HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF
CHOY-LI-FATT TWELVE FIST SET
Grandmaster Wong demonstrated Choy-Li-Fatt Twelve Fist Set
Choy-Li-Fatt Kungfu is an important aspect of Southern Shaolin. It was invented by a kungfu master Chan Harng who lived in the 19th century. He combined three styles of kungfu from his three sifus. There were Choy Family Kungfu which he learned from Choy Fook, Li Family Kungfu from Li Yau San, and Buddha Style Kungfu from the Venerable Cheng Choe (or Green Grass). Chan Harng was a patriot, and many Choy-Li-Fatt masters helped Dr Sen Yat Sen to overthrow the Qing Dynasty in 1911 to set up the first Chinese Republic.
Chan Harng's student, Cheong Hoong Sing, spread Choy-Li-Fatt Kungfu in south China. Hence many Choy-Li-Fatt schools were named after this kungfu master, and were called Hoong Sing schools.
Choy-Li-Fatt Kungfu is famous for long stances and long-reaching strikes. It is very useful for fighting against multiple opponents. The long stances and long-reaching strikes of Choy-Li-Fatt Kungfu may appear exposed, but in the hands of a master these techniques are exceedingly combat-effective.
The Wing Choon Kungfu I practiced was initiated by a Choy-Li-Fatt master, Yik Kam. Yik Kam met a Wing Choon master, Leong Yi Tai, who learned from Leong Phok Khow, who in turn learned from his wife and founder, Yim Wing Choon.
Yik Kam was beatern by Leong Yi Tai, so he begged Leong Yi Tai to teach him Wing Choon Kungfu. So my Wing Choon Kungfu has both Wing Choon characteristics and Choy-Li-Fatt characteristics.
Choy-Li-Fatt Kungfu is generally regarded as an external style, but there are also internal training at advanced level. I exchanged some kungfu training with my childhood friend and Choy-Li-Fatt master, Sifu Chow Kok Chee. One of the kungfu sets he taught me was Choy-Li-Fatt Cosmos Palm, which involved much internal training. I also learned Cosmos Palm from my sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam. Hence, when I composed Choy-Li-Fatt Twelve Fist Set, I introduced Cosmos Palm into it.
Wong Kiew Kit
28th December 2018
LINKS
Choy-Li-Fatt Twelve Fist Set -- Pattern Names