1) At the age of 7 Chan Heung followed his paternal uncle Chan Yuen Wu to study martial arts.

2) After a few years (lets say 5 years) the young Chan Heung (presumably 12 years old by then) was asked to set up a martial arts school for his uncle in the town of Sun Wui. TRUE FACT OR FABRICATION?

3) One day the young lad, Chan Heung heard that another martial arts instructor of formidable skills by the name of Lee Yau Sarn had been invited to teach his martial arts in the neighborhood. "Chan Heung, being strong willed and a lover of a good fight decided to test his skills. He ambushed Lee as he was leaving a restaurant and tried to throw him to the ground" (quoted from an article "Chan Heung The Legendary Creator of Choi Li Fu" by Chan Yong Fa and translated into English by Howard Choy). After this incident the young Chan Heung immediately resigned from his post as Chief Instructor (at the age of 12 years old!) and enrolled in master Le's school of pugilism. The young chief instructor Chan Heung then became a student of Lee Yau Sarn for 5 years (making Chan Heung 17 years old when he completed his training with his second teacher). IS THIS FABRICATION OR FACT?

4) "One day Lee Yau Sarn and Chan Heung heard of a recluse monk by the name of Choy Fook who was living in a temple on Mount Law Fou. Bitten by the bug of curiosity, Lee and Chan decided to pay a visit to this monk immediately" - unquote.

Another version of this story by others of the Chan Family Choy Lay Fut branch : When Chan Heung was 17, his uncle Chan Yuen Wu took him to meet his senior fellow students Lee Yau Sarn who accepted Chan Heung as a student. Chan Heung followed Lee Yau Sarn for 4 years. Lee Yau Sarn then gave Chan Heung a letter of recommendation to give to the monk Choy Fook at "Lo Fu" mountain, asking him to take Chan Heung as a student. Chan Heung would have then been 21 years old.

Continuing with the historical information given on the Chan Heung legacy as told by Sifu Chan Yong Fa -keeper of the Chan Family Choy Lay Fut branch -

5) When Lee Yau Sarn and Chan Heung arrived at an old temple on Mt. Lo Fu (Tiger) in Kwantung they saw an old monk who invited them to have tea with him whilst they waited for Choy Fook to return. When the old monk got up and proceeded to chop firewood with his bare hands Lee Yau Sarn thought he must be trying to show off so he (Lee) walked over to a circular granite rice grinder that was 9 inches deep and 24 inches in diameter (2 slabs of granite joined together with a dowel piece in the center) and kicked it clean off the ground. (That heavy rice grinder must weigh at least 300lbs!) The old monk then approached the rice grinder and chopped off a corner of the top slab, pulverizing it with his bare hands and told them he was the monk Choy Fook they were looking for.

6) When Chan Heung first met Choy Fook the monk was already 96 years old!

7) Choy Fook accepted Chan Heung as his student and the old monk taught him all he knew -hand forms, weapons, chi kung, wooden dummy training, fighting techniques and Chinese medicine. After 12 years with the monk Choy Fook, Chan Heung was ready to return to his native village in King Mui. By then Choy Fook was already 108 years old! This is not only amazing but definitely "unbelievable"!

8) It's been reported (by the Chan Heung Family) that upon his return to his native village, Chan spent 2 years revising and practicing what he had learnt from Choy Fook. What proof has the Chan Clan have that Chan Heung actually stayed with the monk Choy Fook for 10-12 years and not 4-5 years? Did the monk give him a stamped graduation certificate with the date and his signature on it? If so, let¹s see it (no forgery please) and if not, then it¹s "hearsay". Are we supposed to believe what Chan Yiu Chi (Chan Heung¹s grandson) discloses, based on his "Chan Family Records" just because he is a Direct Descendant of Chan Heung Gung -the Father of their Chan Clan's martial arts in King Mui where Chan Heung was born, grew up and taught martial arts to his fellow Chan Clansmen at the Chan Family Ancestral Hall?

9) According to Chan Yong Fa's story on Choy Lay Fut's history, Chan Heung established his own martial arts system (or style) 2 years after he returned to King Mui from Mt. Lo Fu and named it Choy Lay Fut. He taught martial arts at the Chan Clan's ancestral hall and used the name Hung Sing Gwoon for his school. 3 YEARS LATER he left his native village to travel across the Northern Ocean at the invitation of his uncle and the overseas Chinese Association in America but didn't state where in America.

NOTE: However another writer on the history of Choy Lay Fut titled "The History of Chan Heung The Founder of the Choi Lee Fat Martial Arts" disclosed that the city that Chan Heung went to was San Francisco and the year was 1864 and the Chan Heung was 59 years old at that time. The date (1864) and Chan Heung's age (59) coincides with Doc Fei Wong's account of Chan Heung's overseas venture where he became the martial arts instructor for the Chan Family Association where he stayed for 4 years before returning to his home in King Mui at the age of 63. But according to Yong Fa¹s story, Chan Heung was 34 years old when he left King Mui for America and returned home 10 years later in 1849! Can someone help us here - we are totaly confused !!

These two historians' research on the legacy of Chan Heung contradicts Chan Yong Fa's historical account on the date his great, great grandfather left for America. Chan Yong Fa never revealed what year Chan Heung journeyed to America. He only hinted that it was 3 years after Chan Heung founded Choy Lay Fut martial arts. That would be 1839 since it was said that Chan Heung developed the Choy Lay Fut fighting arts in1836. According to Yong Fa's account on Chan Heung's legacy, Chan Heung left Mt. Lo fu to return home to King Mui after having completed 12 years of study under Monk Choy Fook but he (Yong Fa) never mentioned Chan Heung's age at that particular time in his life.

*Information furnished by other Choy Lay Fut Family branch sifus states that Chan Heung was 29 years old when he departed from Mt. Lo Fu, founded Choy Lay Fut in 1836, got married 2 years later in 1838 at age 33 and that his first son On Pak was born in 1840. In 1864 at age 59 he left King Mui and journeyed to America where he stayed in San Francisco for 4 years. At age 63 (1867) he returned home to King Mui. So which is the TRUE Historical Facts? Did Chan Heung leave King Mui for america in 1839 or 1864!? SAME STORY BASED ON THE CHAN CLAN'S HISTORICAL RECORDS BUT 25 YEARS APART! TALK ABOUT DISTORTION AND FABRICATION!

Let's try and put all this Historical information supplied by the Chan Clan into perspective.

Chan Yong Fa's account of Chan Heung's legacy:-

1) At age 7 Chan Heung began martial arts training under his uncle Chan Yuen Wu.

2) After several years (let's say 5) he helped his uncle set up a martial arts school in Sun Wui and became the chief instructor there. That would put him at 12 years of age.

3) After failing to beat Master Lay Yau Sarn in an ambush, the young Chan Heung resigned from his post as "chief instructor" at his uncle's gwoon and became Yau Sarn's disciple for 5 years. A kung fu chief instructor at age 12!? WOW!

4) After 5 years with Lay Yau San, at age 17 Chan Heung went to Lo Fu mountain and became a disciple of 96 year old monk Choy Fook and stayed with him for 12 years. When Chan Heung left Lo Fu mountain, Choy Fook would have already been 108 years old! Chan Heung would have been 29 years old. I love reading FICTION stories!

5) Chan Heung left Lo Fu mountain and 2 years after his return to King Mui he established his own kung fu system and named it Choy Lay Fut - the year 1836. The monk Choy Fook was then 110 years old!!

6) Three years later (1839) Chan Heung left King Mui (age 34) and traveled abroad. He stayed in America for 3 years and taught martial arts for an overseas Chinese Association. When he left King Mui village for America, the monk Choy Fook was already close to 113 years old. IS THIS RECORDED IN THE GUINESS BOOK OF RECORDS!?

7) In 1840 Chan Heung's first son On Pak was born.

8) Then he journeyed to Hong Kong and taught martial arts there for 3 years.

9) He then traveled to the southern ocean (Malaya and Singapore) to teach at the Kwantung Association for several years (let's say 4 years).

*This meant Chan Heung was away from his native homeland and King Mui for a total of 10 years (from 1839 - 1849)! That made Chan Heung 44 years of age when he returned to King Mui (according to Chan Yong Fa¹s Historical records).

*One must then question -WHAT HAPPENED TO THE KING MUI SCHOOL during Chan Heung's 10 year absence and WHO TOOK OVER RUNNING THE SCHOOL and TEACHING OF "CHOY LAY FUT"?! Depending on the month he started teaching Choy Lay Fut in 1836 - three years later in 1839 his senior students would only have had between 2 -3 years training in this new fighting art (Choy Lay Fut) that Chan Heung supposedly created in 1836! Do you mean to tell me that the master, Chan Heung, left his family of students to go abroad for 10 years and left the running of his school to a few of his "Intermediate" students?! One must start to wonder -where was Cheung Yim when Chan Heung left King Mui for America in 1839? Cheung Yim was 25 years old at that time.

10) 1864 - At age 59, Chan Heung left King Mui for America where he was invited to be the martial arts teacher for the Chan Association in San Francisco's chinatown. An INCREDIBLE story of Chan Heung's exploits by the Chan Clan is that "once in his old age Chan Heung killed a giant tiger (in San Francisco?) with his bare hands and later donated the tiger skin to San Francisco¹s Chan Association!!" - UNQUOTE. I didn't know there were tigers running loose in San Francisco!! To believe that story, one must either have to be "high on opium" or actually believe that the comic book hero "Superman" does exist! Surely such an "incredible feat of strength and bravery" would have made the headlines in San Francisco's Chinese and English newspapers for the Chinese community would not have allowed such a "momentous event" to go unrecorded! If this "tiger killing saga" (of a 60 year old kung fu master killing a huge tiger with his bare hands in San Francisco - or was it in King Mui?) is not FICTION then where is the evidence to prove it? Is it kept safely locked away in the archives of the Chan Clan? Is that tiger skin trophy still at the Chan Association in San Francisco's chinatown?! We'd love to see it!! WAS THERE EVER ANY REPORTS OF A LARGE TIGER MISSING FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO ZOO?!

11) 1868 -after 4 years overseas, Chan Heung left San Francisco at the age of 63 and returned to his native home in King Mui but according to Chan Yong Fa's story (published in Inside Kung Fu magazine, if I'm correct) based on the Chan Family historical records, Chan Heung left King Mui for America 25 years earlier in 1839. He didn't give a date but hinted that this particular event happened 3 years after Chan Heung founded Choy Lay Fut (1836 according to their records), so 3 years later would make it 1839 when he left for America. Chan Yong Fa further stated that Chan Heung spent a total of 10 years (in America, Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore) overseas before returning home to King Mui - that would make it around 1849. This story is certainly very different from the one other Chan Clan historians been telling -a time difference of 19 years! The "historical facts" on the 2 versions of this story just doesn't tally up. If this story is not "fabricated" then which of the two versions is TRUE.?! There has never been any evidence (none whatsoever) to support the claims that Chan Heung spent some 6-7 years in Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore in the 1840's or for that matter, the 1850's or 1860's. Other than the "Chan Family historical records" passed on from one generation of descendants to the next to propagate their family¹s martial arts history and heritage, no "outside" evidence was found to substantiate their claims. In other words, are we to believe that the Chan Clan historical records hold all the "undeniable" TRUTH?

Then, why with all the indisputable "historical facts", "Evidences" and "Proofs" have they failed to convince ALL (except their own Clan people) faithful followers of Choy Lay Fut to believe and accept Chan Heung Jo Si (grandmaster) as the original Founder of Choy Lay Fut?! What made the Hong Kong based "Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu International Union Ltd." take such a bold stand in making public their clarification on Choy Lay Fut's history and naming Cheung Hung Sing as the TRUE Originator of the Style!?

This has always been a delicate topic for disputes between supporters of the Chan Clan (Chan Heung) and the Hung Sing (Cheung Hung Sing) branches of Choy Lay Fut -it's nothing new. BUT it has always been contained within the Choy Lay Fut fraternity due to the disciplinary and mature outlook of the elders. As I've explained before, the Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu International Union Ltd. was formed to help minimize such contention and have always met face to face to talk and debate such controversial issues. If disputes on such issues can be resolved through e-mail and letters or over the phone then the law courts of the world can all close down! Cases of murder, rape, custody cases, union disputes, robbery, fraud, drug trafficking etc. could then all be successfully resolved over the Internet and other forms of modern day technology!

CONTINUING WITH THE CHAN CLAN'S ACCOUNT OF CHAN HEUNG'S LEGACY

12) According to Chan Yong Fa, Chan Heung left King Mui in 1839 and went abroad and did not return home till 10 years later, for all those years he was in America, Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore. When He finally returned home, he discovered that his teacher Choy Fook had passed away at age 112. Wait a minute, didn't Yong Fa tell us that Choy Fook was 96 years old when he took the young Chan Heung as a disciple and that Chan stayed with his teacher for 12 years. That would make Choy Fook 108 years old when Chan Left Lo Fu mountain. Following his return to King Mui, Chan Heung spent 2 years revising all that he had learnt from the old monk so at this time in his life the monk Choy Fook was already 110 years old. In 1836 Chan Heung supposedly created his own martial arts style and named it Choy Lay Fut. Three years later in 1839 (1836+3) Chan Heung left King Mui and journeyed to America, making his teacher Choy Fook already 113 years old at that time! Is there proof of this?

Even if there is,
DOES ANYONE BELIEVE THAT:

1) A 96 year old monk is capable of teaching martial arts to anyone, let alone a fit energetic boy, and not for just a few months, BUT for 10-12 years!! It's been told that Chan Heung was 17 years old when he first met Choy Fook.

2) Being a devout Shaolin Buddhist monk meant that Choy Fook had to be a vegetarian (no meat). At age 96, how could he possibly have the strength, energy, stamina, patience and the inclination to practice martial arts let alone teach (forms, weapons, wooden dummy, fighting skills, chi kung etc.)?!

3) A 96 year old monk could chop off a corner of a 9" thick granite rice grinder measuring 24" in diameter with his bare hand!? Are we expected to believe it!?

4) Even if Choy Fook lived to 100 or more years and was able to walk without a cane, is it possible that he could be so incredibly fit and energetic to do martial arts?! I NEED TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT! ARE THESE THE "HISTORICAL FACTS" THE CHAN CLAN EXPECTS US ALL TO BELIEVE! It's no wonder one e-mail sender said, "The Chan Family's account of history is a bit dubious as it all seems to come down to Chan Yiu Chi and the Family Manuels. It was afterall written by a member of Chan Heung's family." Unquote.

*Other Choy Lay Fut historians of the Chan Clan never mentioned Choy Fook's age - why? Could it be because they knew it would sound too "ridiculous" and "uncanny" and therefore it would be best to keep Choy Fook's age a secret, as the very mention of it would cast doubt in the minds of others, and worse still, make the story of Chan Heung's actual time with the monk Choy Fook look FABRICATED!? Afterall, how long can a 96 year old man continue to teach martial arts even if he was in good health and had no crippling disabilities? This casts DOUBT not only on Choy Fook's capabilities to perform martial arts at his age but also on the number of years Chan Heung had ACTUALLY stayed with him.