“Six and Half Point Long Pole” (Luk Dim Bun Gwan) is one of the most famous weapon techniques of Southern Chinese martial arts. It is practiced both in “old Wing Chun ” and  modern (Fat Saan) Wing Chun.

“Six and Half Point” was also a part of Lam Sai Wing’s Hung Ga Kyun curriculum. Grand Master Lam Jou writtes:

My uncle, Lam Sai Wing, added “Six and Half Pole” Techniques to this. The “Six and Half Pole” techniques were famous among the Chinese opera groups. These techniques originated from the Siu Lam monastery and then spread among the Chinese opera groups.

(Please read the whole text in the translation of the Lam Sai Wing Memorial Book, available HERE)

The left-handed techniques  of Luk Dim Bun Gwan were added to the middle of the “Fifth Brother’s Eight Diagram Long Pole” (Ng Long Baat Gwa Gwan) set, where the pole is held with the right hand forward. “Six and Half Point Long Pole” is the first weapon we currently teach in our Practical Hung Kyun curriculum.

I have always wondered, why the hell “six and HALF“?

During the years i have received many different answers – some of them made sense, most of did not. Visiting Holland in 2013,  I have asked my good friend, Si Hing Dai and teacher, Master Wong and got a simple, straightforward answer. Mr. Wong told me:

Well, there are actually seven techniques in Luk Dim Bun Gwan of course. But number seven was in the circles of Chinese secret societies a taboo number because of the treachery of Ma Ling Yi, a layman student of Southern Siu Lam Temple.

Brother Ma, also called A Chat (Number Seven), seventh best fighter of the Siu Lam temple, was expelled from the temple and has later told the Ching army about the secret passages to the temple. Siu Lam monks were betrayed and the temple was burnt to the ground, at least as the legend goes. That is the reason why the set is called Six and Half Point Long Pole, not Seven Point Long Pole.

Interesting, isn’t it? What is your story? What is your half point? Add your commentary below!

Check out some old Luk Dim Bun Gwan videos as well, performed by Grand Master Dang Yik and Grand Master Yip Man.

Pavel Macek Sifu, Practical Hung Kyun

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