BSL Lyrics: Shaolin #2 (The leader)

These BSL lyric threads have been a great dialog between me and Northern Shaolin, but I hope some more of you BSLers chime in! Don't be timid - it's a family affair!

LENG LOW: SHAOLIN #2 (The leader)
1. Forward step, double dragon spits its whiskers.
2. Stomping step, grab and straight punch.
3. Right punch, snap kick.
4. Black tiger guards the mountain, twist stance.
5. Turn around, open hand jab, back coil kick.
6. Tornado kick.
7. Lift up the sky, push down the earth, sit in horse stance.
8. Right stomping foot, forward, iron fan.
9. Left stomping foot, forward, iron fan.
10. Open hand jab, turn around, lift up the sky, push down the earth, stand straight.
11. Hands flip, holding the melon.
12. Left, right whirling flower rolling hand.
13. Hawk slaps its wings, sit in horse stance.
14. Turn around, hand jab, double kick.
15. Continually quick punching, sit in horse stance.
16. Back step, breaking the grip, palm push.
17. Golden rooster single leg stance.
18. Skipping step, leg hooking.
19. Left, right front push, back heel kick.
20. Tornado kick.
21. Land, monkey begs for food.
22. Turn around, monkey begs for food.
23. White crane slapping foot back step.
24. Left whirling flower, down chop.
25. Right whirling flower, down chop.
26. Right turn around, embrace the moon, palm strike.
27. Left turn around, embrace the moon, palm strike.
28. Left, right white snake spits its tongue.
29. Hand jab, turn around, hero single leg stance.
30. Skipping step, monk hits the golden bell.
31. Forward step, monk hits the golden bell.
32. Forward step, double kick.
33. King of heaven holds the pagoda.
34. Golden hook, stroking the beard.
35. Right turn, whirling flower rolling hand.
36. Left turn, whirling flower rolling hand.
37. Small whirling flower rolling hand, right palm push.
38. Right phoenix spreads its wings, left heel kick.
39. Left phoenix spreads its wings, right heel kick.
40. Forward step, monkey picks a peach.
41. Double hook, kick to face.
42. Turn around, straight golden hook.
43. Small whirling flower rolling hand, right palm push.
44. Turn around, hand jab, lion opens its massive jaws.
45. Forward step, horse stance, striking the tiger.
46. Turn around, cat stance, striking the tiger.
47. Front sweep, stone grinding leg sweep.
48. Left, right iron ox ploughs the land.
49. Hooking leg, turn around, leg strike to face.
50. Turn around, right outside crescent kick.
51. Land, lion opens its massive jaws.
52. Double hook, front face kick.
53. Double cross hand, piercing heart kick.
54. Turn around, horse stance, low punch.
55. Golden hook, stroking the beard.
56. Right wrist twist, embracing the moon.
57. Left wrist twist, embracing the moon.
58. Stealing step, female immortal sprinkles flowers.
59. Turn around, stomping hero single leg stance.
60. Immortal with crutch (Teat Gwai Lei) gazing at the moon, cross hand, down punch.
61. Turn around, whirling flower, subdue the tiger.
62. Right back sweep.
63. Left back sweep.
64. Slap the ground to raise dust, double kick.
65. Bow stance, striking the tiger.
66. Left, right single leg kick.
67. Double kick.
68. Back coil kick.
69. Tornado kick.
70. Land, left bow, protect the heart fist.
71. Back step, continuous rolling hand.
72. Double fist, closing the door.
73. Whirling flower, hero single leg stance.
74. Back step, finish form.

i've only learned certain names of certain moves, so i can't contribute much... however, the way i learned this form we do "Jade Belt Around the Waist" (same as in the 18 hands) for moves #26 & 27. is the technique that you describe here similar?

Keep in mind, the names are often changed to protect the innocent. The same move might have several different lyrics and the same lyric may diescribe several different moves. Remember, we're talking poetry here so there is often a rhyming constraint (ever read Dante's Inferno? He discussed the probelm of poetic structure scarificeing details.) So it works better if you reference the lyric AND describe the move.

Anyway, embrace the moon here refers to a double side chop at shoulder level to either side while sitting in horse stance, palms facing down. The arms form an arc, thus 'embrace the moon.' Is that your jade belt?

similar, although the move i'm thinking of is a pushing palm, not chopping; as you sit into the horse stance both palms push outward to both directions, fingertips pointing the same direction as the feet, palms facing outward...

Gene,

I expect our list to be very similar because many years ago your sifu and I had practiced together many times and all 10 NSL sets were exactly the same.

So with that in mind, the first thing that I notice is that on your list, you have 74 lyrics where as on my list I have 78 lyrics. So as I ran down the list and I was able to identify the four lyrics that are not in your list.

1. After your #31, Monk hits the Golden Bell, and before #32 Forward Step, Double Kick, I have Sweep (360 degrees), Slap the ground Throw Sand.
2. After #49-Hooking leg, turn around, leg strike to the face, I have Tornado Kick then the outside Crescent (Lotus) Kick. Interesting here is that in LTH’s book he does not list the Lotus Kick but rather another Tornado kick instead..
3. After #59-Turn around, Hero Stands on One Leg, I have Turn the body, attack punch with left bow horse.
4. After #64-Slap ground to raise dust, double kick, I have right Lotus kick.

Do you have these moves in your set? I believe you do

One other thought, your #56 and #57 Embracing the Moon should be translated to Dragging the Moon. These moves are not the same techniques as in #26 and #27 which are earlier in the set where the two arms cross like a scissors and then palms level out.


Beiquan,

The name of the move that you are refering to is found in NSL#10 and also in our Lui Ho Chuan. It is a completely different techniques than embracing the moon.

NS -- interesting... am i right in identifying the name of the technique that i'm describing as "Jade Belt Around the Waist", one of the 18 hands? maybe i just got mixed up, i haven't done the 18 hands more than a few times... the move that you describe below as embracing the moon sounds similar to the one that i'm describing, as we do cross the hands (in a twist stance) before settling into the horse and emitting the push.

BTW thanks for the extra lyrics, i was wondering where that sweep went... we do have all of those moves in our version.

also, for moves 62 & 63, we do both a front (half) sweep and a back sweep (like in #7) on each side...

Beiquan,

You're right on both. The move is in the 18 Shaolin hands and #62 and 63 is like #7 sweep but it was written the way I translated.

Also #61 has another name that I forgot to include. Little Ghost Bends his Body

I was wondering what order you guys learned these forms? I know some teachers like to teach it differently, especially the beginning first couple of forms. Thanks in advance.

SSgungfu - I learned in the order: Lian Bu, Tan Tui, #6, #7, #8, #1, #4, #5, #2, but my teacher has taught it differently in the past i think...

When KYC learned it it was 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, then 10. He changed to 6,7,8,5,4,1,2,3,9, then 10. Some of his disciples taught it the same way while others taught it 6,7,8,5,4,3,2,1,9, then 10

6, 7, 8 are pretty much set, 4 and 5 switch around a little next, sometimes 1 switches with those two too. Then usually 2, 3, 9, 10. We aren't too rigid about this, only for the first three.

NS: I have to get back to you on the variations - not enough time today.

OK, sorry I had to be so curt yesterday - we had a network crash and I didn't have the time to go through the set in my head. The long ones are a pain to do that, especially since I'm invariably interupted here. Your additional moves do seem to map on to the form we do (but to be sure I'd have to get up and start busting moves here in the office and my office mates hate that. :rolleyes: ) I know that Sifu Lam hand-copied the lyrics in one night (into a ledger book no less) so perhaps he missed a few? Who knows. It must have been a lot of hand-copying. As for the embracing vs. draggin the moon, like I mentioned earlier I don't have access to the original Chinese anymore and my experience with these lyrics is that they aren't fixed, meaning that one lyric can mean several different moves and vice versa. At the same time, it might have been a result of miscommunication (or just sloppiness) in the translation process between sifu Lam and me. I can't really comment either way. Do you have the original Chinese?

I forgot to mention I was told by numerous si suks from the older geneation of NSL that the most important technique in this set was the opening move; double dragon spits its whiskers or a similar translation that I have is Pair of Dragons Blowing its whiskers.

I love the finger jabs - there so Shaw Brother movie style. I'd never use them in combat since I stopped training my fingers, but I love them in forms because they look so cool. :cool:

These post have been very informative thank you all. Can any of you tell me some interesting web sites about the Northern Shaolin style?
Thanks in advance.

Lok