Wing Chun KungFu in greece - Sifu Panagopoulos

THE HISTORY OF HUNG GAR KUNG FU

The Hung Gar Kung Fu is the original southern Shaolin martial arts system in China. Southern China has been dominated by five Kung Fu styles:
Hung, Lau, Choy, Ley, Mok. Hung Gar is the most widespread and popular of these.

Gar means clan or family in China, whereas Hung refers to the family name of the man who invented the system, Hung Hei Goon, a Fukien tea merchant. According to legend, Master Gee See, a monk of the Fukien Shaolin Temple, taught Hung the Shaolin Tiger Style. Hung being a curious man, always sought to improve his skills. He added to his Tiger Style, elements from his wife's White Crane system. He modified and expanded his Tiger Style to develop a System better balanced in long and short-range application, a system which better reflected his own character and skills - Hung Gar.

This style is traditionally noted for its strong horse stance and powerful fist. It incorporates the circular motions of the five elements (metal, fire, water, earth, and wood) and the movements of the five animals (dragon, tiger, crane, snake, and leopard) into extremely hard and yet at the same time soft hand techniques.
The hand techniques are the most fundamental and effective part of Hung Gar kung fu training. Unique only in Hung Gar, direct trans-lateral movements called bridges are interlaced with circular and spiral motions to produce multi-directional forces.
This powerful collection of "12 Bridge Arms of the Hung Gar" formed the cornerstone of southern Shaolin kung fu of antiquity. The Hung Gar system has its own method to develop the internal "chi". It contains both external and internal exercises, being especially created to increase the physical ability of the various parts of the body and to improve the function of the internal organs.

In a real fight, Hung Gar kung fu demands the least possible movements to finish the fight. The powerful techniques of Hung Gar can damage the opponent with one block or one strike. Hung Gar has been regarded as the most complete Shaolin kung fu system in China.

Forms

The Hung Gar has a variety of traditional forms which includes empty-hand sets, weapon sets, and sparring sets. Each form builds on the basic skills of Hung Gar but each emphasizes a different ability.

The Empty-Hand Forms

Mui Fa Kuen (Plum Flower Fist)
Lau Gar Kuen (Lau Family Fist)
Chin Cheung (Arrow Palm)
Kung Ji Fook Fu Kuen (Conquering the Tiger Fist)
Bong Bo Tonglong Kuen (Praying mantis-Crushing Step Fist)
Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen (Tiger &. Crane Fist)
Sup Ying Kuen (Ten Pattern Fist)
Tid Sin Kuen (Iron Thread Fist)

The Weapon Forms

Lau Gar Gwan (Lau Family Staff)
Hang Che Pang (Monkey Staff)
Seung Bei Sau (Double Dagger)
Pek Kwa Dan Do (Single Broadsword)
Wu Deep Seung Do (Double Buterfly Knives)
See Gar Cheung (See Family Spear)
Kwan Lun Gim (Kunlun Mountain Straight Sword)
Mui Fa Seung Lung Do (Double Broadsword)
Yu Gar Dai Pa (Yu Family Tiger Fork)
Kwan Do (Big Knife of General Kwan)
Ng Lung Ba Gwa Gwan (Eight Diagram long Pole)
Sam Jie Bien (Three Section Whip)

The Sparring Forms

Kung Ji Doy Dar (Kung Ji Sparring Set)
Fu Hok Seung Ying Doy Dar (Tiger and Crane Sparring Set)
Hang Che Pang Dot Dar (Monkey Staff Sparring Set)
Dan Do Doy Cheong (Spear vs. Broadsword)
Seung Do Doy Cheong (Double Knives vs. Spear)
Kwan Do Doy Cheong (Kwan Do vs. Spear)

To find out more about Hung Gar, please visit the site:

www.hungkuen.info