History

Origins of Southern Shaolin Kung Fu

Five Family Systems of Southern Shaolin Kung‑Fu

	1 Hung-Gar
2 Mok-Gar (Main Branch of Southern Shaolin Kung-Fu)		3 Lau-Gar
4 Lee-Gar		5 Choi-Gar

Shaolin Mok Gar Kuen is one of the original family systems of Kung Fu from Southern China. It is known for its techniques in delivering kicks. However, its practitioners are in no way restricted to kicking alone (hand techniques and a full range of possible weapons are also used). The resulting flexibility of attack & defence epitomises the original concept of Chinese Martial Arts; that is to express oneself fully in the attempt to triumph in combat. When engaging in combat, the objective is to win, consequently to restrict oneself to particular movements of any kind would be to put oneself at a disadvantage.

Shaolin Mok Gar Kuen was first taught in this country by Sifu Charles Chan in 1975 in Coventry he had studied Mok Gar in Hong Kong under Sifu Cheung Wing Fai, it was then in its 8th generation. Since 1999 it has been taught in Wythall by Sifu Stuart and following this, Sifu Phil.

 Originally developed, so legend has it, by a midget called Mok Da Si in the Shaolin monastery in Southern China. He taught it to his family in the Tong Kwim district of Kwong Tong province in Southern China. Until the third generation, the style was known only as Shaolin Chuen. Later it was named Mok Gar (Mok's family) when a very outstanding boxer called Mok Ching Gill was responsible for making the system better known by defeating more than 500 boxers of various styles in the Tong Kwun district and surrounding area. The style has passed virtually unchanged through the generations and is still taught faithfully according to its original concept, sharing the same good reputation with the four other contemporary Southern family styles, Hung Gar, Choi Gar, Lee Gar and La'u Gar.

Advanced students progress through their training learning basic movements with various forms of weaponry, such as Kwun (long staff), Leung Gip Kwun (split staff), Siu So Gee (little sweeper, big sweeper), Sam gip Kwun (three section staff), Dip Do (butterfly swords), and Guay (tonfa / nightstick). Eventually they will specialise in the type of weapon to which they are particularly suited. As in all of the training, it is the capabilities of the student that will decide the type of training he or she will follow.

Later when the advanced student is experienced in the Mok Gar style, they will progress on to learning a soft form or internal form of Kung Fu, called Tai Chi (grand ultimate Fist).

Wu style Tai Chi, based on the Taoist symbol of Yin and Yang (soft and hard) is incorporated into the Mok-Gar teaching. Tai Chi teaches one to be aware of, and to react to, any form of attack and to be ever changing and formless. To learn and combine these two systems of Kung Fu is not an easy task, but once acquired the knowledge and experience proves to be very valuable indeed.