Pak Hok Pai (Tibetan White Crane)
白鶴派Hong Kong branch of Tibetan White Crane from the Lion's Roar lineage. Circular strikes from the waist, evasions and finger strikes, in Hong Kong's heritage inventory under number 370.
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About Pak Hok Pai (Tibetan White Crane)
Pak Hok Pai, Tibetan White Crane, is one of three branches that, according to Wikipedia, grew out of the Lion's Roar lineage. The other two are Lama Pai and Hop Ga. Tradition places its origin in the fifteenth century with the Tibetan lama Adatuo from today's Qinghai, who is said to have composed the style after watching a fight between a monkey and a crane. We have not been able to document this legend, and it resembles origin stories of other styles. According to Wikipedia, master Sing Lung came from Sichuan to Guangdong in 1865. Pak Hok Pai itself was set up by Ng Siu-chung, in pinyin Wu Zhaozhong, a student of Wong Lam-hoi. According to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he was born in 1896 in Sanshui, moved to Hong Kong in 1930 and after the war founded the White Crane Athletic Club. According to Wikipedia, the style rests on four principles: ruthlessness, evasion, penetration and trapping the attack. Strikes are circular, with power from the waist, and kicks are few. The traditional syllabus has twenty-four sets, fourteen without weapons and ten with weapons. The Hong Kong intangible cultural heritage inventory lists Pak Hok Pai as number 370.
History
According to tradition, the style arose in the fifteenth century with the Tibetan lama Adatuo in today's Qinghai, who had learned Tibetan wrestling and levers. Legend says he watched a crane evading a monkey and counterattacking, and built the style from monkey wrestling and the crane's evasions and strikes on sensitive spots. The documented history is more recent. According to Wikipedia, master Sing Lung came from Sichuan to Guangdong in 1865, and three branches developed from his Lion's Roar lineage: Hop Ga, Pak Hok Pai and Lama Pai. Pak Hok Pai was set up by Ng Siu-chung, a student of Wong Lam-hoi, who worked in Macao and Hong Kong. The Chinese University of Hong Kong says he was born in 1896 in Sanshui and moved to Hong Kong in 1930.
How it differs
According to Wikipedia, Pak Hok Pai stresses crane techniques more than Hop Ga and Lama Pai. It is unrelated to Fujian white crane, which developed independently in the South Shaolin five-animal tradition.
Technique
According to Wikipedia, the style rests on four principles: can, ruthlessness, shan, evasion, chuan, penetration, and jie, trapping the attack. Kicks are few, three low and one high jumping kick, and strikes are circular with power from the waist. An advanced soft set, called the cotton needle set, trains accuracy and finger strikes.
Training
According to Wikipedia, the traditional progression required twenty-four sets, of which fourteen without weapons and ten with weapons. Training took place on fourteen plum posts about a foot wide and ten to fifteen feet high, which today are often replaced by painted circles.
Today
The Hong Kong intangible cultural heritage inventory, published in 2014, lists Pak Hok Pai under number 370 in the martial arts section. After the war Ng Siu-chung founded the White Crane Athletic Club in Hong Kong. After his death, according to Wikipedia, it was run by a committee and later disputes led some masters to leave.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pak Hok Pai come from Tibet?
So tradition tells about the lama Adatuo. The documented history begins in the nineteenth century in Guangdong and today's style developed in Hong Kong.
What is the difference between Pak Hok Pai and Fujian white crane?
They are two separate styles. Fujian white crane arose in the South Shaolin five-animal tradition and is unrelated to Tibetan White Crane.
What principles is Pak Hok Pai based on?
On four: ruthlessness, evasion, penetration and trapping the attack.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.