The Kung Fu Sash

The Sash!

It's a long band or scarf either worn over one shoulder or around the waist. It's primarily used by military officers as a part of the uniform or by women and children for ornament, worn in beauty pageants

The sash represents glamour with a greater purpose. It celebrates achievement, but it also asks something of the person wearing it to show up and be prepared, speak with confidence, and make every appearance worthy of the title!

In the 16th and 17th centuries, thick black powder smoke from muskets and cannons covered battlefields so brightly colored sashes (such as crimson silk for officers or worsted wool for sergeants) allowed soldiers to spot their leaders through the fog of war. It was a symbol of authority

worn by senior non-commissioned officers to symbolize that they hold the authority of an officer.

Kung Fu Origins

Our particular Sash System comes from the same color system of Judo, as my Sifu, Sam Hing Fai Chan, practiced Judo and adopted the coloring system of Judo for Wing Chun to bring about some order and a repeatable and observable process to progress. We have done the same in our Kung Fu System.

Colors and Traditions:

While some mythos suggests white sashes were stained red by blood, red/crimson sashes are traditionally worn by infantry regiments to signify their role, with some units switching to crimson at the warrant officer level.

A sash is worn on both the right and left side, and these two sides represent the Yin and Yang. The right sided sash represents Earth while the left sided sash represents Heaven.

• White - This represents newness, it essentially is a blank canvas for which you to start to write your journey upon. The Yin, but having in your mind the Yang, or the end goal to get to black.

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  Yellow - the beginning of light, as the sun is depicted with the color yellow in drawings, it’s not it’s actual color but it’s the easiest color for us to recognize, so it is with our learning journey, the earliest peak of understanding into the light or knowledge of the system we are learning comes at yellow sash, 

  

• Orange - being the next color depicted in drawings of the sun, a mixture of yellow and orange, and our beginner level has yellow and orange as the first two colors. This symbolizes you’re moving closer to a fuller understanding and scope of knowledge, starting to get more depth and breath just as orange mixed with yellow brings about more definition in the sun.

  

• Green - represents growth, it represents life, just as the spring time is represented with the growth of foliage, new plants, new greenery, so does green represents growth into a new understanding, a new growth in nervous system, and you having under your belt (pun intended) more of a handle on everything and can really feel your skills and techniques blossom and flow. Green represents life and you’re growing into the life of a Kung Fu practitioner

  

• Blue - is the intermediate stage and it is an honored blue, a more earth tone blue representing the growth into intermediate status and another level of honor distinguished from the beginners. The skills are solid, the understanding is more developed, and you are honored with a higher rank, honored in the system and by other students as well, which also coincides with the blue found in the universe. Darker earth toned blue to keep you grounded, but honored all the same.

  

• Brown - Speaking of grounded, brown is to represent the grounded understanding that should come with this level. Categorized by longer horse stances, being deeply rooted in the art, as our stance is more rooted so is the art more rooted in us. Our minds and our techniques are more rooted in the art we practice. We have more of a grasp of the knowledge of techniques and application of them as well as the history of our art.

  

• Black - The advanced level, not the end but truly the beginning. This should represent a level of mastery over yourself and your studies. You are a master student, recognizing there's always more to learn and refine. The Yang to your beginning Yin. Having the curiosity of a white sash, but now the refinement of a black sash helps you to grow in understanding and application. This links you to the darkness, and blackness of the universe, freedom from earthly tethers, or from previous rigid understandings of techniques. Now the more abstract thought process, understanding that each technique has an entire universe worth of application. A multiplicity of possibilities.

  

• Red - Coming to the firey red color of the Sun, Red represents true freedom. Not only are you free in your movements and understanding, not so much thinking what to do, but you just do, you are also a teacher. The sun sends it's rays out and is able to bring forth the hidden potential within a seed, so should a red sash be able to speak and teach in a way to bring out the best in someone and free up the potential that's hidden inside someone. The sun has constant chemical reactions reigniting itself, and now a red sash has self discipline and an inner drive that consistently reignites itself, constantly pushing you to get better. You still stay connected to your source that got you to where you are, but you’re not as dependent on it as before. Red represents the full Light of The Sun, you should have a full understanding of your art, and it’s history but constantly renew yourself and refine yourself and your techniques.

  

• Gold - This is your Sifu Color. This is to represents purity and refinement, just as gold has dirt, has dross on it and it must be refined in fire, and purified, and then used as a great conductor of electricity and a metal of great value. So it is with a Sifu, who has went under the refining fire of their own will to get better and be better, a Sifu is not just a good teacher, but a good person, that is able to conduct a class and add value to people's lives. Every Instructor is not a Sifu but every Sifu is an Instructor.