Cheung Lai Chun
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Pak Mei kung fu was introduced to the public by a man named Cheung Lai-chun. Great Grand Master Cheung Lai-chun was born in the Ching dynasty (1880). |
At
the age of seven, he began his training with Sifu Lam.
He was taught Gypsy style. Later Master Cheung
became a student of Sifu Lee Mung,
the son of the famous Sifu Lee Yee.
He later went with his uncle to the Wah Sao Temple
and became the student of Grand Master Lam A Hap
learning for several years Loong Ying (Dragon Style)
kung fu. Great Grand Master Cheung Lai-chun had also practiced with
Master Lam Yui Kwai who was
the Grand Master of Loong Ying kung fu. At a later stage Master Cheung went to
Canton with Master Lam to try their luck. Every morning Master Cheung went to a
tea house and had breakfast. One morning he happened to notice a monk sitting
there alone. After several days, Master Cheung had decided to go and sit at the
monks table and after a while they became friends. One day, on the birthday of a
certain God, Master Cheung invited the monk for dinner. As they were drinking
and eating, Master Cheung decided to try and engage the monk in a conversation
about kung fu. Each time he tried, the monk said nothing. Finally, Master Cheung
stood up and demonstrated a certain set. The monk then demonstrated a few
movements from Pak Mei. Master Cheung criticized his performance. Master Cheung
then asked the monk for a little contest. As he attacked, the monk used a
technique he had earlier shown and pushed causing Master Cheung to fall back
into a goldfish tank. Master Cheung was so impressed he asked to be the monks
student, however the monk said no. Master Cheung did not bring up the subject
anymore. He and the monk kept going to meals together and eventually he found
out that the monks Sifu’s name was
Chuk Fat Wan
and his favorite food was eggs.
One day Master Cheung had bought two baskets of eggs and followed the monk Lin Sang to the temple. This had irritated the young monk, and upon meeting Chuk Fat Wan, the old master was also angry. Master Cheung explained how he was looking for a real martial art and that he sincerely wanted to become his disciple. He was refused. Master Chuk Fat Wan said that he would leave Canton and move to another place, Master Cheung replied by saying that he would follow him. Finally, after being accepted, he sold some properties and followed Sifu Chuk Fat Wan. Three years later, the old Sifu had taught him "Kou Po Teaw set", "Eighteen Deflect with Palm Set", "Fierce Tiger Come Out From The Forest Set", "Double Flying Phoenix Knife", "Tonfas", and many other sets. After leaving, Master Cheung became the first man to introduce Pak Mei to Southern China. Master Chang passed away in the autumn of 1964 at the age of 84.