Grandmaster Cheung Lai Chin.
Great Grandmaster Cheung Lai Chin died during the early 1960’s while having tea at a local teahouse. His eldest son Cheung Bing Sum died of a drug overdose. This site is dedicated to the both of them, “ may God bless their souls in Heaven and Bak Mae Kung Fu will progress into the future. Long Live Bak Mae Kung Fu!
Great Grandmaster Cheung Lai Chin was born in the Ching Dynasty. His
great grandfather, Cheung Yok Tong was a high offical. During the time
of the Emperor Hem Fong. Official Cheung was one of the government officers
on the Kowloon Peninsular, Hong Kong. In 1859 the official built a monument
in old Kowloon city and in the 9th year of the reign of the Emperor
he built an old paper pavilion, people called it the eight corners pavilion.
When Cheung Lai Chi was a baby his father died and he was alone with
his mother whom raised him. When he was four years old one of his father’s
cousin tried to take his family’s property. He threw Cheung Lai Chin onto
the ground and broked his left arm. The child was taken to a Chinese herbalist/Chinese
physician called Shifu Lam Shek. Shifu Lam healed his left arm. After some
years, at the age of seven, Cheung became one of his students and learn
from him the “ Low Man style, also known as the Gipsy style.” He aso learn
the Sup Gee Kuen or cross form, the Sun, Moon, Monkey, the Saber the Staff
and others. Later Ceung became a student of Shifu Lee Yee. He learned the
Seventy Two earth murdering form, Small cross staff, the snake hidden in
the grass form, Earth elements Central staff form, left and right Tiger’s
fork form, single saber and shield form. Later a family member brought
him to the Wah Sau Temple in the mountian and he became a student of master
Ah hop. Before this Cheung had learn the Dragon Shadows system from Wong
Che Si and Shifu Lam Ah Yuan, father of the Great Grandmaster Lam Yue Quai
shifu of Dragon Shadows system at the Yin Tong military academy. Shifu
Lam Ah Hop was a disciple of the famous Tai Yoke Monk. All these Shifus
were Dragon Shadows system. They taught the Dragon Shadows system. When
Grandmaster Cheung Lai Chin went to Canton. Every morning he had tea at
a teahouse in Canton, the Manchurians still had big influence in Canton.
They were descendants of Manchurian army officiers. They were cruel and
arrogant but not one dare join the table of this Monk , that is enjoying
his tea. After days of observation Grandmaster Cheu Lai Chin decided that
the monk was an unusual person, otherwise the Manchurians would not be
intimidated enough to stay away from him. When Cheung sat at the Monk’s
table the Monk got up and walked away, this happen everytime he sat with
this Monk. Finally Cheng Lai Chin spoked to this Monk. Sifu, I do not have
leprosy. Why do you walk away from me/ we are both Chinese! The Monk thought
for awhile and then sat down with Cheung Lai Chin. After several months
they became friends. Cheung on a Celebration invite this Monk to dinner,
he got the Monk drunk and then ask the Monk about Kung fu, but this Monk
just kept on eating and said nothing. Grandmaster Cheung performed his
Kung Fu in front of the monk and ask him if his Kung u is good enough for
fighting and the monk replied “ “It depends.”
Cheung then told the Monk that he knows Kung Fu or he would not say
It Depends. Cheung ask the monk to demonstrate his Kung Fu , the Monk demostarted
three techniques and then sat down. Cheung criticised this Monk’s Kung
Fu.
Shifu , your Kung Fu is not practical, you just stood there.
The Monk reply “ It depends.” Then Cheung challenged this Monk and
used all the techniques he had learned but none of his techniques was effective
on this Monk, his techniques can’t even touch this Monk, no matter how
Chueng attacked, the young monk use one technique “ Monk Disrobing.” And
send Grandmaster Cheung flying into a well and his chin got cut and he
was seriously shocked. He asked the Monk to teach him but he refused, the
young monk begged him not to reveal that he had seen his Kung Fu because
his shifu will kill him for showing off, then Cheung asked the monk to
introduce him to his shifu but he told him his shifu do not teach . Later
Chueng Lai Chin followed this monk to the Temple and found out that in
this temple there is a Monk named Chuk Fat Won whom was at a Toaist Temple
in the szchwan province and had learn from a Toaist Monk named Bak Mae.
Chuk Fat Won was then 92 years old and was the inheriter of Bak Mae Kung
Fu. Cheung founf out that this Monk enjoy eggs, so eventually Cheung Lai
Chin asked to learn from this monk and this monk Chuk Fat Won refused to
teach him. Cheung kept on bringing him Eggs and eventually he was accepted
as a disciple of Bak Mae Kung Fu and he sold all his properties and paid
the monk to learn Bak Mae Kung Fu, Cheung was taught five Bak Mae forms,
and the Flying phoenix saber etc. Later Grandmaster Cheung included 10
Dragon Shadows Forms and introduced Bak Mae Kung Fu to Southern China.
Grandmaster Cheung Lai Chin was also a great herbalist and Chinese physician.
His eldest son Cheung Bing Sum died before 1949 and his two younger son
Cheung Bing Lum and Cheung Bing Fat went to Hong Kong with him. In 1961
Grandmaster Cheung Lai Chin at age eighty still kept his standard of Kung
Fu, no grey hairs and wrinkles. In the autumn of 1964 at age 84 he passed
away while having tea at a teahouse.