'History - Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun' article had been posted in the 'New Martial Hero Magazine', Hong Kong.

1. Author: Wayne K. W. Yung [ccwayne@yahoo.com]
President of Snake Crane Wing Chun Martial Arts Association, Hong Kong
10th April 2009
（蛇鶴詠春門）
Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun（蛇鶴詠春門）
永行忠義堪歌詠
言出九鼎志更春
“A promise cannot be broken and
Loyalty should always be borne in mind”
One branch of Wing Chun (‘Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春’) has been hidden for
over a century. Compared to the other branches, it has a very low profile and is
largely unknown. There are different rules governing the followers of this branch;
no demonstrations; no fighting with others; and no relations with the rest of the
martial art community. This is a strictly family-oriented branch.
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2. History
Accordingly, ‘Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春’ was developed in the Wing Chun
House 永春殿, one of the houses in the Shaolin Temple. It was used to train the
guardian monks the Shaolin martial art. In the house, there is a couplet :『永行忠義
堪歌詠 言出九鼎志更春』. The name ‘Wing Chun’ (詠春) is derived from the last
word of each statement.
Wing Chun was developed by the monk "Grandmaster Chi Sin 至善禪師" and the nun
"Grandmaster Ng Mui 伍梅師太", as well as numerous experienced guardian monks
of the Shaolin Temple. Grandmaster Chi Sin 至善禪師 was good at the "Snake
form" and Grandmaster r Ng Mui 伍梅師太 was good at the “Crane form”, and they
observed the daily activities of the life of the snake and the crane. Because a lot of
the Snake's hands and the Crane's hands can be found in Wing Chun Kuen 詠春拳, it
is called ‘Snake Crane Wing Chun Kuen 蛇鶴詠春拳’. Later, these two statements
became the discipline of Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun 蛇鶴詠春門 and have
governed the followers of this branch.
During the Qing dynasty, in order to reduce the influence of the Shaolin temple in the
martial arts community and among the anti-Manchurian collaborators, the Qing
government encouraged one of the Shaolin traitors, Ma Ling Yee 馬寧兒, to rebel
against Shaolin. He was very familiar with the Shaolin martial art, and a lot of
Shaolin monks and related people were killed. Grandmaster Chi Sin 至善禪師 and
Grandmaster Ng Mui 伍梅師太 then gave up the traditional big motion style of the
Shaolin martial art and evolved a new concept of the fighting technique that Ma Ling
Yee 馬寧兒 did not know; it was characterized by reflex and quick attacks within a
short distance to cope with this traitor.
Qing dynasty Red Boat 紅船 drawing Qing dynasty Red Boat 紅船 Model
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3. After the fire of the Shaolin Temple, Grandmaster Chi Sin 至善禪師 escaped to the
Southern part of the China from the persecutions of the Qing government and
developed Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 very quickly in the area. The Snake
Crane Wing Chun Mun 蛇鶴詠春門 branch is descended from Grandmaster Chi Sin
至善禪師. After the fire of the King Fa Wui Goon 瓊花會館, the Red Boat 紅船,
related to the Tai Ping Heavenly Kingdom 太平天國, in order to avoid the
persecutions of the Qing government, Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun 蛇鶴詠春門 was
concealed in the GuongDong 廣東 area.
There are two interrelated names in Snake Crane Wing Chun Kuen 蛇鶴詠春拳: one
is called ‘Blind Kuen 盲拳’. Eyes can be covered during practice to develop quick
reflexes. The other is called ‘Home Kuen 歸家拳’ because training is always done at
home, never in the open.
Governing Rules
愛國聆師訓 扶傾濟弱貧 技不傳夷狄 不作江湖人
虛谷懷至善 武德自芬芳 離訓神人滅 斯人非我群
The mastery of Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 was bequeathed to Grandmaster
Sun Kam 申錦, a member of Red Boat Opera 紅船戲班. In his late age,
Grandmaster Law Tiu Wen 羅悌雲 was one of his students. The governing rules of
the Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun 蛇鶴詠春門 had already become very strict; open
demonstrates were forbidden to avoid persecution from the Qing government; the
teaching of foreigners was prohibited, as in the late Qing dynasty, Chinese were often
bullied by foreigners; and no relationship with other martial art organizations was
allowed. In order to continue the skills and not practise openly, it has kept a very
low profile until today.
Successors’ Chart
The grandmaster, Law Tiu Wen 羅悌雲, was a qualified student during the late Qing
dynasty, and loved Chinese martial arts. During the Revolution of 1911, the Chinese
democratic revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen 孫逸仙, who overthrew the Qing
Dynasty., Law Tiu Wen 羅悌雲 worked as the secretary of General Mr. Li Fok Lam
李褔林. In the beginning of the Republic of China, he quit his government official
job and returned to his birth place, Fu Shan Sai Chiu 佛山西樵, as a practitioner of
Chinese medicine. Afterwards, he taught his son, Grandmaster Law Ting Chau 羅定
周, the skill. Grandmaster Law Ting Chau 羅定周 came to Hong Kong in the 1940s,
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4. before liberation, when the People’s Republic of China formed. He worked as a
police officer and then worked in cultural-related jobs. He passed the skill to his son,
Master Law Chiu Wing 羅昭榮. All successors since Grandmaster Sun Kam 申錦
are in the lineage of the same family. They have kept the Snake Crane Wing Chun
蛇鶴詠春 in a very low profile during each generation.
Grandmaster Law Tai Wen The picture on wall shows Grandmaster Law Tai
羅悌雲 Wen 羅悌雲 the 3rd generation of Snake Crane
Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春三傳
The relationship with the other branches of Wing Chun is very difficult to examine
because, in the past, verbal teaching was usual and there was no formal
documentation. After the Tai Ping Heavenly Kingdom (太平天國 1851-1864) and the
fire of King Fa Wui Goon(瓊花會館), Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 hid itself
to avoid trouble from the Qing government, and Grandmaster Sun Kam 申錦, the
ancestor, in the Red Boat Opera did not mention much about the ancestor chart to the
Grandmaster Law Tiu Wen 羅悌雲, again to avoid any trouble from the Qing
government. The only thing Law knew about the source of this lineage is from
Grandmaster Chi Sin 至善禪師. Also, it is not been allowed to teach, join any
martial arts organizations, or have relations with the other branches. That is why
some parts of its history are missing during this period. Admittance to this branch is
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5. attained via a very old traditional ceremony. Perspective members must kneel down,
displaying red and yellow papers 紅黃紙 in front of the master, offer a cup of tea and
name all the ancestors’ ‘woods’神主牌. In addition to the woods 神主牌, a glassed
picture of the Chinese word "佛", the Buddha, should be related to the Shaolin
Temple.
Chart of successors
Source Grandmaster Chi Sin(1st Generation)
（至善禪師） （一傳）
|
Ancestor Grandmaster Sun Kam(2nd generation)
（申錦） （二傳）
|
Ancestor Grandmaster Law Tai Wen(3rd generation)
（羅悌雲） （三傳）
|
Ancestor Grandmaster Law Ting Chau(4th generation)
（羅定周） （四傳）
|
Master Law Chiu Wing(5th generation)
（羅昭榮） （五傳）
The written notes from Grandmaster Law Tai Wen 羅悌雲 in Qing Dynasty Guandxu
16 years 清光緒十六年(1890).
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6. Hong Kong
Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 appeared in Hong Kong in the 1940s, after
Grandaster Law Ting Chau 羅定周 and his family moved to Hong Kong. His
descendant is his son, Masterr Law Chiu Wing 羅昭榮. Up to now, there are only a
handful of students in this branch.
(Front right the first) Grandmaster Law Ting Chau 羅定周 was in police in 1941
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7. Colleagues Chan Wing Chan 陳榮錚 and Li Yuen 李遠 practiced Long pole, twin
knives and chopstick skills in 1960s.
The content of Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 includes "SiuLimTau 小念頭",
"ChumKiu 尋橋", “BiuJee 標指”, “Luk hands 轆手”, “Sticky hands 黐手”,
“Wooden dummy techniques 木人樁法”, “Long pole 六點半棍”, “Twin knives 二
字拑羊奪命刀, “Rattan ring 籐圈法” and “Chopstick skills 筷子法”. There
are also many associated training poems 口訣 complied with the practices.
The 21st Century
In the late Qing Dynasty, as the Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 came from
Shaolin, it was one of the targets to be removed by the Qing government. After the
Tai Ping Heavenly Kingdom 太平天國 and the fire of King Fa Wui Goon 瓊花會館,
it kept a very low profile in order to survive. The governing rules of this branch
were defined very strictly in order to retain the skill over succeeding generations.
Today, in the 21st century, long after the passing away of the Qing dynasty, after the
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8. Republic of China moved to Taiwan, and after the People’s the Republic of China
became the governing party in the mainland, the situation of Snake Crane Wing Chun
蛇鶴詠春 has totally changed since its beginning 150 years ago. The Qing dynasty
disappeared a century ago and now a Chinese satellite is orbiting the moon. In
addition, the daughters of Master Law Chiu Wing 羅昭榮 are not interested in
inheriting this skill. In order to retain the skill, Master Law 羅昭榮 has modified the
rules of this branch, and made it public. Now, Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 is
open to all. We hope that our descendants will maintain it and pass it on to future
generations.
Snake Crane Wing Chun 蛇鶴詠春 demonstrates to the foreign MBA students at the
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology every year.
Noam Elharar, Israeli, demonstrated Good results in the New Martial Hero -
SiuLimTau 小念頭 at Victoria Harbour World Kung Fu Event in 2010, three
in Hong Kong International Kung Fu golden medals.
Festival 2009.
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