A humble display of the trophies won by'the Beng—Kiam Club, in 1970-71, from the Kung-Fu tournament in Taivan. JAFAHA FIRST OF A SERIES ON CHINATOWN'S KUNG FU CLUBS BENG KIAM ONE OF THE OLDEST KUNG FU CLUBS CARRIES ON THE HONORED TRADITION The Beng Kiam Athletic Club is ‘considered one of the pioneer Kung Fu clubs in the Philippines. It was organized in 1935 by Tan Ka Hong, who still presides over its activities in the role of club chairman and sifu: Sifu Tan started Kung Fu training When he was only seven years old, practising the White Crane style under the guidance of his mother. His maternal grandfather was a renowned master of this style. Sift Tan’s father was also a Kung Fu master of the Go Cho style, and this style he started to learn when he was eleven. So prod: gious was the young Tan that when he reached twenty, he had already learn ed sets and exercises for Kung Fu ‘weapons like staves, knives, swords, spears and many others. These he leaned from a Shaolin Temple monk. It was sify Tan's father who told him to go to the Philippines to spread the learning here. The Go-Cho Kung Fu style by sifu Tan at Beng Kiam is a southemn Shaolin style. Iisa practical mixture ‘of five major Shaolin styles: the monkey, Jo han, ta/ cho, tatchun, and the White Crane Like other southern Shaolin styles, Go Cho Kung Fu emphasizes short range fighting techniques. The arms are used jin fighting more often than the feet. The feet are used mainly for locking or immobilizing the op- ponent’s feet in order to keep him from kicking But although feet are seldom used in Go Cho it has its own unique and special kicking forms, like the whirl wind, or the flying scissors. The whirlwind kick is very effective against groups, since it can take care of attackers wherever they come from. The flying scissors, executed properly, is used for breaking the opponent’s 50 eck or legs. Beng Kiam accepts students only ‘upon recommendation of practising students, or of the applicant's parents. ‘Anyone, irrespective of age or sex, can join after the proper recommendations are accepted. The students are first taught the basics of Go Cho Kung Fu, which includes several kata sets or exercises. Four to five months later, the instructors subject the student to a ‘st. If he passes, he advances to the intermediate class. Here, he is taught the fundamentals of sparring, The applications of the kata forms are taught, and are arranged into systems for pre-arranged sparring. Profiency in this rank elevates the student into free style sparring, In free style sparring sessions, it is the sify himsolf who oversees the pprocedings. He corrects movements, suggests techniques. In the case of ‘accidental injuries, sifu Tan draws from his wisdom of medical lore and administers aid Very few students are able to reach the stage of proficiency required in advanced weapons training. These few will be highly skilled and physically brave. They learn how to Use the so/, the pole, the spear, the swords, the knives, the chains, and the tri-sectional staff To supplement their training, the students of Beng Kiam are taught the traditional festival dances of the Dragon and the Lion. Those dances are arduousias they ate performed con: tinously for long periods of time. The students’ stamina is thereby increased. In Kung Fu, there is no belting system to identify the ranking of the practitioner, and in Beng Kiam tra dition is honored. But despite the ‘apparent informality in the club, the sifu is given all the respect due him.Chief instructor Benito Tan (Marked X) and co-instructor Ong Hong Ling (Marked A) are both in the Go-Cho ready stance. (A) Attacked (X) with a left vertical punch, (X) stepped into the punch and blocked with 2 right Inside block. Ina continous movernent, (X), swing counter clockwise, delivering a left back sweep to (A) left leg. The instant (X) left backsweep ‘maked contact, (A) fell down to the floor. JAFAHAChief instructor Benito Tan (mark- ‘ed X), and co-instructor Ong Hong Ling (Marked A) are both in ‘classical Go-Cho kung fu stance. (A) attacked with aright side kick, (X) avoided the kick by kneeling down on his right eg. In a swift motion, (X) slide in to ‘counter with a scissor kick to brook (ays leg. The instant contact is made. JAFAHA