Hung Ga

Hung Ga Kuen
洪家拳
Also known asHung Ga, Hung Gar, Hung Kuen, Hung Ga Kuen, Hung Gar Kuen
FocusStriking
Country of originChina
CreatorHung Hei-gun[1]
Famous practitioners(see below)
ParenthoodShaolin Kung Fu styles such as 5 animals, Mok Gar (additional influence for Wong Fei Hung lineage)
Descendant artsChoy ga, Fut Gar, Hung Fut, Jow-Ga Kung Fu
Olympic sportNo
Chinese name
Chinese洪家
Literal meaningHung family
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHóng Jiā
Wade–GilesHung2 Chia1
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationHùhng Gār
Alternative name
Chinese洪拳
Literal meaningimmense fist
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHóng Quán
Wade–GilesHung2 Ch'üan2
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationHùhng Kyùhn

Hung Ga (洪家), Hung Kuen (洪拳), or Hung Ga Kuen (洪家拳) is a southern Chinese martial art belonging to the southern Shaolin styles. The hallmarks of Hung Ga are strong stances, notably the horse stance, or "si ping ma" (四平馬),[2] and strong hand techniques, notably the bridge hand[3] and the versatile tiger claw.[4] Traditionally, students spent anywhere from several months to three years in stance training, often sitting only in horse stance from half an hour to several hours at a time, before learning any forms. Each form could then take a year or so to learn, with weapons learned last. In current times, this mode of instruction is generally considered impractical for students, who have other concerns beyond practicing kung fu. However, some instructors still follow traditional guidelines and make stance training the majority of their beginner training. Hung Ga is sometimes mischaracterized as solely external—that is, reliant on brute physical force rather than the cultivation of qi—even though the student advances progressively toward an internal focus.

  1. ^ Ashley Martin (2013). The Complete Martial Arts Training Manual: An Integrated Approach. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0555-3.
  2. ^ Sei Ping Ma
  3. ^ Bridge Hand
  4. ^ Tiger Claw