There was a time when I tip toe'd with the Eagles

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

There was a time when I tip toe'd with the Eagles

Back in 1980 I was learning the Yang Long Fist T’ai Chi form from Ernest Rothrock. That was a 2 year process. But after 9 months I worked out that perhaps I might learn some Chinese forms to be a more knowledgeable judge. Because at times at tournaments I was required to judge Chinese forms, and I realized what I did not know.

So I approached Ernest and asked if it made sense for me to study some Chinese forms. He agreed that it would not hurt and asked me what form I would like to study.

Knowing nothing about Chinese styles I could not answer. I told him I had no idea what I should study. So he turned to a list on the wall behind his desk and asked me what form I wished to study. The list contained about 500 forms which he had studied. Again I had no idea so he just pointed to a name of a form and selected one for me. It turned out it was a relatively advanced Northern Shaolin form called Dune De Kuen.

That began my study with him, I was having ½ hour a week for my t’ai chi study and a second ½ for my Chinese form study.

It took me quite a few months to get through that form. For I was not schooled in the basics of that system, just the form study.

Eventually I studied another and another. Several years later he and I were journeying to Baltimore for we were going to compete in a tournament. He in a masters Chinese division, me in a Chinese black belt forms division and several other karate black belt divisions.

As we traveled I inquired about would it be possible to study an Eagle Claw form. I knew he was studying with Shum Leung but his school was teaching the Pai Lum system at that time. I agreed with the provision he had to get his instructors permission.

That began my study of Hon Kuen, a 10 row Eagle Claw form which contained all of the techniques of the Eagle Claw system.

That began was a very long study. I did complete the form but at most I was somewhat adequate. At my best I could do the form but much slower than he did it.

Other forms followed. I was not a kung fu expert, but I gained some appreciation of the depth of the Chinese systems. I studied forms from Pai Lum, Northern Shaolin, Northern Preying Mantis (Tong Long) and Northern Eagle Claw (Faan Tzi Ying Jow Pai).

Years later I found several versions of that Eagle Claw form, abet named differently.

One of those versions (from Hong Kong)

Xing Quan Shi Lu ( Hon Kuen ) Eagle Claw