2nd Generation on the Red Boats

What isnt known is how much, and at what times, the 2nd Generation learned on the Red Boats. It also seems that most 2nd Generation Red Boat Wing Chun students, also crossed over into being the 1st Generation to learn off of the Red Boats during the Opera Ban.

Oral Tradition from Yip man suggest he learned during the Opera ban, in Foshan from both Leung Yee Tai and Wong Wah Bo. Leung Jans biography preserved in Kulo Village suggests that Leung Jan learned much earlier than the mid 1860s, as he had already established his buisiness in Foshan. Research recently released by the AWCKRI suggest that Leung Jan first learned Wing Chun from Leung Yee Tai in the mid 1840s, as a young man. The method he learned on the Red Boats, from Leung Yee Tai, would later be the San Sik method he passed down in Kulo Village. After 1854 and the Tai Ping, and Opera Performance became outlawed, Wong Wah Bo and Leung Yee Tai, returned to Foshan to live. Wong continued Leung Jans Training. It was at this point that Wong Wah Bo and Leung Jan, together refined the Wing Chun System, into the 3 hand forms and single Jong set, we see today in modern Wing Chun. Wong Wah Bo practised one single long form, with 4 sections. This is exactly how Yik Kam passed down his Wing Chun to the Cho Family, which is still preserved to this day. Wong Wah Bo and Leung Jan broke the single form down into 3 hand forms, using Leung Yee Tais single linked San Sik set, to help with the overall organization of the material. The fourth section was used to create the Muk Yan Jong form, as well as had some parts integrated into the Weapons.

Yuen Kay Shan's first Sifu, Fok Bo Chun was said to have had two teachers. First he learned from Wong Wah Bo along side Leung Jan, and than later leared from Dai Fa Min Kam along side Fung Siu Ching. Its interesting to note, that Fok Bo Chun passed down the 3 hand forms of Wong Wah Bo to Yuen Kay Shan, suggesting that he didnt learn on the Red Boats, but during the time Wong Wah Bo was teaching Leung Jan in Foshan, during the years of the Ban.

Yuen's second Sifu, Fung Siu Ching, has become a bit of a mystery in modern times, due to differant branchs, preserving differant material, supposedly descending from Fung. According to Yuen Kay Shans written and oral traditions, Fung Siu Ching practised the exact same system Fok Bo Chun practised. They simply had a differant form of organization, as Fung preserved a linked San Sik set like Leung Yee Tai, and Fok preserved the broken down hand forms of Wong Wah Bo. Some branchs tracing their lineage to Fung Siu Ching suggest he was on the Red Boats apprentising, in the years of the Tai Ping. This would be imposible due to Fung Siu Ching, being only 73 when he passed away in 1936. A more likly senario is that after the Opera Ban was lifted, Dai Fa Min Kam and Wong Wah Bo, went back to the Opera. Dai Fa Min Kam, if on the original Red Boats pre-1860s must have been extremly young, which would be standard for Opera stars to start apprentising at a very early age. It is believed according to research done by the AWCKRI, that it was in the 8 Harmonies Union, that Fung Siu Ching learned along side Fok Bo Chun.

Yik kam taught Cho Family member Cho Shun. Cho Shun brought the Wing Chun system back to his native village Poon Yu? and taught his son, Cho Dak Sang. Later the Cho Family asked a retired Yik Kam to move to Poon Yu village, to further pass down the Wing Chun System. Yik Kam accepted the Cho families offer, opening a small osteopathic clinic, while teaching locals Wing Chun. Some Traditions from Cho Family state, Cho Dak Sang became so accomplished at Wing Chun under Yik Kam, he actually bested his father, Cho Shun in fight.

Very Little is known about Go Lo Chung?. His name appears in Yuen Kay Shans hand written traditions. It is said Go Lo Chung practised a San Sik version of Wing Chun that had a very strong White Crane Appearance. He taught his Son in Law, Siu Li Cheung. Yuen Kay Shans father, after having secured his sons learning from Fok Bo Chun and Fung Siu Ching, asked them if there was anyone else his sons could learn from as he wanted them to have as much of the complete system as possible. Fung and Fok assured Mr.Yuen that they passed down, all the same material, that Leung Jan preserved, and that there was no other branchs left, as Go Lo Chungs died out. In 2007, while the AWCKRI was researching the Opera actors historicaly, it was discovered that there is someone in Florida, USA, stating he is a decendent from the Siu Family. He was at a Martial Arts competition, and performed a small demo. Evidently his art was a San Sik system ,that looked more like White Crane, than several of the witnesses had seen before. During an interview with one of the partisipants, it was described that the names of his forms, retained the old world poetic names, such as "Poisonous snake shoots its venom". This information hasnt been validated, as of yet, by finding the person, who claimed he was from the Siu Family. Research is still ongoing.

Sources:

  • AWCKRI
  • Oral Tradition Yuen, Cho, Tang, Lo, Dong, Yip, Fung, Wong