- Chan Kowk Wai
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Chan Kwok Wai (Chinese: 陳國偉; Pinyin: Chén Guó Wěi) was born on April 3, 1936, at Taishan in the province of Canton, China. He is well regarded as the major introductor of traditional Shaolin Kung Fu in Brazil, through the China-Brazil Kung Fu Academy (Portuguese: Academia Sino-Brasileira de Kung Fu). His disciples have spread as far as the USA, Canada, Spain, Argentina and the Czech Republic, among other countries.
In September, 2004, Chan was awarded the 10th degree of the World Organization of Wu Shu & Kung Fu Masters from Vancouver, BC, Canada,[1] in five styles: Northern Shaolin, Yang Taiji, Bagua, Xingyi and Hung Sing Choy Lei Fat (see below).
Contents
Kung Fu Styles
Chan teaches a broad curriculum of old-school kung fu styles. Most of them are external styles (外家, Wài Jiā):
- Fist of the Northern Shaolin School (Chinese: 北少林拳門; Pinyin: Běi Shào Lín Quán Mén, Cantonese: Bak Siu Lam Kuen Mun), the core martial arts system from the Buddhist Shaolin Monastery of Henan, in Northern China.
- Springing Legs (Chinese: 潭腿 or 彈腿; Pinyin: Tán Tuǐ, Cantonese: Tam Toi), originated from the Islamic Hui people; 12 Roads version (十二路).
- Fist of (Masters) Cai, Li & Buddha (Chinese: 蔡李佛拳; Pinyin: Cài Lǐ Fó Quán, Cantonese: Choy Lei Fat Kuen), families Goose Victory (Chinese: 鴻勝; Pinyin: Hóng Shèng; Cantonese: Hung Sing) and Northern Victory (Chinese: 北勝; Pinyin: Běi Shèng; Cantonese: Bak Sing).
- Mantis Fist of the Seven Stars (Chinese: 七星螳螂拳; Pinyin: Qī Xīng Táng Láng Quán, Cantonese: Chat Seng Tong Long Kuen)
- Fist of the Arhat (Chinese: 羅漢拳; Pinyin: Lúo Hàn Quan, Cantonese: Lo Hon Kuen), from the Buddhist concept of Arhat ("worthy of Nirvana" in Sanskrit).
- Natural School (Chinese: 自然門 or 自然门; Pinyin: Zì Rán Mén, Cantonese: Ji Yin Mun)
- Fist of (Master) Zha (Chinese: 查拳; Pinyin: Zhā Quán, Cantonese: Cha Kuen), originated from the Islamic Hui people.
The internal styles (内家, Nèi Jiā) taught by Chan are such:
- Fist of the Absolute of Yang Family (Chinese: 楊氏 太極拳; Pinyin: Yáng Shì Taì Jí Quán, Cantonese: Tai Kek Kuen), from the Taoist concept of the Taiji (the supreme ultimate, the absolute, or the infinity).
- Fist of Infinity (Chinese: 八極拳; Pinyin: Bā Jí Quán, Cantonese: Baat Kek Kuen), from the I Ching concept of the Baji (everything in all eight directions, or the infinity), originated from the Islamic Hui people.
- Palm of the Eight Trigrams (Chinese: 八卦掌; Pinyin: Bā Guà Zhǎng, Cantonese: Baat Kua Cheong), from the Taoist concept of the Bagua.
- Fist of the Six Harmonies (Chinese: 六合拳; Pinyin: Liù Hé Quán, Cantonese: Luk Hop Kuen), from the Taoist concept of the Six Harmonies or Six Unions.
- Fist of Intent-Shaping (Chinese: 形意拳; Pinyin: Xíng Yì Quán, Cantonese: Yeng Yi Kuen)
Kung Fu Lineage
Chan initiated his kung fu by the age of four with Chan Cheok Sing, who taught him Choy Lei Fat until he was 14. In 1949, with the constitution of the People's Republic of China, the young Chan moved with his family to Hong Kong, where he trained Shaolin Lohon with his uncle Ma Kim Fong. When Yim Sheung Mo (嚴尚武) too left the PRC, he stayed in Hong Kong with Chan's family and taught him the Northern Shaolin Style. Thus did Chan Kowk Wai inherit this traditional martial art system along with martial qigong (氣功), healing massage techniques, Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Bajiquan and Tantui. Yim Sheung Mo also introduced the young Chan to Won Hong Fan (黃漢勳) of the Seven Stars Mantis Style, Ching Jim Man (张占文) of the Eagle Claw Style and Master and renowned Doctor Yim You Chin of the Hung Sing Choy Li Fat Style, with all of whom he learned everything he could for roughly ten years.
In 1960, Chan moved to Brazil, where he co-founded the Chinese Social Center (Centro Social Chinês, in Portuguese) through which he taugh kung fu classes for twelve years. He also taught classes at the renowned Universidade de São Paulo (USP) for seven years. In 1973, Chan founded the China-Brazil Kung Fu Academy for which he is largely known today.
Personal Approach
Chan teaches the core Northern Shaolin hand sets in a different order than Ku Yu Cheung (太院长 顾汝章). (Ku Yu Cheong, or in Mandarin Gu Ru Zhang, taught Yim Shang Wu, or in Cantonese Yim Sheung Mo, who, in turn, taught Chen Guo Wei, or in Cantonese Chan Kowk Wai.) The core ten sets are preceded by an introductory set. His methodology is propagated throughout the whole Sinobrasileira family.
Introductory set:
- 練歩拳 [Liàn Bù Quán / Lien Bu Chuan] Steps and Fists Practice
The Five Lesser sets:
- 短打 [Duǎn Dǎ / Tuin Ta] Short Strike (Zhang's 8th)
- 梅花 [Méi Huā / Moy Fa] Plum Blossom (Zhang's 7th)
- 穿心 [Chuān Xīn / Tchuin Sam] Pierce the Heart (Zhang's 6th)
- 武藝 [Wǔ Yì / Mo Ay] Martial Skill (Zhang's 3rd)
- 拔歩 [Bá Bù / Pa Pou] Uprooting Step / Long March (Zhang's 4th)
The Five Greater sets:
- 坐馬 [Zuò Mǎ / Tchou Ma] Sit on the Horse (Zhang's 1st)
- 領路 [Lǐng Lù / Leng Lo] Lead the Way (Zhang's 2nd)
- 開門 [Kāi Mén / Koy Moon] Open the Door / Release (Zhang's 5th)
- 連環 [Lián Huán / Lien Lou] Continuous Chain (Zhang's 9th)
- 式法 [Shì Fǎ / Ce Fa] Pattern Method (Zhang's 10th)
References
External links
- Academia Sino-Brasileira de Kung Fu (HQ in São Paulo)
- Senda - Escola de Kung Fu (Curitiba, Paraná)
- Academia Sino-Brasileira de Kung Fu (Florianópolis, Santa Catarina)
- Lin Tai (Florianópolis, Santa Catarina)
- Wu Yi - Habilidade Marcial (Rio de Janeiro)
- www.kungfu-wushu.com.br (Manaus, Amazonas)
- Associação Gaúcha de Kung-Fu (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul)
- Academia Wu Song de Kung Fu (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul)
- Centro Cultural Brasil China (Rio de Janeiro)
- Associação Umbuzeiro de Kung Fu e Boxe Chinês (Santos, São Paulo)
- Associação Pak Shao Lin de Kung Fu (São Paulo)
- Associação Mei Hua (João Pessoa, Paraíba)
- Equilíbrio Academia (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul)
International:
- Česko-Čínská Akademie Kungfu (Czech Republic)
- Académie Sino Canadienne de Kung Fu (Canada)
- Asociación Kai Men Kung Fu (Argentina)
See also
Categories:- Chinese martial artists
- 1936 births
- Living people
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