Choy lee fut's connection to the hung mun secret society by sifu frank mc.
CHOY LEE FUT’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHINESE SECRET SOCIETY (P. 1)
BY SIFU FRANK MCCARTHY
Since the beginning of antiquity, Chinese Secret Societies (known as Hui/Wui) have always played a major role in Chinese society. The White Lotus Society, Red Spear Society, Gelaohui, Yellow Sand Society, the Heaven and Earth Society, the Green Door/Gate (known later as the Ching Bang or Green Gang), and the Hung Mun aka Hung Door/Gate are just a few of the more well-known secret societies in China. Many of them were established as Anti-foreign rule and mutual aid associations. The ones who were anti foreign rule worked feverishly to overthrow the government to return rule back to the Ming Dynasty. The Hung Mun, was established just for that very reason.
During the Qing Dynasty in 1761, the Manchurian government ordered the destruction and slaughter of the southern Shaolin temple and its inhabitants. In the aftermath of this evil act came the birth (Some say rebirth) of the Hung Mun, aka Hung Society, Hung League, or the Hung. It was established by Choy Dak Jung, Fong Dai Hung, Mah Chiu Hing, Wu Dak Dai, and Lee Sik Hoi, the last surviving monks of the destroyed Shaolin Temple. At the time, the primary goal for the Hung Mun was overthrowing the Qing Empire with intents to retore the Ming Dynasty back to power. To aid in their mission, they all agreed it was paramount that they all separate to various regions of China to build their own armies to achieve their goals.
The Hung Mun founders divided up parts of China amongst each other to individually establish their own tongs/Lodges and take control of certain areas of the country. For instance, Fong Dai Hung was ranked #2 in hierarchy out of the 5 surviving Shaolin Monks. He was personally assigned southern China’s Kwantung or Guangzhou (which included Guangxi) area for the launching of his Tong/Lodge. One of his primary missions at the time was to raise an army for the up and coming major revolutions. Since the founders were Shaolin Monks, they naturally recruited local martial arts masters to train their armies of revolutionary fighters.
During the early to mid 1850’s in southern China, styles such as Hung Gar, Wing Chun, Choy Lee Fut, and possibly Xing Yi were Chinese Martial Arts styles that were involved with the Hung Mun in one way or another. Choy Lee Fut has a deeper Hung Mun connection than most styles do. Indirectly, 3 of the 5 Hung Mun founders were behind the creation of the Choy Lee Fut system as we know it today in some fashion. The 1st connection to the Hung Society is Chan Yuen Wu, Chan Heung’s very first kung fu teacher. Various factions of Choy Lee Fut believe that Chan Yuen Wu was a member of the Hung Mun and that he taught “Hung Kuen” to Chan Heung. Actually, this makes sense because the 1st of the five Shaolin monks was named Choy Dak Jung and his alias was Chan Yuen, it is highly possible Chan Yuen Wu and Choy Dak Jung were one and the same person.
As Chan Heung’s Hung Kuen teacher, Chan Yuen Wu (Possible Identity for Monk Choy Dak Jung – the 1st of Choy Lee Fut’s Hung connection), may have been the source of knowledge on the whereabouts of the Monk Ching Cho (Green Grass Monk). According to one version of Choy Lee Fut’s history, it was Chan Heung who was supposed to complete his training under the Green Grass Monk. However, for whatever reasons, he would be unable to and sent Cheung Hung Sing in his place. The fact that Chan Heung knew the whereabouts of a wanted fugitive such as Monk Ching Cho, suggests that Chan Yuen Wu most likely informed him on where to find the Monk. Otherwise, it would be virtually impossible to find the wanted Green Grass Monk without and inside man.
The Choy Lee Fut system’s 2nd connection to the Hung Mun lays with Master Lee Yau San of the Lee Gar kung fu system. Lee Yau San is believed to have been a student of Li Sik Hoi, the 5th brother of the Hung Mun founders. Li Sik Hoi was responsible for establishing the Wang Fa Tong Lung Sai Kwan or Extension Conversion Hall of the Western Dyke District in Zhejiang and Jiangxi. He was also the founder of the Red Spear Society or Hung Cheong Wui. And in Chan Heung’s case, Li Sik Hoi would have been his Sigung or Grand Master.
In the 3rd connection to the Hung Mun, Chan Heung was said to have trained revolutionary fighters for Chan Kai, who was a leader in the Hung Mun during the Tai Ping Rebellion King Mui (Xin Hui) area, however Chan Heung himself was alleged to be a devout Buddhist and refrained from participating in the violence of Revolution. Chan Kai was a highly ranked member of the Tong that was founded by the Green Grass Monk. He was also a tong brother of Li Wenmao, the famous leader of the Hung Mun in the city of Fut San. Li Wenmao was also the founder of the Red Boat Opera Society.
The 4th Hung Mun connection to Choy Lee Fut lays with Cheung Hung Sing and Monk Ching Cho Wo Seurng (Green Grass Monk). The latter held the #2 position in the Hung Society’s hierarchy. His brotherhood name was Ching Cho, which isn’t his Shaolin name as many people presumed it was, probably because “Green Grass” sounds very Buddhist in nature. He was the founder of the largest and most powerful Tong in southern China, which was his designated area to establish his Tong. Due to his direct involvement and being a Hung Society co-founder, the Qing Empire was determined to rid itself of every Hung Mun member, including Monk Ching Cho. As a wanted fugitive with a heavy price on his head, Monk Ching Cho went into hiding until Cheung Hung Sing came searching for him.
The 5th connection to the Hung Mun is found in the Salute or Bow of Choy Lee Fut’s Hoi Jongs (Opening section). The left hand is an open palm. The right hand is a clenched fist. Within Chan Heung’s lineage when the two hands come together, they then push straight out and the clenched fist with the first two knuckles placed in the center of the open palm and rotate the clenched fist outwards to pay respect to the Ming Dynasty, the very dynasty the Hung Mun was fervently fighting to restore back to power. I’m quite sure there are many more elements within Chan Heung’s forms that contain secret society signals and gestures, I just don’t know their forms enough to make an educated call on that.
In the American Hung Sing Kwoon we have one type of bow. Once you bow, we point to 3 separate points in front of us. These points are “Heaven Earth and Man”. There is even a section in the Hoi Jong for “Fan Qing Fu Ming” or Overthrow the Qing and Restore the Ming in it. Other elements found hidden within the Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut system are found in such things like the floor patterns. The forms Hoi Jong is performed in an upside-down L shaped pattern, and while the pattern may be shared by other lineages, it's not about the pattern but what’s inside that pattern that matters. This floor pattern can be superimposed perfectly over the “Hung” character used by the Hung Mun. At the end of it, Fut San Hung Sing Students bow to Heaven, Earth and Man. In Choy Lee Fut, this is not typically found outside of Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon.
Secret Hung Mun hand signals disguised as martial art hand Shapes and posture are also found in our forms. In Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon of today there is a hand signal called 3.5 Incense, this signal is also used by the Tong founded by the Green Grass Monk. Other Hand Signals found are located in Choy Lee Fut’s 5 Animals. For example, in order: The Dragon, Tiger, Snake and Crane hand shapes are directly attributed to Choy Dak Jung, Fong Dai Hung, Wu Dak Dai, and Lee Sik Hoi, 4 of the 5 Hung Mun founders.
According to our Fut San Hung Sing history, the Green Grass Monk solidified Cheung Hung Sing’s role within the Hung Mun in 1848 by giving him the new first name of “Hung Sing” (洪勝) which means “Victory to the Hung” (Society). This name in the Hung Society can be found on various flags belonging to Monk Ching Cho’s tong. It was also used by the Red boat Opera, and even found as names of Secret Society Tong’s located in mountains of Guangxi, China. The first time it was used in Choy Lee Fut is via Cheung Heung Sing and the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon.
Further evidence of Cheung Hung Sing's involvement with the Hung Mun is found in a number of other places as well. One of them is found in the pair of couplets ALL Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon's use. The left side reads, "A strong fist releases out like a tiger raising its head" while the right side reads, "A graceful staff flies above like a dragon whipping its tail." Now, when you string the first two words of each couplet together, it means "Hero" as in revolutionary hero. Another link is found in the setup of Jeong Yim's alter. A true Hung Mun based school will have the alter, a table in front of it, and two chairs. One is for the master, and the other is for his top disciple.
Choy lee fut's connection to secret society(p. 2)
The next confirmation of the connection to the Hung Mun comes in the form of poetry. The following poetry is a revolutionary piece that contained a secret message hidden within its verses that was found on the walls of Cheung Hung Sing’s school:
“大鹏展翼反天手，
魁星踢斗清名留，
拱拜五湖复四海,
日月拱照万世流”
The first reads: The big bird spreads its wings like an overturned hand
The Second reads: The scholar who excels so much that his name or fame will remain forever
The third reads: Salutations to the brothers in the 5 lakes and four seas or four corners
The fourth reads: The sun will shine brilliantly for generations
(CERTAIN WORDS IN THESE LINES WHEN STRUNG TOGETHER WILL FORM THE HUNG MUN SECRET SOCIETY SLOGAN "FAN CHING FU MING" WHICH TRANSLATES INTO "OVERTHROW THE QING, RESTORE THE MING")
Cheung Hung Sing was said to have been an ardent supporter of revolution, clearly fighting for the cause of the Hung Mun. He and his Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon fully participated in the Tai Ping Rebellion (1851-1864), in which 20 Million people died. They did so under the flag of the Hung Mun, who, supported the rebellion. Being as deep as he was inside the society, he would have learned all the secret hand signals, postures and whatnot that they used to communicate among one another in a secret manner.
To conclude here, as a member of Monk Ching Cho’s Tong here in the USA branch, I was given access to information unknown to the outside world. With permission from the Dragon Head of our Tong, I was allowed to speak on what connects Choy Lee Fut to the Hung Brotherhood as long as I didn’t give away what’s considered secret. Also, much of the material I did research and mention here could also be found online anyway.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT CLF’S CONNECTION TO THE SECRET SOCIETY TODAY?
The only importance is to help validate the existence of the Green Grass Monk when much of Choy Lee Fut basically accused the Fut San Branch of CLF of fabricating the story of the green grass monk to have a “special” place on the CLF family tree. This is, and always has been furthest from the truth. In fact, Choy Lee Fut was partly responsible for the actual demise of the Qing Empire in 1911, accomplishing the dream and goals of the Hung Society of the Qing Dynasty. It’s our history, and your history since even Chan Heung also supported and was possibly a member of the largest and most powerful tong in all of Southern China.
