Sum Lung

Born in Peru, South America during 1926, when he was 5 years old he travelled to China to visit family. Unfortunately due to the Japanese invasion of China around the time of World War 2, Sum Lung was unable to return to Peru and lost contact with his family. This changed his life from one of relative comfort and wealth to one of poverty and struggle. When he was 12, Sum Lung had to help support his Grandmother and found a job in Tin Hoi restaurant.

Due to his Peruvian background Sum Lung was often bullied so he sought out a Martial arts Master to teach him how to defend himself. In 1938 Sum Lung was introduced to Jeung Bou. Jeung Bou instructed Sum Lung in his style of Wing Chun which consisted of only San Sik until 1941. During his time in Tin Hoi Restaurant, Sum Lung was forced to defend himself using his newly learnt skills from Jeung Bou. One of these times he was attacked by a man with a pair of Watermelon knives. During this altercation and despite receiving several cuts, Sum Lung was able to disarm his attacker and survive the event.

In 1941 Jeung Bou introduced Sum Lung to his friend Yun Kei Saan, who over the years had occasionally watched them train. At this time Jeung Bo was running out of things to teach Sum Lung, and with Yun Kei Saan impressed with Sum Lungs dedication to training, They decided that it would be good for Yun Kei Saan to take over Sum Lungs teaching. Sum Lung, seeing Yun Kei Saan's physical stature and age and comparing it with Jeung Bo, wasn't so easily convinced that Yun Kei Saan would be good enough to teach him. Because of this, Yun Kei Saan offered Sum Lung a challenge. Yun Kei Saan placed eggs inside his pockets and encouraged Sum Lung to try to break the eggs. If Sum Lung could break any of them, Yun Kei Saan would let Sum Lung continue trainign with Jeung Bou. If all the egg's remained intact, Sum Lung would learn from Yun Kei Saan. Sum Lung took up the challenge, but after the encounter, It turned out that Sum Lung had not managed to break any of the eggs. From that day forward, until Yun Kei Saan's death in 1956, Sum Lung studied under Yun Kei Saan as his only Disciple learning the 3 hand forms, various San Sik, the Wooden Dummy, The Bamboo Dummy, Pole and Knife techniques.

In his later life, Sum Lung was referred to on a number of occasions as 'Iron Arms'. The story goes that he earned this title from the time when he was crossing a bridge in Guangzhou during the Cultural Revolution and some Red guards (reported to be up to 12) who used to be stationed on the bridges attacked him. Sum Lung defended himself and came out of the siutation as the victor breaking one man's arm in the process. During this time there was a lot of civil unrest in the city and fights broke out often. One of these times Sum Lung was attacked by a man with a knife, receiving a slight stab wound in the chest.

In addition to being a skilled martial artist, Sum Lung was also a recognised Dr, receiving much of his education from Jeung Bou's Wing Chun Master Dr Wai Yuk Sang. In his later years Wai Yuk Sang became a Daoist Monk and taught Sum Lung the Sun Hei Gwai Yun Qi Gong Form. Sum Lung Passed on the wing chun of both Jeung Bou and Yun Kei Saan in one unit. His currriculum in his latter years consisted of

• 12 San Sik
• Siu Lin Tao
• Chum Kyu
• Byu Ji
• Hong Jong
• Mok Yan Jong
• Sun Hei Gwai Yun
• Lok Dim Boon Gwan
• Yi Ji Seung Dou

The style emphasizes fierce practicality and is combat oriented.

In the 70's/80s Sum Lung was chosen amoungst all other masters by the Central Government Athletic Association as the highest representative of Wing Chun across all China. His skills were set as the highest standard of his time.

Sum Lung unfortunately passed away on the 3^rd November 2002. I was one of 4 foreigners to attend his Funeral in Tian He, Guangzhou.

Chun Gwan Ling

Born in Li Wan Qu district of Guangzhou 1957, Chun Gwan Ling (Chen Jun Ling in mandarin) spent his youth growing up in various districts of the capital City of Guangdong province in the south of China. in 1970 Chun Gwan Ling heard about a style of martial arts that was being taught behind closed doors to limited number of people in Guangzhou. This style that interested him went by the name of Wing Chun. During this time in the south of China it was illegal to practice and/or teach Wing Chun kung fu. The local police would harass and sometimes even arrest Wing Chun practitioners. Wing Chun was banned because the Wing Chun taught in Guangzhou comes though an imperial martial of the Qing dynasty named Fong Siu Ching which has techniques that can anti the police forces martial arts, including techniques that can be used while handcuffed. For this reason, up until recently Wing Chun in China has always been taught away from public view behind closed doors. This has kept the art close to its original form and maintained the traditional training techniques and theory’s stemming back from it’s beginnings. Despite the fact that Wing Chun was illegal, through the Chinese concept of Guangxi Chun Gwan Ling was able to find a teacher and learn this art. Ever since then Chun Gwan Ling has spent his entire life devoted to the art of Wing Chun

Throughout Chun Gwan Ling’s 30 plus years in Wing Chun he has studied under no less than 5 Famous masters of Guangzhou based Wing Chun. While training Chun Gwan Ling would train with a Master at least 3 times a week every week and on top of that, he would train every day for well over 2 hours. This daily training has gone on for all of his life, and is something that he still keep’s up to this very day.

Chun Gwan Ling is a well known and well respected man in the martial arts community in Guangzhou and further afar in China for his down to earth attitude and skill in Wing Chun. On meeting him, he comes across as a very warm, friendly, caring and quiet man, who spends his free time on the subjects of interest to him such as politics, Law, and English as well as writing articles for both the Wulin and Jing Wu martial arts magazines. It’s not until you see him move that you can tell that he is a master of Wing Chun kung fu. Despite this lack of a hard man look and the mouth that comes with a lot of martial artists during his training Chun Gwan Ling had to test his Wing Chun skills for real in the illegal fights that went on between different styles of kung fu in Guangzhou. He has also had to use his Wing Chun for real on many occasions on the streets of Guangzhou, including against armed attackers.

Yun Kei Saan

Born in 1889 (died 1956, 67 years old) in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. Yun Kei Saan grew up in a Wealthy merchant family. Being the 5th Child of Yun Jong Ming, a fireworks factory owner, Yun Kei Saan was also known as Yun Lo Jia and Ng Sot.

As a young boy Yun Kei Saan loved martial arts and with his father, knowing that there were a few branches of Wing Chun, hired the famous Wing Chun master Fok Bo Chyun to teach both Yun Kei Saan and Yun Zai Wan (Kei Saan's Older brother) the original Red Boat Wing Chun. Yun Jong Ming heard of Constable Fok Bo Chuen’s Wing Chun skill from the Leung (Leung Jan) Family, as Fok Bo Chyun had learnt along side Leung Jan from Wong Wah Bo. Fok Bo Chuen was also was a classmate of Fung Syu Ching, having learnt from Dai Fa Min Kam at a later period in his life.

The Yun family had Fok Bo Chyun move in to the Yun Family estate (Mulberry Garden’s - today it is the City Bureau on Foshan's Fo Yin Road). This followed the tradition of learning from a master, by supporting the master. Giving him shelter, food, and a stipend for his passing on his entire kung fu system to you and your family. Fok Bo Chyun  in his day was a feared Constable and had a comprehensive understanding of the Wing Chun system, due to using it on a day to day basis. Yun Kei Saan also learnt the “Red Sand Palm”, a skill that Fok Bo Chyun was famous for. After Yun Kei Saan's Passing the story emerged that he could spear his hand into a bag of rice with one blow to retrieve a copper coin placed in the bag. Under Fok Bou Chyun's tutorage, Yun Kei Shan and his brother Yun Zai Wan learnt the Hand Forms, several different Jong Forms including a Muk Yan Jong, Gwun Jong, and Juk Jong, Gwun Fat, Yee Jee Dao Fat, and Fei Byu (Flying Nail Darts) receiving a very well rounded understanding of the Wing Chun Kyun System.

Yun Kei Saan never had the need to work for a living, and after qualifing as a lawyer he chose to work just part time in the city of Foshan. Due the family's high level of education, Yun Kei Saan was the first to take systematic notes on the Wing Chun Kyun System, Concepts, and Principles. He also meticulously documented the system’s history as transmitted by his 2 teachers. Yun Passed his had written notes to his only disciple and successor, Sum Lung. Which in modern times were stolen. As far as I know, some of these notes are in the hand's of current Wing Chun Masters in Guangzhou, but a lot have been lost.

When Yun Kei Saan’s Wing Chun techniques reached a very high level both he and Yun Zai Wan wanted to learn more and Fok Bo Chuen suggested that they learn from his classmate Fung Siu Ching, as Fung had mastered some different methods like close body locks and throws. Fung was a famous Imperial Marshal (Bo-Tao) during the Ching dynasty. In those days Marshals hunted down criminals and brought them to justice. because of this you had to be able to capture without killing the most dangerous criminals in China. Fung Siu Ching became one of the most feared marshals in all of southern China earning the nickname Dai Yaat Da Zai (Number 1 fighter)

In the oral tradition as passed down by Sum Lung, it is said that Yun Jong Ming invited Fung Siu Ching to visit the Yun house in Mulberry Gardens, to meet his 2 sons. Yun Jong Ming told Fung that Yun Kei Saan and Yun Zai Wan had both mastered Wing Chun under Fok Bo Chuen. According to Yun Kei Saan, both Fok Bo Chyun and Fung Siu Ching had both learnt on the Red Boats and both had the same Wing Chun. The only real difference was Fok Bo Chyun passed down the 3 Hand Forms from Wong Wah Bo, while Fung Siu Ching passed down the San Sik method of Dai Fa Min Kam.

It is said that Fung Siu Ching doubted whether he had anything to teach Yun Kei Saan and his brother. Yun Kei Saan felt that Fung at his age and experience would have to have skills above and beyond, what he had mastered. At his beckoning he had Fung engage him in a friendly contest of skill. Three times they engaged, Yuen Kay San told Sum Num, the first two times it seemed both were evenly matched and neither could prevail. Fung reportedly praised Yun Kei Saan and was about to leave but Yun’s father insisted there be one final encounter. The two engaged. Yun apparently drove the old Marshal back to a wall and it looked like he had overrun him - in the exact words Sum Lung, Yun Kei Saan described it as “something strange happened” and all of a sudden Yuan was thrown back to the center of the room due to a shoulder strike. Fung agreed he still had something he could teach the Yun brothers and agreed with Yun Jong Ming to accept gratuity for life, in exchange for imparting his skills to the 2 brothers. From Fung Siu Ching Yun Kei Ssan’s education included close body skills like Throwing, Sweeping, Body Wrapping, as well as refined Kum La, Fan Kum La, Jong Fat and Gwun Fat.

Yun Kei Saan was also the last generation master to know the Fei byu (flying darts), which were apparently like six inch nails with ribbons attached to them. Yun Kei Saan was reported to be extremely accurate with these and over time stories have become legends.

As Fung Siu Ching and Fok Bo Chyun were both famous for their use of the Wu Dip Dou, Yun Kei Saan was also known for his peerless skill, that he learned from his teachers. Oral tradition states Yuen Kay would demonstrate his knives whilst he was wearing white clothing and his would have his friends throw cotton balls soaked with ink at him. He would than cut and deflect the ink soaked balls with his knives managing to not allow even one drop of ink to touch his clothing.

Due to his Skill and his achievement in the Wing Chun style, the local martial artists publicly regarded Yun Kei Saan, along side Leung Jan as one of the leaders of the style. Both Leung Jan and Yun Kei Saan helped refine the Wing Chun system into what we see today. Yun Kei Saan took a humble and reserved approach when facing unfriendly challenge matches. He always emphasized the morality of the martial arts. When he couldn’t avoid these challenges, he took them as ways of exhibiting Chinese martial arts, and the refined aspects of man and his development.

Yun Kei Saan accepted a very limited number of students and only had one disciple, Sum Lung. Yip Kai Man (The man that brought Wing Chun to Hong Kong in 1949 and first taught the system to the public) and his family, were neighbors of the Yun’s. Yip Man’s father was a fellow merchant of Yun Jong Ming. Yip Man’s grandfather had been an opium boat captain and some locals took exception to him gaining wealth in that fashion so burnt down the Yip estate. Yun’s father took the Yip Family in and housed them in his estate for a time. During this time Yun Jong Ming asked Yun Kei Saan to teach young Yip Man some Chi Sau as Young Yip had not learnt this from his Dai Sihing, and Teacher, Ng Chung So. Yun wasn’t to keen on doing this as Yip was Ng’s student and Yun's Elder Kung fu Brother (Yun Kei Saan First Learnt Wing Chun Under Chan Wah Sun). However, at His father’s urging, Yun did teach Yip a little chi sau. Yip was asked not to show this to his elder gwoon brothers but later did so, defeating them. Yun Kei Saan also taught his Friend Wong Jing, who would later pass his art down to his son Mai Gai Wong.