by Sifu Frank McCarthy 02-18-14
Hung Gar (洪家) gung fu is one of the more famous styles of Chinese Martial Arts to come from Southern China. “Hung” (洪) means Vast, Flood, and is a surname, while Gar (家) means family. This style was founded by Hung Hei Gung and further popularized by people like Wong Fei Hung. The martial arts its members practiced came to be called “Hung Gar” and “Hung Kuen” deep low stances, powerful hand techniques, and their trademarked Hung Gar bridge hand. They also have a strong connection with the Chinese secret society known as the Hung Mun 洪門 (Hung Gate). In fact, the majority of southern styles of gung fu were deeply intertwined with the secret society.
The Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon (佛山洪勝/鴻勝舘) as founded by Jeung Hung Sing and his Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut (鴻勝蔡李佛) system is one of those styles categorized within the realm of “Hung Gar Kuen” or Hung Family Fist. Let me explain, I’m not saying we are part of the Hung Gar Kung Fu system, you won’t see us doing their identifiable Kiu Sow. However, what I am saying is that the fighting method of Hung Sing Choy Lee fut created by Jeung Hung Sing is indeed an art with deep roots to the Hung Mun aka Hung Family. Contrary to popular belief, Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut wasn’t established for Chan Heung in order to spread and promote the “Choy Lee Fut” style. It was exclusively created and developed to become a fighting art of the Hung Mun aka Hung Society and utilized in warfare right away.
Jeung Yim never completed Chan Heung’s Choy Lee Fut system and therefore could not have been representing Choy Lee Fut between the years of 1841-1867 for a few reasons. In 1841 Chan Heung was forced to ask Jeung Hung Sing to leave the Chan village in King Mui and instructed him to go to the Baat Pai Mountain which is found in the LouDing Province near the border of Guangxi. Jeung Yim was to locate a monk who went by the name of Ching Cho (Green Grass) to see if he would be able to complete his gung fu training. After he found the monk his training took 8 years to finish learning the Shaolin Fut Gar system. Then the Green Grass monk gives him a new name and instructions that would change Jeung Yim’s life forever.
In the time that Jeung Yim was away learning a new style under Monk Ching Cho, Chan Heung continued to develop his Choy Lee Fut system. It’s entirely safe to state that Jeung Yim didn’t get a chance to update his Choy Lee Fut training under Chan Heung during those years because of his absence. In fact, there’s no mention of Chan Heung in Jeung Hung Sing’s life between 1841-1867 and two and half plus decades is a long time to not be in Choy Lee Fut’s picture. Imagine how far Choy Lee Fut advanced by that time and Jeung Yim wasn’t there to pick any of that up. Still, he had whatever he learned from Chan Heung for those first 5 years.
Another thing contrary to popular belief was Jeung Ah Yim wasn’t sent to Fut San to establish a Choy Lee Fut school for Chan Heung. As a matter of fact, it was Monk Ching Cho who sent him there for a purpose. In those days the Chinese secret society preferred to communicate their messages in the forms of Homonyms, metaphors and ambiguous poetry or slogans. First he changed Jeung Yim’s name to Hung Sing (洪勝 – Hung Victory) which was an abridged version of the Hung Mun’s “Mission Statement” about overthrowing the Qing Empire. The secret behind the name is that it means “the Hung Mun will be Victorious in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty”.
The next thing that Monk Ching Cho did was instruct the newly named Jeung Hung Sing to travel to Fut San in order to make contact with the triad leaders there. Then he was to set up a school to train the freedom fighters for the up and coming Tai Ping Rebellion. At the time the Sam Hop Wui had its headquarters in the city of Fut San. Its believed that Jeung Hung Sing was also a member of this section of the Hung Mun. Interestingly enough, the Sam Hop Wui was founded by the Green Grass Monk.
Jeung Hung Sing and his direct disciples fought in every major uprising in southern China between 1851 and the time of his death in 1893. In all of Fut San Jeung Yim’s “Hung Sing Kwoon” virtually encompassed the entire city. Eventually it grew into the “Hung Sing Wui” or Hung Sing Society. Although Jeung Hung Sing passed away, the connection to the Hung Society continued on through his students and grand students. Following in the same manner as their founder and Grand Master thousands of Hung Sing students rose up in revolution after revolution against homegrown and foreign aggression.
In the eyes of those who were afraid to lose their position of power, Hung Sing students were rebels who associated themselves with “gangsters” and outlaws. In the eyes of the people, and later in the eyes of their government, Hung Sing students were heroes. Additionally, students of Chan Heung’s legacy were also hero’s because of their own part in the revolution. In fact, a couple of Chan Heung’s grand students Cheng Si Leung, Chan Siu Bak were partners with Dr Sun Yat Sen in his mission to overthrow the Manchurians. Students like Yuen Hai and Chan Ngau Sing in addition to grand Students of Jeung Hung Sing like Chin Wai Fong, LiangGuihua, Li Guanghai, and Wu Qin played very crucial roles in events like the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and the Japanese invasion.
While Wu Qin became one of Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s bodyguards for swimming out and planted a bomb on and sunk a Japanese war Ship, others were hired to teach combat at the Wampo Military Academy. Then over in the United States, the connection to the Hung Mun continued through Professor’s Lau Bun and Jew Leong, Grand Master Dino Salvatera and Sifu Frank McCarthy. While there is no more revolutions taking place, the American Hung Sing Kwoon’s involvement was always out of loyalty and tradition. As a student of Hung Sing and a member of the Hung Society I am very proud to be a part of this legacy that has been running through the veins of the Hung Sing Kwoon for more than 163 years now.
As I sit back and reflect on the extensive relationship between Choy Lee Fut, Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut and the Hung Mun i see more clearly now that while Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut has its connection to Chan Heung’s Choy Lee Fut, our lineage wasn’t developed to benefit Chan Heung. It was undoubtedly created, designed, and utilized for the Hung Mun. It would be incorrect to say Chan Heung gave birth to Jeung Hung Sing’s lineage. If indeed this was the case, you would find more than a few forms created and passed down by Chan Heung,but, the fact of the matter is that Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon doesn’t possess one single form passed down within the King Mui, Jiangmen, Kong Chow, or any schools closely related to Chan Heung. Therefore, when comparing Choy Lee Fut and Hung Mun, all fingers point to us being a school of the Hung family.
Hung for life.
Hung Sing Kuen 