Jeong Yim
Encyclopedia
Jeong Ah Yim a.k.a. Jeung Yim, Cheung Yim, Cheung Hung Sing, Jeong Hung Sing, Jeong Hong Sing, Zhang Yan, Zhang Hongsheng; is recognized as an important contributor to the expansion of Choy Li Fut - a Chinese martial arts system, but his role in the development is unclear as exemplified in the variety of stories reported about his life, his involvement with the development of Choy Li Fut, and his anti-Qing revolutionary activities. Few authenticated
facts are known about Jeong Yim but his legacy and influence on Choy Li Fut can still be felt today. Like all great martial artists; myths, stories, and legends, which surround them are often mistaken and confused as facts.
The heated controversy surrounding Jeong Yim is in regards with his involvement with the development of Choy Li Fut. There are few written or published records verifying Jeong Yim's existence. Most of his history has been passed down orally and subsequently any materials available on him cannot be authenticated. Various Choy Li Fut branches have differing versions of how Choy Li Fut was founded or even created.
Jeong Yim's 張炎 successor Chan Ngau-Sing 陳吽盛,(1864–1926) stated that the author Nim Fut San Yen created a popular fictional story (Wǔxiá
) written during the period to increase the awareness of Choy Li Fut and anti-Qing revolutionary activities. This story was called, Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon. Chan Ngau-Sing 陳吽盛 knew the author Nim Fut San Yen personally. Such stories have no basis in historical fact. Popular Wǔxiá
novels like Wan Nian Qing and the mythology of anti-Qing organizations such as the Heaven and Earth Society, were spreading wildly through China since the early 19th century.
in Sun Wui's Dong Ling Village. Popular fictional stories (Wǔxiá) written during the period have also caused confusion surrounding the life of Jeong Yim.
According to myths and legends, Jeong Yim parents were killed when he was very young (most likely due to revolutionary fighting) and was placed under the care of his uncle, Jeong Kwan. When Jeong Yim was 7 or 8 years old he was a student of Li Yau-San. When Jeong Yim was 12 years old, his uncle became unable to care of him, so he asked Li Yau-San's top senior student Chan Heung
who had just returned from studying with Choy Fook, to take him in. Chan Heung is internationally recognized as the founder of the Choy Li Fut martial arts system.
Chan Heung
was impressed with Jeong Yim's Li Gar
skills and wanted to teach him Choy Li Fut, but found himself too busy perfecting and standardizing his newly created Choy Li Fut system to train fighters for the anti-Qing revolutionaries. After a few years of doing maintenance work for Chan Heung, when Jeong Yim was 17, Chan Heung sent him out to locate and study under Choy Fook's successor, Ching Cho 青草 to learn the art of Fut Gar
and the philosophical ways of Buddhism.
This is where the controversy begins. Some say when Jeong Yim returned from studying with Ching Cho, he went back to Chan Heung and combined his knowledge into the Choy Li Fut system. According to some of the varied histories presented by other branches, initially Chan Heung was unable to complete his training with the Shaolin monk Choy Fook, so Jeong Yim was sent to the monk Ching Cho to obtain more martial arts knowledge. Thus some branches believe that Jeong Yim is the founder or co-founder of Choy Li Fut as it is today.
Even the origins of his name, and birth and death dates sparks controversy. Jeong Yim 張炎 is also called Jeong Hung Sing. Some people claim that the monk Ching Cho gave Jeong Yim the name Jeong Hung Sing. Others claim that his name came about due to his work with anti-Qing revolutionaries, while others believed that it came about because of the fame he acquire taking over the Fut San Hung Sing school. Some Hung Sing Choy Li Fut branches say that he was born in 1824 and died in 1893 at the age of 69. Some Buk Sing Choy Li Fut branches believe that he was born in 1813 and died in 1846 at the age of 33,if this story is true then Chan,Sing (whose history is well documented) could not have learnred from Jeung,Yim (Hung-Sing)especially IF Jeung,Yim died in 1848,14 years before Chan,Sing was Born an ls another 18 or so years (1883)because that is when they say Chan Sing started learning from Jeung,Yim. The Math Is off .
According to the Chan Family History Book(the "Big Book") the only historically documented fact showing a relationship between Chan Heung
陳享 and Jeong Yim 張炎 is the date of 1867, when Jeong Yim 張炎 was sent to reopen the Fut San school as the successor to Chan Din-Foon 陳典桓.
Because of the lack of written documentation and physical evidence, it is difficult to ascertain the true history of Jeong Yim, and his life and contributions are still debated today.
陳享 believed that Jeong Yim 張炎, was the most capable student to be Chan Din-Foon's 陳典桓 successor and was an opportune time to rebuild the Fut San 佛山 (Foshan) Hung Sing branch. Soon rumors and gossip spread quickly that the Fut San Hung Sing branch was going to be reopened by a hero named Jeong Yim 張炎.
The Manchu controlled Qing government quickly sent soldiers to try and shut down the school. Because the survival of the Fut San Hung Sing Choy Li Fut school depended on training fighters quickly and efficiently, initially Jeong Yim 張炎 limited the number of forms he taught to just a handful. Enough to provide the students with all the proper techniques, including a few weapon forms. This ensured the survival of the school. Slight changes were made in the original forms sets which eventually distinguished this branch of Choy Li Fut from other schools. Because Jeong Yim concentrated on teaching combat skills, some of the best Choy Li Fut fighters came from the Fut San Hung Sing branch. As the school became more established, Jeong Yim 張炎 would further educate his students with more advanced forms and techniques. Because of early combat training and the reputation Jeong Yim 張炎 gained for reopening the school, the Fut San Hung Sing Choy Li Fut school soon became commonly known as the Jeong Hung Sing school of Choy Li Fut.
In addition to the eight, an apparatus training form called Che Kuen (Pulling Fist) is taught. The wooden dummy (Ching Jong) apparatus of the Hung Sing branch is referred to as the "Side Body Balance Dummy" designed to mimic the Hung Sing style side body opening salutation. They have a variety of unique weapon and hand sparring forms to teach the practical use of the system.
One evening while walking along the pier to catch a ferry, Jeong Yim saw some men engaged in a fight. He stepped in to intervene. He was shocked when both men turned against him, and found that many other men, some with weapons, surrounded him. He had no choice but to fight, using the only weapon he had, an umbrella. He killed three of his assailants, wounded many others, while the others ran away. Seriously wounded, Jeong Yim managed to struggle back to his school, but due to the severity of his wounds, he later died. Jeong Yim was only thirty-three years old at the time of his death which puts his death in 1848 but recorded history says he taught Chan,sing 1883 till 1893
this to is also an impossibility.
There is another story about how Jeong Yim died. After being involved with many anti-Qing revolutionary battles, in 1848 the head of the Fut San school Chan Din-Foon 陳典桓 died. Chan Heung asked Jeong Yim if he would reopen the Fut San school using his own Name and different Characters which were given to him by his teacher Ching Cho, Green Grass Monk (Fong,Dai Hung) his Fut Style teacher and Hung Moon Mentor For revolutioary principles whom he learned from for 8-'10 years. In his later years, he contracted pneumonia and died of a lung infection in 1893 at the age of about 69.
To help re-establish the school after Jeong Yim died, the author Nim Fut San Yen created a popular fictional story (Wǔxiá
) written during the period to increase the awareness to their revolutionary activities. This story was called, Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon. It is the contents of this story that has caused confusion surrounding the history of Jeong Yim.
Lui Charn, Tong Gun Sing, and Sook Gong, opened a school at Ho-Nam in Canton.
Lay Yun was a student of Jeong Yim 張炎 and taught in Canton. Lau Chung, Wong Lo Lik, Hung Duk Gong, Choy Yee Kiu, Chan Say Yu, Bung Hau Seung, Choy Yut Kiu (Kiew), and Fong Yuk Shi were all students of Lay Yun.
Lau Chung's student Gee Duk Choy died in 1968 in Indonesia. Lai Yun eventually settled there and began teaching.
Tarm Narp was a student of Lay Yun. Tarm Narp's son, Tarm Ngau, taught in China and Tarm Fu was an herbalist in Hong Kong.
Choy Yut Kiu (Kiew) was a student of Lay Yun. Choy Yut Kiu's student, Kwan Man Keng, formed the "Hung Sheng (Sing) Chinese Koontow and Lion Dance Society in Singapore in 1965. Fong Yuk Shi was a student of Lay Yun. Some of Fong Yuk Shi's students were Chan Hon Hung, Lum Siu Larp, and Chan Yiu-Chi 陳耀墀 (Chan Heung's grandson).
One of Chan Yiu-Chi's 陳耀墀 students, Li Iu Ling, established Choy Li Fut in Australia in 1975. In 1977, Li returned to Hong Kong where he received the news that Chan Yiu Chi's 陳耀墀 grandson, Chen Yong-fa, was hoping to leave China. Li helped him to migrate to Australia in 1983, then handed his school over to him.
Yuen Hai 阮系 was a student of Jeong Yim. Yuen Hai 阮系 was Lau Bun 劉彬's teacher. Lau Bun 劉彬 opened the first American Hung Sing Branch in San Francisco, California in 1935. Chan Bing-Tong 陳炳棠, Jew Leong 周亮，E.Y. Lee 李日華 and Doc-Fai Wong 黄德輝 were all students of Lau Bun 劉彬. Doc-Fai Wong 黄德輝 founded the International Plum Blossom Federation in San Francisco, California in 1986.
Students of Doc-Fai Wong 黄德輝 include Jason J. Wong 黄志刚, Jaime Marquez, Vern Miller, Nathan Fisher, Alan Hubbard, David Dong, Pedro Rico, Neil McRitchie, Munzer Dejani, Sebastian Gonzales, Evelina Lengyel, Niel Willcott, Jo Wilcott, Roberto Fasano, Pawel Kijañczyk, Mark Horton and Michael Punschke.
Chan Ngau-Sing founded the Hong Kong Hung Sing school. Chin Wai Fong 錢維方, Tong Sek 湯錫 and Hu Yuen Chou 胡雲綽 were students of Chan Ngau-Sing. Ho Cheung 何祥 was a student of Chin Wai-Fong 錢維方 and Tong Sek 湯錫. Ho, Cheuk Wah 何焯華 is the son of Ho ,Cheung and student of Ho Yee 何儀 who was a student of Wong Say. Dino Jew Salvatera was a student of Chan Bing-Tong 陳炳棠, Jew Leong 周亮, and is a student of Fut-San Elder Ho, Cheuk Wah, 何焯華.Hannibal Yusef,Alan Clauson(student of Jew ,Leong and Sifu Dino)Bryan Jang, Troy Dunwood, Adeline Louie (Senior to Sefu Dino)Stan Hall,Dan Prom,Bernice(Lau)Lew, Frank McCarthy are some students of Dino Jew Salvatera (who took over San Francisco Hung Sing School in 1987) and Lok Gee Hung 骆志洪 of Fut San is also Frank McCarthy's teacher.
A Northern Shaolin master named Ku Yu Jeong
(Gu Ruzhang) befriended and joined Tam Sam 譚三 and added more techniques to the Bak Sing Choy Li Fut style. Thus Bak Sing Choy Li Fut branch evolved differently when compared to the Hung Sing and King Mui branches. This evolution is reflected in differences in both forms and curriculum.
Kong On, Lai Chou, and Lung Tse Cheung, were some of Tam Sam's students. Lai Hung was a student of Lai Chou and Lung Tse Cheung. Dave and Vince Lacey are twin brothers and both were students of Kong Hing and Lai Hung. Shane Lacey is the son and student of his father Vince Lacey (Lay Wing Sang). Jason Lacey is the son and student of Dave Lacey.
Authentication
Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity...
facts are known about Jeong Yim but his legacy and influence on Choy Li Fut can still be felt today. Like all great martial artists; myths, stories, and legends, which surround them are often mistaken and confused as facts.
The heated controversy surrounding Jeong Yim is in regards with his involvement with the development of Choy Li Fut. There are few written or published records verifying Jeong Yim's existence. Most of his history has been passed down orally and subsequently any materials available on him cannot be authenticated. Various Choy Li Fut branches have differing versions of how Choy Li Fut was founded or even created.
Jeong Yim's 張炎 successor Chan Ngau-Sing 陳吽盛,(1864–1926) stated that the author Nim Fut San Yen created a popular fictional story (Wǔxiá
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
) written during the period to increase the awareness of Choy Li Fut and anti-Qing revolutionary activities. This story was called, Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon. Chan Ngau-Sing 陳吽盛 knew the author Nim Fut San Yen personally. Such stories have no basis in historical fact. Popular Wǔxiá
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novels like Wan Nian Qing and the mythology of anti-Qing organizations such as the Heaven and Earth Society, were spreading wildly through China since the early 19th century.
Jeong Yim 張炎
There are few written or published records verifying Jeong Yim's existence. However, according to the myths and legends surrounding Jeong Yim, he was born in 1814 Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in Sun Wui's Dong Ling Village. Popular fictional stories (Wǔxiá) written during the period have also caused confusion surrounding the life of Jeong Yim.
According to myths and legends, Jeong Yim parents were killed when he was very young (most likely due to revolutionary fighting) and was placed under the care of his uncle, Jeong Kwan. When Jeong Yim was 7 or 8 years old he was a student of Li Yau-San. When Jeong Yim was 12 years old, his uncle became unable to care of him, so he asked Li Yau-San's top senior student Chan Heung
Chan Heung
Chan Heung was born on August 23, 1806 , in King Mui 京梅 , a village in the San Woi 新會 district of Guangdong 廣東 province in China He is also known as Din Ying 典英 and Daht Ting 逹庭...
who had just returned from studying with Choy Fook, to take him in. Chan Heung is internationally recognized as the founder of the Choy Li Fut martial arts system.
Choy Fook 蔡褔 (Cai Fu)
- According to legend, the monk Gee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim See is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders, survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty ....
至善禪師 is said to have been one of the legendary Five EldersFive EldersIn Southern Chinese folklore, the Five Elders of Shaolin are survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing Dynasty, variously said to have taken place in 1647, in 1674 or in 1732.-The Kung Fu Five Elders:...
; Ng MuiNg MuiNg Mui is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders — survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty....
五梅大師, Fung Doe Duk 馮道德, Miu Hin 苗顯 and Bak MeiBak MeiBak Mei is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders — survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty imperial regime — who, according to some accounts, betrayed Shaolin to the imperial government...
白眉道人; who survived the destruction of the Shaolin Temple during the late Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
- The founders of the five major family styles of Southern Chinese martial arts; Hung Ga, Choy GarChoy garChoy Gar is a Chinese martial art deriving its name from Choy Gau Lee and is one of the five main family styles of Kung Fu in Southern China...
, Mok GarMok GarMok Gar is one of the five major family styles of Southern Chinese martial arts. It was developed by a Shaolin monk named Monk Mo Ta Shi as an inheritance of the Southern Shaolin Fist in Guangdong province in China....
, Li GarLi (Lee) FamilyThe Li or Lee family Kung Fu 李家功夫 is commonly known as one of the five famous family styles of Southern Chinese martial arts.- Li Sou :The Li family is originally from Lanzhou in the Gansu province of China....
and Lau Gar, were respectively, Hung Hei-Gun 洪熙官, Choy Gau Yee 蔡九儀, Mok Da Si (Mok Ching-Kiu) 莫清矯, Li Yau-San 李友山, and Lau Sam-Ngan 劉三眼; and all are said to have been students of Gee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim See is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders, survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty ....
至善禪師. Choy Fook 蔡褔 had learned his martial arts from Choy Gau Yee 蔡九儀, the founder of Choy GarChoy garChoy Gar is a Chinese martial art deriving its name from Choy Gau Lee and is one of the five main family styles of Kung Fu in Southern China...
.
Chan Heung
Chan Heung
Chan Heung was born on August 23, 1806 , in King Mui 京梅 , a village in the San Woi 新會 district of Guangdong 廣東 province in China He is also known as Din Ying 典英 and Daht Ting 逹庭...
was impressed with Jeong Yim's Li Gar
Li (Lee) Family
The Li or Lee family Kung Fu 李家功夫 is commonly known as one of the five famous family styles of Southern Chinese martial arts.- Li Sou :The Li family is originally from Lanzhou in the Gansu province of China....
skills and wanted to teach him Choy Li Fut, but found himself too busy perfecting and standardizing his newly created Choy Li Fut system to train fighters for the anti-Qing revolutionaries. After a few years of doing maintenance work for Chan Heung, when Jeong Yim was 17, Chan Heung sent him out to locate and study under Choy Fook's successor, Ching Cho 青草 to learn the art of Fut Gar
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 the philosophical ways of Buddhism.
Ching Cho 青草 (Qingcao)
- According to legend, Ching Cho 青草 (Qingcao) was one of the Ng Jing Wo Seung,(Five Book Monks) who took over the Jiulianshan Shaolin Temple, located in Putian County, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, after Gee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim SeeJee Sin Sim See is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders, survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing Dynasty ....
至善禪師 left and went into hiding. At that time, Qing forces were attacking the Shaolin temple and was trying to burn it down. The temple made sure that head monk Gee Sim safely escaped, and left in charge Ching Cho to continue the battle against the Qing troops. Plans were made to escape if the temple fell.
- A traitor monk named Ma Chut (also known as Ma Ning-Yee or Ma Yee Fuk), who was banished from the temple, told the Qing troops about the escape plan and the vulnerability of the temple. With that knowledge the Qing was able to successfully set the temple on fire. Many monks were killed. As the temple burned, 18 monks prayed in the main temple for salvation. When the main temple started burning and collapsing, a large curtain fell upon them. The Qing troops believing that they had successfully destroyed both the temple and the monks left in victory.
- The eighteen monks were protected from the fire by the curtain that fell upon them. Ching Cho 青草 kicked a hole in the wall of the temple and 18 monks escaped. Unfortunately, most eventually died from smoke inhalation and burns. Out of the eighteen who escaped only five monks survived and were known as the Ng Jing Wo Seung. They were Wu Dak Dai, Choy Dak Jung, Lei Sik Hoi, Fong Dai Hung*, and Ma Chiu Hing. These are also the Triad Five EldersFive EldersIn Southern Chinese folklore, the Five Elders of Shaolin are survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing Dynasty, variously said to have taken place in 1647, in 1674 or in 1732.-The Kung Fu Five Elders:...
believed by the Tiandihui/Hongmen.
-
-
- * It is speculated that Ching Cho's real name was Fong Dai Hung and killed Ma Chut during their escape.
-
- After their escape Ching Cho 青草 went into hiding and lived somewhere near the Zhajian Temple on Mt. Pak Pai (Bapai) in Bapaishan, in Guangxi Province. Ching Cho 青草 is also known as the Green Grass Monk.
Historical controversy
Upon Jeong Yim's return to Chan Heung in King Mui after studying with Ching Cho for 8 years, increasing battles between anti-Qing government forces resulted in the collapse of the Fut San (Foshan) Hung Sing school in 1848, and the death of Chan Din-Foon. For the next 10 years he trained under Chan Heung's Choy Li Fut system.This is where the controversy begins. Some say when Jeong Yim returned from studying with Ching Cho, he went back to Chan Heung and combined his knowledge into the Choy Li Fut system. According to some of the varied histories presented by other branches, initially Chan Heung was unable to complete his training with the Shaolin monk Choy Fook, so Jeong Yim was sent to the monk Ching Cho to obtain more martial arts knowledge. Thus some branches believe that Jeong Yim is the founder or co-founder of Choy Li Fut as it is today.
Even the origins of his name, and birth and death dates sparks controversy. Jeong Yim 張炎 is also called Jeong Hung Sing. Some people claim that the monk Ching Cho gave Jeong Yim the name Jeong Hung Sing. Others claim that his name came about due to his work with anti-Qing revolutionaries, while others believed that it came about because of the fame he acquire taking over the Fut San Hung Sing school. Some Hung Sing Choy Li Fut branches say that he was born in 1824 and died in 1893 at the age of 69. Some Buk Sing Choy Li Fut branches believe that he was born in 1813 and died in 1846 at the age of 33,if this story is true then Chan,Sing (whose history is well documented) could not have learnred from Jeung,Yim (Hung-Sing)especially IF Jeung,Yim died in 1848,14 years before Chan,Sing was Born an ls another 18 or so years (1883)because that is when they say Chan Sing started learning from Jeung,Yim. The Math Is off .
According to the Chan Family History Book(the "Big Book") the only historically documented fact showing a relationship between Chan Heung
Chan Heung
Chan Heung was born on August 23, 1806 , in King Mui 京梅 , a village in the San Woi 新會 district of Guangdong 廣東 province in China He is also known as Din Ying 典英 and Daht Ting 逹庭...
陳享 and Jeong Yim 張炎 is the date of 1867, when Jeong Yim 張炎 was sent to reopen the Fut San school as the successor to Chan Din-Foon 陳典桓.
Because of the lack of written documentation and physical evidence, it is difficult to ascertain the true history of Jeong Yim, and his life and contributions are still debated today.
The Fut San Hung Sing School
In 1867, Chan HeungChan Heung
Chan Heung was born on August 23, 1806 , in King Mui 京梅 , a village in the San Woi 新會 district of Guangdong 廣東 province in China He is also known as Din Ying 典英 and Daht Ting 逹庭...
陳享 believed that Jeong Yim 張炎, was the most capable student to be Chan Din-Foon's 陳典桓 successor and was an opportune time to rebuild the Fut San 佛山 (Foshan) Hung Sing branch. Soon rumors and gossip spread quickly that the Fut San Hung Sing branch was going to be reopened by a hero named Jeong Yim 張炎.
The Manchu controlled Qing government quickly sent soldiers to try and shut down the school. Because the survival of the Fut San Hung Sing Choy Li Fut school depended on training fighters quickly and efficiently, initially Jeong Yim 張炎 limited the number of forms he taught to just a handful. Enough to provide the students with all the proper techniques, including a few weapon forms. This ensured the survival of the school. Slight changes were made in the original forms sets which eventually distinguished this branch of Choy Li Fut from other schools. Because Jeong Yim concentrated on teaching combat skills, some of the best Choy Li Fut fighters came from the Fut San Hung Sing branch. As the school became more established, Jeong Yim 張炎 would further educate his students with more advanced forms and techniques. Because of early combat training and the reputation Jeong Yim 張炎 gained for reopening the school, the Fut San Hung Sing Choy Li Fut school soon became commonly known as the Jeong Hung Sing school of Choy Li Fut.
Curriculum of Jeong Hung Sing Choy Li Fut
Since the orientation of the school was for combat training the Hung Sing has fewer hand sets;eight as their primary core. The Hung Sing branch is known for its aggressive fighting methods such as continuous non-stop combinations and exaggerated side stance techniques, as well as some aggressive weapons forms. This curriculum was designed so anti-Qing rebels could quickly gain practical proficiency in unarmed and weapons combat.| Name | Cantonese | Mandarin | Translation | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 太字拳 | Tai Ji Kuen | Tai Zhi Quan | Ultimate Fist | same as original Chan Family form |
| 2 | 平字拳 | Ping Ji Kuen | Ping Zhi Quan | Level Fist | different from Chan Family form; same as Buk Sing form |
| 3 | 天字拳 | Tin Ji Kuen | Tian Zhi Quan | Heaven's Fist | same as original Chan Family form |
| 4 | 國字拳 | Gok Ji Kuen | Guo Zhi Quan | Nation's Fist | same as original Chan Family form |
| 5 | 十字拳 | Sup Ji Kuen | Shi Zhi Quan | Cross Pattern Fist | different from Chan Family form; same as Buk Sing form |
| 6 | 鴻勝長拳 | Cheung Kuen | Chang Quan | Long Fist | same as original Chan Family form |
| 7 | 佛家掌 | Fut Ga Jeong | Fo Jia Zhang | Buddhist Family Palm | different from Chan Family form |
| 8 | 連環靠打拳 | Lin Waan Kaau Da Kuen | Lian Huan Kao Da Quan | Continuous Fighting Fist | different from Chan Family form; different from Buk Sing form |
In addition to the eight, an apparatus training form called Che Kuen (Pulling Fist) is taught. The wooden dummy (Ching Jong) apparatus of the Hung Sing branch is referred to as the "Side Body Balance Dummy" designed to mimic the Hung Sing style side body opening salutation. They have a variety of unique weapon and hand sparring forms to teach the practical use of the system.
Death controversy
How and when Jeong Yim died is unknown. Some say he died from injuries resulted by fighting at an early age of 33, others say he died of pneumonia in his later years. There is one story about how Jeong Yim died which is impossible if he taught Chan,Sing in 1883 proven with established records of the now existing family.One evening while walking along the pier to catch a ferry, Jeong Yim saw some men engaged in a fight. He stepped in to intervene. He was shocked when both men turned against him, and found that many other men, some with weapons, surrounded him. He had no choice but to fight, using the only weapon he had, an umbrella. He killed three of his assailants, wounded many others, while the others ran away. Seriously wounded, Jeong Yim managed to struggle back to his school, but due to the severity of his wounds, he later died. Jeong Yim was only thirty-three years old at the time of his death which puts his death in 1848 but recorded history says he taught Chan,sing 1883 till 1893
this to is also an impossibility.
There is another story about how Jeong Yim died. After being involved with many anti-Qing revolutionary battles, in 1848 the head of the Fut San school Chan Din-Foon 陳典桓 died. Chan Heung asked Jeong Yim if he would reopen the Fut San school using his own Name and different Characters which were given to him by his teacher Ching Cho, Green Grass Monk (Fong,Dai Hung) his Fut Style teacher and Hung Moon Mentor For revolutioary principles whom he learned from for 8-'10 years. In his later years, he contracted pneumonia and died of a lung infection in 1893 at the age of about 69.
Chan Ngau Sing
- Chan Ngau Sing studied Hung Ga Kuen under Jau Gum Biu From about 14 years of age until he was 19 years old and went to train under Jeong Yim in 1883 for 10 years. Chan Ngau Sing took over Fut San Hung Sing School after Jeong Yim died in 1893. We do know that Chan Ngau Sing lived 1864-1926 birth and family records sustansiate these facts. Hu Yuen Chou (1906–1997) studied with Chan Ngau Sing from age 9 (1915) until leaving for college (estimate 18 yrs - 1924) two years before Chan Ngau-Sing dies.
To help re-establish the school after Jeong Yim died, the author Nim Fut San Yen created a popular fictional story (Wǔxiá
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
) written during the period to increase the awareness to their revolutionary activities. This story was called, Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon. It is the contents of this story that has caused confusion surrounding the history of Jeong Yim.
The legacy of Jeong Yim
After the deaths of Jeong Yim and Chan Ngau Sing, many of the Hung Sing students dispersed and went their separate ways. Some of their students were Yuen Hai 阮系, Tarm Narp (Nap), Lui Charn, Tong Gun Sing, Sook Gong, and Lay Yun.Lui Charn, Tong Gun Sing, and Sook Gong, opened a school at Ho-Nam in Canton.
Lay Yun was a student of Jeong Yim 張炎 and taught in Canton. Lau Chung, Wong Lo Lik, Hung Duk Gong, Choy Yee Kiu, Chan Say Yu, Bung Hau Seung, Choy Yut Kiu (Kiew), and Fong Yuk Shi were all students of Lay Yun.
Lau Chung's student Gee Duk Choy died in 1968 in Indonesia. Lai Yun eventually settled there and began teaching.
Tarm Narp was a student of Lay Yun. Tarm Narp's son, Tarm Ngau, taught in China and Tarm Fu was an herbalist in Hong Kong.
Choy Yut Kiu (Kiew) was a student of Lay Yun. Choy Yut Kiu's student, Kwan Man Keng, formed the "Hung Sheng (Sing) Chinese Koontow and Lion Dance Society in Singapore in 1965. Fong Yuk Shi was a student of Lay Yun. Some of Fong Yuk Shi's students were Chan Hon Hung, Lum Siu Larp, and Chan Yiu-Chi 陳耀墀 (Chan Heung's grandson).
One of Chan Yiu-Chi's 陳耀墀 students, Li Iu Ling, established Choy Li Fut in Australia in 1975. In 1977, Li returned to Hong Kong where he received the news that Chan Yiu Chi's 陳耀墀 grandson, Chen Yong-fa, was hoping to leave China. Li helped him to migrate to Australia in 1983, then handed his school over to him.
Yuen Hai 阮系 was a student of Jeong Yim. Yuen Hai 阮系 was Lau Bun 劉彬's teacher. Lau Bun 劉彬 opened the first American Hung Sing Branch in San Francisco, California in 1935. Chan Bing-Tong 陳炳棠, Jew Leong 周亮，E.Y. Lee 李日華 and Doc-Fai Wong 黄德輝 were all students of Lau Bun 劉彬. Doc-Fai Wong 黄德輝 founded the International Plum Blossom Federation in San Francisco, California in 1986.
Students of Doc-Fai Wong 黄德輝 include Jason J. Wong 黄志刚, Jaime Marquez, Vern Miller, Nathan Fisher, Alan Hubbard, David Dong, Pedro Rico, Neil McRitchie, Munzer Dejani, Sebastian Gonzales, Evelina Lengyel, Niel Willcott, Jo Wilcott, Roberto Fasano, Pawel Kijañczyk, Mark Horton and Michael Punschke.
Chan Ngau-Sing founded the Hong Kong Hung Sing school. Chin Wai Fong 錢維方, Tong Sek 湯錫 and Hu Yuen Chou 胡雲綽 were students of Chan Ngau-Sing. Ho Cheung 何祥 was a student of Chin Wai-Fong 錢維方 and Tong Sek 湯錫. Ho, Cheuk Wah 何焯華 is the son of Ho ,Cheung and student of Ho Yee 何儀 who was a student of Wong Say. Dino Jew Salvatera was a student of Chan Bing-Tong 陳炳棠, Jew Leong 周亮, and is a student of Fut-San Elder Ho, Cheuk Wah, 何焯華.Hannibal Yusef,Alan Clauson(student of Jew ,Leong and Sifu Dino)Bryan Jang, Troy Dunwood, Adeline Louie (Senior to Sefu Dino)Stan Hall,Dan Prom,Bernice(Lau)Lew, Frank McCarthy are some students of Dino Jew Salvatera (who took over San Francisco Hung Sing School in 1987) and Lok Gee Hung 骆志洪 of Fut San is also Frank McCarthy's teacher.
The Buk Sing branch
Lui Charn, a student of Jeong Yim, had a student named Tam Sam 譚三. Tam Sam started the Buk Sing Branch of Choy Li Fut after being expelled by Lui Charn for excessive fighting within his school. After his expulsion, Tam Sam 譚三 asked some of Lui Charn's students to help him open a new Choy Li Fut branch in the Guangzhuo, Siu Buk 小北 (little north) district and called it Siu Buk Hung Sing Choy Li Fut. Tam Sam's 譚三 students referred to themselves just as the Buk Sing Choy Li Fut school so eventually the name was shortened.A Northern Shaolin master named Ku Yu Jeong
Ku Yu Cheung
Ku Yu Cheung was a Chinese martial artist who disseminated the Bak sil lum martial arts system across southern China in the early 1900’s. Ku was known for his expertise in Iron Palm hand conditioning among other Chinese Martial Art training exercises...
(Gu Ruzhang) befriended and joined Tam Sam 譚三 and added more techniques to the Bak Sing Choy Li Fut style. Thus Bak Sing Choy Li Fut branch evolved differently when compared to the Hung Sing and King Mui branches. This evolution is reflected in differences in both forms and curriculum.
Kong On, Lai Chou, and Lung Tse Cheung, were some of Tam Sam's students. Lai Hung was a student of Lai Chou and Lung Tse Cheung. Dave and Vince Lacey are twin brothers and both were students of Kong Hing and Lai Hung. Shane Lacey is the son and student of his father Vince Lacey (Lay Wing Sang). Jason Lacey is the son and student of Dave Lacey.