[Mig]

I think we fogert to understand several things:

1970's Kung Fu was not was is today. Remember that this the time of Bruce Lee paranoia and look kumites, fights during that time and you will understand. As a foreigner, it was a privilege to have studied under a master of Hung Ka and many others like me we just knew a little or nothing both Hung Ka and other styles. Today, you can find or at least have a little idea what other southern boxing styles have in common or are different from Hung Ka.
This period of time 70's is a different generation of masters who had escaped mainland China especially in Hong Kong when most of the people live in fear after the cultural revolution. The xenophobia towards non chinese, anti-communism, cold war and all kind of fear didn't help to know more about the art. It is fortunate that we have someone who out of the blues was able to share an experience that many wish to have but may not happen in their lives. Those who have visited Hong Kong, Nathan Road, Hong Kong Island will reflect every sentence about his experience. Let's hear more about his experience and learn more about this Hung Ka.

Thanks,

Mig

[abiraghi]

The years 1981, 1982 and 1983 flew by. I had felt the necessity of some holiday (for five years I had spent every single day of holiday in the awful Hong Kong weather), so I started spending a week at the seaside in the Eastern seas before going to Hong Kong. I visited one different place every year, Phuket, Philippines, Bali, always finding cheap and clean resorts on the beach and relaxing before the hard work. I discovered that reaching Hong Kong after a week of swimming and sleeping on the beach I could work more and better and suffered less the uncomfortable weather. The time mixes my memories now and I cannot remember what I learned and when, but in those three summers plus one extra trip of two weeks for Christmas I learned everything of the style, but Tit Sin Kuen.

My friendship with the other students grew and some of them become lose friends, some of them even came to visit me in Italy. Seto Wing and Lee Yun Fook (whom I had nicknamed "mr. Lion" in 1977 for his great lion dance) spent 15 days with me in winter and I brought them to ski, discovering that they had never seen the snow before! Cheung Yee Keung came to Europe, too. He flew to France invited by a kung fu school and spent a weekend visiting me in Milano. A funny anecdote: in those last years of British occupation the Hong Kong people born in Main China had troubles getting a passport, so the travelled with somebody else's documents (for the European police all the Chinese looked the same).

The Hon Chung Gymnasium was one of the most respected place in Hong Kong, both for the reputation of the master and the skill of many students. Among them I remember Fung Kyu (champio of free fighting championship of Asian South East in the Seventies), "George" Yeung Yang (a short and thin, but fast and dangerous expert of Hung style and Wing Chun) and Sherman (I saw him just a couple of times and can't remember his english name) who worked as a stuntman and director of the fighting scenes for Show's Brothers. Seto Wing wanted me to meet him, Sherman also spoke a good English. The memory of the couple of times I could train with him is still still clear. He was fast, powerful, strong and knew the most intimate secrets of the internal energy. He explained me how to feel and train the daan tin, how to concentrate the energy (he said "the force") and let it explode at need. He was the greatest fighter I've ever seen and even my old brother Kong Pui Wai (the best fighter in the gymn) admitted that Sherman could be more dangerous than him. But even Sherman the brave warrior became sweet as a pet when Sifu tpld him something. You can see Sherman in the Way of the Warrior with a yellow shirt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnNVDiC33WU

From 1982 I began staying in an hotel room. I had found a cheap but clean place in Mong Kok. After Si-Mo's death the small room I used live in got so full of stuff that I had non place where to put my clothes. People used it as a deposit, even the bed started having piles of stuff on it. Therefore I decided that the extra comfort (and the extra expense!) and sleeping well would have helped my training. In fact nothing changed in my schedule, the hotel was very close, so I could keep joining Sifu for the early breakfast, spending the whole day in the gymn, training in the night with a-Keung. But coming back to my room, taking a decent shower and sleeping in a normal bed was great after so many hours of hard work.

In the pre-Internet world the information didn't go around fast as today, but thanks to the martial arts magazines the world had started to know about Chan Hon Chung. People from all over the world came mostly for meeting the famous master, a few of them for making troubles. Sifu's approached them asking to show a form. 90% of the times after seeing it Sifu simply turned them his back and got back to the office, mostly they were bad, they played movements with no meaning. I remember making fun after they were gone with the other students, imitating their forms after they were gone.

One day I was alone training when a guy from Brasil came asking to discuss martial arts with Sifu Chan. I called him and he came out from his office asking him to show a form. The guy said that that his style had no forms, so master Chan as usual turned his back to him and disappeared. I felt quite embarrassed, didn't know what to do. He asked me who I was, then asked if we could do some sparring. When he started making some strange movements I reached him with a few strokes, without hitting, just touching softly his skin to advise him that those could have been severe hits. He didn't show to understand and kept on doing his strange dance. More and more embarrassed, I nearly stopped moving, trying to understand what was going on, when Seto Wing came into the gymn. He watched the scene for a minute, I raised my shoulders at him to show that I didn't know what to do, when the guy, taking advantage from my uncertainty and distraction grabbed me, swepd me and threw me on the floor. Seto Wing laughed, then told me in Chinese to quit stopping my punches. I got up, took the guard, waited a second, faint at the face with the moon shadow, then kicked his leg and hit him at the center of the chest. He collapsed, screamed that I was not fair, took his bag and got away. Seto Wing is still laughing, I think.

In those years master Chan was slowly retiring. His mind was still clear but he had the consciousness of getting old. He reduced the number of hours dedicated to receiving the patients, reduced the duties with the various associations he was involved in, reduced the appearances in the gymn. I clearly remember the last time he corrected me on an external movement. It was the summer of 1982 and I was training the Kwan Do form, when he appeared and spent at least half an hour fixing my hand that puts the beard on the side. That movement had a great importance for him, so he wanted it to be perfect. After that day, he only worked with me on the dragon of Sap Yin Kuen and, the next year, on the Tit Sin Kuen.

The day of my departure in 1983, master Chan Hon Chung told me in the "Chin-english" what I steel keep with my dearest memories: "Next time you come, I teach Tit Sin Kuen!" Then he gave me a pat on my shoulder and sent me away. There were no black belts, no degrees, no titles, no papers at the time. That was the traditional way for a master to promote a student to an higher level. In my old years both of school, sports and martial arts I had passed exams, got good marks, won tournaments, received belts, "kyus", "dans" and various degrees. But nothing, not even the university degree or any later job success, can compare with that honor.
"Next time you come, I teach Tit Sin Kuen!". When I think back to that moment, I still chill for the emotion.
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alberto

[Xiaobian]

Wow! This is such an awesome recount! I am under the Chan Hon Chung lineage and it is such an honor to hear the accounts of the great man personally from you, Abiraghi. Your experiences are truly priceless. This is greatly appreciated.

A question: Does Cheung Yee Keung still teach? I feel that the Chan Hon Chung lineage is not so openly broadcasted and advertized, and I haven't heard of many schools under his lineage. My sifu learned one-on-one from his sifu, who learned directly with Chan Hon Chung, so I don't know of any schools.
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用力力中能借力，临机机内要关机

[abiraghi]

Dear brother Xiaobiang, yes, my si-hing Cheung Yee Keung is still teaching in his gymn in Mong Kok, being the only real successor of master Chan. He is the one who lived with the master, in 729 Nathan Road, from the early 70es to his death and it's only because of the sudden, tragic sickness that obscured Sifu's mind that he had never been officially declared the "heir". But in fact he is. Nobody else followed Chan Hon Chung as he did, learning every detail of the art and studying the medicine. Nobody else knows Chan Hon Chung's art as Cheung Yee Keung.
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alberto

[Xiaobian]

Oh, great! Thank you very much. It would be wonderful to go there some day (when I am actually worthy) :]

much respect pui fuk
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用力力中能借力，临机机内要关机

[vtml]

I had the opportunity to meet Master Lee Yun Fook in 2007 when I went back to Hong Kong. I met one of his student from Italy at a lion dance competition, who was living in his house learning Hung Kuen from him.
He introduced me to Master, and the next day, I joined them for a day of running errands and training lion dancers in secondary schools.
Master Lee Yun Fook is a very humble man, even though I told him that I practise in the Lam Jo lineage, he still shared a lot of theories and information of Hung Gar with me. Great discussions to be had with him as well as his student.
Even though Master Lee was in his 50's, he still jumped on the short jongs during lion dance training to show the students what had to be done.
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Hong De Lion Dance Association

[abiraghi]

My dear brother Fook Chai (so we called him in those years, kind of Little Fook) is a great person. I dearly love his wife, too, June Lau, sister of our brother "Raymond" Lau Kam Fu, who was the best in playing the Buddha in the lion dance.
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alberto

[lolletto74]

dear alberto,

i always enjoy your stories about your time in Hong Kong with Master Chan Hon Chung. i practice hung gar with angelo riolo and i've been to Hong Kong living in si gong's Cheon Yee Keung school. In reading your words i remembered the atmosphere, the practice and my sensations. Sifu Cheon keeps on teaching as his master taught him. I learnt sup yin kuen and i was so happy and full of energy that i could practice 8 hours without stopping (...sometimes i had tea!). I'm looking forward to my next trip to Hong Kong! sorry for my written english,

ciao ciao

Lorenzo

[PM]

another student of Chan Honjung lineage on the forum, cool! welcome on the forum
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Pavel Macek

Lam Ga Hung Kyun 林家洪拳

www.lghk.org

[Luca75]

Dear Alberto,

Your story is amazing.
I study Hung Kuen with Angelo Riolo (lolletto74 is my older hung gar brother) and last year I went in Hong Kong to study Sap Yee Kuen with my Si Gong Cheung Yee Keung. It was one of the most important experience I have ever had in my life. I had a chance to know my Si Gong training in hits school 8 hours per day. He teached me one of the 4 pillars of Hung Kuen. He is really a great master.
Alberto, I'm looking forward to the sequel of your story.

[lolletto74]

[Xiaobian]

Hehehe, it seems students from the Chan Hon Cheung lineage are coming out of the woodwork now!
_________________
用力力中能借力，临机机内要关机

[lolletto74]

[Kriya]

[abiraghi]

"Next time you come, I teach Tit Sin Kuen!" were the last words that master Chan Hon Chung told me while I was leaving at the end of my 1983 stay in Hong Kong and this is the image I kept in mind night and day during the 1983-1984 winter. After learning every forms and weapons, after demonstrating in front of Chinese and European audiences, after working hard on the dragon part of Sap Yin Kuen, the moment of the ultimate secret had come. This sort of excitement can be understood only going back to the Eighties, in the pre-Internet Europe, when the culture of Chinese martial arts was brought by some Shaw's Brothers movies and some impossible to find American magazine. Today, when I google "Tit Sin", I find everything I might want; a full Wikipedia page, plenty of websites covering the subject, videos on YouTube, included some never seen footage of my own Sifu. But in 1983, after years of hard training and months in the gymn, I hadn't seen the full form yet. In those years nobody played the complete set in the gymn, in demonstrations or ceremonies. Just a few moves, than the set was closed. They were jealous of their precious treasure, and they were afraid that somebody might arm himself imitating the moves and the sounds without being correctly instructed. Yes, they constantly said: "Tit Sin Kuen can harm your health if you play it in a wrong way, don't ever imitate Sifu if he doesn't ask you to do it".

The first day of my 1984 stay in Hong Kong master Chan poked from the side door of his office a few minutes after I had started training at 7 A.M., a rare event. I had just started my usual warmup of four Mui Fa Kuen when he appeared. We were alone in the gymn. He let me play the second set, then assumed the Yee Gee stance and made me understand I had to imitate him. We spent maybe half an hour on breathing, then he switched to the introduction of the form, then the first part. The movement were the same as in Sap Yin Kuen, of course, but the intensity was way different. Master Chan looked more concentrated, I felt him kind of in a trance, but at the same time fully present and in a condition of alert. It's hard to explain it, but it was like being brought in a slightly different dimension. After a few minutes of an hard, forced breathing, the extra oxygen in my brain kind of procured me an euphoric condition. The room disappeared and I could put my full consciousness on the form. We stuck to this part for nearly a week, then one night mi friend Arthur Chan told me that the next day I was going to the new territories with Sifu. No other explanations.

The next day we got out very early, had a quick dim sum, then take a series of busses in the awful humid-hot Hong Kong morning until we reached (I was wet as after a shower, master Chan was perfectly dry) the New Territories, then a group of houses. We entered a tiny villa with a tiny garden, his country cottage. Sifu Chan turned on the light and the TV, as everybody in Hong Kong does entering a house, then pointed at the garden and made me understand I had to follow him.

Once outside, after cleaning some dried plants and giving fresh water to the flowers, master Chan started teaching me the Tit Sin Kuen. In 1984 he was still strong, just mixed up the movements from time to time, but the form, the sounds, the chi were intact and while playing the form side by side with him I could feel his internal energy flowing. After 2-3 hours me took our way back, stopping at a narrow, old style restaurant for a bowl of cha siu fan and a pot of tea.

Once back, I couldn't practice in the gymn in the afternoon, as I already said, Sifu didn't want anybody to show the Iron Wire form. I had to hide in the corners, or in the shower, or anywhere I could be alone. The park was forbidden, too. But after dinner, around midnight, when everybody was gone to bed, me and Cheung Yee Keung took the form from the beginning, fixing some details, putting some movements in the correct order, working hard on breathing and sounds.

Sifu brought me to the new territories 2-3 times per week, according to his business schedule, but also gave Cheung Yee Keung the permission to proceed with the form when he was busy, so I could complete the Tit Sin Kuen in 25 days, saving some days for memorizing the whole set and fixing every detail. I am sure I was the first Italian (I have been told by a si-hing I was the first European, too) allowed to bring back home the Hung family's most precious gem. I was both proud and scared, at the same time, deserve such a honor was an heavy burden.
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alberto