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Choy Lee Fut Kung
Fu
Choy Lee
Fut is a style that got its beginning in the Shaolin Temples. Chan Heung, the founder of Choy Lee Fut, had
three teachers, all of whom were taught the Shaolin Arts. Chan Heung
combined the teachings of his three mentors into one effective
system. As a matter of fact, the name Choy Lee Fut comes from Chan
Heung wanting to honor his teachers and their roots. "Choy" for his teacher Choy Fook, "Lee" for his
teacher Lee Yau Shan, and "Fut" meaning Buddha, for the Buddhist
origins of Shaolin. It is important to note that Chan Heung
used "Fut" instead of "Chan" in naming his system. "Chan" was for Chan Yeun Wu, Chan Hueng's uncle,
and his first teacher. Remembering that Buddhism teaches one
to remain humble at all times, Chan Heung did not want "Chan" in the
name of his system, for fear that people would assume he named the
art after himself, and not his uncle.
Sometimes referred to as "The Art of
Southern Hands and Northern Feet," Choy Lee Fut combines
the hand techniques well known in southern styles, and the foot
techniques or kicks well known in northern styles. Choy Lee Fut is
famous for its "Lively" footwork, awesome
power, speed and circular movements. It is also an art that combines
external power with internal will.
Choy Lee Fut is a complete
system that has both external and internal forms, that combined,
help a practitioner to become a better well rounded person - inside
and out. The "external" forms are
designed to develop and condition the bones, muscles, tendons, and
because of the cardiovascular workout, also helps to increase
stamina. They are fast and hard compared to their internal
counterparts. The "internal" forms are
designed to create a healthy body from within, by teaching proper
breathing, enhancing the mind and body connection, and creating
internal organ harmony. They are slower, and more fluid than their
external counterparts.
The system of Choy Lee Fut
has over 140 recorded forms
that are divided into three different levels..."primary" or
beginner, "secondary" or intermediate,
and "tertiary" or advanced. The forms
consist of the following categories;
* Fist
forms...(both solo and two
person)
* Weapon
forms...(both solo and two
person)
* Sand Bag
(sometimes referred to as a punching/heavy
bag) forms
* Wooden Dummy
forms...(both hand and weapon
training)
* Qi Gong
forms
* Lion Dancing
forms
* Traditional
Chinese Medicine/Medical Theory
The forms are
further divided into "external," "internal," "hard,"
"soft," "long," and "short."
The recorded forms, "Kuen Po's," are
kept by the Chan Family in order to safe guard them for future
reference by generations to come.
Photo of
Kuen Po's (Fist Manuals) and
Drawings
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