the whole issue about separating from others is how ANY of these styles got their names and oral histories to begin with. From what I've gathered, a few generations back, they didn't even bother to have all these different names at all. Siu Lum Fut Ga Lo Han Kuen was a common name for all southern systems.
People don't give their system a special name or history until they have a need to-which is marketing. During the overthrow of the Chings, do you think rebels cared what the name of their Gung-Fu was? Heck no. They just trained to fight. But when the fighting is over, and the country is not in revolution, and people open up schools, well you need to attract students,and you develop New and Improved, over Brand X.
Ever look at the histories? Do you honestly think Hung Hei-Guen combined his wife's crane techniques, etc, or Ng Mui saw a White Crane fighting with a Snake, or Chang Seng-Feng saw a Hawk fighting a snake, or someone else saw a fight between a white ape and a white crane and took the injured ape home?!!(TOOK THE INJURED APE HOME!!!?)-Chris Rock voice
Did you realize that Yang Lu-Chan's story is identical to Chan Heung's?
It goes on, and on. Everyone wants to be Siu-Lum, everyone was an Imperial Guard, Everyone has the system devised to defeat all the other systems.
I am not putting down anyone's art. ALL OUR GUNG-FU IS WONDERFUL, but the 'Traditional Histories"??? I'm just a wee tad skeptical.
You guys need to stop arguing over such trivialities. It's the little things that keep us apart, and this should never be.
Don't sweat the small stuff. you know the rest.
Mo Lum Yat Ga. you guys get this, right?