Do Pi, or the Style of the Way, was founded by the late legendary boxer Grandmaster Chan Dau.
Somewhat of a naughty child, Chan Dau was one day practising martial arts and happened to hit his grandfather with an accidental blow. His grandfather became enraged, and drove him out of the Yu household.
With no place to turn, Chan Dau sought refuge in a nearby Buddhist monastery. The place was already familiar to Chan Dau. He had been taking additional lessons from a monk at the monastery on account of his step-grandfather’s encouragement. Homeless and without money, the monastery became Chan Dau’s new home and the monk his new teacher.
For two years, Chan Dau lived at the monastery and learned Hop Gar, or the Fighting System of Gallant Knights, from the monk.
“The return home”
After two years at the temple, Chan Dau returned to Canton with help from his new mentor.
Unable to find his family in Canton, Chan Dau was forced to become a peanut-peddler to earn a living. One day, Chan Dau participated in a martial arts exhibition in the streets of Canton, and impressed the students of Charn the Fish-Monger. Chan Dau became a student of the Fish-Monger, and quickly gained a name for himself as one of Canton’s “Four Mad Fighters.”
Chan Dau would later make contact with his family, and also furthered his studies under Leung Kwai and Chow Lung.
Years later, he would establish himself in the Sham Shui Po district of Kowloon, Hong Kong. His lineage is succeeded by a number of students most notably his son Chan Ching, his protégé Lok So, and Master Paul Chan.
“Do Pi Training Principles”
Do Pi has a coherent set of training principles and techniques.
With roots in many different styles such as Hung Kuen, Choi Lee Fut, and Hop Gar, Do Pi is a very unique southern style. The foundation of the system is based on the following nine techniques: chuen, pow, kup, tong, pin, sek, ten, chik, and got. You can see the Chinese Characters for these techniques on the left.
In the execution of its techniques, Do Pi employs body movements. Most of the foot and hand techniques are economical in nature. Master Paul Chan recalls that Grandmaster Chan Dau always stressed that simple movements are always the most effective in battle.
Do Pi has many form routines to help its practitioners progress in their development. The most famous sets include Drunken Eight Fairies and Drunken Fan.
SAN SHOU / KICKBOXING
At Hong Luck Kung Fu Club, we offer students the opportunity to participate in competitive sparring events held across Canada and around the globe.
It must be noted that training for competition is not part of the mandatory regimen, but is reserved strictly for those who are interested.
Sanshou
Today, the Chinese martial arts is ever-evolving with development of international Sanshou events. “Sanshou” is Mandarin for “scattering hands.” The rules governing Sanshou competitions have been devised by Chinese governing bodies to test the fighting skills of Chinese martial arts practitioners from around the world. Players use protective gloves, employ punching and kicking techniques, and are also permitted to throw opponents or take the fight to the floor for grappling.
Choi Lee Fut
At seven years old, Chan Heung (pictured above) began learning martial arts under his uncle Chan Yuen Woo. Yuen Woo was a famed master from Shaolin Temple, and taught his nephew the Buddha Style Fist or Fut Ga Kuen.
After years of study with his uncle, Chan Heung had become a consummate warrior by the early age of 15. To further his skills, Chan became a student of Lee Yau San, a Shaolin practitioner of the Lee Family Fist. Yau San was Yuen Woo’s sihing or elder brother at Shaolin Temple.
Becoming proficient in the Lee Family style, Chan Heung was then referred to the Shaolin monk Choi Fook to further his martial arts knowledge. After years of intensive study with the Buddhist recluse, Chan Heung revised what he had learned and formed a new system. He combined his knowledge of 3 martial arts systems and called it “Choi Lee Fut” in honour of his teachers.
Three styles that constitute Choi Lee Fut ( Choy Li Fut ) are as follows.
“Chan Yuen Woo and the Buddha Style Fist”
Chan Heung learned the Buddha Style Fist, or Fat Ga Kuen, from his uncle Chan Yuen Woo. Yuen Woo was a famed master of Shaolin Temple.
The Fut Ga Kuen style specializes in palm techniques. Both the left and right hand are used in attack and defence. Long and short-range footwork is employed.
“Lee Yausan and the Lee Family Fist”
Lee Yausan also received his training at Shaolin Temple.
Lee Yausan taught the Lee Family Fist, or Lee Ga Kuen. It is a style of martial arts that employs wide stances, relies on strong leg endurance, and uses large strides to evade attacks.
Traditionally, the Lee style used the left hand for defensive movements, and only the right hand for attacks.
In Choi Lee Fut (Choy Li Fut ), both hands are used in attack and defence. Many of the Lee style’s arm techniques are essential to the Choi Lee Fut system.
Choi Fook and the Choi Family Fist
Choi Fook is a legendary figure who was a monk of the famed Shaolin Temple.
Living in solitude on Lau Fu mountain, Fook was a holy man that spent many years immersed in meditation and martial arts practice. His abilities were so far along developed that he is said to have smashed stones with simple kicks and punches.
Choi Fook taught the Choi Family Fist, or Choi Ga Kuen. It is a style of martial arts that employs long, medium, and short-range techniques. Emphasis is placed on agile footwork, and “looseness” in kicking techniques. In this style, kicks are delivered in combinations, and they are combined with arm attacks.
One distinct characteristic of this style is that attacking and defending are done simultaneously. Arm movements should alternate in continuous combinations to strike an opponent.
When Chan Heung founded Choi Lee Fut ( Choy Li Fut ), he left behind a set of governing principles to guide and inspire practitioners of his style. Today we are witnessing that the videos of this martial art, with strategies and techniques, which his followers share on social platforms with the support of companies like The Marketing Heaven, cause admiration of many and strongly contribute to the popularity of this style.
PRINCIPLES
Listed below is just a portion of the original Chinese text.
Fundamental principles of Choi Lee Fut ( Choy Li Fut )
Body Positioning
1) The body is held erect and straight. The shoulders and limbs are loose. All movements are extended without shortening their range. Unlike other southern styles that use only short-range techniques, Choi Lee Fut uses long and far-reaching movements.
Footwork
2) Footwork, based primarily on the Lee Style, is strong but agile. Switching from stance to stance is a split second affair. It is said that, “Slow walking is silent as meditation. Fast stepping is quick as a wind-cloud turning in the sky.”
Leg techniques
3) All leg techniques are fast “as a meteor shower,” or a “blink of an eye.” The movement of the legs should not be seen. Kicks are performed in combinations, and are combined with hand techniques.
Hand Techniques
4) All long, medium, and short-range hand techniques are coordinated with stances. Both right and left-handed techniques are used in attack and defence. Switching from technique to technique is smooth so that any combination can be used. The “gyong jee” fist is Choi Lee Fut’s unique hand technique.
Power
5) Power is generated using the whole body in both “hard” and “soft” techniques. The movements are strong enough to “level a mountain,” but not stiff or tight. Techniques are “soft” but not weak; the hands move like a wheel using circular movements to parry an opponent’s attack and simultaneously counterattack.
Breathing
6) Inhalation saves energy (the yin principle). Exhalation helps the release of power (the yang principle). Shouting combination with hand and leg techniques adds power to punches and kicks. Shouts also startle the mind of your opponent.
CHI GONG
Everything in this world is governed by a spectrum of opposing forces held in constant balance.
To achieve such a balance in training, our regimen of external conditioning is complimented with proper breathing techniques or “internal” conditioning.
Hei Gong (Chi gong)
At the advanced level, heigong or chigong, constitutes a significant part of training in the Chinese martial arts. Roughly translated, “heigong” means “air method.” Focusing on how breathing and mental concentration can affect bodily functions, heigong is commonly referred to as an “internal” art.
As Master Paul Chan states, “Breathing is the key to hei gong and circulates the blood. It helps develop what’s called ‘inside power.’”
At Hong Luck Kung Fu Club, advanced students learn the fundamentals of what is referred to as “hard style hei gong.” Hard style hei gong tests the limits of the human body by teaching students how to become impervious to physical attacks. Using similar breathing principles to soft styles such as Taiqiquan, hard style hei gong helps practitioners gain an advanced understanding of the importance of proper breathing.