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Author: Wayne K. W. Yung [ccwayne@yahoo.com]

President of Snake Crane Wing Chun Martial Arts Association, Hong Kong

10th April 2009

Snake Crane Wing Chun Mun（（（（蛇鶴詠春門蛇鶴詠春門蛇鶴詠春門蛇鶴詠春門））））

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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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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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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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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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）

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Ancestor Grandmaster Law Tai Wen(3rd generation)

（羅悌雲）（三傳）

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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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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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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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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.