Kung Fu in the Real World (eBook)

Chapter One

The History of Ling Gar (Tzai Kune Do)

Ling Gar (Tzai Kune Do) is among the oldest of the surviving family kung- fu styles in China. Some noted martial arts historians credit Ling Gar for much of the trapping and use of centerline principles common in many well-known southern kung-fu styles, including Wing Chun. Yet remarkably, going back to its recorded origins over 25 generations ago, the style had never been taught outside the family until recently. From its known beginnings in the earliest days of the Ming Dynasty to the international success of Jackie Chan's film “Operation Condor, “the history of Ling Gar Tzai Kune Do is as poignant, exciting and colorful as any movie adventure could ever hope to be. However, the history of Ling Gar Tzai Kune Do isn’t really about evolution of kung-fu styles, or even the story of its famous family, but rather a way of life, and a way of living that became part of Chinas heart and heritage.

What’s In a Name?

Ling Gar (Tzai Kune Do) might have become just another curious fact for academics and historians were it not for the efforts of one man, Vincent Lyn. Lyn is probably best known for his co-starring role in Jackie Chan’s Operation Condor. In the wake of the phenomenal success of Condor, Lyn has received a lot of media attention, most of it understandably focusing on his movie and music careers. Besides working in many other films as actor, Stuntman and /or choreographer, he has written two top ten Cantonese “pop” hits and a self-titled jazz album released on BMG Asia.

He is also Ling Wing Shi. 22nd generation of the famous Ling lineage, the first person to teach Ling Gar Tzai Kune Do outside the family, whose styles origins date back to the early 1300’s. Lyn explains the difference in the spelling of the family name. “Our family is Hakka, a distinct dialect and sub culture of China just like Cantonese or Mandarin would be. In the various dialects the name Ling can also be spelled Lin, Lim or Lam.

When my grandfather (Ling Xian) came to America, through San Francisco, it was historically a time of extreme prejudice in the West especially with the railroads. To the American ear, the Chinese pronunciation of Ling sounded like Lin, which my grandfather took to be correct. In this country the spelling of Lin is always with a “y,” Lyn or more commonly Lynn, so that’s what it became on all the official papers.

It was quite advantageous back then to have a name that didn’t look Chinese and very difficult to get changed.

Our side of the family tree is the only one to use this spelling. Other members of the family, who’ve come to this country more recently, use Ling. Of course, now the political climate is also entirely different. My father never changed it back because he felt the name had become part of the family history.

In fact in movie credits and press releases I’ve seen it used in all ways. “(The two strangest “examples” of this have to be in the credits for the American release of Operation Condor and the press release for Dragon Cops, the Philippines title for the classic Tiger Cage. Correct in the international version, the American release of Condor has my name as “Lyn Percival.” It’s interesting because on both my US and British Passports my name is written “Lyn Vincent Raymond Percival.” Not to be outdone, in the Philippines press release my name is Rene Louis, undefeated French Kickboxing champion. Clearly something can get lost in translation.

Lyn the Martial Artist

Although perhaps less glamorous, Lyn’s accomplishments as a martial artist may be even more impressive than those in the media. Vincent Lyn has been a movie star, pop music icon, kickboxing champion and one of the hottest male models in the world. But what makes him complete is practicing his family’s Ling Gar style of kung-fu.

This young master has overflowing talent, half British, half Chinese, 10th Degree Black Sash and scholar of Chinese medicine and heir of his family style, Ling Gar. He also has trained extensively in Tai Chi Chuan, Qi Gong, Hung Gar, Bak-Sing Choy Li Fut and Wing Chun.

An Elite model for Levi’s, Valentino, Gucci, Puma, Adidas, and Yves Saint Laurent, he has been in great demand as an action movie star winning roles in some of Hong Kong’s most popular and exciting cult films. His first movie “Tiger Cage” was made under the direction of Yuen Woo Ping the same man who Action Directed films like “The Matrix,” “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Kill Bill,” and Jet Li’s “Fearless.” Tiger Cage became an international blockbuster and opened the doors of this world to him. He has done 25 more movies including “Blonde Fury” (with Cynthia Rothrock), “In the Line of Duty V- Middle Man” (with Cynthia Khan), “Outlaw Brothers” (with Yukari Oshima), the international cult classic “Robotrix” (with Amy Yip) and playing the lead villain who took on Jackie Chan in the climatic battle sequence of “Operation Condor.”

“Jackie Chan called Vincent Lyn one of the best fighters he has ever worked with!” Also in Chan’s autobiographical bestseller titled “I am Jackie Chan” one of his Top Ten Best Fights of all time.

At the same time Lyn maintained his parallel passion, music. Lyn attended both the Royal College of Music, England and Boston Conservatory of Music, USA.

He composed “canto-pop” songs for recording artists with Polygram Records, two of which became top ten hits. His first self-titled album “WingSing” was released in 1999 throughout Asia under the label BMG. In the same year, he received an honorary Ph.D in Martial Arts Sciences making outstanding contributions to the field of Sports Medicine.

Lyn was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame in two categories, one for Grandmaster of the Year and Best Martial Arts Actor of the Year. In 2001 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame. Since then he has been inducted over ten times into the hall of fame. In addition Lyn was the 1983-84 US middleweight kickboxing Champion and 1985 and 1987 World Kickboxing Champion.

He has written numerous articles for martial arts magazines and released seven instructional videos with Budo International. They have been released in seven languages and distributed in 54 countries. He has been featured in a dozen books and over 100 magazine articles throughout the world. More recently in 2007 Vincent returned from St. Petersburg, Russia having been invited to the first ever Martial Arts Olympics East-West Open. His performance both on piano and martial arts was watched by 20,000 spectators for the opening ceremony.

By many Lyn is considered the grandmaster of Ling Gar (Tzai Kune Do) although these are titles that he himself would quickly dismiss as incorrect and inaccurate. He is responsible, however, for the name by which the family style is known throughout China as Ling Gar, which literally is the family name. Gar’ meaning family’ in Chinese, like Hung Gar is the Hung family.

The name Ling Gar Tzai Kune Do (“The Way of Immobilizing an Attack From its Origin”) was created by my cousin (Ling Yin Shi) and I to help those in the West understand something about the style. In China these things are part of the culture and often implicitly understood and learned that way. In the West that isn’t the case, things need to be more direct.

Vincent performing at his CD release party, Greenwich, Connecticut, 1999.

Vincent and Jackie Chan at the US premiere of “Operation Condor,” 1997.

Origins of Ling Gar Tzai Kune Do

Lyn explains that while Ling Gar is most definitely a Southern style its origins are in the North. The family records begin with General Ling Fahong, a renowned fighter and physician who journeyed from the North of China and established the family in Southern China around 1368 AD. The year 1368 is a year that is cause for celebration in Chinese History.

It is the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and the final collapse of the Mongol Dynasty. From beggar to emperor, the rise of Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398), founder of the Ming, or Brilliant, dynasty, out distances most modern success stories on the theme of rags to riches. Son of a landless farm laborer and left an orphan, Zhu was forced to beg and for a time entered a Buddhist monastery for physical and for spiritual sustenance. He left the monastery and organized his own band of rebels in Anhui province.

He worked in conjunction with the secret society known as the Red Turbans, whose leader claimed to be an incarnation of Maitreya Buddha, the Messiah of Buddhism. Zhu made rapid progress, capturing Nanjing and by 1364 establishing himself as the major power in central China.

The problems of the Mongol rulers, brought about by their own dissension as well as by inflation and the greed of Mongol and Muslim officials, were compounded by a series of floods and famines in north China. This gave rise to several successful revolts so that Zhu Yuanzhang was faced with the task of subduing his rivals before he could seize the throne for himself. He was proclaimed emperor in 1368 with the name Hong Wu. He captured Beijing in the same year and drove out the last Mongol emperor, but he chose Nanjing as the seat of his government, fortifying that city with the largest urban defense wall in existence, 60 feet high with a 20-mile perimeter.

He steadily extended his power,...