Starting Kung Fu: Tien Shan Pai Shaolin Style
June 16, 2008
A Brief History of Shaolin Kung Fu
The dawn of Shaolin Kung Fu can be traced back almost 1, 500 years ago to a northern-central Chinese temple known as Shaolin Tzu (“Little Forest Temple”). The inception of Kung Fu training is most often attributed to an Indian Buddhist monk known as Da Mo, who visited the temple to share his philosophical ideas. Realizing that the monks living at Shaolin Tzu were in no shape to endure the long hours of meditation demanded by his teachings, Da Mo incorporated a series of exercises into their daily routines.
These exercises later evolved into a self-defense system due to the monks’ need for protection as they traveled to teach the Buddhist doctrine. Over the years, many famous masters of Shaolin Kung Fu have furthered the development of the art by basing technique on the movements of various animals, giving us many styles of Shaolin Kung Fu in present times.
Tien Shan Pai Kung Fu History
The style that I teach in my school - White Birch Kung Fu & Tai Chi School in Sterling, Virginia - is known as Tien Shan Pai (“Heaven Mountain Style”), and was founded by the late Master Wang, Jyue Jen. Master Wang trained at the Nanjing Institute in central China as a young man and later joined the Kuomintang army.
After Chiang, Kai Shek’s government fell to the communists in the late 1940’s, Master Wang followed as they retreated to Taiwan. Once settled in Taichung, he established a school, Lei Sheng Wu Yuan (“Sound of Thunder Martial Arts Garden”), and began teaching a curriculum based on his accumulated experience, calling it Tien Shan Pai after the mountainous region of north-western China.
In 1970, his senior-most student, Master Willy Lin, brought the style to the U.S. and opened his school, Lin Kung Fu School, in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Since then, Tien Shan Pai has become one of the most widely practiced Kung Fu systems in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. due in large part to Master Lin’s efforts and dedication to Tien Shan Pai.
Learning Tien Shan Pai
As with most systems of martial art, Tien Shan Pai students learn a number of basic punching and kicking techniques that provide the foundation for sparring skills. Tien Shan Pai’s approach to sparring is based on the Shaolin method of combining hand and foot techniques with sweeps, throws, take-downs and locking techniques known as Chin Na (“Seize/Control”).
In addition to sparring, traditional empty-hand, weapon and 2-person forms are taught to either introduce self-defense options or differing types of movement to practitioners.
Your First Day
New to students to our school often comment to me that their first class was both challenging and exciting. On a typical first day with us, one can expect to learn the 5 basic Kung Fu stances, the opening section of our beginner form, and an application or two from the same form.
For their first class, new students aren’t required to spar, but are encouraged to do so if they feel comfortable doing so.
Required Equipment
Equipment required to start training with us is minimal: you will need a uniform and sparring gloves. As they progress, students are expected to purchase their own sparring gear to include: head, shin, foot, and chest guards.
Students are also responsible for the cost and maintenance of weapons, should they choose to learn them. There are practice weapons available at the school for student use, but again, it will eventually be required of one to purchase and care for his/her own weapon(s).
Tuition
Tuition at my school is paid monthly, with three membership options to choose from. There is an initial enrollment fee of $50, and 3, 6, or 12 month membership increments.
The monthly dues are based on which of these a new member joins under: 3 months at $129/month paid in advance, 6 months at $119/month paid once a month, or 12 months at $99/month paid once a month.
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About the author: Sifu Lacy Colley has been involved in Tien Shan Pai Kung Fu and Yang Tai Chi Chuan for over 12 years, beginning at the age of 18. He has trained under some of the mid-Atlantic region’s finest transmitters of these arts, including Sifu Willy Lin, Sifu Sean Marshall, and Sifu Rob LaPointe. Sifu Colley began teaching in 1998 as an Assistant Instructor, and has been teaching full time since 2002 as the owner/head instructor of his Tien Shan Pai Kung Fu school in Sterling, Virginia. Sifu Colley has also competed and judged at the national level in traditional Chinese martial arts tournament around the Washington, D.C. area. For more information please call 703-834-2733.
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