Hi,

> I am an instructor in Okinawan Kempo and Chuan Fa and am very
> interested in beginning a Lion Dance team within my school, however I
> have found information concerning this beautiful art to be elusive. I
> am hoping that some of you may be able to help me. I have a few
> questions. Please forgive me if some of them seem naive.

Please do not feel that you are insulting anybody by asking any question, as nobody can claim that they know everything about lion dancing. Yes, I find infomation on Lion Dance is very elusive too. The problem is that there is so many answers from different sources, as this dance has become so wide spread and diversified. There is no "correct answers", but rather many different view points. However, I'll try to answer some of your questions to the best of my knowledge and experience.

> 1. How did Lion Dancing begin?

This is the BIG question. No body has any solid facts on this. Some say thet it began way back during the pre-historical time, whereby the lion represented an angry beast that terrified villages which the villages finally scared away using fire crackers, "year" cakes, loud noises and the colour red, bringing about the Lunar New Year. Some say that the lion was made to scare away the beast mentioned above. There one that say the lion was made to scare away the elephants that was used by the Indochinese during war. There are also stories of how an emperor dreamnt of it. However, the most reliable one is as follows: As you might know lion are not native to China, and the first lions seen by the Chinese might be ones that was brought in by the Persians. Impressed by it, the people started to believe that this animal, like the legendary dragon and pheonix, is sacred and thus brings good fortune. Thus, they started to make imitation of it to perform during festive seasons, temple days etc..

> 2. Is it a martial art in itself or is it purely ceremonial?

I do not think it is a martial art in itself, but rather a kind of performance have strong martial art links. The forms, agility, strength etc needed in martial art is also needed in performing the dance. This came about when martial artist started to mixed martial art into the dance so that they could practice easier when martial art was restricted. Because the lion was deemed sacred, it is also used for ceremonial and spritual purposes. Nowadays, it is also done as a dance/art or a sport.

> 3. Where do you get the lion? Can you buy one or do you have to
> build them yourself?

Most people will buy them. Making them is a bit difficult.

> 4. Can anyone recommend any good books about Lion Dancing?

Well, if you know chinese, there is a good amount of info on the Kun Seng Keng's homepage:

www.panglobe.com/culture/kunseng

There is also many other good lion dance homepage on the net.

> 5. What significance does the laughing Buddha have?

The laughing buddha is used mostly as the lion's "companion" or "lion trainer" capacity. He guides the lion, plays with the lion, etc. He is usually used in certain "sequence" like the drunken lion, when there is weapons involved, etc. Also, when the lion does something wrong in the performances accidentally(like knocking over the incense pot) which is taboo, as it is preceive as very bad luck, the buddha will come out to save the situation. This is usually done by him trying to punish the lion and then doing apologetic signs to the owner or the gods.

I hope the above is helpful to you. Do not hesistate to ask any questions, as this is the way to promote the dance. Best of luck in the forming of the team. If there is more I can help do not hesistate ask.

George Chan

> I am an instructor in Okinawan Kempo and Chuan Fa and am very
> interested in beginning a Lion Dance team within my school, however I
> have found information concerning this beautiful art to be elusive. I
> am hoping that some of you may be able to help me. I have a few
> questions. Please forgive me if some of them seem naive.
>
> 1. How did Lion Dancing begin?
> 2. Is it a martial art in itself or is it purely ceremonial?

You fool! How dare you ask such impertinent questions? You appear to be a little naive cub prancing around playfully among the majestic learned lions. Are you trying to insult us by these questions?

From your enquiries, it appears you are yet to understand the full meaning of lion dancing. It is neither a martial art nor a ceremony. The lion dance exists in itself, and is to be admired for its own beauty. To understand it, you must become one with it. Your steps must mingle with those of the other lions, until you feel you are one giant beast who tramples across the jungle majestically. If you feel unsure when you are stepping, then you are not worthy of the lion. You must jump up and down alone for many hours, imagining yourself to be a lion in the jungle, hunting for its prey. Then you will understand the feelings that go through a lion's heart, and you will be able to dance like a real lion.

> 3. Where do you get the lion? Can you buy one or do you have to
> build them yourself?

The question is not where you get the lion, but where you find the lion within yourself. Until you find the spirit of the lion, you will not be able to understand lion dancing.

> 4. Can anyone recommend any good books about Lion Dancing?

You can only find the lion within yourself. No books will help you in this search. Just like the lion which must learn alone how to hunt its prey, you must find your own way.

> 5. What significance does the laughing Buddha have?

The laughing Buddha has no significance in this context. It is more relevant to the Mountain Lion phase, when your mind has mingled with all living creatures, and you can fully appreciate the laughter that echoes through all nature. Until then, you must jump alone and pretend to be a lion in the jungle. This may help you understand the nature of the lion. Remember the ancient rule of practicing lion dancing: "jump like a hungry lion, and tear at your cloth, until you have ripped it apart, just like the lion does angrily prance around".

> Please forgive me if I have offended anyone by my naive questions.
>
> Humbly,
> kcox

It is always understandable to ask questions. Only by learning from the masters can you seek knowledge.

Sincerely,

Roshi Chunqua.

kcox wrote:
> I am an instructor in Okinawan Kempo and Chuan Fa and am very
> interested in beginning a Lion Dance team within my school, however I
> have found information concerning this beautiful art to be elusive. I
> am hoping that some of you may be able to help me. I have a few
> questions. Please forgive me if some of them seem naive.

Don't worry about insulting lion dancers. There are many out there who are doing the lion dancing and don't even know the history themselves.

> 1. How did Lion Dancing begin?
> 2. Is it a martial art in itself or is it purely ceremonial?
> 3. Where do you get the lion? Can you buy one or do you have to
> build them yourself?
> 4. Can anyone recommend any good books about Lion Dancing?
> 5. What significance does the laughing Buddha have?

There is a really good book on Chinese lion dancing by Dr. William Hu call Chinese Lion Dancing Explained. There are many stories in this book about the earliest evidences of lion dancing and its origins. You'll also find some stories about the laughing buddha. I recall Dr. Hu telling me that lion dancing is a part of Chinese martial arts today but its origins are really from the Chinese theater. The most commonly practiced lion dancing is the southern style which has a lot of movement based on Kung Fu. The older style is the Northern style whose moves are based on imitating or acting like a cat or sometimes dog. For your group, I recommend the Okinawan lion dance. There is one group here in Hawaii that does the Okinawan Lion dance. The Okinawan lion dance originated from the Chinese lion. The costume is similar to the northern lion. In fact, if you ask Dr. Hu, he believes the traditional Chinese lion dance is more preserved in Okinawa than in China.

I think you should be rare and uniq. Learn the Okinawan lion dance. I guarantee that nobody in your area has ever seen that!

---Sherman

> Please forgive me if I have offended anyone by my naive questions.
> Humbly,
> kcox

--Glad to share---
Maybe in the future, you could tell us moreabout Okinawan lion dancing.

These are all good questions most of which have been answered on this list before. I will give some brief answers but feel free to ask more detailed questions. Also, others on the list may have better or more complete answers.

> 1. How did Lion Dancing begin?

There are many stories about this. You should find the book Lion Dance Explained by William Hu. If you don't know where to buy it, I know that Wing Lam Enterprises (www.wle.com or wlam@wle.com) has it through mail order.

Some of the mythical and some are logical. No one really knows how it started.

> 2. Is it a martial art in itself or is it purely ceremonial?

During the Ching (Qing) Dynasty, southern lion dance was usually done by martial arts associations. It was not an art in itself but used as a way to train the martial arts without letting the Ching no what was really going on.

Today, most southern kung fu schools keep the martial tradition of the lion dance and many cultural associations do it purely for ceremony.

The northern lion dance is entirely different and was usually done by opera stars. It is a much more acrobatic and playful lion.

Also popular these days is the southern lion in the northern style. This uses a shorter lion and does more acrobatics.

> 3. Where do you get the lion? Can you buy one or do you have to build them yourself?

Building them yourself is an art to itself. You can go to a Chinatown and by them. A medium quality head and tail are about $600 US.

> 4. Can anyone recommend any good books about Lion Dancing?

Only book I can recommend is Willam Hu's (see above) it is more historical book and does not going it to performance. He is said to be working on a book about performance but it hasn't come out yet.

> 5. What significance does the laughing Buddha have?

It depends on the pattern you are performing. Usually he is the guide of the lion but in some patterns, they battle.

Hope this helps.

Stephen.

Roshi, let me introduce myself to the group, my name is Sifu Gobert Wing-Hong Yeung and I am currently the chief instructor of Shaolin Hung Gar Kung Fu Academy in Dallas, and also the Lion Dance instructor of Wing Lam Kung Fu School in Sunnyvale, CA. I am also the offical judge in Tat Wong International lion dance competition. I have more than 30 years practice, and teaching experience with traditional southern Hung Gar lion dance and Martial Arts. I feel all he try just to know more about Chinese Lion Dance. Please do not discourge people to ask lion dance question.

My student Stephen Chew already response to most his questions. I just like to make a few comments.

1. Traditional Southern style of lion dance must have strong martial arts training basic such as horse stance, foot steps, ..., without good solid martial arts background, it will not show the power of lion dancing.

2. You can get information from a book, or enjoy the colorful picture of lion dancing, but you cannot learn lion dancing from a book. Question: Can you learn how to drive a car by reading a book ?

3. Lion dancing is originally from China, may be some other version has been developed in the past. I will not call them "Traditional Chinese Lion Dance".

4 Buddha is part of the lion dance.

Your comment is welcome.

Sincerely,

Sifu Wing-Hong Yeung

Hi - My name is Andy Kaps and I just joined the list today. I will be drumming on a traditional 28" drum for Lion Dancers and am looking for music resources for various drum patterns. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Andy
--
Andy Kaps
akaps@selmed.com

http://www.china-contact.com