Tid Sin Kuen: Iron Wire Fist (With DVD)

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Tid Sin Kuen, or Iron Wire Fist, is the third book in this beautifully produced series on Hung Gar by Sifu Lam Chun Fai. The Hung system of Kung Fu is based on 4 pillars: Conquering the Tiger, Tiger/Crane Double Shapes, Five Animal Boxing, and Iron Thread. Each builds upon the previous and, taken in sequence, create a journey from external to internal. The lineage of this branch comes down through Lam Jo, teacher of many famous. Lam Chun Fai, Lam Jo's son and student, has created this book on Iron Thread Boxing. The book is bound in a heavy, textured paper-wrapped cover, with both black-and-white and color interior pages. It also contains a bonus 9 minute DVD of Sifu Lam performing key movements from the set, including several of the 12 Bridge Hands. With almost 250 good-sized photos, he shows the entirety of the form. This is the internal master-form for the entire Hung system. Many of the moves look the same as in other Hung forms but there is a subtle difference in execution. The Horse, for instance, is not as low, the energy a little less forceful. As with earlier forms there are vocalizations but considerably more complex in the Iron Wire. It's a form where, even if you did not believe in internal training, you would see plain evidence of an internal concentration. The moves of Iron Wire are mostly short, clipped and powerful. The emphasis on tendon work is clear. Iron Wire is considered an internal form to increase skills and aid in your longevity so no martial applications are included. The final color-section covers appreciations and testimonials, giving some hint of the curing effects of this style and the wide respect of many other martial practitioners. In addition, there is a short well-done DVD, with Lam Sifu demonstrating several of the Bridge Hands along with excerpts form the entire sequence.