Si Gung Myles Dunlop, 8th Duan
October 2010
I was an under-confident 19 year old when I came across Sifu Dutton's Hung Leng Kuen Kung Fu school at Southampton University in 1988. With hindsight, I had really wanted to learn Kung Fu since hearing playground snippets about it and other martial arts in childhood. Growing up in semi-rural Devon in the 1970's and 80's there were no such teachers that I was aware of. Up to that time, I had not admitted to myself that I wanted or needed to learn a martial art in the first place, so it was more by a chance invitation of a friend who was going that I walked in through the door and began training.
My first experiences were of several things. The training was hard and quite painful - we typically used to stretch for the first hour of each class, or at least it seemed about that long. I remember dripping with sweat during that hour, but now I wonder what the fuss was about. It was hard but looking back, we weren’t forced to do anything one couldn’t do. It was more like the teaching made you face the truth of whether your own efforts were genuine.
My memories of the beginning months training were that the teacher, Sifu Dutton (as he was known then) seemed to have a complete command of his art; his presence radiated it. He also seemed to be at peace with life. I remember his teachings always having a depth; the self-defence techniques and approach were practical and of common sense, but I always had the sense of a much deeper well from which the teachings would spring. From the beginning Sifu taught you the exact mechanics and principles of execution, but even more significantly demonstrating how he did what he did. In this, his example always carried another kind of teaching and afterwards one had the feeling of being helped and not just left to sink or swim..
At the start, I was very interested in the practical self-defence techniques we used to practice in the old university Judo room. They felt simple, direct and effective. So much that over my first couple of years I certainly over-estimated my own skill level and I wonder how I got away with it at times. Now it is much more liberating to appreciate why in a fight there are no winners, so I’m grateful that my early arrogance didn’t amount to much, or perhaps I just hid it very well at least most of the time? Every martial artists experience can be different in this respect, but with hindsight I probably spent years waiting for ‘the big fight’ that jumps out at you from the shadows. In the beginning, I also believed that without being used in that way, the skills would be wasted. But, people relate to who you are and my training has completely changed those relationships in a way that is unrecognisable. That is what ended the disrespect or the bullying from others; it is not respect earned through some dramatic display of force, rather it is first showing respect but from a position of strength. Learning Kung Fu requires that you ‘just do it’, which further requires that you become closer to your true nature. I think that is learning to ‘relax’.
It has become fashionable in certain circles to criticise the ‘traditional’ martial arts for being impractical, or too classical to be of use in a fight. In my view, this criticism comes from people of have only limited experience in actually practicing these arts and are viewing them purely as practical self-defence systems, which they are not – they are much more than that. The classical aspect of training is concerned with learning form. Form in this context means stance, or how to stand to express a given intention. This is an internal meaning and like all internal training, it usually takes a period of continuous training to grasp what that might mean. Another aspect of learning form is learning self-defence technique. What all aspects have in common is that in the beginning you usually have to break down and understand what you are doing, but later on it becomes formless, a feeling experience that happens without thought or pauses. In my experience, it was after I had been teaching for a time that I started to appreciate the formless art. This is because when teaching, you have to show your art; you can’t just teach ‘by the book’. This is also what I was taught by my Sifu in the most important way, which is by his example.
Since starting to teach independently, in London with Sifu Chris Parker since 1997 then in Fareham since 1999, I have also extended my training into other systems. In general, I have not sought other fighting techniques or systems as such, as I feel that Hung Leng Kuen does not require anything extra to be added. Rather Hung Leng Kuen has been a bridge into the rich and broad world of the internal arts, at the same time being a system which they can be expressed through.
The significant other training I have received has been training in Zen Shiatsu, classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, Xing Shen Zhuang (Qi Gong) and sitting meditation. I have found these have all informed and deepened my training in Hung Leng Kuen but never contradicted the core teachings. As a self-defence practice, it is essentially simple. As an art it is endless, only limited by where one desires to go with it. This is why I practice and teach this art, although after over 20 years practice I certainly have not remotely mastered it. But, learning to be adequately effective at the self-defence art does not require you are a high level practitioner; for me it is largely a matter accepting at least some aspects of your own empowerment at an independent human being. To me that is why it is Hung Leng Kuen – the ‘Free Spirit Fist’.
Sifu Tim Prescott, 5th Duan
February 2011
I was 14 when I first met Sifu Dutton. It happened because my sister's boyfriend was at Southampton University and training under him.
At the time I lived in London and was studying studying Baron Omidi's Kung Fu / Kickfighting - a largely sparring-led system under the instruction of Chief Instructor Bill Guyett, populated by tournament and street fighters.
The Southampton lesson was an unusual one attended by just myself, Chris Parker and another student named Andy; Sifu Dutton and his instructor Di Sifu Rostron.
It took place in the New Forest and my over-riding memory is first of Chris and Andy punching it out for an extended period in the afternoon sun with no pads until Sifu called "Time!" Sifu then paired me up with a bloodied and knackered Andy. With a 14-year-old fearlessness I went at Andy full-pelt until SIfu decided that, in his knackered state, Andy wasn't representing Hung Leng well enough and chose to spar with me himself.
With a 14-year-old obliviousness, I then went at Sifu full-pelt and I remember, above all, amongst the sweat, smacks and undoubtable leeway I was given, Sifu laughing at this boy's spirit until he finally decided enough was enough and crushed all air and life out of me by clamping my ribcage with his thighs.
21 years on and I now know what a privilege it was to attend just a few of those lessons. I regularly attended Southampton seminars amongst students and black sashes who scared the s**t out of me – my inspiration. When it came the time for me to choose a place to study higher education, Southampton was my first choice so that I could train in Hung Leng Kuen with Sifu Dutton.
Since then, I have trained under Sijo Dutton in Southampton, then under Si Gung Myles Dunlop and Si Gung Chris Parker in London. I have established my own club in Surbiton and have my own diligent students.
With decades of well-rounded, valuable knowledge and lessons learnt, it's almost impossible to summarise what training in Hung Leng under my Sifu has given me – undoubtedly a superior martial arts system to invest in and work with; something that has balanced me emotionally when required and finished violent altercations as soon as they started; skills and frames of mind that can be applied in obvious and not-so-obvious situations.
To me, being Free Spirit means to take the skills that we are all taught and make them your own. This is useful to know because, as an instructor, Sijo Dutton is a tough act to follow – to educate, inspire, entertain, knock-down, build-up, make you work hard and make you work clever – and still, after all this time, show you some techniques you haven't seen before... not an easy task, but something that comes naturally to him.
Hung Leng Kuen can help an individual maintain balance - bring out the fighting spirit, or calm the inner beast. It also provides something that can often be overlooked – many valued friends who would not have met, and experiences that would not have happened, were it not for Sijo J. R. Dutton's Hung Leng Kuen Kung Fu.
Sifu Darren Holmes, 4th Duan
July 2011
I've found Hung Leng Kuen to be a very complete martial art. There is a lot to learn and it covers all aspects with a focus on effective technique. Individuals are encouraged to learn, think and develop as they progress with training. There is always something new to learn some new technique to find or skills to learn.
Beginners are taught very quickly effective self defense moves before moving on to more graceful and classical forms and other aspects such as Tai Chi.
After 15 years I'm still learning, still honing my art. It's a style that is hard work but very rewarding with it. .