As the Original Feng Shou Quan-Gongfu has its origins within Daoism, then it is obvious that this internal martial art (Neijiaquan) involves all of the Daoist symbolises to help give the practitioner a better understanding and knowledge on how best to skilfully use this internal martial art for both health, energy cultivation and self defence. The symbolism of the “Cloud Dragon and Wind Tiger” is just another repensentation of Yin & Yang, as the Cloud Dragon (Yun Long) represents the receptive or (Yin) energy and the Wind Tiger ( Feng Hu) represent the creative or (Yang) energy.
My teacher Master Chee Soo once told me that Feng Shou Quan-Gongfu has two sides to its practice and usage. In its defensive aspect it should be soft, yielding and evasive, but in its offensive aspect it should be hard, strong and powerful. The real skill comes in being able to naturally balance the two forces together, so that the practitioner can suddenly turn soft into hard and vice-versa within a blink of an eye, constantly changing and adapting to overcome the situation infront of you. So the aim of each practitioner is to resemble the coliing, twisting, elusive Cloud Dragon in your defencsive techniques and use fast, powerful and strong actions of the Wind Tiger in your offensive techniques, hence symbolising the balance of Yin & Yang within your Feng Shou Quan-Gongfu.
It will take each practitioner a longtime of study and practice before they can get to grips with being able to balance soft and hard techniques naturally. Master Chee Soo would literally teach students the Yin side of the Feng Shou Quan-Gongfu for many years until he felt that they had a better understanding of using softness. For example he would teach more deflective ward offs that aimed to knock your opponent off balance both from a punch or kick attack, he would also teach evasive footwork without the emphasis of strong counter attacks. Practicing seizing and grasping (Qinna) techniques he would not use any intention to break the joint, but rather subdue and immobilise the opponent. Whereas the Yang side of the Feng Shou Quan-Gongfu would involve hard limb destructive strikes or blocks against a punch or kick, three star principle was always emphasised in that once you made a defensive action that you followed it up with. Series of hard and powerful counter attacks which could include a combination of powerful striking and kicking techniques to a fast and destructive joint lock to a throw.
Sadly within the last ten years of his life Master Chee Soo wished only to teach the Yin side of this fascinating Daoist internal martial art. Which ment that a whole generation of students never got to actually see him perform or practice it themselves the Wind Tiger Yang side of the Feng Shou Quan-Gongfu system, leaving them to just continue with their practice of the Cloud Dragon Yin aspect of this Daoist internal martial art. It is not until each practitioner has learnt both the Yin Cloud Dragon and Yang Wind Tiger aspects of this Daoist internal martial art that they can truly say that they practice a balanced Feng Shou Quan-Gongfu system.
LFIAA Under Technical Director Keith Ewers 