Benny Meng

[couch]

Buy a bike, swim at the pool, play some paddleball.

You will get in shape, save money and retain your dignity.

- jo

You speak the TRUTH!

[Savi]

'Red Flag' is Benny's term for Hung Fa Yi, implying some sort of connection to the 5 Flags/'Black Flag Wing Chun'.

Here is this statement dated 2010 from the WHFYWCKFA:

http://hfy108.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3306

Greetings to you all,

The World Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kung Fu Association would like to thank our members around the world for their hard work and perseverance in continuing the art of Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen under Grandmaster Garrett Gee. Our members’ dedication to preserving our system and culture is truly excellent. Our Grandmaster has brought together a diverse Wing Chun family that spans the globe, from Asia to Europe, South America and the USA. This makes our family a worldwide organization with many members and many opportunities to grow and exchange our Kung Fu and individual cultures.

It has come to the attention of the World Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kung Fu Association that in the last month there have been a number of rumors circulating on the Kungfu/Qigong Magazine forums and third party websites in reference to the term "Red Flag Wing Chun" being used to reference both TWC and HFY with the intention of 3rd party self promotion. It is not the policy of the WHFYWCKFA to comment on rumors and other people's affairs, but due to the number of recent inquiries we have received on the subject of any “Black Flag/Red Flag” rumor, the WHFYWCKFA would like to address the comments made.

We would like to begin by clarifying that the WHFWCKFA cannot speak for the TWC Association's position on rumors such as the "Black Flag/Red Flag” issue and "5 Flag societies" issue. In investigating this matter, it appears that some websites are using Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun material for personal and business promotion. However, in the Hung Fa Yi Oral history, from our founder Hung Gun Biu, to our current lineage holder, Grandmaster Garrett Gee, our association has not been called, or associated with any rumored "Red Flag society" or "5 Flag society". Since the 1850's, our lineage traces through one society only: the Hung Fa Wui/Red Flower Boxer Society which is documented in official Chinese history.

To any parties genuinely interested in the Chinese history research, public documents from the Chinese government are available to the general public that clearly explain the recent history of the "5 Flag societies" as bandits and their betrayal to the motherland, China.

Observing the evidence present, our association would like to say "Thanks, but no thanks" to any 3rd party web site attempting to link the WHFYWCKFA to any "5 Flag" or "Black Flag/Red Flag" association for business promotion or advertisement. The Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kuen Paai have always been, and will remain loyal to, the true identity and pure history of Red Flower Boxer Society.

Thank you and good training to all.

- William H.
Executive Director
World Hung Fa Yi Wing Chun Kung Fu Association

[rogerlee36]

I'll probably regret this, knowing you guys, but here are Benny's demos at KFTC DAY.

Hong Kong Style Wing Chun
Red Opera (Red Flag) Wing Chun
Black Flag Wing Chun

Gene,

After doing some reading and the internet searching for this black flag wing chun, it seems to be clear that it was being make up by this Kenneth Lin in Virgina. His Sifu sent out an apology on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=wk3WPHKAMyg

There are always history debate in martial art but this seems clear fraud. Don't you think including this kind of thing in your show removes some credibilty from your magazine?

[Lee Chiang Po]

I really hope this doesn't start a huge flame fest... but...

To put it simply... I'm interested in pursuing martial arts as a way to regain some health benefits, for stress relief and realistic self-defense. Pretty typical story.

I live about 20 minutes away from the VTM / Meng's Martial Arts.

In searching this and other forums, I've read some... ehem... no so nice things about Benny Meng... but this is the internet, and you know how that goes. I met with him last night, seemed like a nice, straight-forward kind of guy... shared the info about his school and what they taught without being at all pushy or anything.

I found it somewhat difficult to sort through the search results I found on this forum. Most of the arguments seem to be about lineage and long chinese words that are pretty meaningless to me.

I'm just looking for some general opinions... are they teaching hocus pocus? Or are the arguments more over historical differences and less about effectiveness?

In other words, if you were in this area, would you train there?

Thanks.

I wouldn't ask here about him. I would simply make my own judgments. You are just wanting to study a MA, and unless you are also interested in politics and infighting over history, which is probably as good as anyone guess, you can't go wrong. Just go and study what he offers and forget about everything else.

[Runlikehell]

Here is this statement dated 2010 from the WHFYWCKFA:

Savi, thank you for posting that.

[GeneChing]

Don't you think including this kind of thing in your show removes some credibilty from your magazine?

This is CMA. Credibility is only an issue for literalists. The truth is that almost every traditional style of Chinese martial arts has mythic underpinnings. This stems back to many of our fundamental creation beliefs. So in a misguided way, it's a traditional to make up an origin tale and the modern practitioners who do so are actually being more traditional. Remember tradition just means honoring the past - it is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Nowhere does it say that tradition represents the 'truth'. Heck, when it comes to Wing Chun in particular, there are multiple truths, yours, mine and the other guys. Who's truth would you like us to report? Seriously, it's a bit of a koan, but when it comes to origin tales in TCMA, the symbolic meaning outweighs to facts.

[sanjuro_ronin]

To echo Gene,
The vast majority of TCMA have, as their tradition, a mythical story of creation and development.
Most serious MA practitioners are aware of that and those who aren't aware, are not because, quite frankly, they choose NOT to be.

[rogerlee36]

This is CMA. Credibility is only an issue for literalists. The truth is that almost every traditional style of Chinese martial arts has mythic underpinnings. This stems back to many of our fundamental creation beliefs. So in a misguided way, it's a traditional to make up an origin tale and the modern practitioners who do so are actually being more traditional. Remember tradition just means honoring the past - it is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Nowhere does it say that tradition represents the 'truth'. Heck, when it comes to Wing Chun in particular, there are multiple truths, yours, mine and the other guys. Who's truth would you like us to report? Seriously, it's a bit of a koan, but when it comes to origin tales in TCMA, the symbolic meaning outweighs to facts.

Gene,

I guess I see a difference in comparing legend versus lying in your face. The guy already got caught with saying 5 flag wing chun exist, which was prove to be a fake market angle. Now here he is pormoting some mess up lohan (not lindsey!) as wing chun. That's not legend, it's modern day reality

[Jeff_H]

Anyone can come up with a story, market it, and prey on peoples ignorance in the name of the mighty dollar. Gene just doing his job.

History may repeat itself based on Genes perspective of "tradition". Wing Chun myth about survival for righteous cause. Lin/Meng story not a myth but fabrication and chop suey for their pocketbook. Today is capitalism, nothing about research for good cause but creativity for financial gain. Its a bad economy for whole world.

[Jeff_H]

Gene,

I guess I see a difference in comparing legend versus lying in your face. The guy already got caught with saying 5 flag wing chun exist, which was prove to be a fake market angle. Now here he is pormoting some mess up lohan (not lindsey!) as wing chun. That's not legend, it's modern day reality

That's funny we have almost the same point to make. What are the other flags aside from red and black?

[GeneChing]

I'm sure some of you will think this is a sell-out, but Benny Meng's videos are produced by TC Media Intl. (our parent company) and they do well, especially considering that DVD sales is a dying market nowadays. He has charged TC Media with production of a new DVD on Black Flag. There will be an accompanying article. Now you say "but it's all based on lies". As a print publisher and a part of a DVD production company (both declining markets), I must always consider that bottom line. We're not desperate yet, but income is income. It costs money to keep this all up and running. So we're not going to turn away that community, which is considerably large, just because it has some detractors. Frankly, if detractors were causing a credibility issue, we would never be able to publish anything.

P.S. I'm waiting for the pink flag wing chun.

[Hendrik]

I wouldn't ask here about him. I would simply make my own judgments. You are just wanting to study a MA, and unless you are also interested in politics and infighting over history, which is probably as good as anyone guess, you can't go wrong. Just go and study what he offers and forget about everything else.

I agree!

Study MA is not joining a cult.

[Hendrik]

I'm sure some of you will think this is a sell-out, but Benny Meng's videos are produced by TC Media Intl. (our parent company) and they do well, especially considering that DVD sales is a dying market nowadays. He has charged TC Media with production of a new DVD on Black Flag. There will be an accompanying article. Now you say "but it's all based on lies". As a print publisher and a part of a DVD production company (both declining markets), I must always consider that bottom line. We're not desperate yet, but income is income. It costs money to keep this all up and running. So we're not going to turn away that community, which is considerably large, just because it has some detractors. Frankly, if detractors were causing a credibility issue, we would never be able to publish anything.

P.S. I'm waiting for the pink flag wing chun.

Different cult group form very days, and Every cult members will say other cult is wrong.

But the world still spin and people goes to university to get educate to build the real world to make a living. That's reality . Cult never gone as soon as there are human. Those are a fun part of life.

[Vajramusti]

I can't keep up with all the chameleon changes in BM's alleged persuasions. If someone wants to learn from him- it's not my business. And if Gene's fairly long standing link with BM makes money for both-that is their business.
All self anointed wc "historians" are just pushing their own agendas.

Do we really need to continue this thread?

[Wayfaring]

P.S. I'm waiting for the pink flag wing chun.

Coming your way in 2015 - after Benny discovers the real Ng Mui hiding out in a small midwestern town, leaves Lin, modifies the VTM unified WCK history, publishes a book "Pink Flag: The Real Shaolin Connection", and founds a WCK full contact fight team known as the "Pink Warriors".