Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer - a documentary by Mimi Chan

[nubianmantis]

greetings Family, Nice Article;Alex. It appears that I saw this one in New Martial Hero Magazine during the 1970's. While in Manila P.I. we flip through a hundred or more vintage copies of New Martial Hero Magazines from the 70's and 80's. thanks for your work,MantisMan. Be Well. NM.

[mooyingmantis]

In that article Alex provided, I noticed that the Chinese characters for Lee Kwan Shan of Wah Lum fame's name are the same characters as the name Li Kunshan of Meihua mantis fame. Interesting!

[Blacktiger]

Great - keep us posted on the release!

[Siuhoimoon]

Hey, mr. Alextse (or anybody), would you mind translating this article about the WL history for us? Unfortunatly, my Chinese language skills are close to zero, and I´d love to know what´s written on this article...

By the way, does anybody here have another old articles from the 70´s and 80´s New Martial Hero Magazines about WL to share with us? Somebody (I think it was Kevin) that told us about an article from Chan Wan Ching giving some information about the Iron Door Bolt form (aka Little Mantis).

Thank you very much!

[jmd161]

While NOT a fan of overly-acrobatic kung fu, one can't deny GM Pui Chan's skill.
Nice trailer.

Agreed!

Saw him many many yrs ago I think it was 1996 at a Masters demo... man impressed me so much that today it's still one of my great MA experiences!

[Chop Socki]

Gah!

> Mimi Chan, now a 33-year-old Sifu...

I remember going to her 18th birthday party... how did she get so much older and I stayed the same?!?

- CS

[GeneChing]

The DVD of the KFTC 20 YEARS Gala Banquet demo will be given out FOR FREE for subscribers only with our next issue. In order to receive your copy, you must be subscribed by 9/13/12.

[GeneChing]

Central Florida Film Festival

Sunday Itinerary - September 2nd, 2012
2:50 pm – 4:22 pm
SCREENING - Documentary Film Entry
PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER

[GeneChing]

Here's some coverage from the Sep 2012 issue of Asia Trend (see page 5).

More to come. Stay tuned.

[GeneChing]

Mimi Chan on PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER

[Tainan Mantis]

Thanks Gene,
I look forward to seeing this movie someday, I hope you will be the first to let us know when we can see it.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I wonder how open he was with her...
I know that there are still many things about my "ma background" that I keep from my wife, much less my girls.
I don't know if I ever would be 100% honest with them about all I have done...

[GeneChing]

TM - you'll find a list of upcoming screenings on their website. They are working the FL film festival circuit right now, looking to expand.

[GeneChing]

I've been following this on facebook. It's worth liking, if only to see Mimi in various evening gowns.

Kung fu master Pui Chan dazzles in documentary
Posted by Ling-Mei Wong on Friday, November 9, 2012

Kung fu master Pui Chan shows his skill at the Boston Asian American Film Festival. (Image courtesy of BAAFF.)
By Ling-Mei Wong

Most 74-year-olds don’t train kung fu masters for three hours.

But Pui Chan is not your average senior citizen. He stars in “Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer,” a documentary directed by his daughter Mimi, and is the founder of the Wah Lum Kung Fu Academy and Athletic Association.

The film’s New England premiere was sold out in Boston Oct. 27, hosted by the Boston Asian American Film Festival. Attendees included Chan’s students, along with family members and Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. “Boston is when he came here and embraced the U.S.,” said Mimi Chan. “There was a great support network, with a great Chinatown.”

Daring escape
Born in 1938 in Sha Cheng, China, Chan was a hyperactive child who started his kung fu training at six. His master Lee Kwan Shan brought the Wah Lum style from Shandong province and found Chan a promising pupil.

Lee passed away, but his memory continued. Chan escaped from communist China to Hong Kong and trained with Lee’s advanced students. He found work as a sailor and traveled the world, all the while practicing kung fu at sea.

Chan’s uncle and brother emigrated for America, where he decided to join them. When he was turned back by New York immigration officers for not having a visa, he made the fateful decision to climb down a rope and swim an hour to shore.

From New York City, he settled in Boston with his brother. “This is where the Wah Lum tree was planted,” said Mimi Chan. “Obviously it started in China, but it was beyond what anyone thought Wah Lum would have been.”

Boston’s Chinatown in the ’70s was a different place, with the dangerous “combat zone” and seedy establishments. Chan strove to overcome discrimination by performing lion dances on Chinese New Year for the community. His performances were so impressive that he founded the first Wah Lum kung fu school in 1968 and rented the John Han**** Hall in 1972 for a full-scale martial arts show.

Success Story
Chan and his family moved to Orlando, Fla., in 1980, where he built the first kung fu temple in America. He made a conscious decision to accept non-Chinese students, creating an international martial arts program.

Chan’s ethnicity and small build made him the target of racial discrimination. He was pelted with fruit at his Boston school and held at gunpoint in Orlando. No matter what, he never resorted to violence and resolved conflict peacefully.
Chan is not one to rest on his laurels. “I come up to Boston every year to certify the advanced students,” he said. “It’s no trouble for me, as long as kung fu flourishes.”

His whole family teaches kung fu, including Chan’s wife Suzy and younger daughter Tina. His eldest daughter Mimi runs the association’s operations, along with media relations and martial arts performance. Mimi has appeared in several feature films, thanks to her live-action performance for fight scenes in Disney’s “Mulan.”

Chan’s family gives him “peace of mind,” but he refuses to stay still. “My advice to new immigrants is to work hard,” he said. “That’s how I got my success. You need to put in more time — I go to my temple at 6:30 a.m. every day.”

Along with teaching martial arts, Chan gave back to the Shaolin Temple in China by leading the first U.S. tour group there in the ’80s. His efforts helped rebuild the temple and brought Shaolin masters to train pupils in America.

A tough work ethic and willingness to think big epitomize Chan’s legacy. “I wanted to share his life and all the lessons he taught through martial arts,” said Mimi Chan. “Even if you don’t do martial arts, you can achieve your dreams.

[GeneChing]

We attended the first west coast screening of Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer at the Sunscreen West Film Festival on Oct. 12. I just posted some photos from the event on our fb album.

Here's a sample: