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Like other southern Chinese martial arts, Choi Lei Fut features Five Animal techniques based on the tiger, dragon, crane, leopard, and snake but is distinguished from other southern styles by long, swinging, circular movements and twisting body motions more indicative of northern styles. As a Southern Shaolin style with Five Animal techniques, Hung Kuen is a close relative of Choi Lei Fut and is said by some Choi Lei Fut branches to be the style that Chan Yuen-Wu taught founder Chan Heung. The stances of Choi Lei Fut are as wide as those of Hung Kuen, but higher - though not as high as those of Wing Chun - trading off some of the stability and root of Hung Kuen stances to allow more mobile footwork. In order to generate the characteristic whipping power of Choi Lei Fut, the hips and shoulders must be decoupled. Though Hung Kuen also features whipping power, particularly in its crane techniques, the hips and the shoulders are more frequently locked in the same plane, resulting in a "harder" form of power. Hung Ga and Wing Chun both hold the torso perpendicular to an opponent, to allow for the full use of both arms. By contrast, Choi Lei Fut holds the torso at an angle to the opponent to reduce the target area exposed to him. Choi Lei Fut is a characterized as a "soft-hard", "external" style. The curriculum was designed so that anti-Qing rebels could quickly gain practical proficiency and also incorporates a wide range of weapons. Several common movements have specific sounds (kiai) associated with them—for example, "sik" when throwing punches, "yik" when punching from horse riding stance, "wah" was used when using a Tiger Claw and "dik" when kicking—supposedly so that friendly forces could recognize each other in battle and to force the practitioner to coordinate his breathing patterns with his movements.[citation needed] Like many martial arts, Choi Lei Fut has diverged into several lineages that differ not only in terms of training and emphasis but also on what they see as the true history of the style. The style has not gained popularity in mainland China and by some it is still seen as merely an amalgamation of southern and northern techniques and is not really seen as a separate style. Due to the nature of the style, it is said to be preferred by traveling merchants[citation needed] who could easily exchange techniques with others while traveling. The popularity of Choi Lei Fut is strong in Hong Kong, Canada, the United States, and growing elsewhere,[citation needed] and in the late 20th century, the style was popularized in the Canada and the United States. It is also one of the fighting styles used by the Outworld ninja Ermac in the Mortal Kombat video game series. Choi Lei Fut, together with Hung Gar and Wing Chun, are given the name "The Three Great Martial Art Schools of the South" because of their origin and popularity in Southern China.
OriginsChan Heung (陳享) was born in Guangdong Province, China in 1805 or 1806. At the age of six or seven, he began to study Kung Fu from his uncle, Chan Yuen-Wu (陳遠護), a master of Southern Shaolin. So proficient as an adolescent that he could defeat any challenger from nearby villages, Chan Heung was ready to learn more. So he began training under another Southern Shaolin master, Lee Yau-San (李友山), founder of Lei Ga, the Lei Family style. After only four or five years of training, it became apparent that Chan Heung was ready to move on once again. So Chan Heung set out to find Choi Fook (蔡褔), who is said to have been a monk on Luofu Mountain. After several years of training under Choi Fook, Chan Heung returned to his home village of Ging Mui (京梅) in the county of Xinhui. He did not personally believe in fighting because of his personal Buddhist beliefs although his students fought and believed in the Revolution.[citation needed] According to the Jeung Yim branch
Jeung Yim (張炎) was just a young child when his parents were killed, and so he was placed under the care of his uncle. According to Huang Shenjiang, manager of the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon manager, the uncle's name was Jeung Kwan and Jeung Yim (known as Jeung Hung-Sing) was at this time a disciple of Lei Ga master Lei Yau-San. At the age of 12, Jeung Yim's uncle incurred obligations that made caring for his young relative no longer a possibility. Kwan, as some sources claim his name to be, took Jeung Yim to his old friend Chan Heung in the hopes that Chan would be able to accept the boy as a live-in student, and thus Yim would be cared for and fed. Unfortunately, village rules forbade Chan Heung from teaching martial arts to non-family members. Unable to take care of Yim by accepting him as a student, Chan Heung instead hired Yim to do odd jobs at his martial arts school. Jeung took the opportunity to observe Chan Heung’s lessons and imitated Heung's moves in secret (cf. Yang Luchan). One night, Chan Heung came upon Jeung Yim practicing. Impressed by the young man's motivation and abiliies, Chan Heung taught him secretly for several years until the other villagers finally found out. The other villagers expelled Jeung Yim for not being a village family member. Because Yim did not have the Chan family name the village did not want him learning the Chan Village Style (which in later years would be known as Choi-Lei-Fut. And so, in 1831 at the age of seventeen, Jeung Yim (Hung-Sing) left Ging Mui, but not before Chan Heung gave him a letter of introduction, money for food, and instructions to seek out the monk Ching Cho (青草) at the Zhajian Temple on Mount Bapai in Guangxi Province. Here, Jeung Yim (Hung-Sing) was free to give himself over completely to Ching Cho teachings, and with no distractions or other people to distract him, was free to practice what his teacher, the Green Grass Monk, had to teach him: knowledge of Fut Ga Kung Fu. During this time the young apprentice also made traditional Chinese medicine a promise of commitment to the Green Grass Monk (his teacher) to help in the overthrow of the Ching Government. Yim's teacher (sifu), the Green Grass Monk, bestowed upon him his new revolutionary name, 'HUNG-SING'. Jeung, now Jeung,Hung-Sing, returned to Chan Heung and shared with his old mentor some of the things he had been learning from the Green Grass Monk over the last decade. Chan Heung hired Jeung once again, but this time as a teacher rather than a menial student worker, enabling Jeung Hung-Sing to stay for 1-2 years; at which time he left to open his own school in Foshan in 1839. There, Yim continued his martial arts development with the infamous HUNG MOON SOCIETY known as THE REVOLUTION and opened his fist school, Hung Sing, named after the Hung Society. Jeung Yim originally called his fighting style 'HUNG's FIST', but later changed its name to the now popularized 'Hung', meaning 'Great' or 'Glorious', for fear of being arrested and executed as a member of the Hung society. Yim's new style incorporated the Choi Ga style from Choi Fook, the Lei Ga style (which was widely known and practiced in southern China at the time) from Lei Yau-San, Hung-Sing's first teacher, and the Fut Ga style from the monk Ching Cho, the new fighting style became known as Choi Lei Fut in the years to come (a name likely given in the 3rd generation period). According to the Chan Family branchAt seven years old, Chan Heung began learning martial arts under his uncle Chan Yuen Woo. Yuen Woo was a famed master from Shaolin Temple, and taught his nephew the Buddha Style Fist or Fut Ga Kuen. After years of study with his uncle, Chan Heung had become a consummate warrior by the early age of 15. To further his skills, Chan became a student of Lei Yau San, a Shaolin practitioner of the Lei Family Fist. Yau San was Yuen Woo's sihing or elder brother at Shaolin Temple. Becoming proficient in the Lei Family style, Chan Heung was then referred to the Shaolin monk Choi Fook to further his martial arts knowledge. After years of intensive study with the Buddhist recluse, Chan Heung revised what he had learned and formed a new system. He combined his knowledge of 3 martial arts systems and called it "Choi Lei Fut" in honour of his teachers.[8] Three styles that constitute Choi Lei Fut are as follows. Chan Yuen Woo and the Buddha Style Fist Chan Heung learned the Buddha Style Fist, or Fut Ga Kuen, from his uncle Chan Yuen Woo. Yuen Woo was a famed master of Shaolin Temple. Three sourcesChoi Fook 蔡褔Depending on the branch of Choi Lei Fut, Choi Fook is said to have been a master of Southern Shaolin Kung Fu from Fujian province. Either way, Choi Fook is considered a source of Choi Lei Fut's long-range northern characteristics like its swift, mobile footwork. Choi Fook was a monk from the Shaolin Temple of Fujian. Lei Yau-San 李友山Said to be a student of Jee Sin while others believe him to be a student of Li Sik Hoi-one of the 5 Ancestors of the Hung Mun, Lei Yau-San is known not only as a teacher of Chan Heung, and recently discovered of Jeung Hung Sing as well, but as the founder of Lei Ga (李家) which, like Choi Ga, is one of the five major family styles of the southern Chinese martial arts. The prominence of the leopard punch hand formation within Choi Lei Fut may be the influence of Lei Ga, a middle-range style which emphasizes leopard techniques. Fut Ga 佛家Fut Ga (佛家), literally "Buddha Family," specializes in palm techniques and for this reason is also known as Buddha Family Palm, Buddhist Palm, or Buddha Palm. Monk Ching Cho Woh Seung was responsible for spreading the Fut Ga system throughout Guandong. Both the left and right hand are used in attack and defense. Long and short-range footwork is employed. Technical characteristics of the branchesChan FamilyChan Family Choi Lei Fut emphasizes a soft, loose, flexible waist and faces the opponent at an angle to reduce the target area exposed. Hung Sing 鴻 勝Though still characterized by the whipping power indicative of Choi Lei Fut, the Jeung,Yim "HUNG SING" (鴻 勝) branch maintains a loose alignment between the hips and the shoulders, imparting a "Looseness" to generate its power.Also known for it's aggressive fighting methods such as onslaught Combinations and side stance techniques, and many weapons forms because they felt this was a warfare system,the Hung Sing has a small amount of hand sets in their Primary Core.The Cheung Kuen (Long fist),The Kow da Kune (Hooking Fist),The Ping Kuen(Level Fist). The wooden Dummy and varied amount of Perifial hand forms. Also they have a variety of both weapon and hand spar forms to teach the usages of the system. Weapons forms are usually hidden hand forms. Current grandmaster of the US HQ Hung Sing Kwoon [鴻 勝 館] that teach today are Sifu Dino "Jew, Tein Loong" Salvatera. Past grandmasters of the US HQ Hung Sing Kwoon include Professor Lau Bun, Jew Leong. Buk SingFounded by Tarm Sarm and Ku Yu Cheung, Northern Shaolin, Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut focused on direct combat rather than forms and weapon routines. The Buk Sing lineage features a shorter syllabus comprising only a handful of routines—Sup Jee Kuen (十字拳), Ping Kuen (平拳), Kau Da (扣打), Seung Gaap Daan Gwun (雙夾單棍)—as compared to the dozens in the syllabuses of the other branches. Buk Sing techniques are generally 'rawer' and more aggressive than their equivalents in other branches of Choy Lay Fut. In fighting the focus is on blitzing the opponent with rapid, advancing movements rather than engaging with him. One example of Tarm Sarm's approach is the "side body" (偏身) stance, which takes the idea of reducing one's exposed target area by to its logical conclusion: turning the torso 90° away from the opponent. Some famous masters of Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut that teach today are Dave and Vince Lacey who teach at separate schools. One of their masters, Lai Hung, also teaches Northern Shaolin and Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut in California. There are also branchs in Australia, in Melbourne and Perth taught by students of the Laceys. One such student is Master Dave Lacey's Top Disciple - Sifu Nick Lizos who operates the Buck Sing Gwoon in Melbourne Australia. Notes
Masters of Choi Lei FutChan Family masters:
Contemporary masters: Grandmaster: Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut: External links
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