Wahnam film feature !

This short film is the work of Juan Carlos, a film student who use to come to the London classes. Myself and assistant instructor from Brighton, Mark Tranter volunteered to help out. The ideas, story and production are all Juan's. The fighting sequences are a jumble of Shaolin Wahnam Combat Sequences and were roughly put together by Mark and myself on the morning of the shoot. The quality of the uploaded film isn't great and next time we do a film it'll be Mark made to wear the turquoise suit!

What Is It About Wahnam? Part 1: Nothing But Genuine Shaolin

The teachings of Grand Master Wong Kiew Kit are the purest form of Shaolin I have ever come across. An antidote to the acrobatics of modern Wushu, Shaolin Wahnam prides itself on being simple, direct and effective. A principle we can apply to everything we do in life.

Shaolin kung fu dates back hundreds of years and today we can utilise techniques that have stood the test of time. Genuine Shaolin is a complete system incorporating every aspect of combat. We see no reason to include kicks borrowed from tae kwon do, punches from western boxing or locks from Jujitsu.

Likewise, we don't substitute traditional training methods for modern day circuit training or use a japanese style belt system. We remain open-minded in our approach to other martial arts and training methods, but if doing star jumps really made you a better fighter then some monk back in 1423 would have already discovered it.

What Is It About Wahnam? Part 2: Application

Second on my list, although not reeled off in any particular order, is the application of techniques found within Shaolin Wahnam. When watching Grand Master Wong Kiew Kit sparring I'm always struck by the completeness of his attack. By this I mean that while one hand will strike, the other will be used to 'tame' or tie up the opponents arms. Meanwhile, with good use of stances or leg work, the opponent finds his or her front leg pressed downward making them unable to kick and limiting their choice of movements. Often with just a little more pressure the opponent will we left in a heap on the ground as their legs buckle in beneath them.

It is clear then that there is much more to effective fighting that just being able to throw a punch. We must develop the skills that allow us to control our opponent and set ourselves up for the optimum delivery of our technique. We must guard against the likely counter attacks and be able to follow up with further attacks as we press forward. The skills to do this can not be learnt by beating punch bags but only through systematic partner training, a subject that will be covered in the next post.

Shaolin Wahnam Family Join Wedding Celebrations

7th and 8th of October, members of the worldwide Shaolin Wahnam family gathered for the wedding of Sifu Wong's second daughter Wei Foong to Peter Kow Chee Wooi. Around seventy students travelled from South America, Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan and South East Asia to the two wedding dinners, one in Sungai Petani, the other in Penang. Sifu Wong took the opportunity to teach for the six days leading up to the wedding. Students enjoyed two days of Shaolin Kung Fu, two days of Wahnam Tai Chi and two days of Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung. Yet another memorable trip to Malaysia!