Category: Hakka Gongfu

Ch'an Dao Transmission Certificate (1991) Master Chan Tin Sang to Adrian Chan-Wyles (Hand-Written Copy)

10/9/2019

My ordinary Chinese name of 'Chan Hung-Yu' is used above - with 'Chan Tin Sang' as the deciding authority. This ritual took ten years to complete, with myself ritually accepted as a 'son' of Master Chan Tin Sang. This is a typical (non-commercial) Hakka Chinese arrangement. There is another version of this document but it is safely secured away. I know of individuals who received only 'verbal' transmision and this has been suitably witnessed and acknowledged by the broader Chinese community. I place this here, for my descendents to find and hereby 'transmit' this style to their safe-keeping.

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Hakka Pheonix Eye Fist (凤凰眼拳)

10/4/2019

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Sue-Ling (Left) & Gee (Right) Malden Road, Cheam

Gee (Right) & Sue-Ling (Right) - Club Constellation, Cheam (2206)

Within the Hakka Chinese villages of the New Territories, and regsrdless of clan family name or differing village martial arts styles, from young, Hakka Chinese children were taught to make the peculiar 'Pheonix Eye Fist' (凤凰眼拳 - Feng Huang Yan Quan) whilst learning how to strike anatomical pressure-points in self-defence drills. In the local Hakka-Cantonese dialects, this is known as 'Fung Ngan Kune', with the wrists, hands and knuckles starting off being weak and slowly being strengthened through shadow-boxing, light striking and then heavy striking. Broken skin and brusing would be treated with locally brewed 'Iron fighting wine' (铁斗酒 - Tie Da Jiu) - referred to as 'Dit Da Jow'. Within our Ch'an Dao System practiced within Banana Village in Sai Kung, learning medicine and martial arts was a dual activity - with one subject never learned without the other. It was known that although small in stature, a child could knockout an adult using a Pheonix Eye Fist if the village was ever attacked. This is a highly effective technique that is difficult to learn properly with many people damaging their own knuckles when making contact. I have also seen the 'Pheonix Eye Fist' in a kata of Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-Do as practiced in Hereford. Below, I demonstrate how to make the 'Pheonix Eye Fist:

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Hakka Gongfu Teachers Do Not Lose a Fight

9/26/2019

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Shifu Adrian Chan-Wyles (Left) Liz Wan (Right c. 2006

In 1992, Master Chan Tin Sang (1924-1993) - passed on his family style of Hakka (Longfist) Gongfu to me. In 1993, he was involved in a car accident in Sutton, which led to him developing further medical complications, and following a stroke – he passed away in St Helier Hospital. I received a scrap of paper with Chinese writing on in 1992 – confirming the transmission – which was formally confirmed by his widow –Mrs Chueng Yat Tai – in 2002. This type of time scale is not unknown with regards to traditional Chinese transmissions. I moved to permanently live in Sutton around 1996, and quietly set-up a small Gongfu Training Hall after first securing permission from the local Chinese clandestine societies operating in the area. Due to the respect that Master Chan Tin Sang was held, a) permission was granted (which means the training hall was acknowledged as truly representing traditional Chinese spiritual and martial culture), and b) we were granted ‘exemption’ status from paying the usual monthly ‘fees’ to these groups. This goes on all the time within Chinese culture throughout the West, with many Westerners being completely unaware of it.

Ch'an Dao Disciple - Waiman Lee (2014)

As a consequence, many supposed Gongfu Training Halls – even those that are commercially successful and interviewed for publication in Eurocentric magazines and journals – are not acknowledged as ‘legitimate’ by the Chinese community these groups claim to represent (regardless of whether any Chinese people train in them). Even in modern China, although the influence of these clandestine associations no longer exists, the idea that there is ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ representation of Chinese culture is still a very strong. Master Chan Tin Sang stated that if I decide to ‘teach’ in public (and if he is no longer alive), I am not allowed to lose any fight – be it in sparring or during a ‘honour’ fight (of which I have had many since). As I have taken on the leadership of the ‘Chan’ (陳) clan, I must represent all the ancestors going back thousands of years, and not let them or their descendants down! All opponents must either be taught and improved as both human-beings and martial artists - or ‘removed’ as a threat – end of story.

Shifu Adrian Chan-Wyles - Farnham Castle (2016)

Many of those who read this (and were in our Training Hall in Sutton at any time since 1996) will know this to be true, as they witnessed the many fights (at the end of training sessions) that I was involved in. Fighting does not bother me at all, and I enjoy it as a physical, cultural and spiritual activity. I have no hatred in my heart whatsoever, and only cultivate love for existence. Insult me, my family, our friend, other people or our beliefs and I will deal with you in a firm, disciplined and ‘fair’ manner, in accordance with the law, and as a gentleman. Before this, you will have to survive one of our Ch’an Dao training sessions which have defeated professional fitness instructors, combat sports athletes as well as serving soldiers. If you doubt this to be true – we can start with a thousand squat kicks and see how well you fight after this! This is genuine Hakka gongfu and I suggest a quiet and humble approach whilst you build experience and strength.

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Ch'an Dao Transmission Certificate (1991) Master Chan Tin Sang to Adrian Chan-Wyles (Hand-Written Copy)

Hakka Pheonix Eye Fist (凤凰眼拳)

Hakka Gongfu Teachers Do Not Lose a Fight

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