It was in 1974 that master Leung Shum opened his northern eagle claw kung-fu school on 28th Street in New York City, the fist and foremost school that teaches this system in the eastern United States

'Through the past 20 years. thousands of students have learned and practiced the eagle claw system Some have studied for two decades, others only a few months, but all have benefited from the teaching of master Shum. Today. the next generation of' students is coming of age and already practicing. The second generation of master Shum' s students continues to carry the eagle claw system into the 21st century

The northern eagle claw system includes 25 fist forms, more than 25 weapon forms, over 25 partner (two-men or three-men) sets and the essence of the system. and the 108 locking-hand techniques The techniques of the eagle claw system come from the movements of the eagle powerful claws, fast eyes, smooth movements and lightning fast techniques.

The "seven principles" of' eagle claw kung-fu are: jow da cum na
(Clawing and locking); dim yut bye hei (attacking pressure points and stopping the breath); cow wai sau fung (locking); diu cow fing lau (controlling, pushing and pulling); sim jim tong na (twisting, jumping
and dropping to the floor); noi sup chung dit (falling and techniques using waist); and fun gun chew quat (cutting veins and shattering bones).

EAGLE CIAW HISTORY

Originally the eagle claw system, whose complete history is told in master Shum's book, Eagle Claw Kung Fu Classical Northern Chinese Fist, was called ''elephant'' style, a system of hand combat that Ngok Fei, said to be the most brilliant general of the Southern Song dynasty (A.D. 1127-1279), taught to his soldiers. The Song court had fled south of the Huai River tributary of the Yang Tse River, before the Jurched (a Siberian people who were the ancestors of the Manchus, the last rulers of China before the country became a Republic) conquered North China. The Song court set up its capital in Hang Chow. General Ngok Fei defeated the Jurched every time he fought them. Just hearing Ngok Fei's name filled the Jurched with terror. Ngok Fei amassed victory after victory because he was a clever tactician, and above all, because of the kung-fu system he taught his troops.
Ngok Fei was a junior officer who rose from the ranks of recruits. He was not only an excellent strategist, but also a scholar and always showed moral integrity and loyalty to the Emperor. He inspired discipline among his troops, won the people's support, succeeded in suppressing bandits who were roaming the land, and defeated the Jurched cavalry with infantry tactics.

Unfortunately for Ngok Fei, Prime Minister Ch'in Kwei was at the time working out a peace settlement with the Jurched. Ngok Fei's integrity and popularity were not only jeopardizing the peace accord. but also threatening a shaky regime. Ch'in Kwei falsely accused Ngok Fei of insubordination and convinced the Emperor to order him back to the capital. Ngok Fei, who knew very well what was waiting for him, refused to obey. Three times he disregarded the imperial command. Finally the Emperor sent him a "gold edict"?an order that could not be ignored under penalty of death. Ngok Fei had no choice: he headed back to the capital.

Once there. he was immediately thrown into prison where he was murdered He was 39. It is widely believed that Ch'in Kwei engineered Ngok Fei's murder.

Ngok Fei's soldiers, enraged as the grossly unfair punishment their leader had suffered. disbanded and continued training on their own. A monk named Lai Chin, who was already the master of his own system called faan tzi, happened to see Ngok Fei's former soldiers training during this travels. He recognized the value of their techniques and decided to incorporate them into his own system. Faan tzi eagle claw was born: today it is known as the northern eagle claw system.

Lai Chin taught northern eagle claw to his student another monk named Toa Gai, who in turn passed it on to one of his lay students Lau Shing Yuo. The latter trained his son, Lau Kai Man in the system. Originally, the northern eagle claw system was to remain within the Lau clan and was not to be taught to outsiders. But Lau Kai Man taught it not only to his nephew in the Lau family, Liu Fat Man, but also to Cha Tzi Ching, his sister's son.

Chan Tzi Ching founded the Ching Mo Kung-Fu Association in Shanghai with his friend, Fawk Yun Gop. Other sifu soon joined the association. Chan Tzi Ching also went to Hong Hong to establish another Ching Mo Association, but he soon returned to Shanghai and left the Hong Kong Ching Mo Association in the care of Lau Fat Man. Master Shum' s teacher, Ng Wai Nung, trained extensively under Lau Fat Man.

During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the Hong Kong Ching Mo Association was closed. La Li Fat Man spent the war teaching in Canton with Ng Wai Nung.

After the war. Lau Fat Man went back to Hong Kong and taught for five years in the Restaurant Workers' Union. Ng Wai Nung also came back and taught in an opera actors' club and gave private lessons in both kung-fu and tai chi.

LEUNG SHUM'S TRAINING

Master Shum was eight when he began studying with Ng Wai Nung, his godfather, who had a small school in Cowling and who trained his godson in both kung-fu and tai chi. Master Shum practiced with his godfather until he was l6. When Ng Wai Nung was asked to teach eagle claw in Singapore for three years, master Shum and and his training brother, Shum Man Lock, were put in charge of the school until his return. When Ng Wai Nung returned from Singapore, Shum Man Lock went to Canton. Master Shum then helped his teacher until leaving for the United States in 1971.

Master Shum knew no one when he came to this country. He worked in a restaurant in Chinatown, little by little widening his circle of friends and teaching privately. In 1972 master Wai Hong of the tiger claw system organized a tournament and invited master Shum to perform and act as a judge. Don Larkin, master Shum's first American student, was in the audience. He was so impressed with master Shum that he asked master Shum to teach him. He took private lessons from master Shum for about one year, then in March, 1974, helped master Shum open the first eagle claw school in America on 28th Street in New York City.

EAGLE CLAW IN AMERICA

The school stayed at 28th Street for five years, with its students performing extensively in that time. In 1974, students traveled to Washington, D.C. to take part in a competition sponsored by Dean Chin, and to Puerto Rico for similar demonstration. Later, performances took place at Madison Square Garden and Town Hall, both in New York City. In 1975, less than one year after the opening of the school, eagle claw students organized demonstrations in New York's Lincoln Center, Staten Island College and Queens College. Throughout that year, eagle claw students performed several times in Boston, including for the opening of the Boston branch of the Eastern U.S. kung-fu Federation.

In one of his numerous talks to his students, master Shum observed that the way kung-fu is taught in America is very different from the training he underwent when he was young. In this country, kung-fu is commonly taught within a class structure, with students progressing from technique to technique in a matter of weeks.

However, when Master Shum was practicing under his teacher, people would devote a whole year to learn one form, getting to know it inside out. Another difference between kung-fu practiced then and now is that in master Shum's day there were no tournaments. Back then it was a rare event when famous sifu would publicly demonstrate their art.

CAREFUL BALANCE

One of master Shum's most difficult tasks is to strike a careful balance between the requirements of good form while making allowances for the different lifestyle here in the United States.

He often tells his students, "It takes three days to learn a form, but three years to master it." This philosophy stems from the way master Shum and his training brothers were taught by his teacher. They started by learning the sequence of the different moves. Then they practiced the form section by section until every move was perfect. Finally, his teacher would check the form to make sure the techniques and their uses were understood by the student and the delivery of power accurate.

When master Shum was practicing eagle claw with his godfather, there were only 20-to-30 students. Because the space was very small, there was no organized workout?people stretched and warmed up on their own. Master Shum would limber up and practice tai chi in the morning, going to his godfather's school every day and staying there for hours to perfect his forms and practice new techniques. His favorite techniques involved short, low kicks and catching. After class, he and other students, like brothers in a family, went to a nearby noodle restaurant for a late dinner.

Because master Shum was the best student in his school despite his young age, he was treated with respect by other students. He was also the most brazen of all. There was no in-school sparring in Hong Kong; kung-fu was practiced only for health and self-defense.

Fighting practice was picked up on the street. Master Shum did not back out of fights and occasionally got into one to test his skills. He also tried to stir things up at school: he once attempted to knock his teacher off balance while doing tai chi's push hands with him, and as a result, almost went flying out of a sixth-floor window. Then, when master Shum was 28, he had a botched appendectomy without anesthetics or stitches; they tied him down but he broke the ropes. After the operation, he calmed down considerably.

EXTRA CARE

Because students coming to the school on 28th Street were his first pupils, master Shum felt he had to train them with extra care so they could preserve and pass on the knowledge he imparted. Training was strict, strenuous and rigid. A student was not allowed to learn advanced forms unless he could demonstrate to master Shum's satisfaction that he knew the current form well; that he was able to give every move in the form a clear beginning and end; that he could perform it with the correct speed and power; that he could coordinate various parts of his body for certain moves so that they move in unison; that he could pause at the appropriate points in the form; and that he could show what master Shum calls spirit .

According to master Shum, a good form should look graceful, powerful and effortless. The different moves of the form must look as if one were flowing into the next, like the notes making up a musical piece, cohesive with no false notes.

Yet even though the moves should flow, they each should have their own identity and should never be abbreviated or blurred into a confused mass. Nor should there be extra flourish added for so-called aesthetic reasons. At the same time, the student should show complete confidence in his skills while executing the form, as if he could defeat his opponent with a single technique. He should also convey a sense of urgency.

An observer should feel as if the person executing the form was actually fighting for his life against an invisible opponent, hence the old name of kung-fu: "shadowboxing". In a way, the performer is telling a story?not with words, but with his body. Master Shum often reminds his students that the eyes arc important because they reflect the person's intent, not just in sparring but in forms as well. Kung-fu depends on will for power, so the eyes have to be carefully trained. For instance, in straight sword forms, the eyes must focus on the tip of the sword and not aimlessly wandering.

In 1979 the school moved to a larger space at 34th Street and 9th Avenue, where it stayed for nine years. Even in the new location, classes were crowded and had to be split into early and late sessions. Every day, up to 20 new people would come in to observe classes. A large number of students came from abroad, including Korea, Germany, Great Britain and The Netherlands, to train with master Shum.

With so many students, master Shum started to train a number of his senior students, including Cecil Jordan, Benson Lee, David Shin, Mark Shan and Peter Armstrong, to teach beginners. It was also during that time that master Shum's kung-fu book was published, which in turn drew more students to the school. Some outstanding eagle claw students such as Benson Lee, who won the title of grand champion several times for forms, and Cynthia Rothrock helped spread the name and fame of the northern eagle claw system.

TIME TO CELEBRATE

During this time master Shum continued holding an annual Chinese New Year's party. Performances opened with southern and northern lion dancing and continued with demonstrations of eagle claw fist forms, various weapons, partner forms and tai chi forms. Because master Shum required the best from his students, and they were willing to spend long hours rehearsing, the New Year's performances were outstanding. Many sifu and their students from other schools were also invited to perform. The audience, students family members, friends, and visitors regularly exceeded 400.

In 1988, the school moved to 14th Street and 6th Avenue and in 1991 it moved again, to its present location, on 24th Street between 6th and 7th avenues.

The strength of master Shum's organization was evident recently when the school held its 20th anniversary celebration. Although bitter cold and snowy outside the Harmony restaurant in Chinatown New York City, 500 gathered to pay their respects.

Included among the 500 guests were many well-known sifu including: Wai Chi Ming, hung kuen; Frank Yee, hung ga; Yip Wing Hong, dragon; Steven Lee, hung ga, David Lee, hung ga; Tony Chu, mantis; Chow Kwok Chung, wing chun; Ng Kwok Lai, ying jow pai; Kenny Gung, hsing-I; and Leung Poi, tai boxing.

The following day, an open training session was held at the New York school. Master Leung Shum held an instructor's meeting to discuss his curriculum and the future of eagle claw kung-fu. He explained that many of his students have the ability to teach and earn the title of sifu. Instructors throughout the U.S. with his permission to teach ying jow pai include Benson Lee, Cecil Jordan Wanda Pruska-Wallace, Mark Shan, David Chin, David Machin, Frank Marrero, Jeanne Moss, Joel Rodriguez, Gary Mark, Danny Abello, Eric Hargrove, Ernie Rothrock, Donald Walth and Pat DiBattista.

If the last 20 years are any indication, they'll be plenty more qualified eagle claw teachers produced by master Shum by the year 2014.