Chan Family Lineage

Leung Jan's most famous student, Chan Wah Shun or Chan "The Money Changer", originaly from Hang Tan district of Shunde province, passed his Wing Chun down to only 14 students, in his lifetime, while living in Foshan. The last and most famous, Yip Man, helped to spread Wing Chun to the entire world.

6 months After accepting Yip Man, as his last disciple, Chan had a stroke and had to be brought back to the Chan Family village in Shunde, leaving Ng Chun So? to further young Yip Man's learning. Chan passed away shortly after that. His Family still preserves his methods of Wing Chun, through his son Chan Yiu Min, and his children and grandchildren.

At some point additional material was added into the Chan Family curriculum. In an interview by VTM? curator Benny meng, with Chan Kwok Kai, its stated by him that the Chan Family preserves some forms, not found in modern mainstream Wing chun, and are directly from Leung Jan, and other material usually referd to as "Weng Chun" forms were actually put into the system by Ng Chun So. This according to research done by the AWCKRI is highly unlikely considering, Ng Chun So's decendents such as Fok Joy (almost 90 years old as of 2007), the Yiu Family, who supported Ng Chun, in the last years of his life, as well as Yip man, who learned extensivly from his Dai SiHing Ng Chun So, do not include this material.

Its also interesting to note that other branchs stemming from Chan Wah Shun also do not include the Non Wing Chun Kuen material. Chan Yiu Mens top student Jiu Chow taught Wong Jing, Pan Nam and his nephew Jiu Wan, non of which preserve the supplimental forms now found in the Chan Family. A more probable than not senario, is that Chan Yiu Min's wife Lai Miu Hin, or their children, added in the additional forms and material, also considering Lai Miu Hin was said to be a great Kung Fu Master prior to even learning the Chan Family Wing Chun System.

Whats also interesting is that Chan Family preservation of certain Wing Chun Kuen material actually helps validate, that what we see as the Wing Chun system today, isnt exactly how it was preserved in the 1800s up until the 1950s. For example Lo Kwai, Cho, Yuen, Kulo, and Fut Sao Wing Chun Families preserve that the three Wing Chun hand forms were actually one long form with four sections, that was broken down by Wong Wah Bo, when he taught in Foshan. Chan Family still preserve Siu Lien Tau and the 4th Section/Form Siu Lin Sae Mun? as one set. And preserves Chum Kiu and Biu Tze? as one set, which substantiates what the other branchs of the Wing Chun Kuen Clan preserve.

According to the research of the AWCKRI several small linked San Sik forms, are authenticaly preserved within the Chan Family from Dr.Leung Jan, as the material has been cross-checked and referanced with Kulo Village Wing Chun Material, Lo Kwai Foshan Wing Chun Material, and Yuen Kay Shans Wing Chun Material, and has core commonalities found in all old Ancestral Wing Chun methods. San Sik forms such as Lai Jin Choi? or "Shooting/Stretching Arrow punch", Lien Wan Kau Da or "Chain Linked Holding and Striking" and Pian San Choi? or "Side Body Punch".

Sources:

  • AWCKRI
  • Leungs Publishing
  • Oral and written tradition Chan Family
  • Oral and written tradition Tang Bun
  • New Martial Hero
  • WuLin Magazine