Chan Kowk Wai

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Grand Master Chan Kowk Wai (Chinese: 老師 陳國偉; Pinyin: Lǎo Shī Chén Guó Wěi) was born in April 3, 1936, at Taishan in the province of Canton, China. He is well regarded as the major introductor of traditional Shaolin Kung Fu in Brazil, through the China-Brazil Kung Fu Academy (Portuguese: Academia Sino-Brasileira de Kung Fu). His disciples have spread as far as the USA, Canada, Spain, Argentina and the Czech Republic, among other countries.

In September, 2004, Grand Master Chan was awarded the 10th degree of the World Organization of Wu Shu & Kung Fu Masters from Vancouver, BC, Canada, in five styles: Northern Shaolin, Yang Taiji, Bagua, Xingyi and Hung Sing Choy Lei Fat (see below). In the ceremony, Master Tat-Mau Wong of Choy Lei Fut, Vice-President of the USA Wushu Kung Fu Federation and Chairman for San Shou Full Contact, had high words to share: "Nobody [in Brazil] needs to go to China to learn Kung Fu, for you have, here in Brazil, with Master Chan, Kung Fu of the highest level".

Contents

[edit] Kung Fu Styles

Grand Master Chan teaches a broad curriculum of old-school kung fu styles. Most of them are external styles (外家, Wài Jiā):

  • Fist of (Masters) Cai, Li & Buddha (Chinese: 蔡李佛拳; Pinyin: Cài Lǐ Fó Quán, Cantonese: Choy Lei Fat Kuen), families Goose Victory (Chinese: 鴻勝; Pinyin: Hóng Shèng; Cantonese: Hung Sing) and Northern Victory (Chinese: 北勝; Pinyin: Běi Shèng; Cantonese: Bak Sing).

The internal styles (内家, Nèi Jiā) are such:

[edit] Kung Fu Lineage

Grand Master Chan initiated his kung fu by the age of four with Master Chan Cheok Sing, who taught him Choy Lei Fat until he was 14. In 1949, with the constitution of the People's Republic of China, the young Chan moved with his family to Hong Kong, where he trained Shaolin Lohon with his uncle Ma Kim Fong. When Grand Master Yim Sheung Mo (嚴尚武) too left the PRC, he stayed in Hong Kong with Chan's family and taught him the Northern Shaolin Style. Thus did Chan Kowk Wai inherit this traditional martial art system along with martial qigong (氣功), healing massage techniques, Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Bajiquan and Tantui. Yim Sheung Mo also introduced the young Chan to Master Won Hong Fan (黃漢勳) of the Seven Stars Mantis Style, Master Ching Jim Man (张占文) of the Eagle Claw Style and Master and renowned Doctor Yim You Chin of the Hung Sing Choy Li Fat Style, with all of whom he learned everything he could for roughly ten years.

In 1960, Grand Master Chan moved to Brazil, where he co-founded the Chinese Social Center (Centro Social Chinês, in Portuguese) through which he taugh kung fu classes for twelve years. He also taught classes at the renowned Universidade de São Paulo (USP) for seven years. In 1973, Grand Master Chan founded the China-Brazil Kung Fu Academy for which he is largely renowed today.

[edit] Personal Approach

Grand Master Chan teaches the core Northern Shaolin hand sets in a different order than Grand Master Ku Yu Cheong (太院长 顾汝章). (Ku Yu Cheong, or in Mandarin Gu Ru Zhang, taught Yim Shang Wu, or in Cantonese Yim Sheung Mo, who, in turn, taught Chen Guo Wei, or in Cantonese Chan Kowk Wai.) The core ten sets are preceded by an introductory set. His methodology is propagated throughout the whole Sinobrasileira family.

Introductory set:

  • 練歩拳 [Liàn Bù Quán / Lien Bu Chuan] Steps and Fists Practice

The Five Lesser sets:

  • 短打 [Duǎn Dǎ / Tuin Ta] Short Strike (Zhang's 8th)
  • 梅花 [Méi Huā / Moy Fa] Plum Blossom (Zhang's 7th)
  • 穿心 [Chuān Xīn / Tchuin Sam] Pierce the Heart (Zhang's 6th)
  • 武藝 [Wǔ Yì / Mo Ay] Martial Skill (Zhang's 3rd)
  • 拔歩 [Bá Bù / Pa Pou] Uprooting Step / Long March (Zhang's 4th)

The Five Greater sets:

  • 坐馬 [Zuò Mǎ / Tchou Ma] Sit on the Horse (Zhang's 1st)
  • 領路 [Lǐng Lù / Leng Lo] Lead the Way (Zhang's 2nd)
  • 開門 [Kāi Mén / Koy Moon] Open the Door / Release (Zhang's 5th)
  • 連環 [Lián Huán / Lien Lou] Continuous Chain (Zhang's 9th)
  • 式法 [Shì Fǎ / Ce Fa] Pattern Method (Zhang's 10th)

[edit] References

International:

[edit] See also