the hotel for breakfast before meeting Eric at the North Point MTR station.

Eric and I then travelled on the MTR to Mong Kok station where we met three of Eric’s students (Michael Cheung, Sam Law and Kai Chung Tang.) We then walked the short distance to Grandmaster Wong’s gym on Bute Street. As soon as I entered the gym I noticed straight away that the place looked less cluttered and so a little tidier than my previous visit only just over three weeks ago. Many items had been either collected together, or removed. All the shrines were bare and all the photos and certificates that covered the walls had been removed. I thought it was sad that after all this time the government was now enforcing the dismantlement of the gym and that no one else would ever see this historic site again.

Eric split us into pairs to learn the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy. I was partnered with Michael who I had met on my previous visit when I had trained at Eric’s class. This dummy form can be either done on your own, but is much better done with a partner. This is because as you or your partner blocks or strikes, the dummy moves causing the partner to react against it. The dummy is made extensively from either concrete or steel and so if your blocks or body position are not correct then injuries can occur. (In history the dummy body was made from stone and the arms and legs were made of either steel or wood.)

Michael is a Police-man and has been training for many years in Chow Gar (Southern) Praying Mantis as well as with Eric in the Hark Fu Mun (Black Tiger). He was therefore a good strong partner for me, which I appreciated. We worked well together and covered over half the dummy form in today’s session. Simon Choi (One of Eric’s senior students) met us at the restaurant. When Eric goes to Australia the class in Hong Kong will be run jointly by Michael Cheung, Simon Choi and Jimmy Lau. During lunch we talked about many things, but mainly about the web site and other kung Fu related topics. After lunch Michael, Simon and Kai Chung left us and so Eric showed me several martial arts shops. At one of these shops I bought a pair of cymbals for a weapon form Eric is going to teach me tomorrow.

I had practiced the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy last night and again first thing this morning before breakfast. I then met Eric at North Point MTR station and we travelled together to Grandmaster Wong’s gym at Bute Street in Mong Kok. When we arrived I first quickly went through the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy form once again before Eric then started to teach me the Lee Gar staff outside on the roof top terrace area.

The Lee Gar staff is a long complexed form with many interesting applications. Eric would show the applications to each technique as he taught it to me. This made the form a lot more interesting and possibly easier to learn. I have spent many years practicing various staff forms and I suppose this benefited me in learning this new form as well, although this form did have some moves and principles that were new to me. Time was moving on and so after learning part of the form, Eric said it was time to move on and start on the Cymbals.

The cymbal form is called Fung Lui Sheung, which translates to Wind and Thunder Double Cymbals. When Eric first mentioned this form it intrigued me because I have never seen cymbals used as a weapon before. Again as Eric taught the moves he ensured that he explained the different applications of the various blocks and strikes. It seemed like I was just getting me teeth into this form when Michael arrived and we realised that it was already 2.00pm in the afternoon. Hours had flown by and I hadn’t noticed the time at all. We called it time on this form for today and had a quick drink and sandwich while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive.

At about 2.20pm the other students arrived, plus Simon and a friend who hadn’t been able to make the first part of the form yesterday. We were soon into the remaining part of the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy form, which included several high kicks. I was partnered with Michael again and we soon were in the thick of it drilling the last couple of sections. While the other groups took their turns I would also stand back and drill with them. I was making sure that I did this as much as possible so that I wouldn’t forget it. When we had completed the whole form, Michael and I would then go from start to finish, to ensure we knew it all. Once we felt competent in it, the video cameras were out and we filmed the last part of the form to ensure we had it for good.

Again time had gotten the better of us and it was nearing 6.00pm before we finally left the gym. Eric and I bid farewell to the group and we returned to North Point for our evening meal. We again returned to the local restaurant across the road from my hotel. Over dinner Eric told me that the following day at about 6.00pm some people were coming to Grandmaster Wong’s gym to help him remove the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy. I offered my help and he informed me that the dummy would be moved to his class at Kwun Tong.

Today was the last day of the gym before it is to be dismantled and broken down, Saturday 16th December 2006. I got to the gym at 10.00am in the morning so I could practice the forms I had learnt so far yesterday and the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy. This was going to be the last time I had to use the dummy until we have constructed one back home in England. (When I left two of my students had said they were looking into constructing various equipment plus the dummy.) Eric was due to arrive until 1.00pm in the afternoon, so I just spent the next three hours drilling the forms over and over again. Before I started I was reasonably happy with the dummy form from the two days I had learnt and drilled it so far. By 1.00pm when Eric arrived, I was confident that I knew it and it was burnt into my memory. I showed Eric the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy form and he to was happy with my performance and knowledge of it.

I then spent the next two hours learning more of the Lee Gar staff form. I was surprised how much I learnt from this form. With ever few moves, Eric would then show me the applications to the sequence of moves we had just covered. I was hoping to complete this form today but it was longer than I thought. Although Eric did say that there was only a small section left to cover tomorrow. Once I had got this far, it was time to just keep drilling what I had learnt. There were a few moves that I struggled with, but eventually they started to drop into place as the form sank in and I started to flow a little more.

It was time for a little break and a drink. We chatted, and while I drank I realised that this was the first time since 10.00am this morning that I had stopped. After this ten minute break it was time to do a little more of the Cymbal form I had started yesterday. I started by repeating what I had learnt and ever now and then Eric would stop me and slightly adjust the position of one of the cymbals indicating that it was a block or a strike and so the angle should be just so. Again I felt like I was just getting into this form when several of Eric’s students arrived to practice on the dummy before it was to be dismantled later.

We worked in pairs, as the previous days drilling the routine of the dummy. We did this for two hours until Eric’s friends arrived to dismantle the dummy. Just before this started, we all huddled around the dummy for a few commemorative photos of this historic site that was Grandmaster Wong Cheung’s gym. Eric then gave me several gifts that were from the gym. One was a pair of cymbals, and then there was another single cymbal that had Grandmaster Wong’s name painted on it, an ornate candle stand and an old club stamp.

Some of the bolts into the floor that had held the dummy in place for well over thirty years and rusted and seized up. But through brute force they were removed, and the various sections of the dummy were soon apart. The next awkward job was carrying the heavy body sections down eight flights of stairs. There were four of us taking turns to lift the main base section in pairs, but it still proved to be a tricky job due to the shape of the base and the lack of room in the stairway. We were all relieved to reach the bottom and then loaded it into the truck. That was our job finished for the day, there were several students waiting at the school to off load it there.

During my visits to Grandmaster Wong’s gym, we had taken many photos and lots of video footage. Today I had spent some time taking photos and doing a little bit more video knowing that this was the last time I was ever going to see the gym again. On my next trip to Hong Kong I will just come here to see what has happened to the place and to show some of my students where it once was.

Today, training was at the park across the road and up about 500 meters from my hotel. This was just around the corner from the children’s area we had used on my last visit. This park was a large open concreted area on the harbour front. I got there a little early to run through the Lee Gar staff form I had learnt so far. Eric arrived at 10.00 am and after watching me perform the form I had learnt so far, and then started to teach me more. To my relief there wasn’t much more to learn. Once I had drilled the remaining section several times, Eric then made me drill from start to finish.

While I was drilling the staff form, Simon arrived. Simon liked the Lee Gar staff form and Eric said he would teach him some of it later after the Yah Fu (Night Tiger) form. Eric had arranged for Simon and I were to start learning this form together. Eric asked Simon to first video me perform the Lee Gar staff form as a reference for later, in case I was unsure of a move once I returned back home to England. Once this was videoed, Eric then began the Night Tiger form.

This new form had many moves and sequences that I had already learned in the various other Hark Fu Mun forms I had studied to date. This made the learning Night Tiger a little easier for Simon and myself. Obviously there were new moves and sequences as well. I believe that Simon and I worked well as a team because when I was unsure of a move he seemed to know it, and vice versa. As usual, before we knew it, it was already 1.00pm and we had completed about half the form. Eric said that would be enough for today, and we should just drill what we had learnt so far. After several run throughs, Simon videoed me performing the form as a reference for me.

Eric then started to teach Simon part of the Lee Gar staff form, while I started practicing the cymbals form I had learnt so far. Eric then worked between Simon and I showing us sections at a time while the other drilled their form. Again, there was only a small new section for me to learn and I had completed this form. Although some of this last section did have an awkward sequence in it that had me scratching my head for a while until Eric broken it right down for me. I then just drilled this sequence slowly until it eventually fell it place. I then repeated the entire form several times before Simon again videoed me.

I can’t tell you what a relief this was for me to have completed three forms so far and now studying my fourth and final form of this trip. Due to Eric living so far away and the time constraints that were on me to learn as much as possible while I’m here, I felt so much under pressure, but this had now eased. I still had two full days to learn the last part of the Tiger form and drill the other forms under Eric’s supervision. When we had finished, we dropped the staffs and cymbals at my hotel room, before then going a few doors up to a noodle restaurant for a meal. Later that evening I returned to the park to drill the forms a few more times ensuring I had remembered them.

Today I met Eric at The MTR and we travelled to Kwun Tong to his class. We arrived at 10.15am and to our surprise was the welcome sight of the 9 Pin Grinder Dummy fixed and assembled at the class.

It turned out that Eric’s friends had pulled out all the stops and ensured the dummy was ready to use for today’s class. We quickly changed and warmed up. The other students were all doing their own individual stretches before Eric signalled to Michael to Start. We then all lined up and bowed in. Michael led the class through the basic routine, finishing with a round of press-ups. Eric then took Simon and I to one side and continued the Night Tiger form we started to learn yesterday. While he was doing this with us Michael and Jimmy took the rest of the class through various forms and finishing on the Dan Chung (Single Dummy).

Simon and I worked well together drill the new moves over and over again. Eric then stopped us to show us another sequence of moves as we followed him. This sequence then went into a bow, and the relief on Simon’s and my face said it all, yes, we’ve completed it. Once again now, Simon and I just repeated these moves until Eric said it was time for the class to finish. After we bowed out, we then lined up for a group photo as a memento for me. After the class Eric arranged with Simon who will be tutoring me the training schedule for my next trip in a few months time.

Eric then took me to his home district of Chai Wan to meet his wife and children for lunch. We talked about families, different countries such as Australia that they will soon be moving to and my home in England over lunch. After lunch I bade goodbye to his family, as Eric wanted to take me to some shops in Shau Kei Wan. Eric bought me a solid fan in one of these shops for another Hark Fu Mun form I was to learn. Eric said that I could possibly learn this new form tomorrow, but I said that four forms were good, but five and my brain would explode, to which Eric laughed. As I was about to board the MTR back to North Point, Eric hand me a folder from his bag, stating that he had made copies of the old certificates from Grandmaster Wong’s gym for me.

At the hotel I dumped my bags and was then on the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui. I then walked up Chatham Road South to the Hong Kong Museum of History. On the way I popped into a local bakery, and although the egg tarts are very nice, the milk tarts are to die for. I then spent several hours in the museum paying most of this time in the more modern sections relating to the last 200 years of Hong Kong’s history. Leaving the museum I then went around the local shops and bought a few bargains. As I made my way to the Star ferry pier, I ensured I passed the bakery again for another milk tart just to keep me going.

Eric had recommended taking the ferry at night so that I would see Victoria harbour all lit up. I managed to take several photos and some video of the fantastic sight as the ferry crossed to Central on Hong Kong Island. After leaving my bags in the room, I walked across the road to the local park for my nightly recap of the various forms I had learnt on this trip. It was then a few hundred metres walk to the local restaurant for a late dinner.

Next morning I was in the park early for another practice run through. I was reasonably pleased with how well I could remember the forms as I ran through them. Eric arrived about 40 minutes later and asked me to show him. He seemed reasonably pleased as well, but did on several occasions stop me making a small adjustment to either my stance or hand positions to make improvements. Today’s training was a lot more relaxed for me because I wasn’t under any pressure to learn new things, but just recap and make some improvements on what I had already learnt.

After we had gone through the forms, we discussed the syllabus that I was using in England and made a few adjustments. Eric then showed me several drills, which we then practiced together. One or two of the drills we already did, and the others I will incorporate into our regular training back home. Eric then presented me with another gift of the two staffs we had been using the last week from Grandmaster Wong’s gym. We left the equipment and bags at my room before I then took Eric to his favourite restaurant for a curry. After the meal we talked about future arrangements and then said our goodbyes. I can quite honestly say that Eric Tsai is the most generous, humble and open martial artist I have ever met. He has nearly thirty years experience in Hark Fu Mun and has shared his knowledge openly and honestly with me. I am very proud and honoured to say he is not only my Si Hing, but he is my friend.
Thank you Eric.