HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF
SHAOLIN TRIPLE STRETCH SET
Developing internal force using the Triple Stretch
The Triple Stretch Set was the specialty of the Venerable Sam Tuck and Hoong Hei Khoon, taught to them by their sifu, the Venerable Chee Seen, the First Patriarch of Southern Shaolin Kungfu. It was also the specialty of Grandmaster Wong's sifu, Uncle Righteousness, and Grandmaster Wong's siheng, Sifu Wong Choy Wah.
Amongst Grandmaster Wong's classmates in Uncle righteousness' school, Wong Choy Wah was best known for his internal force, which he developed from the Triple Stretch Set. During a public demonstration when he performed a Shaolin staff, his internal force was so tremendous that the staff, which was made of hard wood, broke into two. This incident amazed many people.
The Triple Stretch Set in our school came from Uncle Righteousness' lineage. Uncle Righteousness learned it from his sifu, Ng Yew Loong, who in turn learned it from Chan Fook. Chan Fook, who was the teacher of Beggar Su of the Drunken Fist reputation, learned the set at the southern Shaolin Temple on the Nine-Lotus Mountain from his sifu, the Venerable Harng Yern, who was the most senior disciple of the Venerable Chee Seen.
When Grandmaster Wong first learn the set it was called Tai Hoong Khuen, or Great Majestic Set because it was practiced at the main hall, called the Tai Hoong Poh Thin or Great Majestic Precious Hall, of the southern Shaolin Temple. Later Grandmaster Wong also learned another Great Majestic Set from Sifu Ho Fatt Nam. To differentiate the two, Grandmaster Wong calls this set, Triple Stretch Set, Sam Chin Khuen.
The Triple Stretch is a very long set comprising of three sections. The first section, called "ta chong" or "force training while on stance", is focused on developing internal force using the triple-stretch approach. This approach is derived from Sinew Metamorphosis.
The second section is called "lin chip" or "continuation", which links the first section of force training to the third section of combat application. Some intriguing applications are found in this linking section.
The third section is called "ta sei moon" or "striking four gates". Four combat sequences are found here, and they are repeated in four directions in the set. One of the combat sequences was Uncle Righteousness' favourite with which he won countless fights. Grandmaster Wong used this sequence frequently in his early years of free sparring with other kungfu exponents and martial artists, and it proved to be very effective.
The patterns for internal force training in Triple Stretch are similar to those in the Flower Set, but they are "harder". It uses the form-force-flow approach, or the force method. It employs the Dragon-Hand Form, or Two-Finger Zen, and is "harder" and less fluid than One-Finger Shooting Zen.
Picture Series of Triple Stretch Set
An application of the Triple Stretch Set
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