Iron Threat Fist (Ti San Chuan)
Iron Thread is believed to have been created by a Buddhism Monk, Kuk-Yuen in previous century. He taught the arts to
his students - MasterTek Kil-Sam (Iron Bridge III), Real name Leung-Kun (1813-1886). Since Tek was young, he was very fond
in Kung-Fu. He travelled hundreds of miles from home and arrived to Wisdom Temple where it located in the White Cloud Mountain in search for Kung-Fu Master.
He was accepted and trained there for seven years under the instructions of Monk Kuk-Yuen whom he was one of the founders
of Hung Style Kung-Fu.
Since Monk Kuk-Yuen passed away, Tek had lost his mentor and suffered from a deep depression. He was then left the temple
and returned to his native land teaching Kung-fu in Canton. Years later, Master Tek
further to improve the dynamic tension Form in building up strength and Chi (Qi). He passed the knowledge to Lam Fuk-Sang
(Shaolin monk) and Wong Fai-Hung (Grandmaster Wong was the chief instructor at the Southern China Military School, and was
well known of his great martial arts skill. In fact when I was a kid growing up in Hong Kong, I
had watched over 50 kung-Fu movies about him. The latest Kung-Fu movie about Wong Fai-Hung was starred by Jet Lee just a few
years ago. (In the future, I will write the historical event about him.)
Master Wong taught many students, but only taught the Iron Thread Fist to Lam-Sai-Wen. Lam later became the headmaster
of Hung Style of Shaolin Kung-Fu. Although Master Lam had taught more than thousands of students, but only a handful of them
had the diligent discipline received his instruction of Iron Thread Fist. Among them was my teacher Master Wong Sil-Jang,
whom I studied for a number of years. (I am not here to proclaim legitimate linkage to Iron Thread Fist; it just happened
I had the opportunity to learn from Master Wong. In fact, I never concern about linkage. A true martial artist is confident
and should not boggle up with linkage, politic, race, status. It is respectable to be grateful for your teachers, but don’t
use them to uphold your status. If you are good what you do, that is all about it.)
Kung-Fu masters of Southern Chinese years ago used to practice a dynamic tension form (kata) named Sanchin to develop
their chi. Since the creation of Iron Thread Fist, some abandoned the previous Sanchin Form. To date, Sanchin is only practiced
by most of the Traditional Karate-do (Not Sport Karate that widely practices all over North American) such as:
Goju-ryu - Hard & Soft Style, it is an infighting style which reflects much Chinese Southern Kung-Fu.
Shotoken - Named after the founder Gichin Funakoshi’s calligraphic brush.
** It is a practice by many calligraphic brush artists to name their brushes. I have three favourite brushes that I
named: Hai-Shai (Misty Ocean), Pei-Yu (Shyness Moon), Sal-Long (Sand & Wave).
Shorin-Ryu - A style that honours the teaching of Shaolin Temple.
Kohayashi-Ryu – A style that honours the contribution of Chinese teacher Ryu Ryo-Ko.
Isshin-Ryu - One heart Style.
Okinawan Kempo – Okinawan Fist-Law or the Way of Okinawan Fist
Since I had practiced Sanchin before, I truly understood why some people switched to Iron Thread. Now you may ask is
Iron Thread better than Sanchin. There is no answer to it. It depends on each individual’s preference and practice.
The reason I could think of why so many martial artists switched to Iron Thread Fist from Sanchin is obvious. Just look at
recent experience and I could name a few. Ever since Bruce Lee became a legion of his martial arts, there are so many people
came out of wedlock and proclaimed themselves the students of Master Lee, or have some linkage with him; Ever since Gracie
Jujitsu became well known to the public, people run and study Gracie’s Jujitsu. Ever since whoever won the UFC or Pride
Fight, People will run to attend their seminars.
Here is a secret not many people have known that Bruce Lee was very fond with Iron Thread Fist. He diligently practiced
this dynamic form daily in building up his strength and chi. For what I know he never had time to share this knowledge to
anyone. You may wonder why I decided to teach you. My answer is simple, you may learn it, but you can’t maintain it.
This statement is not meant for discouragement, it is an actuality. Looking back to Master Lam’s era, it was not he
didn’t teach the Iron Thread to thousands of his students, the fact was only a handful of them could appreciate its
values.
In practising Iron Thread Fist, the correct movements in conjunction with the breathing sounds are executed to match
the flexing and relaxing of the different muscles, tendons, and internal organs. The fifteen cores of bridge-moving techniques
are the soul of direction of Iron Thread. They include hard, soft, push, divert, lift, inch, shear, smash, cut, thread, roll,
draw, shoot, and snap. (The old form used twelve cores of bridge-moving techniques. After practising this form and other styles
of martial arts for over four decades, I decided to add three more bridges’ techniques,)
What exactly is strength?
The gymnasts can perform bar dips, iron cross with ease. In the weight room, however, they struggle with 200 lbs. While
the weightlifters are benching for 300 lbs and more. It is then a simple question, “Who is stronger?) The answer is
not that simple. Strength comes with many forms. Unlike one is lifting a weight or does a bar dip, the muscles are expanding
and contracting to his/her maximum capacity. This develops a lactic acid which tears down the muscle fibers. Given enough
time to rest, the muscles will repair themselves. During this process, the body will overcompensate, building up more muscle
fibers. In comparing the Iron Thread Training, practitioners will find the pressure is on the joints where the connecting
tendons attach the muscles to the bone. When one regularly trains in this form can result a stronger and flexible tendons.
In comparing the weight lifters of their musculature, it is very deceiving. Please do not confuse me advocate only on this
kind of training. Weight lifting is very important in martial arts training. Cross training is more beneficial than just one-dimensional
training.
For advices to students who are learning this form:
(1) Be patience
(2) Be diligence
(3) Be consistence
(4) Be total concentration
If I can train one student to accomplish this form, I would have no regret of teaching thousands! The question is very
simple: Can you take it?
