Luk Tung Kuen
Luk Tung Kuen (六通拳) is an exercise routine similar to tai chi. It consists of 36 movements which are usually performed in sequence each day, early in the morning. Groups of people commonly meet regularly to perform this together outdoors in a park.
The exercises were originally devised by an acupuncturist, Ho Wing Siu (何永紹) in Canton in the early 20th century. These were based upon Chinese martial arts and the meridians of Traditional Chinese medicine. He taught the exercises to his daughter, Ha Kinh (何瓊), around 1934 when she had malaria and she recovered in a week.[1]
Her family moved to Saigon in 1941 to escape a Japanese army but her life was still difficult because of the war and she fell ill again. A Malaysian doctor recommended exercise and so she repeated the exercises she had been taught. She recovered and the doctor confirmed this. Together, they formalised the exercises and named them Luk Tung Kuen (六通拳) which literally means six circulation fist. This name indicates that the exercises cover all six parts of the body, encouraging healthy circulation and making a fist for some actions, as in Chinese boxing.[2][1]
Ha Kinh started teaching the exercises in Hong Kong in 1963, starting by the Shek Lei Pui Reservoir which is now in the Kam Shan Country Park.[3] They became popular and spread to other parts of the world such as the United States. A Luk Tung Kuen Association was formed to promote the exercises and Ha Kinh's teachings which include charitable and sociable principles.[1]
Movements
[edit]Each movement has a specific form and its name typically describes the main action or posture.[4][1] The different movements are typically narrated and the repetitions counted aloud with occasional emphasis by words such as geng-li (頸力), meaning neck-strength, used as an exhortation, cadence or chant.[4][1]
- Open the Door with Hands
- Second Step of Open the Door
- Cross Hand
- Arms at Horizontal Position
- Turn Over One's Hand
- The Beauty Looking at the Mirror
- Riding the Bicycle
- Drawing a Circle
- Stand Firm and Play the Drum
- Hand Exercise
- Stand Firm and Play Chinese Boxing
- Crab Posture
- Hands Up and Down
- Windmill
- Stretch Out the Hands and Hold Back the Feet
- Yin and Yang
- Breathing in
- To Shovel the Mud
- Twist the Hands
- Strike with One Hand
- Draw Back the Belly and with Arms Akimbo
- Stretch the Arm and Kick Up the Foot
- Bouncing up and down
- Posture Eagle
- Change the Breathing Method
- Exercise for the Eyes
- Exercise for the Neck
- Twist the Waist
- Spread Out the Hands
- Cover the Ears with Hands and Press the Fingers
- Waist Massage Exercise
- Jogging
- Two Dragons Spit Pearls
- The Burst of Plum Blossom for Six Times
- Standing on One Leg
- The Stretching of Legs
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e John Voigt (2012), "Luk Tung Kuen: The 36 Exercises of Master Ha Kinh" (PDF), Qi – The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness, 22 (3): 18–24
- ^ Luk Tung Kuen Chinese Exercise, Hawaii State Public Library System, 5 May 2018
- ^ Holvert Hung (2015), "Field study of "Five paradises" within Kam Shan Country Park" (PDF), Surveying and Built Environment, 24 (1): 79–80, ISSN 1816-9554
- ^ a b Thirty-Six Postures: Simple and Easy to Learn, Luk Tung Kuen Worldwide Association
External links
[edit]- Master Ha Kinh's demonstration – in San Mateo, California in 2006
- Mr Yip's Exercise Class – an account of a group started in London by Mr Yip from Hong Kong