Hung Gar Kung Fu

Searching for hours on the net with the keywords "kung fu Philippines", I suddenly found myself wanting to try something new in my previously boring existence. My search yielded numerous hits but what interested me the most was this one about Hung Gar Kung Fu, an old style that was newly established here in the Philippines, formerly based in Hong Kong but with disciples and masters around the world. I immediately emailed the contact person, a certain Sifu Frank Bolte, and inquired on a schedule and the fees and the like. Low and behold, he replied in a matter of hours and I found myself dragging two good friends along to learn Hung Gar Boxing in the heart of Binondo.

At the onset, the exercises were very challenging (often painful) but gradually I discovered that the more you do these things, the less painful they get, at least until Sifu added something new to the mix. The initial exercises are designed to strengthen the fingers, wrists, shoulders and arms. I will not enumerate the details of the actual exercises at the moment because I believe one must experience it firsthand to properly appreciate the experience. I've been training for roughly three months now; I can't really say how much I've progressed because I've yet to master the first form but it really is quite an enjoyable experience for me and my "Kung Fu brothers".

Further updates to follow...