History of Pei Mei

>Propagation

 

Monk Chuk Fat Van

 

The end of the Orthodox Shaolin school

In the chaos that followed, a bloody struggle was fought between the martial arts practitioners of different philosophical obedience and offshoots. These small scale clan wars of attrition meant everyone taking the law into their own hands. This state of affair lasted sadly for many years. One story told for example is that of the mandarin Phong Sui Yung, grand son of Grand Master Mieu Hien (one of the “Invincible Five”), who killed in a dual a certain Loi Lao Ho. Who was himself the son of Master Ly Ba Son, student of Grand Master Pei Mei. This type of event largely contributed to the gutting of the Orthodox Shaolin tradition and its school of teaching. It was during this period in fact that Wing Chun was developed in opposition to the Pei Mei style (though not known as such at this time).

For a short period, Founder and Grand Master Pei Mei maintained a loose alliance with the Manchu Emperor, who in return allowed him to teach and practice freely. Because of this, his school was able to teach exclusively monks and still survive, whereas other nascent styles went into hiding amongst the civilian population. His teachings would thus remain secret. As far as concerned the remnants of the Shaolin Temple, Pei Mei was considered a traitor, in the service of the foreign occupier. The Founder of the style had numerous students, among them Masters Ly Bai Son, Lao Tan Trung, Ma Hung, Bach Dong, Phuong That.

Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen

 

 

Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen

The Grand Master of the second generation was Quang Hue, a monk; we do not know the names of any of his other students.

During the 19th century, Chuk Fat Van (third generation, 18 ?? - 1920) was the Grand Master of the School. He taught quite a few students among them Lien Sanh. Grand Master Chuk Fat Van was the first to teach the system to a non monk, Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen (1880-1964).

The Challenge of the Master of Dragon style Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen had learnt in his childhood the Hakka Wanderer’s style. He then rapidly became Master of a branch of Dragon style. Particularly talented in his martial arts skills he was then known as one of "3 Tigers of the East River", when rid the area of numerous gangs of bandits who terrorised the local population. One day he met a monk in a local inn… >Follow-up..

After nearly ten years of non continuous training under Grand Master Chuk Fat Van, the Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen acquired great renown. He was known at one time as the King of the Seven Provinces”, he taught in the military school of Dr Sun Yat Sen, hero of China and founder of the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang. During his life time he trained more than 120. In 1949, he emigrated to Hong Kong, where, until his death he continued to teach. During his long life, he opened more than 20 schools throughout China, often by defeating the Master of the School and integrating their schools and sometimes their techniques into his own.

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