Tag Archives: Reality-Based Self-Defense

Box Dirty – Don’t Play Fair: 21 Tips

Box Dirty - Don't Play Fair: 21 Tips

Get the job done as quickly as possible, create the opportunity to escape, run – that’s our PHK reality-based self-defence game plan in case things go wrong, if you get involved in a fight.

We all know how different a real self-defence is from a sport – no rules, no referees, no weight classes, weapons and multiple opponents might be involved, etc.

To ilustrate some of the differences between sport and combatives, let’s check out an old chart of fouls from the Official Handbook of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, and compare it to what we do in PHKContinue reading

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Chinese Martial Arts Ground Fighting

Chinese Martial Arts Ground Fighting

PHK philosophy is simple: “Learn how to grapple, so you don’t have to.” You might be not interested in grappling, but grappling might be interested in you. You might end up in the clinch, and yes, you might end up on the ground. If you don’t have any clinching and grappling skills, you will.

As many of our colleagues have correctly pointed out, Chinese martial arts didn’t have any grappling in BJJ sense (position > submission), for obvious reasons of the difference between 1 on 1 sport fighting and reality based self-protection. Continue reading

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You Either Win, Or You Learn: Practical Hung Kyun Gathering (Video)

You Either Win, Or You Learn: Practical Hung Kyun Gathering (Video)

Full contact sparring, weapon sparring (long and short weapons), bare-hands vs. armed assailant, reality-based self-defense scenarios – that is Practical Hung Kyun Gathering, a community event of our school, inspired by the Dog Brothers Gatherings.

Check out a video from the first PHK Gathering in one of our Czech branch schools, PHK Jihlava, led by my long-time student Michal Hink. Continue reading

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Hung Ga Kyun Ground Fighting: “Scissor Kick”

Hung Ga Scissor KickQuestion: “Hung Ga Scissor Kick” – Sifu, how does it look like?

In what Hung Ga set can I find it?

What is the proper Chinese name?

Can you please show how is it used?

Thank you!

Grzegorz M.

Answer: “Scissor Leg Technique” (Gau Jin Teui Faat) is one our “Special Skills” (Jyut Gei). Apart from relatively recently composed set called “Butterfly Palms” (Wu Dip Jeung, which by the way isn’t part of our curriculum), you will not find it in any of the commonly taught Hung Ga Kyun sets.

Interestingly, not all techniques were transmitted via set training – many of the special patterns or combinations were taught as individual techniques. “Scissor Leg Technique” (Gau Jin Teui Faat), also called “Golden Coin Falls to the Ground” (Gam Chin Lok Dei), is one of them. Continue reading

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Hung Ga, Lam Sai Wing and Army Combatives

Hung Ga Kyun and Army Combatives

Question: I have heard that Grand Master Lam Sai Wing has taught in the army. Is it true? Can you please give some examples of simple Hung Gar bare-hand combat techniques, which could be use in unarmed combat situation in the army or on the street today?

Harvey H.

Answer: It is well documented that Wong Fei Hung, Lam Sai Wing (and various other Hung Ga Kyun Masters) taught martial arts in the army.

Wong Fei Hung served his duty under famous army commanders Lau Wing Fuk, Ng Chyun Mei and Tong Ging Sung, Lam Sai Wing under Lei Fuk Lam and Chan Jai Tong. (You can find out more in the intro parts of Lam Sai Wing Memorial Book and Lam Sai Wing’s Taming the Tiger Manual).

Their function wasn’t only honorary. We can only guess what specifically did they teach in the army, but we know for sure that both Wong Fei Hung and Lam Sai Wing taught actual combat techniques – not only strength/conditioning drills to keep the soldiers disciplined and fit, but also weapon and bare-handed combat skills. Moreover, they not only taught, but also learned from the other Masters and cross-trained.

Continue reading

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Hung Ga’s “Taming of the Tiger” Application Drills (Video)

Practical Hung Kyun - Taming the Tiger Self-Defense Drills

Stand-up grappling and counter-grappling techniques, kicks, clinch work and close quarters combative skills, dealing with multiple opponents etc. These and many other are skills are taught in our “Taming of the Tiger in Gung Pattern Set” (Gung Ji Fuk Fu Kyun), 3rd Kap of our Practical Hung Kyun curriculum.

Check out a short video from last week’s training session, devoted the the practice of some of the drills. Continue reading

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