Fu-Pow
04-19-2001, 01:42 AM
This was inspired by a post in the southern chinese forum....
I think that there are several common misconceptions about the history of Choy Lay(Lee,Li) Fut etc.
1)The first misconception is that the Fut, Choy and Lee in Choy Lee Fut refer to Lee Gar,Fut Gar and Choy Gar, 3 of the 5 main family styles in Southern China. (the other 2 being Mok and Hung)
I've heard this argument before from people in my own school. This just can't be correct. First of all, these styles look very different than Choy Lee Fut. True, Chan Heungs main teachers surnames were Lee and Choy, but these names are very common in China. It does not mean that they studied Lee Gar or Choy Gar. Fut is the Chinese word for Buddha..it is a shot out to the Shaolin Temple where both Lee Yau San and Choy Fook's MA were originally derived from.
2) Secondly, there is a misconception about Chan Heung having a 3rd teacher called "the Green Grass Monk."
This is not based on historical evidence but on a novel that was written about Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut. Chan Heung did have a 3rd teacher...actually it was his first teacher...his uncle Chan Yuen Woo...who studied Hung Gar briefly and realized his nephews prodigious martial arts talent...passing him along to his two later teachers.
If anyone would care dispute/comment on either of these points I'm open.....
Fu-Pow
"If you are talking about sport that is one thing. But when you are talking about combat-as it is-well then, baby, you'd better train every part of your body" - Bruce Lee
I think that there are several common misconceptions about the history of Choy Lay(Lee,Li) Fut etc.
1)The first misconception is that the Fut, Choy and Lee in Choy Lee Fut refer to Lee Gar,Fut Gar and Choy Gar, 3 of the 5 main family styles in Southern China. (the other 2 being Mok and Hung)
I've heard this argument before from people in my own school. This just can't be correct. First of all, these styles look very different than Choy Lee Fut. True, Chan Heungs main teachers surnames were Lee and Choy, but these names are very common in China. It does not mean that they studied Lee Gar or Choy Gar. Fut is the Chinese word for Buddha..it is a shot out to the Shaolin Temple where both Lee Yau San and Choy Fook's MA were originally derived from.
2) Secondly, there is a misconception about Chan Heung having a 3rd teacher called "the Green Grass Monk."
This is not based on historical evidence but on a novel that was written about Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut. Chan Heung did have a 3rd teacher...actually it was his first teacher...his uncle Chan Yuen Woo...who studied Hung Gar briefly and realized his nephews prodigious martial arts talent...passing him along to his two later teachers.
If anyone would care dispute/comment on either of these points I'm open.....
Fu-Pow
"If you are talking about sport that is one thing. But when you are talking about combat-as it is-well then, baby, you'd better train every part of your body" - Bruce Lee