| History of Hung Fut (part 1) |
| So secretly, they gained finance to assist the Heavenly Kingdom of Peace. Amongst the members, there was a youth by the name of Huang Yongchi. His father was in West Nanzhen's successful paper industry. His profits were quite abundant. Due to the political upheaval of the day, people needed to study self-defence. This including Huang Yongchi. When his father grew old and retired, he handed over the business to his chivalrous sibling. He was generous in aiding others. The counter-Qing ambition was overflowing, showing in peoples' words and expressions. Through his training, he became friends with a crowd of slaughterers whose good deeds intermingled with evil. There was a man by the name of Chen Jin Gang who planned to start the coup d'etat in Shunde, but he needed 2000 taels of silver to stage the rebellion. Huang Yongchi felt it was a righteous charity and not wishing to be just an observer would carry the silver to the town. Loose lips while collecting firewood lead to his band being robbed by a large gang; overwhelmed by sheer numbers. As all seemed lost, an aged monk came to their rescue with his staff. He blinded the ringleader in his left eye. The rest of the bandits scattered in a panic. Huang Yongchi graciously thanked the old monk for saving his life and asked him his name--Chan Master Won Nay. Huang Yongchi repaid the debt by doing obeisance with Won Nay at the Jin Shan Si (Gold Mountain Temple), Shiao Sing County, Fujian Province. It is believed he may have taken on the monk name Wong Tong Kae when he took refuge. Over the course of time, the disciple diligently studied kung fu. Huang Yongchi became the second-generation grandmaster. The Third Generation Huang Yongchi travelled to Guangzhou City. Leaving the city was a company of Manchu cavalry, galloping to the field. In their haste as they passed through the East Gate, a youth was unable to evade their horses. The leading flag soldier knocked him down onto his head. The soldier dismounted, and maliciously attacked without remorse, using a leather whip. The youth was unable to avoid the blows. Huang Yongchi saw this and was unable to restrain himself. Indignant he fills in the soldier's chest. Like an arrow, he steps forward to take away the whip, first using it on his victim's seat then, continuing to hits that flag soldier. When the other militia caught up, they saw their companion being bullied. They encircle Huang Yongchi, and lift their weapons to advance together. Huang Yongchi�s fast eyes and hands strike continuously using the whip. Dismounted the horses fled in panic. Soldiers all injured, left groaning on the ground. Huang Yongchi helped the youth up onto a horse and in one breath, escaped to the west of the city. The youth's name was Lei Tung Foon and was a waiter in a convenience store in west Guangzhou. Huang Yongchi knew that his master Won Nay was originally surnamed Lei as well--Chinese write the family name first. He believed there was a connexion. He also sensed the youth�s moral behaviour was pure, good-hearted, loyal, and reliable. At the store, he recruited him as his own student, to teach him, together with the assistance of Wun Nay, all the kung fu that he knew. After Huang Yongchi became accomplished, his master died in the Jin Shan Temple. Huang Yongchi, in commemoration for his Hung Fut teacher decided the ten words that would represent Hung Fut Pai for the next ten generations. Those words are Shan (Good or do good deeds), Yi (Happy), Ba (Surpass), Sheng (Grow), Cheng (Achievement), Bao (Treasure), Hua (Change), Yong (Use), Ying (Heros), and Xian (Virtuous). These ten characters differentiated the generational spread of the faction. The two generational masters buried the style creator in his hometown, Huang Yongchi going on to build a consecrated palace for his master then later opening a Hung Fut Kung Fu school in Fo Shan (Buddha Hill), Guangdong province. He named it Yi Yi Tang (Much Joy Hall). Practicing day after day increased his fame. Lei Tung Foon took to drinking liquor to find relief from the death. After he got drunk he created the 'Drunken Eight Immortals' form. After he mastered this form, the kung fu of Hung Fut advanced a step further. After more than ten years of hard training, Lei Tung Foon achieved the martial power of Hung Fut. The now aged Huang Yongchi declared that he going to wander the world. Lei Tung Foon took over the kung fu school, becoming the third generation grandmaster of the Pai. After Lei Tung Foon occupied Fo Shan for a period of time, he moved on to Gaoyao County City, Guangdong to teach the kung fu under the sign of 'Ba Ba Tang', where he taught countless disciples. The Fourth Generation There was a Daoist priest by the name of Fok Yun, who joined the 'Big Dipper Shore Universal Virtue Daoist Temple'. He originally was from another, more heterodox, faction. With his strange techniques, he committed all kinds of evil deeds, causing disturbances at the temple. He was eventually ordered to leave. Priest Fok Yun became enraged, and seized the opportunity to demonstrate his powers. He went to slap his palm on a document case, and split the firm wood on the spot. He stated that he was going to take command of the temple. This occurred shortly after a young teenaged novice-priest named Haw Doudan entered the temple. Because his family was poor, he lived at the 'Big Dipper Shore Universal Virtue Daoist Temple' and led a pious lifestyle. Because Haw Doudan knew that Lei Tung Foon's kung fu was good, he came purposely to seek his help. Lei Tung Foon was moved by Haw Doudan�s plight, and was willing to help. Together they went back to the temple. Fok Yun suddenly attacked Lei Tung Foon with his iron palm. The Hung Fut grand master repelled Fok Yun's technique. Priest Fok Yun then knew he could not win, bowing his head to oblige. Tidying his valuables and left immediately. The original head of the temple expressed his gratitude after Lei Tung Foon upheld justice. Lei Tung Foon earlier had had plans to look for an intelligent promising youth to be the grandmaster of the fourth generation. He thought how Haw Doudan was wise and also a priest. He asked the head priest if Haw Doudan could become his student so he could learn to protect the temple. After Haw Doudan studied diligently for several years at the Universal Virtue Daoist Temple, he continued with concentrating on private meditation. After passing through a suitable amount of time to ponder, he created the Fourteen Elbow Form. By then Lei Tung Foon was old, and soon died. Haw Doudan then started to teach the fifth generation in the Daoist temple, instructing the priests in martial arts and becoming the fourth generation grandmaster. Later he was forced to flee the temple as it was attacked and burned by the Qing Government--blamed for inciting revolt in the people. He thought to himself, he shouldn't restrict himself to just teaching Daoist priests, but that he should teach Hung Fut to the troubled outside world. He made up his mind to look for an apprentice who was a layman. The Fifth Generation When the Daoist temple needed repairs, there was a young janitor named Wu Tung. He would donate his services. His physical strength was greater than that of the average person. He had worked diligently until his hair was completely white. The commoners all called him Bak Mou Tung--White-haired Tung. Although he was an odd job man, he thoroughly understood literature. Early every morning when he began work, he would see the Daoist priests practicing their martial arts in the courtyard. He hoped very much that Haw Dandou would accept him as a student, so he to could be engaged in studying Hung Fut. It was agreed that Bak Mou Tung would do obeisance and Haw Doudan would became his master. From that time on, Bak Mou Tung became an insider at the Universal Virtue Daoist Temple. He became the permanent cook and thoroughly absorbed in studying the martial arts. This went on for seven or eight years. Because of his painstaking study and strong stout build, he rose up amongst the ranks of priests, eventually becoming the best martial artists in the group. Later, on the run from the Qing with Haw Doudan with the rest of his students, the original master recognized that Hung Fut needed a new fifth generation leader to teach others. He felt that Bak Mou Tung was the most suitable. Bak Mou Tung was the first person that was not a monk to learn Hung Fut. Using the alias Ng Hoi Tong, he later travelled as an herbalist. It was in a grassy field in the Ho-nan District of Guangdong Province, during the reign of Emperor Xianfeng that thousands gathered to watch the grey haired stranger perform his unusual kung fu. Among the crowd was Mister Ho, a wealthy elderly merchant who loved to befriend talented fighters. Inviting Ng Hoi Tong to stay at one of his guesthouses in Sha-Wan, these two later went on to open a gymnasium so-as-to train the Ho family in Hung Fut. It was common for the wealthy to patronage kung fu instructors so they could protect their riches from attack. Generations later, Ho Tien Po fled his native land and the Ho village to evade communism and found refuges in the Philippines. He had learned the art of Hung Fut from his elders and relatives where it was taught only to clan members. This knowledge, he passed on to the younger generation. His family considered him a great teacher of the style. During his stay in Manila, Ho Tien Po worked as cook in a local Chinatown restaurant. Here he came to know a younger distant relative of his, named Jose Poon Sin (a.k.a: Ah Huk). Jose Poon Sin was a native from Nan Hai, Guangdong. Poon Sin went on to be personally trained by Ho Tien Po as well as his sister who was famous for her 'Cotton Leg Techniques' and also a proficient Hung Fut artist. |
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| It was years after this they had the chance to meet again, because Poon Sin had gone to the southern part of the Philippines to work. During this time, Hung Fut was unknown in Manila; Kung Fu schools were very rare. He was later adopted by Poon Sin into the Hung Fut system and was taught the complete training system of the Art. Since 1968, he continues to teach today, in the Philippines, a variation that concentrates on the internal 'Kung' body conditioning applications such as iron: fist, palm, claw, forearm, fingers and shirt; cotton leg and drop stances for flexibility plus the Hung Fut 18 Buddha positions to build and circulate the qi. In 2006, he released a DVD demonstrating many of these exercises. Other instructors at the club include Edwin Gonzales, Ronald Nuqui, Gilbert Martija, Emerson Tan, Edwin Dy, and Huberto Barotillo. |
| There are somewhat different lineages and succession stories listed on by various Hung Fut schools around the world. The stories of the masters vary also from account to account. Also as the style has moved around the planet, the content of the system--number and names of forms, types of power used, stances, techniques, theory, and training methods have also changed, leading to a large variation from school to school. What follows is a combination of all the legends... The First Generation The consolidation of Hung Fut Kung Fu as a complete system happened around the seventeenth century, during the Qing Dynasty. The invading Manchus, at the time, had absolute power to spare, kill, and give-and-take at will. They used high-handed measures against the Han nationality, having absolute power over everyone. Counter-resistance was common and growing stronger. There were wilful and ambitious men, with numerous stratagems for power as well as resistance directed towards 'Oppose the Qing and restore the Ming'. |
| Close to where ledgend states that seven stars fell to earth forming the Qixing Yan (Seven Star Crags) in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, there lived a youngster named Lei Joe Foon. By these limestone towers, where on moonlit nights you can hear the Jade Emperor serenade his celestial guests, the youngster had been brought up in a rich military lineage. His father was once a successful candidate for military officer until tragedy bestowed the family, when he was falsely incriminated by Qing Government supporters, and executed due to the fabricated charge. |
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| Joe Foon had studied his father's martial arts as a child. Now bequested with his family's riches he became friends with his heroes from the martial arts world. During his free time, they would hang out in his courtyard. On the surface, he appeared to be a drunk, loving fun and music, and acting as if nothing really mattered in life. However deep-down he was actually cherishing a lofty aspiration to overthrow the Qing and taking revenge for his ancestor's death. To do this he needed a system was specially designed as a fighting method to defend against the Manchu invaders. A stronger, more powerful system of kung fu, involving different approaches and principles, was required to defend against other boxing styles--other experts at that time trained in basically the same style. A fresh new way was needed for self-defence to be effective. Hung Xi was the son of a Fujian Province tea merchant. Because his rich family owned property, his servant called him Hung Xi-Guan, which means Hung Xi the 'official'. He possibly also used the name Chit Sin. He enjoyed martial arts. He gained entry into the Shaolin Temple to study, doing obeisance with Chan master Zhi Shan. Through many years of apprenticeship, he became skilled. He possibly was also a student of Hung Gar's Loy Yuen. Around this time, the Imperial Government attacked and burnt down the Shaolin Temple. Hung Xi ran, fleeing back to Guangdong, to Lei Joe Foon's home. These two now had a common goal. After they sparred, Hung Xi-Guan's became Lee Joe Foons new master. They practiced in the morning and evening. Besides gaining all the knowledge Hung Xi-Guan had mastered with the Shaolin, he also collected the strong points from the five Shaolin styles and created the Five Animal Form. Hung Xi-Guan lived with Lei Joe Foon for more than two years, but due to the counter-Qing movement, he had to depart. When Hung Xi-Guan bid his farewell, he urged Joe Foon that should continue to carry on with his Hung Gar style of martial arts that he had been taught and was to teach others. Not long after Hung Xi-Guan had departed, Lei Joe Foon encountered a calamity. He stole the Sichuan bailiff Leui Zhen Tian's confidential report. The Imperial Government issued a warrant for his arrest. Leui Zhen Tian arrived, accompanied by his fellow enforcers, and attempted to bring him to justice. On his home's front step, a fight followed. Leui Zhentian found that he could not defeat Lei Joe Foon. The sheriff was beaten to death. When the other police witnessed this, they instantly withdrew. Lei Joe Foon was now on the run; he abandoned the family and left in a hurry. He fled to Mount Bapai in Guangdong, joining the Qing Hwa (Blue Chinese) Temple. Shaving his head and took refuge, becoming a monk. His Buddhist name was Won Nay. Besides Buddhist ceremonies, Won Nay painstakingly practiced the martial arts, creating 'Transfer the Fragrant Pile Palm Gong'. One winter day, after Won Nay had just finished practicing in front of the temple, the clouds open to reveal two great eagles, in airborne combat, exceptionally agile in their movements. As a new master, he collated what he witnessed with the Five Animal Form, coordinated with the daily and nightly training of 'Transfer the Fragrant Pile Palm Gung', collected and synthesized Hung Gar and Buddha Palm. Later, the common people abbreviated the names and titled it Hung Fat Pai (the Hung Fut faction). This is how Lei Joe Foon became the founder and first generation master of Hung Fut. He created a hybrid of Hung Gar and Fut Gar. Having the full knowledge of both these systems to draw from, he combined the low, strong stances and ferocious hand techniques of Hung Gar (a hard style) with the relaxed, internal movements of Fut Gar (a soft style) to create a new system. The Second Generation As the winter-clouds floated by, 30 years passed at the temple filled with practise of the new Hung Fut system. Then, during the Taiping uprising, Hong Xiuquan (1814-64) created the counter-resistance group 'Heavenly Kingdom of Peace' (1850-1864). Beginning in his birthplace in Jintiancun, Guangxi Province, the uprising spread across southern China and eventually concord its headquarters in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in 1853. Hong Xiuquan originally had three times failed the official examinations that would have lead to a Qing elite career. Converted by Protestant missionaries in Guangzhou, he had a dream that lead him to believe he was the brother of Jesus and a son of God. He had been sent to earth to exterminate demons--who coincidentally were the Qing supporters. Attracted by his zeal, a formidable million moral, non-opium using, army of followers developed. |
| Motivated, Won Nay made his mind up to descend the mountain and instruct new disciples in martial arts, and to continue efforts for his unfulfilled revenge. On the pretext of wandering for fame, from Guangxi back to Guangdong he arrived at the scenic Mount Dinghu's Qingyun Temple, 20 kilometres northeast of his childhood home in Zhaoqing. Here among the pools, springs, ponds and temples he found that the people were living in chaos, but felt that they were exceptionally strong willed, spirited and pro counter-Qing resistance. |
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| Poon Sin was a martial arts fan that would spend time in Manila's local Chinatown kung fu club as a spectator. He would join athletic clubs to be able to watch martial artists perform and demonstrate their skill. Until the day he passed away, he has always kept a low profile as a Hung Fut master. He was a humble and simple person with great virtues. It was by chance that George Ramos came to know him in once of the local gyms. At that time, George Ramos had already been training in kung fu for six years and was having a hard time improving his skill to a higher level. He noticed that Poon Sin�s pointers and instruction were unique, and had great authority and precision. His system of training made a lasting impression in his mind. |