BACKGROUND
Choy Lay Fut has a long history of about 170 years. The birthplace of this deadly fighting art was in the county of Foshan, in the province of Guangdong, China. The Guangdong region had always been noted as a stronghold for dedicated revolutionaries against the harsh and tyrannical rulers of that period when China was under the rule of the Ching Dynasty. The inclination to martial arts had always been an integrated part of life and custom there as it provided a means to keep fit as well as self defence against the frequent raids by bandits and occasional clash with other clans. It was against such a background that Kung Fu Choy Lay Fut was born.

IN THE BEGINNING
CHAN HEUNG, a native of King Mui Village of Sun Hui county was first taught martial arts by his fellow clansman for some years before he became a disciple of Lee Yau San, one of the noted boxer of that period who specialised in the Lee school of pugilism. Later Chan also studied pugilism under the monk Choy Fook who was well-versed in the Choy school of boxing. Having imparted his skill, Monk Choy Fook wanted Chan Heung to advance his training under another fellow disciple of his- Monk Ching Cho at Mt. Pakpai.
This was however aborted as Chan Heung was requested to stay in his native village to instruct his fellow clansmen and villagers in martial arts. He was obliged to do so as those were tumultuous days and the villagers were often harassed by bandits and other clans. So Chan Heung abandoned his trip and remained as the chief instructor in his village.
Before long, a youngster named Cheung Yim came to ask Chan Heung to teach him martial arts. He was refused on the ground that the traditions of the Chan Clan strictly forbade the acceptance of disciple of other surnames. Undaunted, Cheung found excuses to be employed as an odd-job man in Chan Heung's martial arts school where Chan secretly taught him martial arts. Many years later, this secret was discovered by the villagers and Cheung was expelled from the school.
By then, Chan knew that Cheung had the potential of becoming a great pugilist. So he recommended Cheung to Monk Ching Cho of whom he was supposed to have gone for pupillage many years ago. (Monk Ching Cho was a fellow disciple of the Reverend Chee Sim, abbot of the famed Shaolin Temple). Through his painstaking learning, Cheung not only mastered Monk Ching Cho's feats but also his knowledge on Chinese herbal medicines.
Prior to Cheona's departure, Monk Ching Cho gave him an alias. He was henceforth known as Cheong Hung Sing. The literal translation of which implied a congratulation that the Hong School would gain victory - the Hong School was then an active agitator to the Manchu Government. Monk Ching Cho further urged Cheong Hung Sing to establish his own martial arts school and help in the revolutionary work of overthrowing the Ching Dynasty.

THE BIRTH OF Choy Lay Fut TECHNIQUES
Upon his return to the village, Cheong Hung Sing awed the village elders with his superb display of martial arts. He was retained as a coach in the village and taught martial arts with Chan Heung. As Chan Heung had earlier failed to fulfil his desire in acquiring martial skill from Monk Ching Cho, he now seized the opportunity to gain it from Cheong Hung Sing. The relationship between them was hence a very unique one. It was not that of a master-disciple relationship. They accorded each other the respect of fellow disciples. Both of them synthesized the martial skills of their 3 masters and founded their own school of pugilism which was named Choy Lay Fut in commemoration of their masters: Choy Fook, Lee Yau San and Fur denotes the Shaolin fighting art of the Buddhist Palm which Monk Ching Cho specialised in.
Every school of pugilism had to have their own style of salutation. So Chan Heung and Cheong Hung Sing developed a series of fast successive movements as the Choy Lay Fut salutation. In actual fact, these movements with esoteric names were personifications of a poem which contain revolutionary sentiments. The poem consists of 4 stanzas with a main character in each stanza. If the 4 main characters were brought together in sequence, it would read: Overthrow the Ching - Restore the Ming.

THE FOUNDING OF FOSHAN HUNG SING GWOON
Chan Heung and Cheong Hung Sing jointly propagated the Choy Lay Fut pugilism. (the name Hung Sing hence became synonymous to Choy Lee Fur pugilism). Later Chart Heung remained in the village as chief instructor where he continued to pass on his skill to his descendants and fellow clansmen while Cheong Hung Sing founded the first HUNG SING GWOON (Hung Sing martial arts school) in the county of Foshan in 1839. It attracted many students as well as challengers from other martial arts schools. In operating martial arts schools in China those days, one had to be prepared for challenges thrown by masters of other disciplines. It was survival for the fittest.
Cheong Hung Sing defeated the challengers, some of which became his disciples (one of them was Chan Ngau Sheng who was a master of several fighting arts system), others left in shame, still others left with bruised ego and harboured grudge.

THE DEATH OF Cheong Hung Sing
By 1846 the popularity of Choy Lay Fut had eclipsed the martial arts hub of Guangdong. It created much displeasure to some Kung Fu masters as it affected their livelihood in the teaching of Kung Fu. Among them were a few who had been defeated by Cheong Hung Sing before· They took the opportunity to instigate others and on hearing Cheung's impending visit to the Chan Village they plotted to eliminate him.
As scheduled, Cheung was on his way to board the ferry when an argument broke out between two burly men at the pier. It soon led to an exchange of blows. Seeing that nobody intervened, Cheung stepped forward to mediate and pacify both of them when suddenly they directed their blows at him. And almost immediately Cheung was surrounded by a group of men who had disguised as labourers working at the pier. They were armed to the teeth with the weapons which they had surreptitiously hidden among the bales of rice and goods stacked along the apron·
Cheung recognised most of them as he had defeated them before. He knew that he was ambushed and a bloody fight ensued. The only weapon Cheung had was an umbrella he carried. Three of his assailants were killed and a number of them wounded. The rest fled on seeing Cheung's irrepressible ferocity despite being slashed.
Cheung was bleeding profusely when he struggled back to Hung Sing Gwoon where he died shortly· He was about 33 years old at the time of his death.
On learning of his beloved teacher's sudden demise, Chan Ngau Sheng went on rampage in Foshan seeking those who were responsible for Cheung's death. The culprits went into hiding and dared not emerge fearing Chan Ngau Sheng and the rest of Cheong Hung Sing's disciples' revenge. Finally, in desperation some of them sought refuge with the Manchu Government and charged that Foshan Hung Sing Gwoon was the headquarters for anti-Manchu revolutionaries. That led to a major clamp-down on Choy Lay Fut practitioners and the closure of Foshan Hung Sing Gwoon by the Manchu Government in 1848.

DISSEMINATION OF Choy Lay Fut
Cheong Hung Sing's students scattered throughout China but before they fled they agreed that for purpose of authenticating Choy Lay Fut's practitioners' identities and to avoid detection by the government, they should henceforth adopt rigidly the Choy Lay Fut salutation and the secret code initiated by Cheong Hung Sing and Chan Heung i.e. in practising the Choy Lay Fut pugilism they should yell "yik" for the punches thrown and "tick" when executing kicks. (By then, a great number of Chan Heung's disciples had also migrated to other counties and cities and it was by such means that they managed to identify each other and assisted fellow-disciples in those difficult time.)
Chan Ngau Sheng escaped to Hong Kong and with the help of fellow disciples re-established Hung Sing Gwoon in Kowloon where Choy Lay Fut pugilism took roots and proliferated.
Among the choice pupils of Cheong Hung Sing were Tham Lup , Lui Charn and Lee Yan.
During the clamp-down in Foshan, Tham found his way to Hoi Peng county where he embarked on an aggressive promotion of Choy Lee Fur pugilism to the masses, and was particularly active in Kwan Village. It was then that the young Kwan Mun Keng who was to become the founder of Singapore Hung Sing Gwoon was first introduced to this art.
Lui Charn had a disciple by the name of Tam Sam who was credited for developing the "successive killer leopard punch" (or commonly known as the consecutive "charp kuen") and was a prominent martial arts figure in Guangdong. His son, Tam Fei Pang had a large following of disciples in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Among Tam Sam's favourite disciples were Leong Ji (a highly esteemed Choy Lay Fut elder who is now residing in Vancouver and continues the promotion of Choy Lay Fut there), Chan Nien Pak - whose agility and prowess in martial arts earned him the nickname: "Iron Monkey of Guangdong" (he was also a distinguished literati and painter), Kong On (deceased and is succeeded by his son Kong Heng who is an equally reputable Choy Lee Fur practitioner in Hong Kong), Lee Chow, Mah Yan, Lau Kuru Tong, Nip Chee Fei (established a Choy Lee Fur School in Malaysia) etc.

FOUNDING OF SINGAPORE HUNG SING GWOON
Lee Yah, a 2nd generation Choy Lay Fut practitioner, for a period taught Choy Lay Fut pugilism in the county of Hok San. He also served as the chief martial arts instructor in the military camps of Wu Hon Mun and Lee Fook Lure of the Kuomingtang. Lee Yah had a disciple by the name of Choy Yat Kew who was an eminent 3rd generation Choy Lay Fut practitioner and whose exploits in the martial arts world of that period had been immortalised by storytellers and writers. He passed on his skill to our late Grandmaster Kwan Mun Keng who was the 4th generation Choy Lay Fut practitioner introduced this art to Singapore and founded the Singapore Hung Sing Gwoon in 1965. He made remarkable achievements in Singapore and the surrounding region in the promotion of this art and in the art of southern lion dance. The grandmaster passed away on May 16, 1976. He was survived by his wife, 3 sons and 4 daughters. His children were trained in Kung Fu Choy Lay Fut since young. Both of his sons, Raymond Kwan and Fred Kwan (5th generation Choy Lee Fur practitioners) actively participated in the affairs of Singapore Hung Sing Gwoon. Both of them have accepted a number of full-fledged disciples*.

PASSING ON OF THE MANTLE

In accordance to the late grandmaster's will, his senior disciple Sifu Chia Yan Soon, 5th generation inheritor to the Choy Lay Fut fighting art was installed as the Honourable Chief of the Singapore Hung Sing Gwoon in 1979. The pompous ceremony in accordance to the rite and rituals of the Choy Lay Fut School was conducted and presided by the leaders of Choy Lay Fut School with representatives from the Hong Kong Choy Lee Fur Kung Fu Union, Pak Sheng Choy Lay Fut Association, Association in memory of Chan Heung: co - founder of Choy Lay Fut and the World Choy Lee Fur Association. Also in attendance were our counterparts from Malaysia, Macau and the Philippines. The ceremony held at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce was witnessed by about 600 invited guests and VIPs including representatives from the various local martial arts schools and overseas representatives. Sifu Chia accepted 2 full-fledged disciples* on August 25, 1990 - an unprecedented action on his part for although he had a legion of lay-students since he started teaching Kung Fu Choy Lay Fut more than 20 years ago. This was the first time that he had formally accepted two disciples. Both of his disciples - Alfred K. H. Poon and Thng Ngiang Joo had been training under Sifu Chia for thirteen and five years respectively.
A few other disciples of the late grandmaster like Michael Woon Tai Sam, Chua Lee Tee and Goh Klm Chat had also accepted full-fledged disciples and are assisting the Hon. Chief, Sifu Chia Yan Soon in instructing Kung Fu Choy Lay Fut at Hung Sing Gwoon.

Lee Eng Chew, Kwok Chew Mun, Eric Tan Hong Soon, Simon Woon Dai Meow, Ng Kwan Poh, Mak Wing Hin, James Chee, Ho Seow Thong, Yip Weng Kee, Ho Yeow Yew, Sin Weng San, Lee Chiang Loy, Chia Loy Chee, Ng Chin Heng, Phua Kwok Yong and countless other disciples of the late grandmaster are equally unrelenting in their efforts to ensure that the Singapore Hung Sing Gwoon continue to maintain the uncompromising standard of this art. And just as it was passed down through generations of great pugilists, so shall it be inherited by those found worthy in becoming disciples of Hung Sing Gwoon.
Throughout the annals of Choy Lay Fut pugilism, the School had produced a great number of patriots who will not hesitate to sacrifice themselves in the defence of the country. The deadly effectiveness of this art further promulgated its' fame and its' popularity had long extended beyond Asia reaching into Europe, North America and Australia where there is a prolific growth of Choy Lay Fut schools. Although the call to destroy the Ching and restore the Ming had long became a muted cry in history. The Choy Lay Fut School is still robust and relevant today as students of this school are still inculcated with the very fundamental Confucian virtues of respecting the teacher and elders and paramount of all is to be loyal to the country of one's birth. The vein of Choy Lay Fut still pulsate with chauvinism and loyalty in developing top martial arts exponents as well as good and loyal citizens for the respective countries in which Choy Lay Fut Schools are located.

Alfred K. H. Poon
Hon. Secretary

*Footnote on discipleship: In accordance to traditional Choy Lee Fur School hierarchy, all full-fledged disciples will automatically assume in descending order the generation - grade after their masters. Example: a disciple to a 5th generation Choy Lee Fur practitioner will be termed as a sixth generation Choy Lay Fut disciple etc. (This is not to be confused with the Choy Lee Fur pugilism proficiency grade which is determined by the individual teachers according to their students' capability and prowess in the art.)