Sigung's Seminar

Me and Grandmaster Frank Yee of Yee's Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy

"You must have philosophy! If you have no philosophy, you have nothing!"

Grandmaster Yee Chi Wai (Frank Yee)

After my Kung Fu test, I had the opportunity to stay for a seminar that Grandmaster Frank Yee was giving himself. Many people from testing stayed, a lot of the seniors stayed, and most of the masters stayed, including my own Sifu. I was awesome to have a lesson with my master's master. But it didn't occur to me until the seminar began, that this was technically my first Kung Fu "class." 

All of my lessons with Sifu are private lessons, private instructions, and I really have never done a Kung Fu lesson with other people in a class setting. It is different with Kung Fu than it is with Taekwondo, hell the two arts are completely different as it is! But I was excited to actually do drills and work with other practitioners in a class setting.

However, as I stood up in the front at the line up, Grandmaster Yee (Sigung) stood before me and spoke to me and another girl with this big grin and said, "We discuss much philosophy today too. You must have philosophy! If you have no philosophy, you have nothing!"

Grandmaser Yee is a phenomenal martial artist who has enhanced and innovated Hung Ga Kung Fu to what it is today, doing a great deal of research, study, and practice, even to the point of studying palm trees in Puerto Rico for three days to understand how the mechanics make it work and then incorporating it into his Kung Fu.

It was wonderful to hear him speak. He discussed the five elements and their characteristics and how they incorporated with the Hung Ga techniques, and the philosophy of the eight strongest strikes. Understand the waves of water and you'll understand the forceful movements of the backfist. Understand the strength of gold/metal, you'll understand the changeable effects of the scissor technique. Understand the wood element and you'll understand the balance used as a crane. Know fire and you'll understand the power and ferociousness of your punches.

I found the seminar insightful, intriguing, and inspiring. I loved hearing other Kung Fu minded individuals ask questions on the philosophy and usage of Kung Fu to this world renowned maste. I especially enjoyed watching my Sifu take part in the seminar when we did drills, or taking notes as his master spoke, or tell a reminiscing story of how Sigung studied, or proved a student wrong when he challenged the absence of an important sequence in a form. Sifu explained that Hung Ga always has all aspects put together and is complete (something to that affect).

It was nice to be a apart of the seminar and hear the great knowledge of Frank Yee, along with other Hung Ga practitioners. It was a great way to finish up the day after testing and getting to know my other training brothers and sisters within the Hung Ga family. And I look forward to the next step in training. (BOWS)

Yours in service,

MASTER A TRENTO