Hung Fut
Encyclopedia
Hung Fut is a southern style of Chinese martial art, first developed in the early 1800's by Lei Jou Fun 李祖寬 and widely practiced today.
佛家 (same as of Choi Lei Fut 蔡李佛). The system is based on meditation
, breath control and various fighting forms that develop body co-ordination. Hung Fut is a combat method that uses economy of movement in order to achieve efficiency. Its strategies are to try to throw the opponent into an awkward position that makes defense difficult and counter attack unlikely. There is no need to keep contact with an opponent, as the system uses interchangeable and flexible movements.
The system also includes techniques from Fut Ga
and ten animal styles (snake, tiger, leopard, lion, eagle, crane, monkey, elephant, horse and dragon) as well as "8 Drunken Immortal" forms (based on the personality traits of the 8 heavenly deities of Chinese traditional religion), "4 Afflictions/Cripples" forms (a deceptive mimicry of one who is crippled) and a left- handed form (based on the legend of a famous general fighting while holding the infant son of a Chinese emperor).
There are somewhat different lineages and succession stories listed by various Hung Fut schools around the world. The stories of the masters vary also from account to account. As the style has moved around the world, the content of the system--number and names of forms, types of power used, stances, techniques, theory, and training methods--has also changed, leading to a large variation from school to school.
8th generation grandmaster, Tai Yim, the adopted son of Hung Yu Chung, the 7th generation grandmaster, immigrated from China to the United States
in 1977. He traveled to the United States to fulfill the wish of Hung Yu Chung to spread Hung Fut to the west. He now teaches in Kensington, Maryland
, a suburb outside of Washington D.C.
There are other masters of this generation who are in other countries around the world, such as in Hong Kong
and Raymond Man Ying Nap in Scotland
.
The official Grandmaster for the 8th generation is controversial. Hung Kam Pui from Hong Kong, is the official chairman and founder of the HUNG FUT PAI CHINESE KUNG FU ASSOCIATION. A semi complete family tree, full of a definitive list of Hung Fut Pai teachers is here: Hung Fut Family Tree. NYC has a strong Hung Fut Pai branch (Hung Kam Pui) that is very active in the Hung Fut community.NYC HUNG FUT PAI BRANCH The NYC branch is run by SIFU Phil AuffrayHung Man Fu Recently Sifu Hung Man Gong (Sheldon Landa) of the NYC Hung Fut Pai branch started the Hung Fut Pai Maui Branch. Another Sifu worth mentioning is Sifu Jai A.K.A. Lee Thai-loong. All of these masters practice hard in NYC and frequently return to China to study with master Hung Kam Pui.
All Hung Fut forms start with the left side of the body. Traditionally single-handed weapons are also learned using the left side.
The Hung Fut system includes more than twenty weapons, the best known of which is the left-handed staff style. There are traditionally ten different staff forms taught; each successive one increases in difficulty and intensity. The staff is the first weapon taught in the system and also the last. The final staff form is the most famous and mysterious. Most commonly known as the "mad devil staff" it is passed down only to the student appointed to become the next Grandmaster and is taught and practiced in secret with the promise that it can only be passed down to his successor. This form was used by the sixth generation Grandmaster, Hung Ju Sing, also known as the "White Haired Devil"..
More Hung Fut History
Hung Fut Videos
System
Hung Fut is considered to be a hybrid system. Its philosophies are a mixture of two martial art systems: Hung Fist 洪拳 of Hung Hei 洪熙 (not to be confused with Hung Ga 洪家 of Luk Ah Choi 陸亞采) and Fut GaFut Gar
Fut Ga or Buddhist Style is a relatively modern Southern Shaolin style of Kung Fu devised primarily from the combination of Hung Ga 洪家 and Choi Ga 蔡家 kung fu...
佛家 (same as of Choi Lei Fut 蔡李佛). The system is based on meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
, breath control and various fighting forms that develop body co-ordination. Hung Fut is a combat method that uses economy of movement in order to achieve efficiency. Its strategies are to try to throw the opponent into an awkward position that makes defense difficult and counter attack unlikely. There is no need to keep contact with an opponent, as the system uses interchangeable and flexible movements.
The system also includes techniques from Fut Ga
Fut Gar
Fut Ga or Buddhist Style is a relatively modern Southern Shaolin style of Kung Fu devised primarily from the combination of Hung Ga 洪家 and Choi Ga 蔡家 kung fu...
and ten animal styles (snake, tiger, leopard, lion, eagle, crane, monkey, elephant, horse and dragon) as well as "8 Drunken Immortal" forms (based on the personality traits of the 8 heavenly deities of Chinese traditional religion), "4 Afflictions/Cripples" forms (a deceptive mimicry of one who is crippled) and a left- handed form (based on the legend of a famous general fighting while holding the infant son of a Chinese emperor).
There are somewhat different lineages and succession stories listed by various Hung Fut schools around the world. The stories of the masters vary also from account to account. As the style has moved around the world, the content of the system--number and names of forms, types of power used, stances, techniques, theory, and training methods--has also changed, leading to a large variation from school to school.
8th generation grandmaster, Tai Yim, the adopted son of Hung Yu Chung, the 7th generation grandmaster, immigrated from China to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1977. He traveled to the United States to fulfill the wish of Hung Yu Chung to spread Hung Fut to the west. He now teaches in Kensington, Maryland
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
, a suburb outside of Washington D.C.
There are other masters of this generation who are in other countries around the world, such as in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Raymond Man Ying Nap in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The official Grandmaster for the 8th generation is controversial. Hung Kam Pui from Hong Kong, is the official chairman and founder of the HUNG FUT PAI CHINESE KUNG FU ASSOCIATION. A semi complete family tree, full of a definitive list of Hung Fut Pai teachers is here: Hung Fut Family Tree. NYC has a strong Hung Fut Pai branch (Hung Kam Pui) that is very active in the Hung Fut community.NYC HUNG FUT PAI BRANCH The NYC branch is run by SIFU Phil AuffrayHung Man Fu Recently Sifu Hung Man Gong (Sheldon Landa) of the NYC Hung Fut Pai branch started the Hung Fut Pai Maui Branch. Another Sifu worth mentioning is Sifu Jai A.K.A. Lee Thai-loong. All of these masters practice hard in NYC and frequently return to China to study with master Hung Kam Pui.
Unique features
Hung Fut is truly an original martial art form from China. Its roots go back to the Shaolin temple. Hung Fut is a modified fighting form that has brought together the combined knowledge of many Kung Fu masters and styles.All Hung Fut forms start with the left side of the body. Traditionally single-handed weapons are also learned using the left side.
The Hung Fut system includes more than twenty weapons, the best known of which is the left-handed staff style. There are traditionally ten different staff forms taught; each successive one increases in difficulty and intensity. The staff is the first weapon taught in the system and also the last. The final staff form is the most famous and mysterious. Most commonly known as the "mad devil staff" it is passed down only to the student appointed to become the next Grandmaster and is taught and practiced in secret with the promise that it can only be passed down to his successor. This form was used by the sixth generation Grandmaster, Hung Ju Sing, also known as the "White Haired Devil"..
External links
More Hung Fut History
Hung Fut Videos