4 posts tagged “michael punschke”

Last night we went to bed very early, because Master Lau Kar-Yung arrived this early morning. Shi Fu Michael and I were looking forward that Master Lau’s arriving.

At 5:50, when Master Lau stepped out from the arrival gate, he looked like so fresh and in high spirits. First Master Lau gave Shi Fu Michael a big embrace, and played with my daughter. He is always so kind and friendly.

After 12 hours flying, actually Master Lau could not rest so well during the time. We bought cups of tea and café, and then talked. We exchange the news from each other when the time we did not meet.

Lunch and dinner we ate at our small apartment, I cooked, Master Lau and Shi Fu Michael chatted. Of course sometimes I had to translate in between. That’s why, my real kung fu is not so top, but my knowledge about kung fu of Chinese Martial Art is quite good.

Tomorrow evening at 6 o‘clock, is our Monkey Boxing (Monkey Style) workshop. I will record all the details and show everybody here. Of course, in the next days what Master Lau’s doing, I will also report here.

Do not miss it.

On 18^th October 2008, Fong’s Kung Fu School’s Lion Dance Team was invited by “Chinesische Frauenvereinigung in Sueddentschland e.V. Muenchen” to perform a Lion Dance show, on the party of “National Day of Taiwan”.

This was already the second time to receive the invitation; our lion dance team was very glad to have this opportunity to perform, especially in front of the Chinese people. It was very meaningful. Because of this reason, Michael was very cautious to design the lion dance performance to give a most special presentation.

In between of three weeks practicing, I did not go to kung fu school to look. Only when Michael came back home, and told me how was the situation, then we discussed about the details, and how we could make it better.

After a week of practice, Michael asked me, how about to add the element of “ the flag of Republic of China” in this performance? I thought it was a very great idea, and discussed the script with Michael. But the question is where we could get a “flag of Republic of China”? 

Afterward, the secretary of Taipeh Vertretung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Buero Muenchen, Mr.Shi helped us to get a big “flag of Republic of China”. After we got the flag on the way going home, the small pack of my country’s flag which has three colors, red, blue and white, lay down on my legs. That is such a kind of strange feeling to me.

For how long I never hold my own country’s flag on my hands?

We do not resemble the America, Britain; the symbols of their flags are countless using for the fashion clothing design. It presents not only a country, also represents a tidal current. It may be on the coat, design for the bikini, and so on is countless.

We do not have the football sport event and the grand occasion as in Europe. In Europe, during the football games playing, each country, everybody, on their faces, on the clothes, on the cars, on the windows, and anywhere that you do not expect, they hang, dress, or paint to show their own country’s flag, to expand their country’s prestige, to demonstrate their loyalty and encourage.

So, when and for what reason we hold a flag？ I think no more. On the National Day, do the students now still go to school or the park to join the flag-raising ceremony to participate the ceremony of the National day？On the hand, holding the ten dollar plastic flag, and playing, fighting, poking with the flag with the schoolmates. Then after the ceremony of the flag-raising, as soon as possible to throw away the flag to the trash can. I was also one of the small students that thought that it was vulgar and stupid to hold the flag on my hand.

This memory of the flag in the past replayed in my mind, very light, and silent. How long beforehand has that been?

On 18^th October, the performance day, all the lion dance team students warmed up first at kung fu school before we went to the party of National day, and practiced two times more to be sure that every detail would be ok. I have never seen this performance before until this moment.

When the lion head was waving the Republic of China’s flag, when the colors of blue, white and red were waving front of me; my eyes were moist unexpectedly with tears. I was also astonished about my reaction, am I suddenly patriotic？ Or the small girl who was compelled to participate the ceremony is just suddenly awake？Or actually the land of my country is really too far away, only the strokes of blue, white and red, then my eyes were moist with tears.

I do not feel longer that the flag is vulgar and stupid, blinked my eyes gently, and then the tears dropped.

On that day, the performance obtained the applause from the whole audience at the party. The friend told me, when she saw the flag fluttered in the air, her tears fill her eyes immediately. I told her, I have also the similar emotion.

On the way back home, the latter compartment of our car fill of the lion head, the big drum and other performance equipments, and was shaky. I grip Michael’s hand, thanks him, on this black, red and yellow land, he waved the blue, white and red in my heart, and let me cherish the memory of the old, lovely time which initially I did not understand and realize with enough time.

Our lion dance team Heroes, I want to thank you for your great show on that day. Our heroes are Shi Fu Michael Punschke and Elias Maurides, Thomas Röhling, Tobias Knopff, Sebastian Schmidt, Thomas Petersen, Thomas Freier, Cengiz Dedeoglu, Can Dedeoglu und Benny Schweikl.

I come from Taiwan, merry a German fellow, Michael Punschke and now settle down in Munich. Michael is fond of Chinese cultural and martial arts, practices Chinese traditional kung fu.

Four and half years ago, first time I visited Munich and Michael’s own kung fu school. The time when I just arrived at kung fu school, was the time the students were practicing. In the big practicing space, there were around 50 foreigners who had golden hair, blue eyes, counted the tempo in Cantonese along with the movements. Some were unarmed practicing the hand forms, some were single to train, and also had two people to practice together. Some held the lance, the knives or the swords jumping high in the air that the sharp weapons cut down the expansive sky; it was very majestic and awe-inspiring. In another practicing room was filled with the Zen consciousness. There the students practiced calmly Tai Chi and Qi Gong with the peaceful mind and the supple slow movements.

I was astonish, opened my mouth big, and immediately all my fine hair had stood. Although Michael already described about his 30 years experience to practice kung fu and 15 years operation situation of kung fu school, but what was presenting of me was touched and respected.

Regarding the kung fu, generally people’s cognition nothing else but, in the morning in the park, the older people hold the Tai Chi fan（太極扇） to dance or practice the Wai Dan Gong（外丹功）. I had thought at the same way also, and mostly the Chinese people are not interesting about our own traditional culture. For near future, because of An-Li（李安）, Tsui Hark（徐克）, Jackie Chan（成龍）, Jet Li（李連杰）and so on, present the kung fu movies to this world, let people to have more understanding and interest about kung fu.

Michael joked that he wanted to appreciate the direct An-Li（李安）, otherwise the business of his kung fu school is unable to growth smoothly as now. But I actually appreciate Michael, because of him; I understand afresh the most valuable part of my own culture.

Now I help the sundry duties at school, and as a Chinese, give my opinions and suggestions to Michael. Simultaneously I practice also Kung Fu to set an example by personally taking part of this culture. Beside we have together edited a basic training book of Choy Lay Fut, the German edition.

Our dream is very small, bare fisted cannot found a world, but we can work with one heart to let more people to appreciate and understand Kung Fu.

 

Michael studies Kung Fu over 30 years. We have known each other only five years, in these days, I follow him to travel around to visit the kung fu masters. I think deeply that Michael is a very lucky fellow.

If I say so, is somewhat unfair to Him. Michael spends every day over 4 hours to research and practice kung fu. There are 24 hours a day, deducts eight hours for working, in addition eating, sleeping and other things to do. Spending four hours a day on Kung Fu; he is worth admiring.

But I refer to the fortunate is, Michael may follow and learn from those masters who are worth respecting and bowing.

Michael visited completely these masters for several times to show his determination to practice and learn kung fu, and finally the masters took Michael as a pupil. It is not only about the tuition fee. It is also an affirmation to Michael that he pays the painstaking to Chinese martial arts and traditional kung fu. The masters know that this long nose, German fellow, who promotes positively Kung Fu in the overseas, all give the greatest support to encourage Michael, and teaching is also more detailed. The Chinese cultural, oneself Chinese people are not interesting to cherish and study, therefore the masters give all the techniques and knowledge to Michael.

Michael’s teachers are all very famous and great. Michael’s passion to Kong Fu earns himself the respect from these masters. He shines out with great brilliancy, which flashes back from these masters. Even a person standing aside feels so proud of him just like me. It reflexes on me also.

Sometimes it is better to be modest. But I should not be. To Michael’s attitude and zeal for kung fu, I am so resolute to proud of him.

The theme of today is master Lau Kar-Yung（劉家勇 師父）. He comes from the famous Lau Family（劉家班）in Hong Kong.

Lau Family（劉家班） is the most respected kung fu family in Hong Kong who is second to none. Lau Family has tough training of kung fu and the real skills. Even the famous Jacky Chan Stunt Team（成家班）emphasizes on movie stunts, can’t compare with the Lau Family. The conductor of Lau Family, master Lau Kar-Leung（劉家良 先生）has high prestige and command universal respect.

Master Lau Kar-Yung（劉家勇 師父） obtains the true, original, tradition kung fu skills from master Lau Kar-Leung（劉家良 先生）。There are Hong Quen, Monkey Style Boxing and Lion Dance。Especially the Monkey Style Boxing and the Lion Dance indeed widen my horizon.

Master Lau Kar-Yung’s stature is small. Because of this superiority, when he annotates the Monkey Style Boxing, is especially lifelike, nimble as a real ape. A single movement, a slight expression, looks like easy and simple; actually is very difficult to imitate the mold.

The Lion Dance divides into drum and lion head two main parts. Master Lau Kar-Yung is influenced by what he sees and hears since childhood. When he plays the drum, nobody can reach the level of his rhythm. He holds the drum sticks, both hands up and prepares the movement. The next second, the fast movements of hitting the drum show the touchable rhythm nearby our ears. The clear and melodious notes are not only beautiful as the pearls fall to the jade plate. We can hear the mood of the rhythm sometimes sounds like mighty, sometimes sounds like mischievous. The rhythm coordinates flawlessly with the lion head.

Master Lau Kar-Yung’s lion head playing also presents lifelike. Blink the eyes, open and close the mouth, it seems like a little mischievous lion playing around. Suddenly, the rhythm changes, from the low point to the culmination. The little mischievous lion turns to a brave and skillful fighting lion. When the lion head is on master’s hands, not only a colorful lion mask. It is a vivid, substantial, touchable, preternatural happy beast.

In the end of 2006, Master Lau Kar-Yung was invited to come to Munich for a seminar, respectively Monkey Style Boxing and the Lion Dance. There were numerous people, and obtained the general high praises. In the end of this year 2008, we invite the master Lau Kar-Yung to come again to Munich. On 27^th of November, Master Lau Kar-Yung will arrive in Munich, launches seven days teaching and sightseeing.

Coming more detailed here, and do not miss it.