Overview
Yau Kung Mun is a rare internal Shaolin martial art characterized by its aggressive tactics and effective fighting techniques, including the use of the Phoenix Eye Fist and short range shock power. The history of Yau Kung Mun dates back to the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) and the Shaolin temple in the Honan province, where the system was created by the Buddhist monk Ding Yang. It consists of both simpler external Kung Fu with techniques closely related to Bak Mei (White Eyebrow style) and an advanced internal Shaolin Kung Fu system known as Siu Lum Yau Kung Sup Bat Seung Toi Jeung or “Shaolin Flexible Power Eighteen Double Pushing Palm”.
Yau Kung Mun Kung Fu
Our Yau Kung Mun originally comes from the Australian branch founded by Grandmaster Leung Cheung. The Yau Kung Mun kung fu system offers training in all aspects of the Shaolin martial arts tradition including conditioning, unarmed and armed fighting skills, Qi Gong, meditation and Chinese medicine.
The external Yau Kung Mun system teaches fighting skills typical of Hakka kung fu, such as short range explosive power, extensive use of the phoenix eye fist and a very aggressive mindset.
The internal Yau Kung Mun system contains the full spectrum of internal training, from quiet meditation and soft Qigong to physically demanding power training methods such as practicing movements with a heavy ball. Students also learn the long internal form called Siu Lum Yau Kung Sup Bat Seung Toi Jeung. This form is often considered the “treasure” of the Yau Kung Mun system. It contains all the fighting and healing methods of Yau Kung Mun hidden inside one long form divided into three sections.
The initial stages of the Yau Kung Mun system, as taught by our family, focus on developing the body skill of the practitioner. This is primarily done by practicing solo drills, hitting pads, heavy ball exercises and numerous two-person methods designed to teach the practitioner to use a very relaxed and penetrating type of power. In addition to the soft training, students also learn the hard “kung” power aspect of the system. They condition their bodies for fighting using a variety of methods, including iron body, iron hand, iron bridge, iron claw and many two-person conditioning exercises. External and internal dit dar medicines together with specific Qi Gong exercises help with recovery from the hard conditioning. Through this training practitioners learn to balance soft and hard energy to create our characteristic “Yau Kung” or “flexible power”.
In Yau Kung Mun, every part of the body is a weapon. Common fighting techniques include a variety of hand strikes, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, joint locks and breaks, take-downs and wrestling techniques. Students learn to apply their skills through numerous partner drills and free sparring. Whole body sensitivity exercises are teach the student to react to their opponent’s slightest movement while relying on proper body mechanics and flexible power instead of brute “dead” force. Sparring is done both in a semi-contact fashion without gloves allowing for a larger range of techniques and full-contact with gloves and mouth guards so that the students can learn to take a hit and keep going while getting their reflexes and mindset ready for real fighting. Yau Kung Mun practitioners also study a variety of weapons such as the long pole, single and double daggers and broadsword.
The primary focus of our society is on researching and refining the internal YKM art. The external YKM system is still taught by some of our members and also included in a streamlined fashion as part of the VIDAR COMBATIVES program.