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ALEXCOA RAY OF LIGHT

By Jose M. Fraguas

How long have you been practicing the martial arts – Kung Fu – and who was your teacher?

I started training in 1965 when I was 12 years old. A cousin of mine and my uncle taught me some basic kung fu stuff like horse stance, kicking and stretching. I was in high school then. All my classmates were doing something, so a few of us got together to exchange techniques and spar quite often. In 1968, a classmate of mine introduced me to the Beng Kiam Athletic Club. (Back then, the kung fu schools didn’t advertise and you couldn’t join without at least one or two guarantors to sponsor you.) Later, I found out that the school was the oldest in Manila and that it was founded by Sifu Tan Ka Hong in 1935. For the first two years, I was taught by the instructors and assistant instructors. The sifu just sat and oversaw the class. I became an assistant instructor after one and a half years. Back then and even now, there was no special grading in kung fu. The practice in our school was that you would be invited to join in the group pictorial with the sifu. After becoming an instructor, Sifu would correct and polish our techniques.

How many styles of kung fu or other methods have you trained in?

In the 1970s, when Bruce Lee passed away, I came out with a memorial issue which sold like hot cakes. This gave me enough money to publish my own magazine, Martial Arts. Through this magazine, I came to know many other styles and masters from different martial arts. I studied hung gar and praying mantis with sifu Shakespeare Chan. In order to learn from him, I co-founded with him the Chin Wu Athletic Association of Manila. After finishing my studies of these 2 styles, Sifu Shakespeare Chan was too busy with his flourishing toy model business. I lost interest in the school for my goal was just to learn from him. So, we left the school to the students. I was exposed to the wonders of the internal styles and I studied the hsin-i liu ho pa fa style (also known as water boxing) with sifu David Chan, who had then just migrated to Manila from Hong Kong.

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A conversation with Sifu Co flows like a stream of his conciousness from his early days, to the first Martial Arts class taken, to his studies of internal Kung Fu, and ultimately to his vision about the future of the art of Ng Cho Kung

Fu. Every time he teaches, kind and cordial, Sifu Alex Co makes his actions match his words. His presence is more delicate than you’d expect and there is a candid curiosity in his eyes. Master Co is like a coin with two sides. He flips during the interview, but he always allows you to call it.

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A Ray of LightIn the 1980s, I opened a martial art supply shop and from there I met Chris-

topher Ricketts. He was then a 5th dan in karate, a choy li fut instructor and a full-contact champion. We shared knowledge with one another. I introduced him to ngo cho and praying mantis. He taught me the basics of boxing and full-contact. I brought him to Beng Kiam; he became one of the few non-Chinese officially accepted into the school. We have remained best friends ever since. I became an adviser to his Bakbakan organization and helped him teach ngo cho there. In turn the students have been helping out promoting ngo cho kun.

In the 1990s, I looked for a year then a friend of mine introduced me to the son of the representative of Wu style tai chi chuan here in Manila. I thought the lineage was kind of cool, learning from the direct source. Sifu John Hu Chuan Hai came from Shanghai and learned under the grandmaster Ma Yueh Ling, and his wife Wu Ying Hua, daughter of the 1st generation Wu style tai chi chuan grandmaster, Wu, Kam Chuan. Sifu John would come to my home twice a week when I organized a private class. I studied for three years until the private class disbanded.

What are the main principles intrinsic to your style of kung fu (ngo cho kun)?

Ngo cho kun is a southern style of kung fu, so it emphasizes close quarter combat (CQC), very much like wing chun. The techniques of the style are governed by the four principles of swallow (tun), spit (toh), float (pu) and sink (tim). In layman’s terms, swallow is retracting, spit is extending, float is up-rooting and sink is pressing down. So, all the motions of our techniques would either be extending or retracting, rising up (uprooting) or pressing down. Then, as you understand these principles, you will see that they are combined in the techniques. For example, when we punch, the motion is slanted down-

ward. Thus, spit and sink are combined. This way, the punch becomes heavy, making it difficult for the opponent to block. In the same way, when we block or retract our hand, the elbow is tucked in, making it swallow and float. When you combine them, you dif-fuse the opponent’s force and float or uproot his balance.

Besides following the four principles, ngo cho kun techniques use the concept of the centerline theory (tzi-ngo), whereby all techniques are kept in the centerline with the nose as the guiding point. This is very similar to wing chun. Another special trait of ngo cho kun is that the conditioning and power training are combined with the forms (kun) of the style. The most important is the sam chien (sanchin in Japanese and Okinawan karate). In ngo cho kun there are ten forms like sam chien which the students have to develop the iron body, iron forearm and powerful strikes. The main theory in producing these powerful strikes is by using what in ngo cho is called the ngo ki lat or five limbs power. Our body is made up of two hands, two feet and the trunk (hips). Add them together and you have the five limbs. In other words, you will be using the force of the entire body in your strikes. That is why all the punches and strikes of ngo cho kun are very powerful.

Would you tell us some interesting stories of your early days in kung fu?

When I started training in the 1960s, kung fu had just slowly been exposed to the

non-Chinese, often during demos outside the boundaries of Chinatown. Almost all the schools have their share of stories of Filipino karateka who found their way into Chi-natown’s kung fu schools. Some would issue challenges. Usually, they were sent away without success. The less fortunate would suffer broken bones.

Christopher Ricketts was among the few non-Chinese exposed to kung fu in Chi-natown and they were sort of like the “ambassadors of pugilism” of kung fu as they would often encounter non-believers in kung-fu. Johnny Chiuten was one of the very first Chinese to expose the fighting fury of kung fu. He headed one of the three big ka-rate associations at that time in the Philippines. He was elected president by defeating everyone in the association. The other Filipino karate masters awarded him the 10th dan! Christopher is a product of this association. Their motto is, “Any demo isn’t real until you can test it on the mat.” The challenge matches between the different kung fu schools had stopped by then, but unofficial fights among the students of the different schools were still common.

Then in 1968, Singapore staged the 1st open pugilistic tournament, featuring full contact bouts. So, all the sifu had to prepare their students to join the tournament. I remember how we experimented with different kinds of armor and headgear. As ngo cho is a powerful style, there were always accidents such as broken teeth, gashes on the face, sprained fingers, etc. Sifu Tan would always supervise the fights and attend to the injuries afterwards.

How did you find the Westerners response to traditional Chinese training when you started teaching the art?

Westerners are more inquisitive. They want to know what they are doing, while most Asians sort of first follow what the teacher prescribes. Those who don’t like the teaching just drop out but never ask or complain inside the school.

How has your personal kung fu changed/developed over the years?

In the beginning, I was more interested in the just the techniques and fighting aspects of kung fu. Now I understand that kung fu is a way of life. It’s not only about fighting. It gives us discipline, tradition and culture, a healthy mind and body. It is also a form of art, which we can enjoy simply by doing it, much like others enjoy painting or singing. If you have witnessed any of the masters of the martial arts in action, be it karate, kung fu or whatever, it is like poetry in motion. There’s a kind of serenity and beauty in their movements.

What are the most important points in your teaching methods? And what are the most important qualities for a student to become proficient in your style?

I should say trust; the student should earn the trust of the teacher, so that the teacher could teach without holding back. As for the student, the most important quality is to train hard and persevere. No matter what you get it will never work until you train diligently. I remember the story of the famous master Sun Lu Tang; on his deathbed, his disciples asked him, “Master, is there any more secret you haven’t taught us yet?” The master wrote on a piece of paper. When they read it, Sun Lu Tang had written down the most important quality of all: Train!

With all of the technical changes during the last 30 years, do you think there are still “pure” styles of kung fu?

If what you mean by pure is that it is done exactly the same the day the founder made the art, then no, because even the founder changed as he matured and became more enlightened. An example would be the i-chuan (mind fist) of Wang Hsiang Zhai. Up

“The techniques of the style are governed by the four principles of

swallow (tun), spit (toh), float (pu)

and sink (tim).”

(TOP) Taken in Puyang, China during the 1991 Traditional Wushu Tournament. I got the gold medal for the Ngo Cho weapons Sang Teh Pi (Double Short Rod) popu-larly known in Karate as the Sai. (MIDDLE) Training with Chris-topher Ricketts, Beng Kiam’s San Diego representative. (BOTTOM) Taken in 1998 during my trip to the US in the gym of Bonifacio Lim. L-R: Mark Wiley, Alex Co and Bonifacio Lim.

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A Ray of Lightto now, his students from his early days and those from the last batch he taught cannot see eye to eye on many issues. Now they even classified his early students’ training as i-chuan and those from the later years as da cheng chuan (great achievement fist). A more modern example would be Bruce Lee’s JKD ™ and the current controversy between jun fan/JKD and JKD concepts.

Do you think different “styles” are truly important in the art of kung fu? Why?

All genuine traditional kung fu is a complete system – if you learn the complete system. My sifu Tan Ka Hong used to tell me that if you study ngo cho, you should fight like a ngo cho guy. If you study choy li fut, you should fight like a choy li fut guy. But now we see that students of most styles, when they get on the floor, either imitate Bruce Lee’s movements or just box around like kickboxers. Anyone can fight once he gets angry even without undergoing any training. So, if you can’t sue what you trained in, why bother training at all? You would be better off donning the gloves, hitting the bag and lifting weights.

What is your opinion of full contact kung fu tournaments?

A lot of full contact kung fu tournaments wind up either as kickboxing or as a brawl. I believe the reasons are: 1. Some don’t know how to use their style; 2. Some find it hard to adjust using the gloves. The boxing gloves were invented for boxing. In boxing you don’t have to block, you can just use the gloves to cover the punch; and 3. A lot of kung fu techniques are for real street fights. It has been pointed out that the start of trans-forming a martial art into a sport is the end of that martial art. Look at what happened to karate, judo and taekwondo. That’s why right now we have so many reality-based Martial Arts. If you take a closer look at them, they are the traditional karate techniques like the groin strike, chop to the throat, eye gouge, arm break, etc., and all of these are illegal in combat sports.

How different from other kung fu styles do you see the principles and concepts of ngo cho kun?

As I have said, ngo cho kun is a southern style, so it is more hand-oriented and thus good for CQC, very much like wing chun. Maybe I can compare it to other styles that already are popular – thus ngo cho has the tight defense and efficient fighting of wing chun and the explosive power of hsing-i.

Do you think that kung fu in the west has caught up with the technical level of China–Hong Kong?

I have seen really good Caucasian kung fu masters. Some of them are more Chinese than most Chinese. The problem is that there is only a handful, not enough to answer the need for a country this big like America.

Do you feel that there are any fundamental differences in approach or physical ca-pabilities of Chinese kung fu practitioners in comparison to European or American practitioners?

The body build of Caucasians is a little different from the Asians. As a general rule, bigger persons are stronger but slower than smaller persons.

Do you feel that you still have further to go in your studies of the art of ngo cho kun kung fu?

The quest for knowledge in any kung fu style is endless. Sometimes, I still learn from beginners, since they may make you think carefully when they ask fascinating questions about your art, especially about things that we may not even think about. As the Chinese saying goes, “There is always a higher mountain than the one you have climbed.” I always look forward to further my studies with my other ngo cho kun brothers.

How do you see the art of ngo cho kun kung fu in the world at the present time?

It’s sad to admit, but most traditional kung fu styles are losing to the gov-ernment-backed flamboyant wushu. Unless the traditional kung fu guys stick together, they might be replaced. Go to China and you will see that tradi-tional styles are being influenced by wushu. Go to Shaolin Temple and you will see that they are promoting wushu. I’m happy that almost 20 years ago, the International Wuzu (Ngo Cho) Federation was formed here in Manila by the late ngo cho master Lo Kieng Hui. He brought together all the ngo cho associations in Southeast Asia and China and founded this federation. Now, they have a yearly convention in Chuan Chou, the birthplace of ngo cho. In the U.S., my sihing Bonifacio Lim and Ben Asuncion have founded the USA Wuzu Federation, uniting ngo cho practitioners from different lineages. Bonifacio Lim is teaching in New Jersey while Ben Asuncion is teaching in LA. Christopher Ricketts is teaching the Beng Kiam lineage of ngo cho in San Diego. John Graham is teaching in Alabama. He is teaching the unique ngo cho of Chee Kim Tong from Malaysia, as well as from the Kong Han and Beng Kiam lineages. Jeffrey Yang is teaching in Ohio. Daniel Kun is teach-ing today in Canada. Together, they are teaching the Kong Han lineage of ngo cho. Kam Lee is teaching in Florida. He is teaching the Kan Tek Yuan lineage from Malaysia. I have written a book on ngo cho and produced some videotapes. Jose Paman recently came out with a ngo cho book. Right now, I’m finishing my translation of the Ngo Cho Bible. So with all of these going on, I hope to see a prosperous future for ngo cho.

Does the weaponry aspect of kung fu enhance the student’s empty hands ability or are those two completely non-related skills?

Ngo cho weapons strengthen the condition of the students. The weapons also serve as the extension of the empty hand, especially the ngo cho sang te pi, popularly known as the sai in Okinawan karate.

How does your style differ from other kung fu methods when applying the techniques in a self-defense/real situation?

I should say that the main difference is that ngo cho is very powerful and that all techniques are aimed at vital spots in order to maim the opponent. A typical example is the ngo cho punch, which is directed at the sternum. There is a soft spot there that cannot be protected by chi kung practice or by muscle alone.

What do you consider to be the major changes in the art of ngo cho kun since you began training?

We now have a chance to observe other lineages of ngo cho and compare them with each other. Knowledge now is shared more openly, but the younger generations lack the patience to drill the basics and do conditioning. Most are in a hurry to move on to something new.

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“Knowledge now is shared

more openly, but the younger gen-erations lack the patience to drill

the basics and do conditioning.”

(TOP) Demo with the Double Clutches (Tonfa) vs. Shaolin Staff. Taken in 1986, with Leonardo Co, during Beng Kiam’s anniversary. (MIDDLE) Sang Teh Pi demo during Beng Kiam’s anniversary in the 1980’s. (BOTTOM) Single Clutch and broadsword vs. two spears. Taken during Beng Kiam’s 50th anniversary.

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Who would you like to have trained with that you have not (dead or alive)?

It would have been great to train under all the Ten Tigers of ngo cho. The Ten Tigers were the most celebrated disciples of the ngo cho founder Chua Giok Beng. My sifu, Tan Ka Hong’s father, Tan Kiong Beng, was one of the Ten Tigers.

What is your opinion about mixing kung fu styles? Does the practice of one nullify the effectiveness of the other or on the contrary, can it be beneficial to the student?

There is nothing wrong in mixing styles as long as you stay long enough to master one style. Don’t be a jack of all trades, master of none. I use my tai chi/hsin-i training to enhance my knowledge of chi for my ngo cho. The praying mantis style opened my eyes to the importance of speed and combinations of techniques. These are examples of how another style can enhance your knowledge.

What is your philosophical basis for your kung fu training?

My philosophy in kung fu training is that it must be treated as a way of life. You should enjoy benefits from your training. It should not be treated as a task.

Do you have a particularly memorable kung fu experience that has remained as an inspiration for your training?

The experience I had training with all the different great masters is the inspiration for me to train hard and to aspire to be as good as they are someday.

After all these years of training and experience, could you explain the meaning of the practice of kung fu?

Kung fu should be a way of life – a part of your life, a hobby, a thing you enjoy. You should not treat it as something that you should do. Others train because they got bul-lied and sought revenge; so what do you do after you get your revenge?

Is there anything lacking in the way Martial Arts are taught today when compared to how they were in your beginnings?

I should say that most of the legends are now gone. Nowadays, Martial Arts is treated as something of a fad. There are also a lot of self-proclaimed phonies today, unlike before. Back then, if you were known to be a fake, the legitimate ones would take care of you. Now, with all these lawsuits, challenges are a thing of the past. Any white belter now can proclaim himself the founder of his whatchamacallit style and no one can do anything about it.

Finally, what are your thoughts on the future of the art of ngo cho kun?

I hope that the art will progress and that somebody will pick up the torch to carry on the tradition my sifu left after we are all gone.

A Ray of Light

“Kung fu should be a way of life – a part of your life, a hobby, a thing you

enjoy.”