INTRODUCTING HO CHEUNG, MY FATHER´S LIFE LEARNING MARTIAL ARTS (SECOND PART)

Introduction

In the book published in the Hung Sing Kwoon in 2006 on the occasion of its 170th anniversary, it appeared for the very first time a text written by my Master, Ho Choek Wah, telling the life of his father in martial arts. It is a writing of great beauty, because of the enormous love and respect that my Sifu has for the man who was his father and Master, and also of great importance for those of us who come from this lineage because it gives us the opportunity to get closer to this wonderful Master who was the "Kwoon Cheong" , the Head Master, of the Futsan Hung Sing Kwoon. For this reason we wanted to translate the text into both English and Spanish, so that both the spanish and english-speaking students that Sifu Ho has around the world could read it.

I want to especially thank our brother Kio Zou (邹宇杰, Zou Yu Jie) for his help in reviewing the translation.

Master Ho Cheung teaching a young boy

My father once recalled: Back then, Master Qin Wai Fong led the Hung Sing Kwoon disciples to participate in the Communist Party revolution, and his life was in danger at any time. Once Qin Wai Fong was chased and captured by the reactionaries. With the help of his companions, he managed to escape and return to Hung Sing Kwoon in secret. Then he called my father to his room and said: The Master and other revolutionary colleagues can be assassinated at any moment. I no longer want to transmit martial arts.

"If you are young, don´t waste your time creating trouble and learn a few more forms. Although your kung fu skill is enough, you may not be able to practice, but you will need to remember the movements and the method of practicing kung fu, practice them well, and pass them on".
From that moment on, every time Qin Wai Fong went to Hung Sing Kwoon, he would ask my father to prepare rice for him and take it to his room, then he would instruct my father to practice kung fu.

The greatest regret in my father's life was this: He did not pick up the Hung Sing Kwoon compilation book of kung fu and medicine left by his teacher Tong Sek.

Small bio of Master Tong Sek in the Hung Sing Kwoon

According to my father: Before leaving Futsan for Hong Kong, Master Tong Sek asked his wife to give my father the kung fu and medicine book that he had left at home, so she asked someone to call my father to come and pick it up. But my father was forced by the political backround of the time, (folk kung fu masters were persecuted).
He was concerned about implicating his family members and did not dare to go pick it up. Later, Mrs. Tong also left Futsan, and the kung fu book and the medicine book also disappeared.

My father always thought a lot about this matter.

After the opening and the reform*, he always tried by every means to find Mrs. Tong's whereabouts.
For the celebration of the Hung Sing Kwoon 150th anniversary, my father contacted Fang Hong Keng, the son of Fang Mei, the last chairman of the board, prior to the dissolution of the Hung Sing Kwoon. Back then, his family and Master Tong Sek were neighbors.

According to Fang Hong Keng, there were provided clues that Mrs. Tong in those years must have returned to Master Tong Sek's village to live with her uncle in Panyu Shiqiao.

Old pic of Panyu back in 1930-1940

                                     

My father immediately wrote the biography of Master Tong Sek and sent a student to that area to find him. After searching many times and much effort from all parts, the student finally found the family of Master Tong's nephew in Youji, Panyu.
They sent him a copy of the book for the 150th anniversary of the Hung Sing Kwoon, then they took a photo of Ms. Tong to give it to my father. At that moment, my father was very emotional and shed a few tears.

But the student informed him: Perhaps Master Tong Sek's family no longer wanted to get involved in martial arts again, he was told that there was no one in his village who practiced martial arts anymore and that they did not have any information or data.

My father did not give up: Master Tong Sek had taught martial arts in his hometown for many years, there should be some disciple there. So he went personally with his student to do a second investigation. Heaven rewards people of great determination and finally fate made him find an old local man.

That way he obtained the two parts, that year together with other students of Master Tong Sek they compiled the kung fu and medicine book.
My father got what he wanted.

My father had a deep affection for the Hung Sing Kwoon, in 1997 with great force he began to get support and help of Choy Lee Fut colleagues from abroad.

Without thinking of his age, my father bravely assumed great responsibilities to restore the Hung Sing Kwoon of Futsan, he rushed in all directions to help the leaders of the Culture Bureau to receive the companions from abroad and at the same time appoint students to contact other teachers and students to share their work together.
All work was successfully completed and on March 1, 1998 the Hung Sing Kwoon re-emerged.

 

Ho Cheung Sigung at the Hung Sing Kwoon

My father, a person of great virtue and prestige, was named "Eternal Headmaster"* of the Hung Sing Kwoon,

Every year after the Hung Sing Kwoon re-emerged, for the "Chong Yang Jie"*, (Double Nine Festival), my father always took his disciples to the kwoon to pay their respects to the ancestor masters. Until the year before his death, he celebrated this day. Without thinking about his serious illness my father insisted that his students took him to show their respect to the ancestor masters and told them that they should go every year to celebrate the “Chong Yang Jie” as part of the Hung Sing Kwoon tradition. We must pass on this tradition!

Leung Sifu and his disciples still celebrate the "Chong Yang Jie"

At the Tin Sing Kwoon we also celebrate the Chong Yang Jie as it was Ho Cheung Sigung wish

* "The opening and the reform" talks about the Chinese Reform and Opening-up (改革开放)  that took place in 1978, led by Deng Xiao Ping.

* "Headmaster" (馆长, Kwoon Cheung in cantonese, Guan Zhang in mandarin, pinyin) is the highest title within a martial arts school. "Eternal Headmaster" (永远馆长) it´s only given to very few masters that have been specially important for the kwoon.

* "Chong Yang Jie", The Double Nine Festival, if you want to know more check this article: "Chong Yang Jie at the Tin Sing Kwoon"