I want to especially thank our brother Kio Zou (邹宇杰, Zou Yu Jie) for his help in reviewing the translation.
Photo of the Hung Sing Kwoon masters taken in 1998 to celebrate the reopening of the Hung Sing Kwoon |
My Sisok, Master Jim Gai, who is still alive recalled: “At that time there were dozens of beginners who had done the 'bai shi' * to Master Tong Sek, but in fact they were all taught by your father until Hong Sing Kwoon was shut down ”.
In 1961 my father started teaching martial arts at home. At first to my two brothers and my Si Hing Yeung Yun. Then other relatives and friends continued to join us.
After the reopening of Hung Sing Kwoon in 1998, regardless of his almost 80 years of age, my father insisted on going to the temple to teach the Hung Sing martial arts in person every night. Whether they were close or not, rich or poor, tall or short, as long as the students were of good character and a sincere will to learn, he taught them carefully, without reservation. More than a thousand disciples passed through his hands throughout his life.
In 1966, he knew that Master He Yi, a former generation Hung Sing Kwoon disciple (Wong Sei's student, third generation of the Hung Sing Kwoon) was also accepting students at home. My father said: You can learn with me at any time but uncle Ho Yi is a master from an elder generation and you have the rare opportunity to be taught by him. Then he took me, my brothers, and Si Hing Yeung Yun to Uncle Ho Yi's house so we could learn his art.
Master Ho Cheung at the reopening of the Hung Sing Kwoon, at the left, Master Tsui Gwong Yun |
When my father was already seriously ill, he repeatedly told us: Since the will of heaven has wanted us to hang up the Hung sing Kwoon sign, we cannot remove it again. We must carry out the Hung Sing Kwoon and transmit and preserve its martial arts. Hung Sing's martial arts can´t be lost!
At 9:56 pm on January 3, 2004, my father died at the age of 86. My father left us suddenly, but his spirit always remains here! On the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the Hung sing Kwoon, I wrote this article to comfort my father's spirit in heaven: The Hung Sing Kwoon will certainly carry on, the martial arts of Hung Sing must be passed down from generation to generation!
MASTER HO CHEUNG'S LEGACY
As my Master Ho Choek Wah says in this text, his father, Ho Cheung, is no longer with us but his spirit still lives at the Hung Sing Kwoon today.
Ho Cheung was much more than a teacher, much more than the headmaster of the temple, throughout his life he placed the Hung Sing Kwoon ahead of himself, he tried to transmit the teachings that his masters and the masters of his masters had imparted. During tough times he worked so that all this knowledge wasn´t lost, so that the temple would reopen, so that all the teachers who were scattered throughout China would once again have a place where they belonged.
Current Hung Sing Kwoon organization, in it there are disciples of Master Ho Cheung, Master Ho Yi and Master Tsui Gwong Yun among others |
These values are still felt in the temple today, both my Sifu and Master Wong Zan Gong, current headmaster of the Hung Sing Kwoon, as the rest of Sifu who walk there every day consider that the most important thing is to transmit the martial arts and the ethical and moral values of the ancestor masters. This can be seen in every championship and exhibition, pupils do not represent this or that Sifu, but they represent the Hung Sing Kwoon and there is a constant mixing and transfer of students from different teachers who go from one group to another when necessary, for both the Hung Sing Kwoon and the Hung Sing Leung Kwoon. This mixture is so extent that when someone comes from outside it is rather confusing to distinguish who is who´s master and it is essential to explain them that, above all, we are all students of the temple.
What's more, after a few months people immediately have a feeling of belonging to the place, and each one helps in the way they can, everyone is involved, masters, instructors, adults, children and parents. There are sifu who love to teach but do not usually appear in the media, others teach and organize, there are fathers and mothers who take care of the material, clothes and that nothing is missing, other masters are the visible face in championships and exhibitions, there are students who do not miss any performance and others who, despite having new occupations and jobs, come whenever they can, there are students who, as they gain experience, begin to teach their younger siblings at the expense of their own training time, there are those who are skillful taking photos and videos, there are masters focused on lion dance, others take care of teenagers, others do the same with children.
Sifu Lei Wei Fong, one of the Hung Sing Kwoon coaches, is always present at the tournaments and exhibitions together with the Hung Sing team, ensuring that everything goes smoothly |
In the Hung Sing Kwoon I have seen three generations training together, I have seen the headmaster of the temple spending an hour teaching horse stance to a child who had been there for only two days. I have seen many masters working long hours to organize events for no money at all, just for the love for a style and a place.
Sifu Zau Seung Ching is an essential piece both in the teaching of the kids and in the organization of the Hung Sing Kwoon |
Sifu Pun Sing Guang (in the picture with Ah Qi) goes every weekend to the temple to teach his students, who in turn help training the youngest students |
Masters and disciples of the Hung Sing Kwoon together to congratulate everyone a happy new year |
Thereby, every time a child or an adult approaches the Jeong Hung Sing altar for the first time, with the photos of the ancestor teachers watching, Ho Cheung's legacy is present, together with the values for which he fought all his life. The martial art, medicine and the values of the Hung Sing Kwoon will not fall into oblivion, on the contrary, they will become stronger every day.
Master Leung Wai Wing teaching to his youngest students the Hung Sing Kwoon's history |
Master Ho Choek Wah, Ho Cheung´s son and the author of the text I have translated throughout this articles, continues teaching and passing on his father´s values |
Ho Sifu on the opening day of the Ho Cheung Kwoon (photo by Rubén Romero) |
Sifu Yeung eas Ho Cheung's first student, the Da Shi Hing, he kept all his life the contact with the Hung Sing Kwoon |
Sifu Yeung with Sifu Lok, who was also a Ho Cheung's disciple, and Sifu Lei Wei Fong, who is a Sifu Lok and Sifu Leung Wai Wing's disciple |
Lok Sifu is one of the most outstanding disciples of Master Ho Cheung |
Sifu Leung Wai Wing
Master Leung Wai Wing was a Ho Cheung's disciple and today he continues carrying his legacy on by teachig martial arts, history and martial values to his students |
Ho Cheung Kwoon's altar |
This inauguration was attended by many of Ho Cheung's disciples who were at that time in mainland China or Hong Kong, students of his disciples, disciples of other Hung Sing Kwoon masters, students of Sifu Ho Choek Wah and of course all the students of Sifu Leung.
Master Ho Choek Wah with Master Tsui Gwong Yun's wife, who didn't want to miss the opening |
Group photo taken during the Ho Cheung Kwoon opening |