to give a demonstration of my own. So, I stepped onto the floor and demonstrated three empty-hand forms from the ngo cho kun style of kung-fu. I chose to demonstrate this art because it hails from the same area in China as Chuka Shaolin. I thought that any link, even a tenuous one, would make Mr. Leong more amenable to allowing me, a stranger, to co-write a book with him.
After my demonstration I sat down and interviewed Mr. Leong for a possible magazine article to go with the photographs I had taken during his demonstration. Since he did not know me very well, I was a bit reluctant to ask him if I could co-write a book with him, as Draeger had done nineteen years earlier. So I took a minute to gather my thoughts and formulate my argument for the need of such a book. (More than anything, though, my need was to pick his brain and learn the inner workings of his art!) In any event, since his book with Draeger had been out of print for some ten years at that point, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I asked.
Mr. Leong immediately agreed. In fact, he was enthusiastic about the idea. We decided that we would present the information in the first book again, but in an abbreviated fashion, and then present a second empty-hand form, followed by a weapon form and its applications.
Between 1996 and 1999, I made three trips to Malaysia to work with Cheong Cheng Leong on the book you now hold in your hands. During this time, however, the first book came back into print, which was both good and bad news. Since the first book was published by Weatherhill and this new book was to be published by Tuttle, it would be a conflict of interest (and perhaps a legal problem) to present the same information. So, after some discussion, Mr. Leong and I decided to present in the new book a more detailed history of the art, historical photographs that did not appear in the first book, a two-person empty-hand fighting form (so that those interested in learning how to train and apply the empty-hand form presented in the first book would have a means of doing so), the basics necessary to correctly execute the two-person empty-hand fighting form, one of the two pole forms, an overview of all the Chuka weapons, a few applications of each, two-person strength and conditioning exercises, and the chi kung and healing dimensions of the art, which had not been written about before.
This was the rationale behind the presentation of information in this book and how Mr. Leong and I came together to write it. And while both of the books on Chuka Shaolin are good in and of themselves, as a set they are indispensable. The information presented in the two books, when combined, truly gives those interested in learning the art of the phoenix-eye fist a complete overview of the art and the ins and outs of training.
It is truly my honor to have made the acquaintance of Mr. Leong and to have been given the opportunity to write a book with him. While all of the technical information is from Cheong Cheng Leong’s vast knowledge of the art, the actual writing of the book was done by me. I must state, therefore, that if there are any faults with this volume in terms of presentation of material, they are my own. And if they are major, I offer my apologies to Grandmaster Cheong Cheng Leong and to those aspiring to learn this rare and dynamic fighting art.
—Mark V. Wiley
Towson, MD
INTRODUCTION
Over the past fifty years martial arts have seen a rise in popularity never seen at any other time. Along with this popularity, though, has come a watering down of the traditional kung-fu methods. That is to say, the original purpose of the arts as systems of self-defense and physical and mental disciplines has turned into aerobic and gymnastic performance activities.
Due to the recent changes in the People’s Republic of China, martial arts there have taken on a unique flavor, one based on the utilitarian role they are seen as fulfilling. With the aesthetic aspects of the art being stressed, and as a result of the persecution of martial artists during the ten years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the practical aspects are often downplayed, and it is arguable that the overall level of skill in the combative elements of the arts has greatly declined.
The purpose of this book, then, is to not only preserve one of the most dynamic and realistic Chinese fighting arts in existence, but to provide the reader with a broader view of the art of Chuka Shaolin than has previously been available.
This current work is divided into four parts, each focusing on a different dimension of the art. Part One, “Chuka Shaolin in Perspective,” sets the tone for the book by presenting a detailed history of the art from its parent art of Fukien Shaolin to its formation at the hands of the Chu sisters, through several generations of masters, up until the present time. This section also offers an overview in terms of how a student learns the art and the fighting principles that enable the practitioner to effectively apply the art when necessary.
Part Two, “The Empty-Hand Art,” gives an overview of the basic stances, hand techniques, and foot techniques used in the art in general—yet also specific to the two-person fighting form presented later in the book—as well as descriptions and photographs of the empty-hand two-person form. By practicing this form, exponents learn the proper distances, angles, and psychological mind-set necessary when attempting to apply the empty-hand techniques against an opponent. This section also presents five strength and conditioning exercises, diligent practice of which will better enable the Chuka practitioner to execute his techniques, absorb the impact of his opponent’s techniques, as well as develop his own gripping, pulling, and pushing power without the use of external training devices.
Part Three, “The Weapon Art,” offers an overview of the weapons used in Chuka Shaolin, which includes the pole, long spear, iron rulers, twin knives, and farmer’s hoe. The six-and-a-half-point pole form is then presented, along with fighting applications of the pole and other weapons.
Part Four, “The Healing Art,” discusses the little-known healing dimensions of Chuka Shaolin. This section provides a discussion on the use and practice of chi kung, or internal energy exercises, and presents an overview of the impact healing art used to treat old injuries to the musculoskeletal system.
The book concludes with an afterword, a lineage of the art’s masters and teachers, and a complete list of the solo and two-person empty-hand and weapon forms found within the system. In the interest of keeping the text easy to read, most of the art’s terms are presented in English. For those interested in the original Chinese spellings, a glossary of terms in English and Mandarin is found at the end of the book.
We hope this book has something to offer all martial artists, beginners and advanced, Chuka stylists and exponents of other arts alike. It should be noted that this book was not written in a vacuum, but represents, instead, the efforts of many individuals. We would, therefore, like to thank the following for their respective contributions to this project: Tan Hun Poey, Cheong Boo Kheng, Ong Tatt Lin, Woo Kim Hin, the Lam family, Ron Beaubien, Karunakaran A/L R. Chindan, Hunter B. Armstrong, Carlos Aldrete-Phan, Robert Chu, Alex Co., and the late Donn F. Draeger.
—Cheong Cheng Leong &
Mark V. Wiley,
Penang, 1999
Part I
Chuka Shaolin in Perspective
CHAPTER ONE
Historical Perspective
The historical documentation of a fighting art that spans several hundred years is a difficult undertaking. This is especially so when the art
