Stephen Chang - Hung gar Grandmaster?
Hello Forum Friends
I was wondering if I could send out a question and see if anybody has any answers for me? A friend of mine in Vancouver, Canada is currently looking for an Hung Gar instructor. He is come across a sifu named Grandmaster Stephen Chang. I know that he is from a Lam Sai Wing Lineage. I have never personally trained with Mr. Chang but he has been in Vancouver for a long time and has appeared in many Hong Kong and American films. Mr. Chang says that though there are many masters of Hung Gar, there are very few Grandmaster's such as himself. Is fees seem reasonable to me, but I don't know what advice I can give my friend as I do not know him or any of his students. Here are the questions. 1. Has anybody had any experience with or know Grandmaster Stephen Chang?
2. Does anybody know who his sifu was? and.. 3. What exactly is the difference between Master and Grandmaster?
Thanks! and I hope to hear from you soon!!!!
Learn more about Stephen Chang
http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazi...e&article=1014
Here is an interview from Kungfumagazine on Stephen Chang...although it seems like they spend half the time asking him about Bruce Lee.
I cannot offer an opinion on Stephen Chang character but my Sifu has mentioned to me that his Hung Gar is very traditional.
I think it's not that easy to find quality hung gar in Vancouver. There are instructors but the instructors maybe more focused on promotion and neglected their training or mixes in wushu into the curriculum. So if you want genuine Hung Gar it is worth your time to check out Stephen Chang. I had a friend who learned at length is another Sifu in Hung gar but when he learned from Stephen Chang he said he finally understood the finer details on the system.
He explains the Grandmaster title in this article
"PH: What was it like being an Asian in America around the time that martial arts exploded big time onto the US scene?
SC: Amazing. I was treated as "the New Bruce Lee” by the white guys as my physique was very much like his. I also trained like him and the hair and body almost like him in those years. I especially fought like him with the look of eyes and spirits. I spread out into 8 schools and taught all myself. I went from Master to Sifu to Grandmaster or Sigong. See when your student open their schools and teach their students they call me Grandmaster / Sigong - it's the way of life - like your son's son calls you Grandpa."
http://www.fareastfilms.com/customPage/45.htm
I have been taught that in Chinese you are a "Sifu" to someone who learns under you and you refer to someone as "Sifu" when they are a master of their craft.
"SiGong" or Grandmaster is purely exclusive their own lineage of when their student becomes a "Sifu" and their students refer to their teacher's teacher as "SiGong"
BUT to the public you would not be "SiGong"