Bounty hunter Fung Siu Ching

[Gowgee]

Hi there!

I understand that Yuen Kay San Wing Chun can trace part of its lineage back to body guard and bounty hunter Fung Siu Ching. Since YKS lived 1889 to 1956, I'm guessing Fung probably lived to at least 1910.

I'd like to start a thread on what everyone knows about him, and would like to start off by asking people:

1) What Fung mainly active just in the Guangdong area?

2) What arms did body guards and bounty hunters typically use (assuming in the Guangdong area) in the late 1800s - early 1900s?

3) What skills was Fung reknowned for?

[Lee Chiang Po]

I know an Archie and Harold Fung. One I know is a killer. Probably descendant of this Fung guy. They are mean enough.

[Gowgee]

I know an Archie and Harold Fung. One I know is a killer. Probably descendant of this Fung guy. They are mean enough.

LOL! Hey, aren't they related to that famous monkey fist guy, Wan Flung Poo?

[LoneTiger108]

Hi there!

I understand that Yuen Kay San Wing Chun can trace part of its lineage back to body guard and bounty hunter Fung Siu Ching. Since YKS lived 1889 to 1956, I'm guessing Fung probably lived to at least 1910.

The internet is a wonderful thing! :) And apparently stories of this specific gent are told within the Sum Nung family, originating from Yuen Kay San.

http://www.yunhoiwingchun.com/Articles/General/TheImperialMarshalls/tabid/347/Default.aspx

Maybe when 'The Grandmasters' movie is released in December we will all have even more stories to consider and investigate because as ever the movies seem to relish in these gangland themes! Just the timelines have shifted again for this one... :o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CfC_1_Wpmo

[Runlikehell]

One story I heard about Fung Siu Ching was that he was not actually a bounty hunter and worked at a pawn shop.

I am not sure if it was true.

[kung fu fighter]

I read somewhere that Fung Siu ching was a Tai chi practioner before learning wing chun from Dai Fa Min Kam. He combined the principles of tai chi with the wing chun he learnt making his wck approach much softer. A weng chun sifu from Chu Chong Man's linage also once told me that Fung was a chin-na and Luk dim boon kwan expert whom was famous for braking his opponent's neck before the opponent hit the ground.

[wingchunIan]

2) What arms did body guards and bounty hunters typically use (assuming in the Guangdong area) in the late 1800s - early 1900s?

I'd guess they used their left one and their right one lol

[Gowgee]

Thanks for your insights gents.

Fung's occupation is what really piques my interest here. They say never take a knife to a gun fight: I'd consider the long pole completely inappropriate for the sort of close in work he would have had to have done, as well as all the travelling to catch the bad guys. The knives don't seem practical for this either, since they're designed to cause massive blood loss or defang people.

So what did he use as a sidearm? I know the mok gar and praying mantis guys use 鐗 (see the photo attached) as a supposedly anti sword weapon in battle, but in honesty if the other guy had a sword, I think most sane people would like to be armed with a sword or better themselves - not something defensive like this.

I reckon Fung might have used something like these. Does anyone know what sorts of arms bounty hunters carried at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century??

[Shadow_warrior8]

Fung Siu Ching Lok Dim Bun Gwun from Weng Chun family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbEsGUpGtrM

[Shadow_warrior8]

相传，清朝乾隆年间，南少林五枚师太根据“狐鹤相斗”之情景，创立了咏春拳。后来，她收福建严咏春为徒。其 实，咏春拳能真正发展，得力于严咏春的丈夫梁博涛，梁博涛追随严咏春研习咏春拳，技成后，偕妻从福建移居广 东，后只身南下广州传授咏春拳。
　　当时，广州风行粤剧。为了便于下乡演出，当时已有“过山班”(就像现在下乡巡回演出的剧团)。广州的“ 过山班”活跃于珠江三角洲一带。珠三角河网密布，为了便于往来，有的粤剧团便造红船一艘，做剧团人员住宿和 漂泊之用。梁博涛南下广州，扎根于戏班红船，教授了一批咏春拳弟子。
　　当年，梁博涛传授的一名入室弟子叫陆锦(他演戏时以扮“大花面”为主)。为做戏服，陆锦经常光顾位于状 元坊近出口处的一家顾绣戏服店。由于是常客，所以陆锦逐渐和少东冯少青熟悉起来。冯少青长相斯文，疾恶如仇 ，深得陆锦喜爱，于是陆锦认冯少青为干儿子，传授其咏春拳功夫。
　　冯少青家庭富足，曾拜师学过蔡家拳，起初并不把陆锦放在眼里，总想找机会试试师父的功夫。
　　一天，陆锦正在顾绣店试新戏服，冯少青突然垫步上前，一记“凤眼拳”击向他头部。陆锦不慌不忙，身法如 幽灵般快速，“移形换步”成“朝面追形”，从戏服宽大的水袖下鬼魅般地使出咏春拳撑掌，化解了“凤眼拳”， 同时一记“子午捶”击中冯少青的下巴，将他仰面朝天打倒在地。从此，冯少青专心跟陆锦练功。在陆锦的教导下 ，冯少青终成广州一代咏春拳巨匠。

http://i49.tinypic.com/11ux6d1.jpg

[Shadow_warrior8]

http://i48.tinypic.com/2ivzlso.jpg

[Shadow_warrior8]

http://i45.tinypic.com/wc0ny1.jpg

[Hendrik]

Bert,

Thanks for sharing!

[Shadow_warrior8]

Bert,

Thanks for sharing!

you are most welcomed senior

[LoneTiger108]

Fung Siu Ching Lok Dim Bun Gwun from Weng Chun family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbEsGUpGtrM

Nice pole work :)

[Gowgee]

Shadow Warrior 8, thanks for sharing! This opens up another can of worms all together..:)

[LoneTiger108]

Shadow Warrior 8, thanks for sharing! This opens up another can of worms all together..:)

Why is that? Now you have me quite interested, as long as it's for the betterment of Wing Chun and not just another 'look at my secret lineage' debate! ;) :D

[sanjuro_ronin]

One wonders what a master of the past, what he did or didn't do, has to do with the practitioners of today and what THEY can do or CAN'T do...
While it's always interesting to learn about the ancestors of a system, I have found that people tend to focus on the wrong things about them.
That FSC worked as a bounty hunter or body guard or had a pawn shop is relevant only in the regard of "what did he do besides WC".
This anectote here for example:

I read somewhere that Fung Siu ching was a Tai chi practioner before learning wing chun from Dai Fa Min Kam. He combined the principles of tai chi with the wing chun he learnt making his wck approach much softer. A weng chun sifu from Chu Chong Man's linage also once told me that Fung was a chin-na and Luk dim boon kwan expert whom was famous for braking his opponent's neck before the opponent hit the ground.

Is interesting from a MA point of view of course, BUT not for what many may think.
Whether it even happened is irrelevant, since I am sure the story was passed on to explain SFC fighting skill ie: Cross trained in another MA (possibly Taiji) AND pressure tested it in combat.
Why was this story passed on?
As a path for practioners to see and understand WHERE the systems came from, HOW it was developed and WHERE THEY should take it.

[Lee Chiang Po]

LOL! Hey, aren't they related to that famous monkey fist guy, Wan Flung Poo?

No, I think it was Hu flung Dung. I think that was his proper name.

[Gowgee]

Why is that? Now you have me quite interested, as long as it's for the betterment of Wing Chun and not just another 'look at my secret lineage' debate! ;) :D

HI LoneTiger,

The article seems to touch on a number of principles - both shared with other lines, as well as what seems to be quite unique. I'd like to ask you all about them.

[Gowgee]

One wonders what a master of the past, what he did or didn't do, has to do with the practitioners of today and what THEY can do or CAN'T do...
While it's always interesting to learn about the ancestors of a system, I have found that people tend to focus on the wrong things about them.
That FSC worked as a bounty hunter or body guard or had a pawn shop is relevant only in the regard of "what did he do besides WC".
This anectote here for example:


Is interesting from a MA point of view of course, BUT not for what many may think.
Whether it even happened is irrelevant, since I am sure the story was passed on to explain SFC fighting skill ie: Cross trained in another MA (possibly Taiji) AND pressure tested it in combat.
Why was this story passed on?
As a path for practioners to see and understand WHERE the systems came from, HOW it was developed and WHERE THEY should take it.

I hear you Sanjuro.

It seems to me that sometimes these stories are factual, other times even when made up, they can tell us something about what the person telling the story thought were ideal attributes someone training in their lineage should aim for. Which is pretty much what you said I think! ;)

[LoneTiger108]

HI LoneTiger,

The article seems to touch on a number of principles - both shared with other lines, as well as what seems to be quite unique. I'd like to ask you all about them.

No point asking ME! Not my family, but no doubt we have similarities as we do with most people I have met ;)

[Gowgee]

No point asking ME! Not my family, but no doubt we have similarities as we do with most people I have met ;)

LOL - that was a generic "you" as in everyone checking the thread, LoneTiger.
Thanks for playing though!

[Gowgee]

OK now I've got questions on the first post by Shadow Warrior 8!

I'm interested in what the footwork or shifting may be suggested by “移形换步” and “朝面追形”. I think the first one means "shifting shape by changing your footwork" and may just be a generic expression, is that right? I don't understand what “朝面追形” means though.

Also, the expression for the wing chun punch is “子午捶”. Is this in reference to 十二支 as in 子丑寅卯辰巳午未申戌亥 or simply as in 子午線 like a vertical line?

Would appreciate your thoughts.