T'ien Shan P'ai Boxing

Willy Lin was the man who introduced the "Heaven Mountain Style" of Kung Fu to America. This is a nice combination of many top forms such as Tai Chi, Shaolin, BaGua and, especially, Chin Nah. In addition to all that, Willy has a upbeat, open hearted and deep love of his art as is very evident. Among his many achievements since coming to the States is that he wrote some of the first books on Chin Nah available in English, introduced the rope dart just about before anyone, taught BaJi when no one had ever heard of it, and produced some fine instructors such as the well known and respected Dennis Brown.

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DVD#12244 Shaolin & Leg Combinations

This is the last of the basic training sets in the Heaven Mountain style. In this DVD you learn two forms. First is Shaolin Boxing, a form we've practiced ourselves for years and can tell you this is a well constructed and neat little gem. The movements are intersting, variable and stylish. This is followed by Kick Combinations a knee cruncher with many of the most important northern kicks. Particularly a good set for building leg strength, coordination and challenging transitions. Among those appearing is Dennis Brown, Mr. Lin's student and one of the most influential Kung Fu teachers in the country.

About 35 Minutes English         

DVD#12240 24 Beat (Primary Fist)

This set if one of the best forms that can be practiced either in the Single or the Partnered manner. In this DVD Shihfu Lin shows the ten core warm ups of his system. Then he shows the breakdown of the single person version. Next comes the duet version with matching steps. Then, a very interesting section, he shows methods of practice such as multiple partners, broken into sections, blindfolded, etc. There are some nice sections on the history of T'ien Shan P'ai including background on Shihfu Lin's instructor, Wang Jueh Jin, one of Chang Kai Shek's top military instructors. Willy once told us that when he was with Wang he had to do this set with every single student at the end of every single class and that he estimated he had performed 24 Beat about 50 000 times. That was over 25 years ago so you're seeing a truly refined knowledge of a form. We use the same beginning form in our schools and consider it a great introduction to the art of Kung Fu.

About 35 Minutes English       

DVD#12241 Chin Nah Vol. #1

Shihfu Willy Lin starts his Chin Nah series off with a bang. First, if you want to see one of the true aficionados of Kung Fu, a man who enjoys his style - his art - and his teaching; here he is. Willy's continual good humor is an antidote to the heavy handed and overly serious posturing of many teachers. So straightforward and simple is Mr. Lin's instruction that it can be deceptive. This first DVD is an example. It sets up variations on the classic Shao Tran ( in Aikido we recall it as being Nikyo). But Willy's technique is deceptive. Chin Nah was always his specialty. He gives many variations on Shao Tran without overtly mentioning the differences. This is a packed thirty minutes by someone who has been doing Chin Nah most of his life. As the series progresses it will be evident to those with teaching knowledge that this is also an excellent presentation of the material, systematic and variable. Mr. Lin's explanations also take in the problems often overlooked in media instruction like, "What if the guy punches me while I execute?"

About 35 Minutes English         

DVD#12242 Chin Nah Vol. #2

As many of you may know, I was one of Willy Lin's first students after his arrival in the U.S. We go back a ways. Since working with him I have seen many - too many - Kung Fu teachers, students and performances. After decades of not having contact with him, I still hold that Willy Lin is a special person. Let me give an example. He recently published an article. I hung a copy in my school vestibule. A nice guy, selling martial arts advertising, walks in, sees the article, and asks out of the blue if I had ever heard of Willy Lin. He goes on to explain that Willy's best fighter years ago taught him Chin Nah which, through his own fighting career, he has used over and over in tournaments and sparring without fail. "Tell him thanks if you ever see him," he says on the way out. This second DVD expands drastically the information shown in the first. Now we cover arm locks, knives, pushes, bear hugs but all in a very straightforward and rational progression of information. I have seen a lot of Chin Na and can say there are only two useful and positive approaches: extreme sophistication with attributes such as Chan Si Jin as demonstrated by, say, George Xu; and straight ahead approaches such as Willy's where, if you look closely, the sophisticated angles are already there. For most people this first is the way to go. The in-between stuff, elaboration without refinement, don't even bother. - Ted

About 35 Minutes English         

DVD#12243 Forty Beat

This is the second partner set of the T'ien Shan P'ai system. It is also a jump in difficulty and precision. For one thing the partners separate and return to one another a number of times. In partner sets the separation is considered "yin" the entering as "yang". This also allows for partners to change roles suddenly and increase the need for spontaneous response. There are more kicks in 40 Beats and more Long Arm motions. Additonally it is an excellent single person demonstration set which, when done along, is attractive on its own. Do we sound enthusiastic? We've taught both 40 Beats and 24 Beats for decades. We know many other two person forms but these 24 & 40 Beat are probably the most logical progression of skills one can find. They are reasonable movements, correct strategy and extremely flexible. Also, Willy Lin shows a number of usages such as doing the form in a circle and with completely random footwork. If you aren't sure then, yes, that is Sifu Dennis Brown on the cover and this DVD marks a reunion of these friends, teacher and student and now- grandmaster and official disciple.

About 35 Minutes English