Tai Liu Chuan Fa

One of the classes during the late afternoon, Grand Master Tallbear in red pants at back, picture taken 1977.

Tai Liu Chuan Fa is a “soft internal style,” from Southern China. However, it is unlike most common Shao lin arts in that Shao-lin was developed from the snake, crane, dragon, and the tiger. Chujen Yuch Le Suu developed the Tai Liu Chuan Fa fighting characteristics from the eagle and the mantis. These are the primary techniques of the system with the tiger, bear, and the serpent as the secondary techniques of the system. Whether the eagle of the Tai Liu system is the same as the Back Siu-Lum Koma, is not completely sure, for much of the history has been lost throughout the years.


Historians can trace the Tai Liu system back for four hundred and fifty years with the founding Grandmaster Yuch Le Suu in 1549. However, its roots of origin before Grandmaster Yuch Le Suu and what inspired him and brought it forth into conception are uncertain. It is believed that the physical aspects of Tai Liu Chuan Fa can be over come by the mental determination of the individual. In addition, if the mental determination fails, it can be overcome by the spiritual being within a person.


Tai Liu is a passive offense-defense reaction to action. It is fighting without fighting, direction without direction, and a way without a way. Its use is to pacify which cannot be pacified. In short, the basics in a confrontation with an opponent are to blend into the opponents attack. Do not approach a fight, but as the opponent attacks blend in with the motion, become one with and pacify the response to conclude with the domination of the opponent, whether restraining or full conquest is the end result. It all depends on the action of your opponent, as one of the verses that we have to memorize is this, you might throw the first punch, but we will always land the first blow. Another very important concept is "Action and Reaction". What is very unique is when we first learn many of the verses and philosophies from this amazing art, we truly believe that we understand what they mean. Five years can go by, all of a sudden our minds say oh now I know what it means. Then ten years can go by, and all of a sudden we feel silly for thinking what we thought, as the seasons change, and as the years turn into decades, with every passing ten year cycle, as long as we keep training, our minds will open up to many ideals we thought we understood, finding out just how amazing our minds can be, just as amazing are the parables that we learn, the various philosophies that we learn, they are ever changing like the seasons change, as long as we keep memorizing these great words, keep up our meditations, we can keep our minds open to new wonders, finding out that we never knew what it was at all, we might have known these things in a very basic level, but again all I can say to all of you, keep up with your studies, and your mind will reward us with many treasures along the way, and throughout our lives. It is truly an amazing path to walk.

All of this might be hard to comprehend at the beginning, even frightening when first learning Tai Liu Chuan Fa, especially when you first learn to walk forward into an attack, it takes some doing, but believe me stick with it, study hard, always write down each and every motion that you learn when you go home after class, as the years pass, as your skill starts to shine, only then can you truly understand what it is that we are saying above.

 

NOTE: In Tai Liu Chuan Fa, both eastern (chi, meridians) and western (anatomy, physiology, kinesiology) terminology are used throughout the system. This is to respect and accommodate the diversity of belief systems, and the intellectual integrity of our students/family. Adhering to the dual system of terminology demonstrates our desire to maintain tradition as well as the ability to provide quality instruction for those more familiar with western terminology.

Master Hand techniques (79 total + finishes) are the foundation of the system and makes up the majority of Tai Liu Chuan Fa techniques. They are designed to blend, redirect, and control the aggressor, giving them a moment to re-assess their intentions and stop their attack. If they do not reconsider their aggression, then by blending and controlling the attacker, one continues to disable and capitalize on the attacker’s movement. Coordination of Mind and Body Mechanics (intent) is emphasized here.

Poison Hand techniques (50 total) are techniques that enable you to damage the nervous system by obstructing, or stopping, the flow of chi* (energy), while applying a barrage of strikes (hand swords, fingers, elbows, knees, and feet) to the numerous pressure points (meridians) throughout the body. Accuracy and Speed is the emphasis here. *This can also be interpreted as obstructing, or stopping the flow of air or blood.

Quickie Hand is the instant, spontaneous or "blending hand," response to an attack, using your opponents’ reactions to feed your actions in their defeat. As the name states, Speed and Spontaneity is the focus of this training. True, external power, is developed as the student learns to relax while delivering their blocks and strikes.

Survival Hand, with this, critical damage is the result. Whole or parts of techniques are utilized. This is where the practitioner demonstrates their own “style” (or expression), within the style, or parameters of Tai Liu Chuan Fa. At this stage of training the martial art has become internalized. The Tai Liu Chuan Fa practitioner is able to defend themselves under extreme mental and physical stress (i.e. adrenal dump-type situation), which is the ultimate goal of hours, days, and years of training! Effective Improvisation while utilizing Economy of Motion is the goal here. 

As seen in the above descriptions, many of these techniques are interrelated and are slight variations of each other but the emphasis is on application during training. This built in redundancy of the system is intended to act as an aid for student’s development of their muscle memory, or ultimate goal, of internalizing the art.

Part of a Letter to Sifu Fiedler from Grand Master Tallbear in the 90s



The way of life, is to walk tall proud & humble with compete passiveness, because the shortest loan you will ever have is "Life"



The seven levels of "life or rainbow"





1) the seed

2) conception

3) development

4) birth

5) adolescence

6) full enlightenment

7) Cease, White man death

8) And most important, visit the other side of the rainbow





until I hear from you, take care of you and yours & God bless



Your Pa Pa under the Black belt



S. L. Tallbear G. M. TLC Kung Fu

One of the most wonderful things that Sigung Tallbear would do, is the way he would talk to his students, always saying to his black belts when saying good bye, he would say your Pa Pa Black Belt, even on one of the pictures that Sigung Tallbear gave to the young Sifu Fiedler when he received his Boxer Black, it is signed Your Pa Pa Black Belt, S. L. Tallbear.

 

Here is another explanation on Tai Liu Chuan Fa

Tai Liu Chuan Fa

 Tai Liu Chuan Fa is a "soft internal style," similar to Northern Shao-lin gung fu. However, it is unlike Shao0lin in that Shao-lin was developed from the snake, crane, dragon, and the tiger. Chujen Yuch Le Suu developed the Tai Liu Chuan Fa fighting characteristics from the eagle and the mantis. These are the primary techniques of the system with the tiger, bear, and the serpent as the secondary techniques of the system. Whether the eagle of the Tai Liu system is the same as the Back Siu-Lum Koma, is not completely sure, for much of the history has been lost throughout the years.
Historians can trace the Tai Liu system back for four hundred and fifty years with the founding Grandmaster Yuch Le Suu in 1549. However, its roots of origin before Grandmaster Yuch Le Suu and what inspired him and brought it forth into conception are uncertain. It is believed that the physical aspects of Tai Liu Chuan Fa can be overcome by the mental determination of the individual. And if the mental determination fails, it can be overcome by the spiritual being within a person.
Tai Liu is a passive offense-defense reaction to action. It is fighting without fighting, direction without direction, and a way without a way. Its use is to pacify which cannot be pacified. In short, the basics in a confrontation with an opponent are to blend into the opponents attack. Do not approach a fight, but as the opponent attacks blend in with the motion, become one with and pacify the response to conclude with the domination of the opponent, whether restraining or full conquest is the ending result.
 

" 5 Categories of Tai Liu Chuan Fa "

One part in learning Tai Liu Chuan Fa is the hand techniques which have been broken down in five categories of execution. With each there is a Grandmaster who has specialized in this area of Tai Liu Chuan Fa.

Master Hand Techniques which blend in with and control the opponent. Giving time for the opponent to reevaluate his situation and have the opportunity to disengage, retreat and not continue to be aggressive. If the opponent does not take this disengaging action, then by blending in and controlling the opponent one can continue to disable and capitalize on the opponents movement.

Poison Hand The techniques that enable one to damage the nervous system and reverse the flow of blood with the appropriate pressure being applied to points of the body.

Quick Hand This is in execution instantly in response to attack.
 

Survival Hand  In this critical damage is the result. Execution is primarily to stop blood flow, damage or destroy parts of the nervous system.

Death Touch  As indicated, this is striking to kill, to strike for instant death or a strike that will have a delayed reaction and in time cause death to the opponent.

Each series of techniques is an area of hand attacks or counter attacks which can be done separately or in a sequence suited to the situation.

Grand Master Tallbear, Inside Kung Fu Magazine, the year was 1972

Sifu Fiedler started training in Tai Liu Chuan Fa around the year 1977, it was around this time that Sifu Fiedler went to Vegas with his then teacher Grand Master Chow. Grand Master Chow and Sigung Tallbear were meeting for the first time, Sifu Fiedler was asked to come with GM Chow. Both GM Chow and Sifu Fiedler were very excited to go to Vegas and meet with Sigung Tallbear. Once they met, they hit it off right away. GM Chow was asked by Sigung Tallbear to be a special guest at his tournament in Vegas. GM Parker was the special guest the year before. When Sifu Fiedler found out that GM Parker was the special guest the year before, he became very nervous. GM Chow had never heard of GM Parker, but Sifu Fiedler did and told GM Chow they had better do really good. Even though they trained hard all the time and that was when both did for a living at that time. They turned up the pace and trained like mad for that six months they had to prepare. It was a very exciting time for Sifu Fiedler. For GM Chow, he was used to the lights, from back in Hong Kong. Sifu Fiedler was from a small town in Southern Ontario. To make a long story short, Sifu Fiedler says that he does not think that he blew the socks of them, but he does believe that they did really well considering how nervous Sifu Fiedler was. Last but not the least, from that day on, Sifu Fiedler was never nervous ever again, he could stand in front of five thousand people and talk like he was talking to one. Never was he frightened to stand in front a large crowd to do his martial arts again. After doing that in Vegas, what could be bigger. At least that is what Sifu Fiedler says in his diary. GM Chow and Sifu Fiedler started to go to Vegas all the time. As time went by, GM Chow found business partners he worked with in Vegas. When GM Chow would go to work with them, Sifu Fiedler stayed with Sigung Tallbear, becoming a student of Sigung Tallbear with in a very short time of meeting him. Sigung Tallbear had students that came to him from all over the world when Sifu Fiedler was going to see him in Vegas. The picture below shows a picture of Sigung Tallbear's son who always came to see his Dad in Vegas from Japan. His son in red, also became a good friend of Sifu Fiedler, and they trained together many times. It was Sigung Tallbear's son who taught him some of the Combat techniques, not all, but some. Also Sifu Fiedler says that Sigung Tallbear's son started to teach Sifu Fiedler his first form, Butterfly ram from Tai Liu Chuan Fa. Sifu Fiedler also made good friends with many of the young and old students from the different classes. Sifu Fiedler had a very hard time learning Tai Liu, but once he caught on, he flew with it. In fact because he seemed to trip over his own feet when starting Tai Liu, it made him very embarrassed about his performance. He wanted so bad for Sigung Tallbear to like him, and he wanted so bad for Sigung Tallbear to know how hard he was trying. This was not evident until around half a year, that was when Sifu Fiedler came back to Vegas for the third time, living in Vegas for a month at a time. He would go home to Edmonton for three months, then come back to Vegas to train for a month. When Sifu Fiedler did go back home to Edmonton he had to teach for GM Chow. But on his spare time, he would train all of the Tai Liu Techniques over and over. There were days when he would do all of the techniques hundreds of times on each side. Many of the techniques move in circles and gain power from momentum. The end motion of many of these techniques turned us sideways, slamming the last fist motion into the bladder or groin, with the hand, the leg would break your attacks foreword leg. You see as your opponent steps in to punch, we step forward, but not just forward, that would be much to easy. We step forward beside our opponents forward leg, hooking our front foot so that our opponent cannot step backwards. As we turn sideways, our knee, slides down his forwards leg breaking his leg at the knee. As time went bye, Sifu Fiedler started to really catch on to the Tai Liu Chuan Fa techniques. Finally, Sifu Fiedler says that Sigung Tallbear started to notice the difference in his Tai Liu Chuan Fa technique.

Sigung Tallbear seen the change as the months turned into years. Sigung Tallbear started to take Sifu Fiedler everywhere with him to teach different types of classes to special people. This was the type of experience that Sifu Fiedler would never ever have learned anywhere else. Not that Ying Yee could not have taught these type of classes, it was more the fact that GM Chow did not like to teach these types of classes, and because he would not teach these classes, Sifu Fiedler did not get experience in teaching specialty classes, like seniors, or children, or women's self defense, you have to teach each group completely different. Each group is very special, they are not cows, and if taught the same, it would be tragic, or I mean completely ridiculous, which ever way you look at it. Women are not like children, they have different needs, they are attacked differently, most of the time by someone they know, like boy friend, husband, old flame, someone they met recently, where as children, need to learn about staying away from getting into cars with strangers, or the type of self defense that children are going to learn are so different then the needs of what women would need. I hope I am making this clear, because there were many schools that he seen, and some he went too, that taught each and every class the same, they did not make the distinction, or were not taught by someone who had experience in these areas, as Sigung Tallbear is. Sifu Fiedler writes also that he does not know if GM Chow had speciality techniques for the various groups, all he knew is had he not been taught by Sigung Tallbear, he would never have been able to teach the classes the way he learned to do in Tai Liu Chuan Fa. Sigung Tallbear became a father figure to Sifu Fiedler, and as Sifu Fiedler writes in his diary from back in the 70s, he looked up to Sigung Tallbear like no one ever before.

Grand Master Tallbear's son on right, came from Japan often to help his Dad teach and run the classes. Grand Master Tallbear was always so cheerful to see his son's

Here his son doing a flying spinning side kick, his student was not hurt in this picture, as he had a pad under his gi, we always make sure no one gets injured, safety is the number one issue.

Come back soon

Much more to come

Under Construction

Thank you

Sifu Dee

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Last modified: 10/30/07