Chapter IV

' FUTSAN '
THE TRUE BIRTHPLACE OF HUNG SING CLF

Throughout the Southern China’s martial arts history, Futsan (in the province of Guangdong) has been well known to be famous for its heroes and legendary fighters for it was a place where many kung fu masters gathered to teach their martial arts. Futsan also became a place famous for hostilities between martial arts schools as rival kung fu masters fought in challenge matches in the hope of winning a reputation and name for themselves in the area. It was an era when pride and honor demanded action and talk was cheap. It was against such a background that the Futsan Hung Sing Gwoon (founded by Cheung Hung Sing in 1839) flourished and the Hung Sing martial arts known by its original name “Fut Gar Jing Jung” (but later adopted the popular name Choy Lay Fut), because of Cheung Hung Sing’s great reputation as a reputable fighter, became a threat to some kung fu masters as it affected their martial arts reputation, as well as their livelihood in teaching martial arts. The true birthplace of Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut (the martial arts created by Cheung Hung Sing) was Futsan.

THE FUTSAN HUNG SING GWOON 1839-1848

In the history of the Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut martial arts, the FIRST ORIGINAL Hung Sing Gwoon in Futsan was founded by Cheung Hung Sing in 1839. It was customary in those days (as it still is today) for a kung fu master to use his name for his school (i.e. – “Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy”, “Lai Hung Martial Arts Institute” etc). Cheung used the “Hung Sing” name (given to him by his teacher, Ching Cho, a monk who was one of the survivors of the Shaolin Temple massacre) and called his gwoon (school) the HUNG SING GWOON. The words “Hung Sing” literally translates as “Hung Victory” - implying victory for the secret revolutionary party, the Hung Moon Secret Society – an active agitator to the corrupt Manchu (Ching) government. Therefore the “Hung Sing” name bore secret revolutionary sentiments that echoed the Hung Triad Society’s motto – “Overthrow the Ching and Restore the Ming!”

SHUT DOWN OF THE FUTSAN HUNG SING GWOON – 1848

Due to the secret revolutionary activities of the Futsan Hung Sing Gwoon under the leadership of Cheung Hung Sing, the school was shut down by the Ching government in 1848 after they had been tipped off that the HSG was the headquarters for anti-Manchu revolutionaries planning to overthrow the government. Acting on information, the Manchu authorities charged the Hung Sing school of conspiracy to promote and incite revolutionary activities in the Futsan area and this led to major clampdown on CLF practitioners and the closure of the Hung Sing Gwoon. THIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST AND ORIGINAL HUNG SING GWOON FOUNDED BY CHEUNG HUNG SING IN FUTSAN IN 1839.

CLAIMING SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE FOUNDING OF
THE FUTSAN HUNG SING GWOON

In an attempt to claim sovereignty over the founding of the Futsan Hung Sing Gwoon, Doc Fei Wong (a Chan Family CLF supporter) has in his book not only claimed that the school in Futsan was founded by two of the Chan clansmen and students of Chan Heung in 1848 by the names Chan Din Yao and Chan Din Fune but that the “Hung Sing Gwoon” name was first used by Chan Heung for his school in King Mui village. (READ – “Why Was The HUNG SING Name Used?” on this website’s April update).

This is another misconception mistakenly taken as “true historical facts” by the Chan clan historians for their propaganda in spreading the story on the founding of Choy Lay Fut and the Hung Sing Gwoon in their attempt to discredit the Hung Sing CLF history pertaining to Cheung Hung Sing’s Legacy.

The first and original Hung Sing Gwoon was founded by Cheung Hung Sing in 1839 and shut down in 1848 by the Ching (Manchu) government. This was not disclosed in the book “The Futsan Hung Sing Kwoon” by the storyteller using the pen name “Nim Fut San Yen” as his storybook version was not a basis of authority on historical facts. The author was merely a writer of comics and storybooks. He was no “historian” and that was why in his storybook version on the Futsan Hung Sing Gwoon no dates were mentioned. But Doc Fei Wong has mistaken Nim Fut San Yen’s storybook as the authority on historical events when it was well known that this writer was a storyteller selling his stories in comic book (pictorial) versions depicting historical events like other storybook writers who have published abridged versions on the lives of popular martial arts heroes like Wong Fei Hung or historical events like the Chinese Revolution and the Boxer Rebellion etc. These storybook or pictorial book versions were not fictional stories for there was no major deviation from historical facts.

MASTERS OF THE CHEUNG HUNG SING LINEAGE

Past Hung Sing masters like Chan Ngau Sing, Tarm Larp, Yuen Hai, Chung Tai, Lau Chung, Lau Yau, Wong Tow, Tarm Sarm, Chui Cheung, Kong On, Chan On, Kwan Mun Keng, Chan Nim Bark, Tarm Fei Pang etc. and present elders like Lun Chee, Kong Hing, Chia Yan Soon, Chui Kwong Yuen, Tsang Chiew Yue, Wong Kwai Chuen and many others all know of the TRUE story on the Futsan Hung Sing Gwoon as passed down from one generation to the other. No convoluted arguments over the historical dates and facts can change our Hung Sing martial arts history and if any Chan clan elders wish to dispute it, they are welcome to meet with the authoritative Hung Sing and Buck Sing elders to seek clarifications.

THE FUTSAN HUNG SING GWOON MISCONCEPTION

In his 1985 book, Doc Fei Wong culled his history on the Futsan Hung Sing Gwoon from a storybook by “Nim Fut San Yen” which the “storybook writer” gave no historical dates as to when Cheung Yim journeyed to Buck Pai mountain to seek tutelage from the monk Ching Cho when he left Buck Pai mountain or when he established his own school, the Hung Sing Gwoon in Futsan.

Furthermore, this “Chan clan historian” claimed that Cheung Hung Sing (Cheung Yim) was not the founder of the Futsan Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut school and that it was founded in 1848 by two of Chan Heung’s students and that later in 1867Cheung Yim came to Futsan to reopen the school originally established by two of Chan Heung’s students of King Mui village.

This misconception perpetrated by the author in his book is trying to change the history of the original Futsan Hung Sing Gwoon founded by Cheung Hung Sing in 1839 just as he did with his other misconception on the story of Ching Cho which he called “The Green Grass Monk Misconception” where he claimed that Ching Cho was a fictional character BUT has now contradicted himself by saying the Green Grass Monk did exist and that he has conveniently found a place for the “fictional” monk in the Chan family history on CLF! The original HSG was founded by Cheung Hung Sing (Cheung Yim) in 1839 and shut down by the Ching government in 1948 when it was alleged that the school was promoting anti-Ching revolutionary activities.

“RESURRECTION” OF THE FUTSAN HUNG SING GWOON
A FICTIONAL STORY

By telling us that Chan Din Fune and Chan Din Yao established the Hung Sing Gwoon in Futsan in 1848 DFW wants us to believe that after the original Hung sing Gwoon school of Cheung Hung Sing was closed down in 1848, Chan Heung hastily dispatched two of his students on a mission to Futsan to “resurrect” the abolished school founded by Cheung Hung Sing in 1839! As Cheung Hung Sing’s school was shut down by the Ching authorities on grounds of promoting anti-Ching activities and a ban was enforced on the teaching of CLF martial arts in Futsan, how did Chan Din Yau and Chan Din Fune manage to convince the authorities to let them set up a kung fu school using the same Hung Sing Gwoon name and to teach Choy Lay Fut!? Could it be that the Ching government was presented with an official letter from Chan Heung himself assuring them that the Chan clan was not “anti-Ching” revolutionists and that they were in no way affiliated with the rebel Cheung Hung Sing whose school, the Hung Sing Gwoon was closed down by the authorities the very same year (1848)?!

MISCONCEPTIONS OF A CLF PROPHET

This fictional story told by the author is again based on another one of his misconceptions and should be as joseph puts it, “taken with a grain of salt”. Afterall, in his book he dispelled the monk Ching Cho (Cheung Yim’s teacher) as a “fictional character” and “non-existent” (in his favorite chapter – “The Green Grass Monk Misconception”) but recently retracted his misconception with his latest “discovery” and NEW REVELATION – that Ching Cho was no myth and has now officially found a place in the Chan family chest of historical records!

JUST ONE QUESTION

“REGULATOR” SPEAKS WITH CONVICTION!

*“Regulator” was right when he said to joseph and the other “panochas” (my internet critics) – “Quite simply, you’re all pu$$ies. All this crap about ‘all talk and no action’ is what I see YOU doing. What have you got to lose if you are SO CORRECT?” I suppose “Regulator” is now in joseph’s “Hate List”!

CHAN CLAN’S FAVORITE STORYTELLER

It’s quite amazing how Doc Fei Wong has managed to concoct so many “historical dates” and “information” for his 1985 book which many Chan Clan hard-liners would describe as a “Labor of Love” as it condemns the legacy of Cheung Hung Sing and the existence of the monk Ching Cho. In order to portray Chan Heung as the founder of CLF, the Chan Clan hard-liners like Doc Fei Wong etc. had to eliminate Ching Cho’s name from their “Chan Family” martial arts history. By dispelling the monk Ching Cho as a “fictional character”, Doc Fei Wong devoted a chapter in his book to discredit the story on the Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut history by portraying Chan Heung (the Chan Family’s great ancestor) as Cheung Yim’s (Cheung Hung Sing) ONLY martial arts teacher – that way there can be no argument as to who founded CHOY LAY FUT and WHO chose that name! But that is the “story” perpetrated by the CHAN CLAN descendents of Chan Heung to give him full credit for the development of Choy Lay Fut, using their CHAN FAMILY records and claiming it as TRUE indisputable historical facts. Review again “The Anti-Hung Sing CLF Activists” and the whole of Chapter II beginning with “Facts, Fiction Or Fabrication” and ending with “The Chan Clan’s Account Of Chan Heung’s Legacy” and Chapter II and IV of the “CHOY LAY FUT CONTROVERSY” (April 26, 2002) on this website.

HAUNTED BY CHING CHO (GREEN GRASS MONK)

In his blatant condemnation of the monk Ching Cho (Cheung Hung Sing’s teacher) Doc Fei Wong has devoted a chapter in his 1985 book titled, “The Green Grass Monk Misconception” to dispel Ching Cho as non-existent – a mythical figure. NOW in 2002, he has come out with an amazing NEW REVELATION – that Ching Cho does exist in the form of another monk and teacher of Chan Heung by the name of Choy Fook! In other words, Ching Choy can NOW exist but ONLY in the CHAN FAMLY’S CLF history and not the Hung Sing’s (the Cheung Hung Sing branch) history on Choy Lay Fut!

Didn’t I tell you months ago that CHING CHO would haunt you backstabbers and that you’ll never find peace of mind!? Is that why you’re now welcoming Ching Cho (that dreaded curse to the Chan clan history) with open arms because you had offended him by calling him a “fictional: character and doubted his existence?! I already told you who he was, his real name and where he came from and who was his teacher – something no one before has revealed to the western world. Why don’t you accept the truth and admit he was Cheung Hung Sing’s teacher!? Why do you have to desecrate Ching Cho’s name by saying he is actually Choy Fook! How come in all the articles and books on the story of Chan Heung NEVER ONCE did the Chan clan historians mention the name Ching Cho or anything about him but now that the Chan family CLF history is under scrutiny, Doc Fei Wong is shouting “Ching Cho is Choy Fook!”?

*READ AGAIN “The Latest Story Emerging” in the 7/1/2002 update on my website. Is there any doubt that the Chan clan’s version on the history of CLF is getting more outrageous and fabricated with time?! When is Doc Fei Wong going to write a new chapter entitled, “The Choy Fook Misconception” like he did with the “Green Grass Monk Misconception”?

By the way, I wonder what does joseph, Doc Fei and other Chan clan elders have to comment on this “Choy Lee Ho Fut Hung – another CLF branch that’s on the website. I haven’t seen it but I’ve been told that their story is as convincing as that told by DFW and Chan Yong Fa and has lots of “historical dates” too! I guess DFW is going to tell us that the story on CLHFH is another “misconception” like everything else!