Age does not matter! Spear Vs Umbrella

Choy Lee Fut of Guang Zhou - Spear Vs Umbrella

This is a two person weapons fighting set that was performed in Guang Zhou by two elderly men. We can see that even at their age they still can put out a strong and energetic performance. In China, a lot more practitioners put more time, effort and dedication compared to other countries around the world. But in general, we can conclude that by training Martial Arts routinely, we can improve and maintain our health and spirit.

With weapon fighting sets, there are more risk of harm and injuries (and possibly lose an eye) if the practitioners are lacking coordination with you each other. These sets require even more focus and undivided attention than the hand to hand fighting sets. Do not under estimate someone by their age and do not forget that anything can be used as a weapon (including umbrellas!)

Dragon vs Crane vs Snake

Here is a video from Shung Ying Choy Lee Fut club in Vancouver B.C. This demostration was performed on the Founder's day in 2009.

Dragon vs Crane vs Snake - Shung Ying Choy Lee Fut club 2009

During a three person fighting set, it requires a lot more practice to ensure that no one gets injured during the performance. In other words, the set requires all practitioners to have full concentration and awareness incase one of the memebers makes a mistake which can lead to bodily harm or possibly even a start of a real fight.

Tiger VS Leopard (虎對豹) - two person fighting set

Tiger VS Leopard (虎對豹) is the most common Choy Lee Fut two person fighting set that is taught to the practitioners. The practitioners are require to react like a tiger or a leopard, therefore, their strikes have to be quick, sharp, and powerful. The multiple person fighting sets are created from a combination of strikes, blocks, holds, stances, and footwork that are taken straight from the Choy Lee Fut single person sets. Normally, these sets are taught to the practitioners after they learned and passed the test for a few basic sets. Watch the YouTube video and try to recognize the strikes, blocks, holds, stances, and footwork they use during the Tiger VS Leopard set.

 

Tiger VS Leopard (虎對豹) 1980s instructed by Master Sifu Wong Ha

 

Choy Lee Fut multiple person fighting sets are very practical because it allow the practitioners to apply what they have learned from their single person sets to a more practical scenario with a real person instead of imagining a target. This allow the practitioner to understand more deeply on which move to use, how to use the move, when to use the move, and why they should use the move during the certain situation. Moreover, other than knowledge, these sets will allow the practitioners to train their strength, coordination, reaction timing, and accuracy.

Gwan Jong (the staff training dummy)

The Gwan Jong is designed to provide targets for practical training of the practitioner's staff skills. This jong use six metal targets instead of sand bag targets, so whenever the practitioner strikes the target, it will make a loud clanging sound. Moreover, this jong train the footwork, accuracy, timing, and staff skills of the practitioner.

Gwan Jong (staff training dummy)

Sui Sau Jong (the breaking hand dummy)

The Sui Sau Jong is another primary jong that is used by Choy Lee Fut practitioners. It is designed with a spinning front arm like a airplane propeller and a spinning top arm like a helicopter. The spinning of the arms simulates blocking, striking, and counter attacks from an opponent. This jong trains the practitioner's reaction, coordination, speed, accuracy, and timing. It requires practitioners to have high concentration level or else the practitioner may receive a hard counter attack blow from the dummy!

Sui Sau Jong (breaking hand dummy) instructed by Master Sifu Chen Yong Fa

(note: watch time 2:14 to 2:18)

Chuen Long Jong (the dragon dummy)

The Chuen Luen Jong 穿龍樁 have two chains with a heavy sand bag hanging on one end and the practitioner's ankles strapped to the other end. This Jong was designed to train the strength of the practitioner's stances, footwork, kicks, and internal energy. Since the jong is always attached to the ankles, the practitioner is required to stay focus the entire time.

Chuen Long Jong (dragon dummy) instructed by Master Sifu Chen Yong Fa



Sah Bao Jong (the sand bag dummy)

The Sah Bao Jong (sand bag dummy) is just like a giant punching bag. The Sah Bao Jong is a bag filled with sand that is hung from the top to allow it to swing freely. The bag is usually heavier than the pratitioner.

Sah Bao Jong (sand bad dummy) instructed by Master Sifu Chen Yong Fa

The Sah Bao Jong allows pratitioner to use full striking power without having to hold back. This training will condition the practitioner's  arm muscles, leg muscles, and ligaments. In other words, this training will improve their strength. Also, when training with the Sah Bao Jong, the practitioner is require to have focus, timing, and rhythm or else the dummy may swing back to attack.

Ching Jong (The balance wooden dummy)

Choy Lee Fut's most well known wooden dummy training apparatus is called "Ching Jong" (balance dummy). The Ching Jong training originated from the Shaolin temple which was taught to Chan Heung by Choy Fook, one of his three instructors.This name was created from the training idea that the Ching Jong assisted in developing a balance for the practitioners. The Ching Jong trains the practitioner’s movements to move in and out, side to side; the strikes and techniques to alternate between high and low, short and long; and the form of applications to balance between soft and hard, slow and fast (yin and yang). Furthermore, it develops the practitioner's distance, timing and rhythm, continuity of techniques, offense and defense, and transition in stances and footwork.

Choy Lee Fut "Ching Jong" - wood dummy training apparatus
The top arms of the jong spins to simulate when you block an oppenents right arm, his left arm will strike back.
The second arm is weight loaded to simulate the force you need to pull and hold the oppenents arms down before striking the head. The middle arms and lower leg is fixed in place to replicate arms in the mid section and cat stance or sweep.

The distinguishing features of the Ching Jong comparared to the other Jongs are the top moveable arms which are used to replicate the swinging punches from Choy Lee Fut. The main purpose of the Ching Jong training is to strengthen the practitioner's forearm which is called the bridge hand 橋手. The bridge hand is used for blocking the opponent's strikes. Apart from the arms training, it also trains the practitioner's manoeuvrability while using the Ching Jong's arms and leg as obstacles. The pads located around post is to provide a target to train the strength and accuracy. The leg fixture is used for various leg sweeps and toughens the shings at the same time.


The Ching Jong is built with a single large post with a top arm that rotates 360 degrees, a higher middle arm that is spring loaded (or weight loaded), two lower middle arm fixtures, and a lower leg fixture.

Ching Jong techniques instructed by Master Sifu Wong Dat Mau



Ching Jong demostration from Master Sifu Lau Bun (1891-1967)

Training

Choy Lee Fut system is composed with many different training sets/forms. This martial art style is not designated for any specific age, body style, or personality, however, certain sets/forms can be more suitable for some than others. Anybody who wants to learn it and have the heart to learn it, will be able to learn it as long as they find a good Master Sifu (instructor).

Below are two videos from Xin Hui Choy Lee Fut Ancestral Association USA instructed by Master Sifu Wong. We can see the heart and dedication that this young girl puts into training. She have good coordination, reflex, and power for her age. Having the young people training real martial arts and learning about the chinese culture is a lot better than training martial arts and learning in a video game!

Xin Hui Choy Lee Fut Ancestral Association USA

instructed by Master Sifu Wong



Training Introduction

The Choy Lee Fut system is built with the combination of single person, multiple person, weapon, and training apparatus sets/forms. Each of his teachers have many traditional sets/forms that were passed onto him and from his experience, he also deveoped many training and fighting sets/forms. These sets/forms total 184 sets/forms, in which 48 are single-person fist forms and about 20 are wooden dummy techniques. However, Chan Heung 陳享, the founder, recorded in his discoveries and knowledge onto paper for his closed-door students to follow was over 250 sets/forms and techniques.

Choy Lee Fut Jong - wood dummy training apparatus
The top arms of the jong spins to simulate when you block an oppenents right arm, his left arm will strike back.
The second arm is spring loaded to simulate the force you need to pull and hold the oppenents arms down before striking the head. The middle arms and lower leg is fixed in place to simulate arms in the mid section and cat stance.

Hand Forms

The initial sets/forms in training Choy Lee Fut are Ng Lun Ma 五輪馬 (Five Wheel Stance Form ) and Ng Lun Chui 五輪搥 (Five Wheel Striking Form). These two sets/forms were created for students to begin their training of their basic foundation of stances, movement, and hand techniques. These two sets/forms must be mastered before moving on to the next level of training. Refer to this site for a list of Choy Lee Fut sets/forms http://plumblossom.net/ChoyLiFut/formslist.html.

Weapon forms

Since Choy Lee Fut is built with the combination of Northern and Southern Martial arts, it carries a wide variety of weapons in its arsenal. Orginally, there are 40 weapons in the Choy Lee Fut system, however, over time, schools started adding different weapons into the system. Refer to this site for a list of Choy Lee Fut weapon sets/forms http://www.plumblossom.net/ChoyLiFut/CLFweapons.html.

In Chan Heung's 陳享 generation, he created a weapon exclusive to Choy Lee Fut called the Nine-Dragon Trident 九龍大叉. This weapon was designed to shred any part of the opponent with which it might come into contact. With the many hooks and blades it has, the trident can also be used to seize an opponent's weapon by hooking and then twisting it.

The Founder

Chan Heung 陳享 "The Founder"

Chan Heung 陳享 was born in King Mui 京梅, a village in the San Woi 新會 district of Jiangmen, Guangdong province of China on August 23, 1806 (July 10,1806 lunar calendar).

At age of seven, he started learning Southern Shaolin style Fut Gar 佛家 from his uncle Chan Yuen-Wu 陳遠護, who had trained under Du Zhang Monk 独杖禅师 at the Shaolin temple.

At age fifteen, his uncle brought him to his senior classmate, Lee Yau-San 李友山 who had trained under Zhi Shan Monk 至善禅师 to learn Southern Shaolin style Lee Gar 李家. Zhi Shan Monk 至善禅师 was known as one of the legendary Five Elders who surivived the destruction of the Shaolin temple during the late Qing Dynasty.

After 4 years of training under the intructions of Lee Yau-San 李友山, because of his impressive abilities, he was suggested to seek and train a Northern Shaolin style Choy Gar 蔡家under the instructions of Choy Fook 蔡褔, the "Monk with the Wounded Head" 爛頭和尙 who trained under five instructors - Jue Yuan Monk 觉远上人, Yi Guan Monk 一贯禅师, Li Sou 李叟, Bai Yu Feng 白玉峰, and Cai Jiu Yi 蔡九仪. He found Choy Fook 蔡褔 on Lau Fu mountain 羅浮山 where he had to beg Choy Fook 蔡褔 days after days to teach him Choy Gar 蔡家 since Choy Fook 蔡褔 had retired from teaching martial arts. Choy Fook 蔡褔 ended up training him both Buddhism and Choy Gar 蔡家 for 9 years.

At age twenty eight, 1834, he returned to his home village and started to revise and refine all that he had learned. He was given advice in a form of a poem known as a double couplet by Choy Fook 蔡褔.

龍虎風雲會, The dragon and tiger met as the wind and the cloud.

徒兒好自爲, My disciple, you must take good care of your future.

重光少林術, To revive the arts of Shaolin,

世代毋相遺. Don't let the future generations forget about this teaching.

By 1836, Choy Lee Fut Martial art was formally established.

In 1848, he sent out the 18 disciples to start and promote Choy Lee Fut martial arts schools. The 18 disciples were named the eighteen Lohan 十八羅漢 to honor the Bodhidharma who was the predecessor of Shaolin martial arts and taught the methods of the original Eighteen Lohan hands to the Shaolin monks.

Chan Heung 陳享 passed away at age sixty-nine on August 20, 1875. His legacy was passed on to his two sons, Chan On-Pak 陳安伯 (younger son) and Chan Koon-Pak 陳官伯 (elder son). The elder son was nicknamed "Yut Cheung Ng Mui Fa" 一槍五梅花 or "Five Blossoms with One Lance" due his specialty and advance control of the spear. And they continued spreading Chan Heung 陳享, their father, legacy throughout China and the rest of the World.

The Founder's day

Choy Lee Fut annual Ancestral 祖師誕 “The Founder’s Day” celebration

Each year, Choy Lee Fut practitioners will have an annual celebration where all the Choy Lee Fut clubs and guests within the district will gather together at a restaurant to pay respect to the founder and ancestors 祖師 of Choy Lee Fut martial arts system. This is the biggest event of the year for the Choy Lee Fut practitioners.

Choy Lee Fut annual Ancestral “The Founder’s Day” celebration 17^th Anniversary in Vancouver August 7th 2011

During this event, each club will bring one or two lions to represent their own club. These lions will all meet together in front of the founder and ancestors to pay respect to them and perform the lion dance 舞獅 for the grand opening of the celebration. There will be lettuce 菜 for each lion to welcome and spread the fortune 财 to all the practitioners and guests.

Choy Lee Fut annual Ancestral “The Founder’s Day” celebration 17^th Anniversary in Vancouver August 7th 2011
18 lions performed for the grand opening of the celebration

Furthermore, each club will put forward a few of their students to demonstrate an outstanding performance of Choy Lee Fut martial arts. The demonstrations range from single person hand forms to group weapon fighting forms.

This event happens all over the world wherever there is Choy Lee Fut present. This event is to thank and be grateful of the traditional Chinese martial art culture that our ancestors had passed onto us and for us to carry it onto the future generations.