Bak Mei Kung Fu
白眉拳A southern Chinese style of short, explosive power with a hard, compact expression. Tradition links it to a Taoist monk; the traceable lineage begins only in the twentieth century.
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About Bak Mei Kung Fu
Bak Mei ("white eyebrow") is a southern Chinese style built on short, explosive power. Tradition links it to a Taoist monk of that name from the Emei monastery, but the traceable lineage begins only with Cheung Lai-chuen in the early twentieth century, who brought the style to Guangdong and Hong Kong. The gap between legend and documentation is the same here as with wing chun, and it is worth knowing about. The technical core is fa jing — the ability to release force over a very short path, with a sharp engagement of the whole torso. Hence the characteristic shudder of the body on impact, which looks like a spasm but is a controlled release of tension. Strikes are often delivered from close range and frequently with an open hand or the back of the hand. The stance is upright, narrow and rear-weighted so that the front leg stays free. Movement is short and direct; the style does not work with wide circles or high kicks. Kicks stay low, to the knee and shin. Bak Mei traditionally has few forms and concentrates on a small number of principles repeated in depth — the basic form Jik Bo Kuen ("straight step fist") contains most of what the style rests on. Schools are few and lineages tend to be closed; transmission still runs in family and club settings without competition. That means quality is hard to verify and finding a teacher is harder than in the widespread styles.
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Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.