Choy Li Fatt at Winter Camp 2012

[Markus Kahila]

Dear Family and visitors,


It is with great pride we announce the upcoming Shaolin Winter Camp 2012 exclusive kungfu course:

Choy Li Fatt

The great art of Choy Li Fatt (Choy Lee Fut) is a famous style of Southern Shaolin founded by patriarch Chen Harng. Its techiques are characterized by long reach and wide movements, and it is renowned for its wave tactics and effectiveness in single combat as well as mass fighting.

At this special course, Grandmaster Wong will teach the participants the comprehensive methodology to understand and apply this art.


This course is also a fantastic choice for those interested in sparring competitions and improving their fighting against modern martial arts.


However, this is not all.


With this historical course, the great Choy Li Fatt tradition will be reunited with its Shaolin origins.


The Shaolin Winter Camp 2012 is held in Oslo, Norway from January 6th to 13th.

More information coming soon!

Best wishes,

[Markus Kahila]

What will you learn at the Choy-Li-Fatt (Choy Lee Fut) -course?

Dear family and visitors,


The answer below is reproduced from the "20 questions to Grandmaster" -series, and provides very inspiring insights on what you will learn at the Choy-Li-Fatt -course at the 2012 Shaolin Winter Camp.

A Choy-Li-Fatt (Choy Lee Fut) practitioner often uses his arms like iron rods.
This requires a good foundation of force training.

"
In relation to other styles and courses already taught in Shaolin Wahnam, the following are specific benefits one can attain from the Choy-Li-Fatt course at the 2012 Winter Camp in Norway.

1.  Training with dumb-bells.

One remarkable improvement I had when I learned from Sifu Ho fatt Nam after I had leant from Uncle Righteousness was a tremendous increase of force. I felt I was not very forceful in my kungfu performance, so during a chit-chat I asked my sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, how I could increase my force.  

He told me to practice Thirty Punches with stone-locks. He did not have to show me how to do it as he had earlier taught me Thirty Punches (with empty fists), but he explained how to make stone-locks using cement, iron bars or strong cane.

It was amazing. After practicing Thirty Punches with stone-locks for only a few months, my force increased so dramatically that when I performed a kungfu set I caused “khuen foong”, literally “fist-wind”, or audible vibrations in the air. I was very happy as it was described in kungfu stories that only high-level masters could cause “fist-wind”.

Stone-locks are quite clumsy.  In the Choy-Li-Fatt course we shall use more elegant dumb-bells, which I believe can even produce better results. It will be the first time in Shaolin Wahnam history that I teach using dumb-bells to increase force.

2.  Internal Approach to External Method

Practicing with dumb-bells to increase force is an external method. We in Shaolin Wahnam are very special. After teaching students the external method so that they can have some experience of it, I shall teach them how to practice the same method in an internal way using chi flow. The students will then have a comparison between the external and the internal approach of the same method. They will also be amazed at the result.

3.  Technique of Whirl-Wind Fists and its Counters

Imagine you are holding two iron rods and swinging them methodologically on an opponent. If he attacks you, you hit their attacking arms with your iron rods. If they retreat, you swing your iron rods on his head or body. Now you use your arms like two iron rods, which is actually more versatile. This is a famous technique in kungfu but is little understood because it requires some subtle movements to make it effective. It is known as “foong chei khuen fatt” or the “technique of whirlwind fists”, and is very formidable if you arms are powerful and you know the subtle movements which will be taught at the course.

Now suppose your opponent uses “whirlwind fists” on you. How would you defend yourself?  Many people would be at a loss facing two powerful swinging rods. Students at the Choy-Li-Fatt course will learn effective counters against these “whirlwind fists”.

4.  Finer Points of Choy-Li-Fatt

Choy-Li-Fatt is a very formidable art against most opponents, but there are some innate weaknesses, and a high-level master could exploit these weaknesses. However, not many people know these innate weaknesses, and less know how to exploit them. (When you realize how many free offers people hand out in free sparring today, and how seldom their opponents take up these free offers, you would not be surprised at the above fact.)

At the course students will learn about these innate weaknesses, and how to exploit them. Does this mean the end for Choy-Li-Fatt practitioners? No, if they also know what the innate weaknesses are, and how to respond when opponents exploit them. This is what Jeffrey Segal called the chess aspect of kungfu.  The Choy-Li-Fatt course is going to be very interesting.
"

- Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

Best wishes,

[Markus Kahila]

"The Art of Iron Arm" at the Choy-Li-Fatt -course!

I have excellent news!


At the Choy-Li-Fatt -course held in Oslo from Jan 9th to 13th, Grandmaster Wong will teach the methods for the famed Iron Arm! This will be a bonus to the other course material.

Iron Arm is one of the revered 72 Shaolin Arts. The "as a bonus" -part gives a good indication of the high level of other material being shared at the course - the complete combat methodology for Choy-Li-Fatt, The Eighteen-Lohan Art, using weights in chi flow for force training, the wave tactic in pressing attacks...truly amazing.


There are still openings at the course, and there is still time to participate.


Do not miss this.


Best wishes,