LE: The next questions I have are about the Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut style. Can you tell me about the history of Choy Lay Fut, what makes it unique, and what is special about your own interpretation of the style?
CKC: Choy Lay Fut was founded in the 19th century by Chan Heung, who was born in King Mui Village in the Sun Wui district of Kwang Tung province. It was named after three teachers who taught him different styles: Choy Gar, Lay Gar, and Fut Gar. Chan Heung taught Cheong Hung Sing and Lui Chaun. Lui Chaun in turn taught his student, Tam Sam, who started the Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut school. Unfortunately, there was a rivalry between the different schools. He changed some things from what he had been taught, including the chap choy. Tam Sam was famous for his lian huan chap choy (continuous stabbing strike). Tam Sam taught Lung Chi Cheung, who in turn taught Wong Yuen Lo, who taught me.
The main difference between Choy Lay Fut and other styles is the use of full power, which is generated from long hand movements, strong ma bu and footwork, and whole body turning. Choy Lay Fut practitioners also prefer to enter from the side when they fight, from the outside gate, rather than trying to meet an opponent head-on. It is more open than tighter styles, like Wing Chun or Bak Mei, Nan Tong Long, etc.
The openness is necessary in order to generate the power. The tighter the style, the less the power. Take the idea of the one-inch punch. From a Choy Lay Fut perspective, this is like trying to shoot an arrow by only pulling back one inch on the bowstring. One inch punch, one inch good fight, or one inch longer, one inch more power, is an old saying. Choy Lay Fut generates more power to fight. Killing power.
There are quite a few differences between the Choy Lay Fut styles. The chap choy, for instance, is done differently, based on Tam Sam's modifications. There are also secret differences, of course.
LE: When you say Choy Lay Fut is a more open style, is that because the focus is more on generating a powerful offense that will put an end to a fight quickly, rather than on adopting a careful defense?
CKC: The training is open; if it is applied wrongly in combat one is certainly vulnerable to counterattack. Sometimes students do adopt a position that is too open because they are eager to deliver a powerful blow. In my personal interpretation of the style, I changed some moves from long to middle, and sometimes short. If you have good footwork, with one short step you can enter and win the fight, so my style uses some short moves that other Choy Lay Fut practitioners usually don't. From my experience fighting, I find that many moves are too slow to set up and execute, even though they generate a lot of power if they work. More speed means more power, and you need to find a balance that is effective.
One example of my own innovation is a change I made to the sow choy. When I go back to Hong Kong, the old masters say, that's not sow choy! But I changed it based on my experience. I turn my hand with the knuckles pointing up, rather than to the side - this way you still use the whole arm, but you're not going to break your hand. My Sigung would complain that I was always changing things, but I change the forms to make them better based on my experience.