Fut Gar

Fut Gar

Fut Ga or Buddhist Style is a relatively modern Southern Shaolin style of Kung Fu devised primarily from the combination of Hung Ga 洪家 and Choi Ga 蔡家 kung fu. The style utilizes mostly punches, palm strikes and low kicks, further characterized by evasive footwork, circular blocks and using the opponent's force against him/her.

The words "Fut Ga" literally translate to "Buddha Family". The word "Ga" in Cantonese means family. This name has been synonymous with the martial arts practiced in the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian, and used as an ambiguous term for their skills.

One style that was formally founded using the name of "Fut Ga" has its origins at one of the Shaolin Temple's in Guangdong Province. Early on in its history, the monks at this Shaolin(Siu Lum in Cantonese) temple were fortunate enough to learn martial arts from fighters that had mastered the 5 most popular systems of Southern Kung Fu. These styles were Lau Ga, Lei Ga, Mok Ga, Choi Ga, and Hung Ga. The names of the styles reflect the surname of the particular style's founder.

A Shaolin monk named Leung Tin Jiu 梁天柱 realized the value of incorporating different schools or styles together and took only the best techniques of each style and discarded what he thought was useless or ineffective. Compiled mostly from Choi Ga and Hung Ga, this became Siu Lum Fut Ga 少林佛家 or "Shaolin Buddhist Style".

A branch of Fut Ga developed by Leung Tin Chiu is currently being partially taught in schools worldwide and headed by Chen Rong En, the only direct disciple of Leung Tin Jiu who is currently still involved in spreading the style. The Leung Tin Jiu style of Fut Ga is best known in China for the Flying Dragon Staff Form which is known as the King of Staff Forms within the Kung Fu community. The National Fut Ga Kung Fu Training Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the longest running school under the guidance of Grandmaster Chen. A newer school also closely monitored by Grandmaster Chen exists in China since 2004. In November 2007 an International Fut Ga Federation was formed to unite instructors of Fut Ga Kung Fu worldwide.

Read more about Fut Gar:  Fut Ga Training

Famous quotes containing the words fut and/or gar:

    Cependant, ce fut jadis un bel homme, de haute taille.
    —T.S. (Thomas Stearns)

    ‘O fy gar ride, and fy gar rin,
    And haste ye find these traitors again;
    For she’s be burnt and he’s be slain,
    The wearifu’ gaberlunzie man.’
    Unknown. The Gaberlunzie Man (l. 49–52)