Wah Lum and Lee Koonhung

[Tainan Mantis]

Around 1988 Master Chan invited Lee Koonhung to the Orlando school to teach a form called Won Hop Kuen.
I recall many WL students attended and learned that form.

As I recall it was created by Shek Kin (of Enter the Dragon fame).
A combination of 5 styles including PM.
Recently I have been reminiscing as I have been watching Master Shek Kin perform this energetic set.

Can anyone say the other 4 styles this set was created from?

Does anyone still remember it?

[18elders]

Hey tainan,
i remember seeing it many times, have it on video somewhere but not sure what other styles were in it?
Went to dinner with Master Shek and his family in hong kong in 1992. He has bad hips he said from him and his kung fu brothers kicking each other there when they trained so not to break ribs.
AD may know the other styles as he taught it to students.

[NorthernMantis]

Hmm I beleive MiamiMantis learned it but you never know. Wait a while till he sees the post.

[CLFNole]

Won Hop Kuen mixes:

Tong Long
Sil Lum
Law Horn
Ying Jow
5th one - I always forget so kind of rare palming style (sorry)

Peace.

[NorthernMantis]

Could it be piqua zhang?

[NPM]

According to Master Shek Kin, he had six different teachers:

1. Master Chiu, Lin Shing (who was the brother of the famous Master Chiu, Lin Wor) of the Northern Shaolin, Chaw Tau Jong (Axe Head Clan) Branch of Hebei Province of Northern China.

2. Master Lee, Lin Chuen who taught a wrestling style popular in Hebei Province.

3. Master Chiu, Gui Lin of Jing Mo Association who taught him Northern Praying Mantis and Northern Eagle Claw.

4. Master Wong, Won Fung of the Chiu Yuen Pai (Facing the Sun Style), a Northern style popular in the Shanxi Province.

5. Master Shuen, Yook Fung of the Law Hawn Moon.

6. Master Doe, Dzun Sing of the Dzee Yeen Moon (Natural Style) - one of the branches of Henan Province Shaolin Temple.

The Won Hup Kuen that he taught is mainly made up of Shaolin, Praying Mantis, and Eagle Claw.

I hope that I have answered your question.

NPM

[CLFNole]

Thats the other style Chiu Yuen Pai. I asked my sifu about the form and he told us about the styles of Shek Kin. He also mentioned he learned some da tong moon as well. But i think you are correct about won hop kuen being primarily shaolin, praying mantis and eagle claw.

The won hop cheung form he taught LKH has roots from the various northern systems with a focus on law horn moon i believe. This one I learned the hand form I didn't. Very different from our CLF so it would have been difficult style wise.

Peace.

[buddhapalm]

Dear NPM,
I am most interested in learning more about Master Chiu, Lin Shing of Chaw Tau Jong (Axe Head Clan)

I would love to hear more about Chaw Tau Jong Clan. Do you know of their curriculum ?

Did Master Chiu, Lin Shing teach in Canton Jing Wu ?

And lastly is there any way to get in contact with Master Shek Kin ? I believe it is possible that my Sigung may have been his classmate or Kung Fu Nephew.

Since I am researching about the history of my Grand Master/Sigung, any help you provide is most appreciated.

Warmest Regards

Buddhapalm

teleka@pacbell.net

[yu shan]

Lee Koonhung

Thank you Tainan Mantis for remembering a Great Southern Martial Arts Master! Won Hop Kuen did not impress me much at all. Yet many many other CLF Hand/Weapon forms did!!! And what Great fighters...and what a legacy... LKH Kung Fu.

[NPM]

Master Chiu, Lin Shing was the younger brother of Master Chiu, Lin Wor who was one of the original top three instructors at the Shanghai Jing Mo Association (the other two being Master Chan, Tzi Jing of Eagle Claw and Master Law, Gwong Yook of Praying Mantis).

Master Chiu, Lin Wor taught the Northern Shaolin, Chaw Tau Jong (Axe Head Clan) branch which was originally from the Shaolin Temple. This branch specialized in the "Ng Dzeen" (Five Battle) Kuen. They are: Tuet Dzeen, Dai Dzeen, Hup Dzeen, Duen Dzeen, and Sup Dzee Dzeen. His style also included Tam Tui, Tam Tui 2-man set, Gung Lik Kuen (Strength Building Form), Jeet Kuen (Sectional Form), Kwun Yeung Gwan (Shepherd's Staff), Baht Gwa Doe (Eight Trigram Saber), Ng Fu Cheung (Five Tiger Spear), and Daht Mo Gim (Daht Mo's Sword).

As for Master Shek Kin, I am sorry but I have lost contact with him. I am sure someone else in the Forum probably has his contact information.

NPM

[cha kuen]

Wow I didn't know that Shek Kin had 6 sifus in his time. Interesting.

-cha kuen
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=taichimaster06&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=25

[buddhapalm]

Thanks for the run down on Master Chiu, Lin Wor and his brother. Is Chiu, Lin Wor another way of saying "Chao Lin Ho" ? I know he was a big player in Jing Mo, sounds like you are talking about the same guy.

Do you recommend any further resources where I could learn more about the history of this Master and more history of the Axe Head Clan ?

By the way, just by the sound of it, the name sounds menacingly triad-like :-)))

Was it a martial school/clan or another kind of clan ?

You see I am trying to trace my various forms of Northern Shaolin and have had little luck. I believe there may be a connection to pre 1940 Jing Mo and or Sun Yook Fung. Therefore Master Chiu, Lin Wor may provide me answers. We have forms by the name of Five Thunder Axe, Luk Hap Yin Yang Kwun, Wind Demon Fist etc.

Sorry to be off topic guys, but it really caught my attention.

Warmest Regards

Buddhapalm

[MiamiMantis]

I remember when he came over from Hong Kong...actually Master Chan asked my Sifu (Shelly Huang) to help find a location to open a school in Broward. I remember myself and some other students drove all over and finally found the location that his school is actually started at and is currently still there. I met him a few times and he was very nice and gracious. We went out to dinner with him somewhere around pier 66 in Broward if I remember. He thanked us for finding the location by teaching us for free, which was real cool. It was good for the first few times, but it was a real long drive from Miami to his school so I learned only a little of the form. When he opened his school, we did a Lion Dance and forms demo with the Orlando school (Wah Lum).

I remember seeing him do a staff form and some Lion Dancing....they were both awesome.

You can see the Southern influence in Wah Lum now. Actually we have a student at our University of Miami class that came from his school in Broward.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[PorcelainMantis]

Miami Mantis..this is off the subject, but do you happen to know the name of the form your Sifu performed at the Demo at the Wah Lum Tournament last weekend? It was absolutely beautiful!

[NorthernMantis]

Can't name the form but the style was liu he ba fa. It's a combination of all the internal arts combined. Well sifu learned it from her husband and performs it a lot. To tell the truth she was gonna do the exhibtion form with us but she hurt her ankle and decided to do that instead.

Hey MiamiMantis I didn't know we had an ex clf student in our class. :D :D

[MiamiMantis]

Northern mantis was right. She did an internal form taught by her husband. I missed the tournament, but trust me not by choice. I was unable to compete this year because of a healing injury and couldn't get the time off from work.

Watch out next year...I'll be in the Jurrasic division!!
:p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p