Chan Kwok Wai

[Plinio Tsai]

Hi everybody

I'm from Brasil, a direct student from Grand Master Chan Kwok Wai . I did start my study with him about 20 years ago (when I was 9 years old and spend 4 to 6 hours in training until 21 years old), I have now 29 years old. My father is chinese from Shangai, my grandfather was a district chief policy in there, before he went in the same ship from China to Brasil with Chan Kwok Wai. So, when I start to walk I start to practice with him.... I was amazed and really happy with all the discussion in the Forum about the Bak Siu Lum and really proud to see how you guys really love the school as I love it.... But I have some concerns about what have been posted about my teacher and master Chan. One of the post somebody say that he is the Yan 's "lowest student"... this is not right since he is one of the personal students, really close related to Yan, and also one Master Chan's students, Kao Chantou, have the opportunity to go to the South and Southwest China to check personally all the history and discovery also that, he is one of the most proeminent student and we could see that by the accurancy of the histories that he told us about Gu and Yan, among other things... we also have Nereu Graballos, one of Chan's student who is leading the CBKW (Brasilian Natinal Confederation for Wushu and Kungfu) and also the sanshou-wushu team (leaded by Marcos Alves) considered now the 3third major team in sanshou, and there is also Eduardo Fujihira, two times World Champion in the late Kuoshu and in the actual Wushu-sanshou, facing Liu Hailong and also other guys from the mother land China... so, it is not possible to Master Chan to be the lowest student due to this facts ans other ones.... All of this is not to provocate or to start a fight here, it is just to elucidate and to the comunity of Bak Siu Lum in particular and to the entery Kung fu comunity to rejoice, because it is our path who is shine now in the world as a competente one ... If you have any doubts about that I will be really happy to answer, ok? Thank you very much about your attention...

[NorthernShaolin]

PT,

I do not recall anyone saying GM Chan was the lowest student on this forum. From what I remember, all of us connected to BSL regard GM Chan with the highest regards and is the only KYC's lineage that has promoted BSL in South America.

However, I think a few of us feel that some of the students (not all) of GM Chan's lineage who post on this forum, are a little less willing to share their knowledge openly as comparied to their cousins in the rest of the BSL's world. Whenever we ask them a question or a follow up on some information on this forum they never respond. It seems like "give me all that you have but nothing is offered in return" type of behavior.

Maybe you like to share some facts on some BSL history that has not been posted on this forum. It appears from your post that someone has recently gone to China and discovered some interesting information concerning BSL. So share it with us so we can enjoy it too.

[Plinio Tsai]

Hi everybody

The current facts that I know about my Sifu is that when Yam or Yim came to Hong Kong he came to stay at master Chan family house and he remained there for a long time. The very subsequent day of his arrival master Chan started his training, so in cronological order of teachings in HK, master Chan is the oldest.
Another thing, when Master Chan came to Brasil, in the same year, he started to teach (individual classes and in Chinese Social Center at Liberdade in Sao Paulo), so he did not started to teach at 1972, at least almost 10 years early, and also he started to teach without a long gap in the USP (our major university here - University of Sao Paulo). He became the political lidership for the Cantonese community and was several times the chariman or president of Cantonese Association in Sao Paulo and also for Brasil. He recently got the title of Sao Paulo Citizen and also the presidence of National Chinese Cultural Association.... and what is amazing is that he rarely miss his classes... including sundays...

A nice point to say that one should not say that "my teacher is the greatest", but for me here is, and I believe for anyone who sees he's teacher as not being the greatest, at least to oneself, is commiting a mistake. I say this not in a way of express that there is a competition between masters, but I believe that if one does not rejoice or admire he's teacher qualities and take him as a reference to judge oneself, he will not make much of progress, don't you think? If one take his teacher as a way to increase his own ignorance or self-insecurite, then I believe you are right...

Regarding to the others students that did not share information: The fact is that perhaps they do not know! Why? Master Chan is not an open master... if you come to ask something and he is not willing to answer, he will just say "Go to train!"... I have some information from him because I have being training with him since 9 years old, but still there is a lot of information that if I ask there is no answer and just the tradional "go to train!". He only gives information under certain circunstances, lets say when he believes it is usefull or even when he is in good humor ... The two students that really knows about Master history and his connection with the previous teacher is Kao Chantou and Nereu Graballos (the actual president of CBKW in Brasil)... Kao is now in Beijing and Nereu is in Brasil, Nereu is some kind of genius for fighting (I'm not saying this because he is brasilian or trying to diminishing any other teacher, it's just a fact, and if you guys come to Brasil I would be glad to introduce you to him, and you could see it by yourselves: the way he trains his students for fighting, and also his simplicity - he only have like 9 to 10 students but you can see the quality and the dedication that he devoted to them by seem the love they have for figthing and kungfu, and that is the ones who coudl face the chineses in sanshou)... He is the best student of Master Chan, therefore he is the reference I give to you guys if you want to judge the conduct and the moral qualities that is transmitted by Master Chan...
Kao is a chinese student that actually residens in mainland China, Beijing, and from there he keeps he's personal studies on Bak Siu Lum and Ch'an Buddism realted to our school, he is also a graduated teacher from master Chan, alias, when I started to training he and Nereu was already training and if there is not a fail in my memory, they were already graduated teachers...

Is hard to me to know what I should share, so, if any of you have a question I would be glad to try to find the answer or share if I already now it...

Thank you

[NorthernShaolin]

PT,

Thanks for the short bio on your teacher. Most of us already know what you wrote but thanks again for the information.

However when writing, it is better to say that your teacher is one of the oldest disciple of GGM Yim because GGM Yim did teach in Kwangchu before teaching in Hong Kong. Therefore GM Chan does have a few older classmates who are still alive.

Please do not take this wrong and no one is taking anythng away from all the great things GM Chan has done in promoting BSL and all his contributions to the community in South America.