Tien Shan Pai
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Tien Shan Pai (天山派) is a northern style of Kung-fu which stresses rhythm, the demonstration of power accentuated by solid thuds made by the hands, the emitting of power from the entire body, the coordination of the hands and feet as well as blocks and strikes, high kicks and low sweeps, as well as locking and throwing techniques.[1] At the same time it also contains graceful empty-hand and weapons forms. Tien Shan Pai self-defense is characterized by angular attacks coupled with multiple blocks. If one block fails, the second can cover. Footwork is considered essential to countering attacks. Tien Shan Pai focuses on low and steady steps to the side, along with swift "hidden" steps to trick the opponent.[2] Paired boxing forms and exercises are emphasized for timing and accurate evaluation of distance in reference to a moving, responsive adversary.
According to the legend taught by Master Wang to his students the style originated in the Tien Shan mountains of northwestern China [3]; however, first person testimonials by many of his still living senior disciples and students state that it is an eclectic system, some of which has older antecedents, but which was first taught as a system by their teacher beginning in the late 1940s [4]
History
Wang Chueh-Jen (also known as Wang Jyue-Jen, and before that as Wang San Jer) came from a wealthy family[5][6] from Szechuan Province in China[6][6]. He is credited with bringing the Chinese martial art known as Tien Shan Pai to the public.[citation needed] After training members of Chiang Kai Shek's army in the martial arts[6], he settled in Taiwan, where he began to teach his curriculum in the late 1940s[5]. Wang’s early students competed in tournaments in Taiwan. Most notable among the successes of these early students, was Wu Ming Jer’s victory in the International Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Tournament (the Tai-Gang-Au) in 1957. In this tournament Wu Ming Jer, won the lightweight division (full contact) championship title.[7]
Wang continued to teach Tien Shan Pai, in Taiwan, until his death in 1990.[6] Some of the curriculum he incorporated into his teaching included forms from the Central Martial Arts Academy in Nanjing.[5]
Founding Legend
Wang Jyue Jen told many of his students a founding legend to instill martial virtue in them. The details of that legend vary in the re-telling, but the story is essentially as follows:
At the urging of his mother, a young shepherd, who would come to be known as Hong Yun (紅雲) or Red Cloud, that lived in the foothills of the Tien Shan mountain range followed an old monk into the mountains to learn his martial art. Upon proving his dedication to learning, by kneeling in the snow overnight, the shepherd was taken into the monk's temple. After many years of training he left to pass his skill on to other dedicated students.[3]
Modern Practitioners
Tien Shan Pai is an active style of Kung fu practiced by many in the United States and around the world. Current Masters in the US, all taught by Wang, include (in order of arrival in the US) Willy Lin, Tony Lin, Chien-Liang Huang, and Chao Chi Liu.
Willy Lin was the first of Wang Jyue Jen's disciples to arrive in the US. He is credited as being the first person to introduce, and to teach Wang’s system of Tien Shan Pai in the United States.
In Taiwan (between 1960-1968,) Lin was Head Instructor and Assistant to Wang, at Wang’s “Lei Sheng Wu Yuan”, or “Thunder Sound Martial Arts Garden” school. In 1968, Lin emigrated from Taiwan to São Paulo, Brazil. In 1970, he came to the United States, where, in 1971, he opened his first school in the Washington, DC area. During the next four years, Lin brought his brother, (Tony Lin,) his brother's friend, (Chien-Liang Huang,) and one of Lin's own Taiwanese Tien Shan Pai classmates (Chao Chi Liu) from Taiwan to the US to become instructors at his Lin Kung Fu Schools.
Presently, Willy Lin lives in New York City where he still teaches privately. He gives workshops and seminars regularly, around the country, on the traditional forms and practices of Tien Shan Pai (as taught to him by Wang, Jyue Jen.) Lin has produced a series of instructional DVDs in order to record Tien Shan Pai's traditional legacy in both the Kung Fu, as well as the Tai Chi aspects. Lin maintains that he is responsible for the naming of the style as "Tien Shan Pai" in the US, that this name encompasses all of Wang's curriculum. He further states that Wang, Jyue Jen is the creator (the Founding Generation) of this style, and that this system, now known as Tien Shan Pai, dates from the 1940s.[4]
Tony Lin spends his time between Maryland and mainland China. He still teaches privately.
Huang Chien-Liang has been teaching and promoting Tien Shan Pai for the past thirty five years. He currently resides and still teaches at his primary school in Maryland. In the 1980s, and while Wang was visiting the US, Tony Lin sponsored an exhibition of Tien Shan Pai in Baltimore, MD. Participating in that exhibition were Tony Lin, C.C. Liu, Chien-Liang Huang, their various students, and Wang, himself. It was during this exhibition that carved commemorative swords were given to Lin, Liu, and Huang by Wang. Each sword acknowledged, by name, its recipient as a student/disciple (“di-tzu”) of the Grandmaster. Huang Chien-Liang's sword contains carvings by Wang stating that he is a 64th Generation disciple[8]. Carvings on the scabbard of Huang's sword affirm Wang's position as 63rd Generation grandmaster[9]. Although there are many classmates senior to himself, Huang claims that none learned as much of the actual Tien Shan Pai curriculum as he did, and that only he received the initiatory Taoist disciple name from Wang Chueh-Jen, as well as engraved and painted calligraphic documentation that the lineage was being passed on through him[10].
C.C. Liu lives in Washington, DC, where he also still has a school.
See also
References
Notes
- ^ Miller J, Huang Chien-Liang: Builder of Character & Champions, © 1999, pg. 55
- ^ ibid pg. 55
- ^ a b Tien Shan Pai: Founding legend
- ^ a b The Truth About Tien Shan Pai
- ^ a b c http://www.linkungfu.com/wangjyuejen.php Cite error: The named reference "linkungfu.com" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c d e http://tienshanpai.org/style/wang-bio.htm Cite error: The named reference "tienshanpai.org" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ (Taiwan) Central Newspaper, November 26, 1957, p.4.
- ^ Huang's Disciple Sword
- ^ The Tien Shan Pai Association
- ^ Huang's School & Disciple Gifts