On San Sik
Rene Ritchie, February 3rd, 2008
Since stuff like San Sik (Free Techniques) aren’t, by their nature, as formal, there’s a higher propensity for change and addition/subtraction. If Siu Lien Tao is a codex of alphabet and grammar, San Sik are like Scrabble tiles.
(For those not familiar with San Sik, think of Siu Lien Tao, then think of the “three prayers to Buddha” section of Siu Lien Tao. That could be (and is in some lineages), a separate San Sik all it’s own. Basically, very short combinations of (typically core or otherwise foundation) movements).
So, some teachers could pick up more or less scrabble-tile, pass on more or less, emphasize more or less, combine them in different ways, etc.
Out of all the San Sik he learned from Cheung Bo and Yuen Kay-San, Sum Nung organized a very well thought out (IMHO) set of San Sik and extensions to help his early students develop fighting skill quickly, with the bonus effect of making the included San Sik easier to remember, and an argument could be made that most of the essential primitives are applied or implied in the ones he selected as much, if not as obviously, as in the three long sets, but who knows what other San Sik he may have chosen not to include? (Looking at another San Sik selection, like that of Leung Jan in Koo Lo, certainly provides some clues).
Likewise, my guess is that Gwai Ma/Gwai Choi could have been passed on to some students and not others, remembered by some and not others, kept by some and not others, taken in and out by some and not others, etc. depending on how relevant it was at the time.
A great example of good expression from you here Rene imo! Actually may be the first time I’ve read online that others break down the sets of their forms as I do for intensive training purposes.
How many others do this? And more importantly, if this is a good method to use, how many sets does everyone practice in SLT, CK & BJ?
I have commonly seen the SLT taught in three parts, but it’s like it’s been paired up as I remember 6 distinct sets. Come to think of it, it’s the same for my CK & BJ!
Just my personal experience, obviously.
Thanks TiFei!
I used to do that all the time. These days I do almost exclusively San Sik, as I find too hard to focus on too much all at once, and San Sik allow for both good focus and good skill development (boxers are good at the core punches because there are relatively few of them and they train the heck out of them
)
I think we count SLT as + hand, 3 prayers, stamping palms, biu jee, big circle bridge, circling arms, wing arms, freeing arms, so that’s 8.