Hung Gun Biu

There are differant traditions surrounding Hung Gun Biu. The Hung Fa Yi Lineage traces Hung Gun Biu as one of their core ancestors, but in other systems he plays a less dominant role. It is believed in the Hung Fa Yi Tradition that Hung Gun Biu passed down the Hung Fa Yi Wing chun system to Opera performers Wong Wah Bo, Leung Yee Tai, Dai Fa Min Kam, Gu lo Chung, Law Man Gung, Siu Sang Hung Fook".

He became one of the first generation disciples to learn Wing Chun, outside the Siu lam temple. And continue to pass down the system to non Monk practitioners.

Cheung Ng (1st Gen.) Chan Jing Li (?) Taught his grandson Chan Sai Yuan (2nd Gen.). Chan Sai Yuan had a son named Chan Bo Jung (3rd Gen.). And Chan Bo Jung Passed down the system to Chan family nephew Hung Gun Biu (4th Gen.).

Some research has suggested Cheung Ng directly passed down the Wing Chun system to the Opera Boats, not Hung Gun Biu, but historical evidence proves the as incorrect. This tradition was spread by Pan Nam during the early 1980's after reading Pulp novels that dramatized many historical facts. It would have been impossible for Cheung Ng to have directly taught the Opera troupes of the mid 1850's, as Cheung Ng traveled to Foshan in the mid 1730's and found the King Fa Wui Goon, and is a known Opera Performer Ancestor.

This is also the only mention of a "Siu Sang Hung Fook" in all the various Wing chun/Weng chun oral traditions. No further information is available on him.

Some modern research points to a possibility that Hung Gun Biu, actually doesnt refer to a specific person, but a mode of dress for the late commers that joined into the Red turbin rebellion in 1854. The rebellion when first organized used standard Opera costumes( According to the Foshan Museum), than later members of the rebellion, didnt have the expensive elaborate costumes, and so used red bandanas with Red Poles.

Sources:

  • Oral Traditions Hung Fa Yi Family
  • History of Plays and Arias by Meng Yiu
  • Investigation of the History of Cantonese Opea by Mak Siu Ha
  • AWCKRI