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About
Lau Gar Kung Fu The style of Kung
Fu practiced in Boyne Valley Martial Arts schools is kung fu system known
as Lau Gar Kuen (meaning Lau Family Fist). Lau Gar is a traditional Kung
Fu style based upon the 5 Shaolin animals : |
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Tiger - Tiger forms are
ferocious and powerful but also elegant and agile. As the tiger has no natural
enemies it knows only to attack. |
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Dragon
- In Chinese culture the dragon is a majestic animal. Dragon forms contain
powerful, undulating movements manisfested as graceful, sinuous body motions. |
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| Snake
- The snakes movements are fast and sleek. Using a snake form a practitioner
would not block an attack directly with physical strength but would absorb
it using circular movements, striking along the attacking limb to the opponents
weak points. |
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| Crane
- The characteristics of the crane are its elegant, swift and graceful movements.
The crane does not attack directly but counter attacks |
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| Leopard
- The characteristic of the leopard is its speed, leopard form movements are
fast. In the leopard form, the emphasis is on external strength which relies
to a great extent on fast movement for its successful operation. |
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well as their movements, the "spirit" of these animals have also been
incorporated into the forms (sets) of the style. The training is designed to
strengthen and develop what is known as the "three treasures" namely
the mind "shen", body "jing"and spirit "chi"of
the practitioner through vigorous training, forms practice and Chi Kung. For
example, a person whose jing is full is physically fit and healthy; one whose
chi is plentiful is emotionally stable and full of vitality; and one whose shen
is abundant is mentally fresh and spiritually mature. |
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The Lau Gar style
excels at stick work and being a Southern Shaolin system, it concentrates
heavily on short range hand techniques delivered from strong, stable stances.
As with other Southern systems there is also a significant amount of kicking
techniques. Lau Gar places strong emphasis on the External (physical)
training of the body but it also
includes the Internal (mind & spirit) aspects through the cultivation
of Chi. For an explanation of these terms please click here
Students also undergo
weapons training at more advanced levels. Click here
for an overview of some of the weapons utilised in Lau Gar Kung Fu. |
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