Introduction

“I first met Yolanda at a very young age as a student of the CLF Club here in Richmond. When Yolanda came to the Richmond Sentinel this summer as a student writer, I asked her to write about the things she was passionate about that would also be of interest to our readers. When the subject of martial arts (Kung Fu) came up I suggested because of the very long history behind this “art” there is a story to be told about the founder, Chan Heung and his journey to achieve the art of “Choy Lee Fut” as taught today around the world. Through my travels to China, visiting the Shaolin Temple and witnessing the Kung Fu student performances was an amazing experience, that instilled a desire to learn about it’s history. Yolanda shares it’s history and interviews with student colleagues here in her two-part article”.  – Florence Gordon.

History

While the terms “martial arts” and “kung fu” are used nearly interchangeably in this article, note that they are different in the way “skill” and “tao” are, respectively. 

To understand Choy Lee Fut is to understand a way of life. Choy Lee Fut, whose name honours the founder’s three teachers, is a martial arts system derived from the Shaolin martial arts but is also a meditation and training of the mind and heart.

The nearly two-century-old form has stood the test of time. The story of the founder and his art is a testament to the courage, passion, and dedication it inspires in the world even today.

Those who train in Choy Lee Fut sharpen their mind and focus to a point, while perseverance and dedication become familiar accompaniment to their step. Together, in a strong and steady community, students of kung fu breathe in unison and listen to a message captured in the movements. Silently and subtly, form, detail, and tradition join, creating something bigger than the parts when put together.

The story of Chan Heung and Choy Lee Fut

Choy Lee Fut is a bold and powerful style of martial arts built on the hundreds of years of Northern and Southern Chinese kung fu techniques that came before.

In 1806, during the Qing dynasty, Chan Heung, future founder of Choy Lee Fut and exceptional martial artist, was born in Jingmei village, in the Xinhui district of Guangdong province, China. From the young age of seven, he was taught martial arts by his Shaolin-trained uncle Chan Yuen-Wu and demonstrated an immense passion and intelligence for the training. By 15, Chan Heung had made remarkable progress and began teaching in local villages, growing his reputation.

In 1823, at the age of seventeen, Chan Heung was recommended by his uncle to train under Li Yau-San from Guangdong province, who specialized in staff and leg techniques. Looking to further advance his skills, Chan Heung agreed and for the next four years perfected his kung fu under the careful watch of Li-Yau San.

Soon, Chan Heung heard about a reclusive Shaolin monk named Choy Fook living in a temple on Lau Fu mountain, known for his Shaolin practices, Zen philosophy, and internal medical knowledge. (Shaolin Temple, based in Henan province, is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Shaolin kung fu. During the early Qing dynasty, the emperor ordered the burning of the temple due to growing anti-Qing sentiments amongst the monks, but the art never went extinct.) Chan Heung, understanding that reaching his highest potential meant finding the monk and becoming his disciple, asked for Li Yau-San’s permission and went to search for the monk.

When Chan Heung finally found Choy Fook and asked to become his disciple, Choy Fook recognized the young man’s character, intelligence, and dedication, and agreed. For nearly a decade, Choy Fook taught Chan Heung powerful Buddhist meditation and profound internal Shaolin skills.

At 29, Chan Heung left the monk and returned to his hometown of Xin Hui. He spent the next two years refining everything he learned and developed a new system of martial arts that combined Northern and Southern techniques. In 1836, he formally established the Choy Lee Fut system, naming it for his teachers: “Choy” for Choy Fook, “Li” for Li Yau-San, and “Fut,” meaning “Buddha,” to honour his uncle Chan Yuen-Wu and the Shaolin roots of the system. Chan Heung then accepted an invitation from local elders to open the Hung Sing Martial School in Jingmei village. Many people from nearby villages came to study under him, marking the birth of Choy Lee Fut.

In 1839, as a result of China’s attempts to suppress the opium trade from primarily British foreign traders, the first Opium War broke out in China. Chan Heung stood up to defend his country, actively supporting Lin Zexu’s army by leading his disciples to fight against the British invaders at the battle of Tiger Gate in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. However, following China’s defeat in 1842, he returned home to his family.

Chan Heung, left disillusioned by the political corruption that contributed to defeat, embraced the idea of strengthening the nation through martial arts instead. By 1845, Chan Heung formally developed his Hung Sing Martial School into the Hung Sing Main School and built the Ancestral Hall in Jingmei. Chan Heung also appointed top disciples to establish branch schools across Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. The Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut schools, excellently organized, spread rapidly and flourished.

In 1850, the Taiping Rebellion led by Hong Xiuquan was gaining momentum, and many Choy Lee Fut disciples aided in the uprising to defeat the Qing government troops, some becoming leaders in the revolutionary efforts too. Chan Heung supported the uprisings in secret as well. 

When the Qing official Zeng Guofan began recruiting men to fight against the rebel Taiping forces, Chan Heung, fearing forced conscription, fled his home with his wife and two young sons, travelling across Nanhai, Shunde, Zhongshan, and Dongguan—different cities in Guangdong—and used the opportunity to further promote Choy Lee Fut.

In 1856, Chan Heung travelled to join Taiping leader Shi Dakai in training rebel soldiers. When the Taiping Rebellion succumbed in 1864, Qing authorities began hunting down remnants. Chan Heung escaped China altogether to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia while continuing to teach Choy Lee Fut and medicine. His highly refined martial arts earned him remarkable acclaim.

In 1868, when political tension eased, Chan Heung finally returned home and resettled in his native village, where he continued assigning senior disciples to lead branch schools. Choy Lee Fut flourished in Southern China. Soon, Chan Heung retired from active teaching and spent his final years quietly at the family estate, where he tirelessly organized and documented martial theories into books, systemizing Shaolin internal and external training, medicine healing, Buddhist principles, Western boxing methods, and more into a teaching manual titled “Choy Lee Fut Martial Studies.”

The legendary martial artist passed away in Jingmei Village at the age of 70 on August 20th, 1875.  His sons and disciples continued his legacy, establishing more schools to continue spreading Chan Heung’s Choy Lee Fut across China, the six continents, and 35 countries, including Canada.

Chan Heung, resilient and courageous, was a patriotic hero. While his nation was in crisis, he stood up without hesitation. Despite the circumstances of history, he never abandoned his mission of spreading and promoting Choy Lee Fut to the world.

Training today

At a Kung Fu club located in Richmond, the art of Choy Lee Fut lives on in the hearts and minds of the next generation. Walking into the CLF Kung Fu Club, one is greeted by students of all ages and skill levels training together and learning the values of resilience, humility, and dedication that have defined Chan Heung’s Choy Lee Fut since its inception.

The CLF Kung Fu club is led by Sifu Paul Tam (Sifu meaning teacher-father), who has been training for over thirty years. He introduces the training of Choy Lee Fut as an all-round system: "Kung fu training is not only for function but also for the mind. It serves as a training for mental and physical discipline.”

A wonderful way to begin understanding the invaluable training is to speak with those who show up to class day after day, year after year. The Richmond Sentinel sat down with three students to discuss their experience, which turns out to be rooted deeply in community.

The students came to the club with their own motivations. Five-year-old Jacky wanted to learn how to defend himself, while Jerome, also five, saw posts on his mom’s Facebook, and six-year-old Marcus was inspired after watching his uncle train. Now, seven years later at the ages of 12 and 13, they stay because of the people they have met.

“Over time, I’ve grown fond of the place. That’s my main reason for staying,” says Jacky. Marcus adds, “I’ve grown a strong connection with everyone here. It would feel weird to suddenly leave. I'm used to having them in my life.” Jerome looks to his friends and says, “They’re like my brothers.”

The strong community sets the foundation for meaningful classes where students of all ages and skill levels train together. As Sifu Paul Tam puts it, “Training together, people learn more easily and have more experience to share. They learn from each other's mistakes, build relationships, and improve teamwork. Humanity, our civilization, is a community. That's how we survive.”

As a result of their experience, Jacky, Jerome, and Marcus are leaders the younger students look up to. They help teach new techniques and lead class, all of which helps them understand many lessons beyond kung fu. They discover their strengths and weaknesses as individuals and leaders and understand the importance of respecting everyone and demonstrating humility. 

For every student at the club, training is about bringing a high level of focus and giving everything to each moment. “It’s not just about keeping up; it’s about meeting expectations,” Jerome reflects. “And it’s really hard to meet expectations.” Yet the difficult expectations push the students to become better and make practicing Choy Lee Fut fulfilling. Jerome adds, “When you learn new skills, you feel like you’ve improved, and you should be proud.”

The Richmond Sentinel took the opportunity to speak with Jacky Sihing (Sihing meaning teacher-brother), who has been training for twenty years, to understand how Choy Lee Fut impacts one’s life in the bigger picture. “It's all about self-discipline. In class, we are taught how to learn, how to focus, and how to find our own mistakes. From there, we build a habit, and one day at a time, we just try to do a little bit better. All this translates into real life and work because we always want to build good habits and improve as a person.

“For me, every day I try to think about the day that passed. 

For example, after each class, I think about what I did and then always ask the people that are more experienced about how to improve. The same applies to work. You pay attention to what you do, and if you don't know something, you ask someone who knows a little bit more.”

Jacky Sihing speaks about helping train the next generation too. “We want to instill a sense of focus and fulfillment from accomplishing something. Sometimes, accomplishing something takes time—students need to just wait even though they work hard. They need patience and focus.”

Sifu Paul Tam shares a similar message when asked about his intention behind training younger people: “My goal is to train them to know how to train, how to learn, and how to be mature, respectful, and practical. I would like my students to know time is limited and that their current values are not forever. Values and principles will change as one grows older; there's no absolute right or wrong; it depends on how one wants to dictate their life and what kind of person they want to be.

“I would like them to learn all this from Kung Fu. Kung Fu is a tool that can be used by those of any age, any condition, and any background, in any circumstance.”

This powerful training is passed on at the club. From students training hand forms and weapons to practicing lion dance and traditions, the art of Choy Lee Fut, first introduced to the world nearly 200 years ago, continues to guide and bring people together to discover something ancient yet timely.

Visit clfcanada.com for more information, or drop by the CLF Kung Fu Club located at #213, 4451 No 3 Rd, Richmond, during class time Tues/Thurs 5:30 - 7 p.m. or Saturday 4 - 5:30 p.m., 7 - 8:30 p.m. Tai Chi classes are also offered.