Cheung Hung Sing: Founder of Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu

[hskwarrior]

CHOY LEE FUT'S MONK "CHOY FOOK" IS NOT THE GREEN GRASS MONK OR MONK CHING CHO

The true identity of the Green Grass Monk and whether or not he was a Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon creation (as it was once accused) has long been a sore spot for the Choy Lee Fut fraternity. On one hand, this mysterious character was never part of Chan Heung’s history. I have personally contacted various leaders of King Mui lineages to quiz them on what they may have known about the Green Grass Monk. And, the responses were all the same, “Sorry, his name isn’t found in our official documentation.” After that, it was back to square one and all I could do was keep digging.

On the other hand, the Green Grass Monk has always been a part of the history of the Cheung Hung Sing lineages from the very beginning. Sure, we didn’t have much in regards of recorded history within the Fut San Hung Sing lineages. But, upon closer inspection, all of the students of Cheung Hung Sing’s school were labeled as rebels by the Qing Empire and they were forced to go deep underground. Any written literature that may connect someone with the outlawed groups could and often did mean instant death by beheading. Therefore, taking this into consideration, it makes perfect sense to why they chose to verbally transmit their history and information instead.

In the year 2001, a big heated debate on a well known kung fu forum took place. Students of all three of Choy Lee Fut’s major branches (Chan Fam, Hung Sing and Buk Sing) participated in this discussion that went on for some time. No one could agree in regards to whether or not Green Grass Monk was just a story or indeed very real. While it cause a few ripples within the fraternity, the after effect was the newer and younger generations began to question their own teachers about his monk. It definitely wasn’t an issue that was going to be swept under the rug anytime soon.

The Green Grass Monk debate caused such a ruckus that one very high profile Choy Lee Fut teacher came out and claimed that he discovered the true identity of the Green Grass Monk. His erroneous claim stated that “Green Grass” was the monasterial name of Chan Heung’s second teacher Monk Choy Fook. This announcement turned the Choy Lee Fut fraternity on its ear because of the fact that a number of years before this incident, he wrote a book and listed many reasons why he felt the Green Grass Monk was a concoction of the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon.

Now, it is my personal opinion that this Choy Lee Fut teacher was monopolizing on the idea that no one would be dedicated or resourceful enough to discover the truth. Since he was unaware of the outside sources at my disposal, he must have felt that he could get away with claiming the “Green Grass” name was of Buddhist origin. But, when my book is complete, people will learn the various names the Green Grass Monk used as his alias’, the occupation of his parents, how he came to be a shaolin monk, about his life, all the way down to the genesis of the “Green Grass” name and much, much more.

But the one thing I need to clear up right away is that Monk Choy Fook is in no way, shape or form the Green Grass Monk. More and more these days you will come across historical information that has adopted this misconceived notion of the Green Grass Monk’s identity. And, if this LIE keeps getting perpetuated, people will believe it’s the truth. This would not be good for the Choy Lee Fut fraternity because everyone knows the Green Grass Monk was Cheung Hung Sing’s 3rd teacher.

A few of the quick and easy points to recognize that Monk Choy Fook is NOT the Green Grass Monk is: 1) Choy Fook is known to have lived on Mt. Lou Fu while the Green Grass Monk was living on the Ba Pai Mountain many miles away. As you can see from the image of the map, this mountain was very far away from Mt Loufu and would be too difficult for an elderly monk to travel back and forth from, 2) One very important identifying factor is that keeps getting brought up is the notion that Monk Choy Fook had a scarred head, allegedly from his head being caught on fire during the destruction of the southern Shaolin Temple as he escaped. It is such an important aspect of Monk Choy Fook aka Lan Tau Fook, that it needed to be mentioned. However, nothing of the sort has ever been mentioned about the Green Grass Monk at all.


The third point to make note of is Monk Choy Fook was a master of the Choy Gar style and died as a recluse on Mt. Loufu while the Green Grass Monk lived on Ba Pai Mountain, taught Fut Gar Kuen, was a founder of the Hung Mun, and had a mission of raising an army to rise up against the government. In addition to all of this, the “GREEN GRASS” name isn’t anyone’s temple name at all. Never was, and never will be. Do you know why? Because it’s true origin is not with Shaolin, but the Chinese Secret Society. I go deeper into this subject in the book I am writing.

In conclusion, I’m not sure why anyone would want to abuse the legacy of the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon by denying the Green Grass Monk’s existence as long as it was part of Cheung Hung Sing’s history. But if the Green Grass Monk can be applied towards Chan Heung’s legacy, then sure, he really did exist. One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to see the reasoning behind anyone claiming Monk Choy Fook to be the Green Grass Monk. The sad part of it is, those people making these claims know they are not telling the truth. Still, the truth shall set you free.

[extrajoseph]

CHOY LEE FUT'S MONK "CHOY FOOK" IS NOT THE GREEN GRASS MONK OR MONK CHING CHO

In conclusion, I’m not sure why anyone would want to abuse the legacy of the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon by denying the Green Grass Monk’s existence as long as it was part of Cheung Hung Sing’s history. But if the Green Grass Monk can be applied towards Chan Heung’s legacy, then sure, he really did exist. One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to see the reasoning behind anyone claiming Monk Choy Fook to be the Green Grass Monk. The sad part of it is, those people making these claims know they are not telling the truth. Still, the truth shall set you free.

Frank,
Choy Fook is the Green Grass Monk if you understand Chinese literature and philosophy. To have "fook" or to have prosperity is to be free of attachment and desires, just like the green grass blowing in the wind - free and easy, so he is the monk of green grass.
XJ

[hskwarrior]

MORE IN YOUR FACE EVIDENCE OF THE MISINFORMATION SPREAD BY LIARS

Frank,
Choy Fook is the Green Grass Monk if you understand Chinese literature and philosophy. To have "fook" or to have prosperity is to be free of attachment and desires, just like the green grass blowing in the wind - free and easy, so he is the monk of green grass.
XJ

[hskwarrior]

[hskwarrior]

[hskwarrior]

People should disregard what this individual is trying to openly lie about. His lies are legendary.

frank,

your research still sucks, this is just one example: Chan heung did not choose the name himself, the “great sage” name for the ancestral school in king mui was given by choy fook, who also gave him a door couplet for the first school that says “hong cai ding qu wen zhang shi, sheng suan huan tui wu lue tong”

洪材定取文章事
聖算還推武略通

“great talent must obtain its matter from literature (and)
sagely plans still need martial backing to succeed.”

it is a way for choy fook to remain chan heung that a great martial artist is a person with a brain as well as brawn - think and plan carefully before you have to fight.

Xj

[hskwarrior]

Clearing up an out right lie

CHOY LEE FUT'S MONK "CHOY FOOK" IS NOT THE GREEN GRASS MONK OR MONK CHING CHO


The true identity of the Green Grass Monk and whether or not he was a Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon creation (as it was once accused) has long been a sore spot for the Choy Lee Fut fraternity. On one hand, this mysterious character was never part of Chan Heung’s history. I have personally contacted various leaders of King Mui lineages to quiz them on what they may have known about the Green Grass Monk. And, the responses were all the same, “Sorry, his name isn’t found in our official documentation.” After that, it was back to square one and all I could do was keep digging.

On the other hand, the Green Grass Monk has always been a part of the history of the Cheung Hung Sing lineages from the very beginning. Sure, we didn’t have much in regards of recorded history within the Fut San Hung Sing lineages. But, upon closer inspection, all of the students of Cheung Hung Sing’s school were labeled as rebels by the Qing Empire and they were forced to go deep underground. Any written literature that may connect someone with the outlawed groups could and often did mean instant death by beheading. Therefore, taking this into consideration, it makes perfect sense to why they chose to verbally transmit their history and information instead.

In the year 2001, a big heated debate on a well known kung fu forum took place. Students of all three of Choy Lee Fut’s major branches (Chan Fam, Hung Sing and Buk Sing) participated in this discussion that went on for some time. No one could agree in regards to whether or not Green Grass Monk was just a story or indeed very real. While it cause a few ripples within the fraternity, the after effect was the newer and younger generations began to question their own teachers about his monk. It definitely wasn’t an issue that was going to be swept under the rug anytime soon.

The Green Grass Monk debate caused such a ruckus that one very high profile Choy Lee Fut teacher came out and claimed that he discovered the true identity of the Green Grass Monk. His erroneous claim stated that “Green Grass” was the monasterial name of Chan Heung’s second teacher Monk Choy Fook. This announcement turned the Choy Lee Fut fraternity on its ear because of the fact that a number of years before this incident, he wrote a book and listed many reasons why he felt the Green Grass Monk was a concoction of the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon.

Now, it is my personal opinion that this Choy Lee Fut teacher was monopolizing on the idea that no one would be dedicated or resourceful enough to discover the truth. Since he was unaware of the outside sources at my disposal, he must have felt that he could get away with claiming the “Green Grass” name was of Buddhist origin. But, when my book is complete, people will learn the various names the Green Grass Monk used as his alias’, the occupation of his parents, how he came to be a shaolin monk, about his life, all the way down to the genesis of the “Green Grass” name and much, much more.

But the one thing I need to clear up right away is that Monk Choy Fook is in no way, shape or form the Green Grass Monk. More and more these days you will come across historical information that has adopted this misconceived notion of the Green Grass Monk’s identity. And, if this LIE keeps getting perpetuated, people will believe it’s the truth. This would not be good for the Choy Lee Fut fraternity because everyone knows the Green Grass Monk was Cheung Hung Sing’s 3rd teacher.

A few of the quick and easy points to recognize that Monk Choy Fook is NOT the Green Grass Monk is: 1) Choy Fook is known to have lived on Mt. Lou Fu while the Green Grass Monk was living on the Ba Pai Mountain many miles away. As you can see from the image of the map, this mountain was very far away from Mt Loufu and would be too difficult for an elderly monk to travel back and forth from, 2) One very important identifying factor is that keeps getting brought up is the notion that Monk Choy Fook had a scarred head, allegedly from his head being caught on fire during the destruction of the southern Shaolin Temple as he escaped. It is such an important aspect of Monk Choy Fook aka Lan Tau Fook, that it needed to be mentioned. However, nothing of the sort has ever been mentioned about the Green Grass Monk at all.


The third point to make note of is Monk Choy Fook was a master of the Choy Gar style and died as a recluse on Mt. Loufu while the Green Grass Monk lived on Ba Pai Mountain, taught Fut Gar Kuen, was a founder of the Hung Mun, and had a mission of raising an army to rise up against the government. In addition to all of this, the “GREEN GRASS” name isn’t anyone’s temple name at all. Never was, and never will be. Do you know why? Because it’s true origin is not with Shaolin, but the Chinese Secret Society. I go deeper into this subject in the book I am writing.

In conclusion, I’m not sure why anyone would want to abuse the legacy of the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon by denying the Green Grass Monk’s existence as long as it was part of Cheung Hung Sing’s history. But if the Green Grass Monk can be applied towards Chan Heung’s legacy, then sure, he really did exist. One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to see the reasoning behind anyone claiming Monk Choy Fook to be the Green Grass Monk. The sad part of it is, those people making these claims know they are not telling the truth. Still, the truth shall set you free.

[extrajoseph]

The confusion with a deity's name was the precise reason why Chan Heung used a different name of the same sound when the his schools spread outside of King Mui but he kept it for the ancestral school.

[hskwarrior]

[hskwarrior]

Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut IS a Hung "(洪)" Family fighting method



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 ****nyms, 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.