LEUNG WING HANG'S legacy

The Chi Wu Men Athletic Association is the representative body for the Hei Ng Mun or Chi Wu Men (氣五門) gōngfu family fist, which possesses a distinctive lineage of southern gōngfu. Chi Wu Men is a traditional style deeply rooted in the five animal styles,. This style originated during the Qing Dynasty in the southern region of Hubei province in China. According to the historical book "The Legend of the Five Intercessors," the early records of this style suggest that it was created by a Monk named Zeng Man Hou.

THE CHI WU MEN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION IS THE ONLY CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS INSTITUTION THAT OFFICIALLY REPRESENTS THE HEI NG MUN GONGFU STYLE, AUTHORIZED AND CERTIFIED BY OUR GRANDMASTER. ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO CLAIMS TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR LINEAGE, NOT MENTIONED ON OUR MEMBERSHIP PAGE, HAS NO CONNECTIONS WITH OUR INSTITUTION.

There are many elements from Hung Kuen in Leung Wing-hang's Kung Fu style, which he has practiced for many decades. According to the book "Snake, Cat and Crane The combined fist," the patriarch Leung Wing-hang absorbed elements of the Dai Min Jeung "the big cotton palm" and the Ying Jaau Tong Long Bo Yin Sun " Southern eagle claw, mantis step, swallow body" to combine these techniques and develop the cat fist.

With no doubt, Leung Wing-hangs kung fu influenced many, not only for the legacy he left with the cat fist and his incredible knowledge in martial arts and medicine of traditional Dit-da traumatology, and also as a kung fu movie actor and director back in the '50s, but according to Hung Kuen Research Association, it is most likely that grandmaster Leung Wing-hang was also responsible to develop the Wudip Zoeng Tao Lu (蝴蝶掌) (Butterfly Palm Form), a secret Kung Fu technique from the Shaolin temple, which nowadays is part of many Hung Kuen schools curriculum.

Leung wing hang
Cat Chases Mouse. 1931. "Snake, Cat and Crane The Combined Fist", by Leung Wing-hang, Chan Sheung Kee Book Co. Ltda p.58

Leung Wing-hang (梁永享) was a well-known traditional dit da doctor and kung fu teacher in Hong Kong from 1930-1974. Leung Wing-hang began his martial arts studies in Guan Zhou under So Hak-fu, one of the famed Ten Tigers of Canton. After his death, Leung Wing-hang was a disciple of Wong Fei-hung. After training with Wong Fei-hung, Leung Wing-hang moved to Hong Kong and enrolled in one of Lam Sai-wing schools, beginning his training with him. At Lam's school, Leung studied the Southern Hung-Kuen style. Leung Wing-hang wrote a book on a style he created himself called the "Snake Cat Crane Combined Fist". The Snake Cat Crane Combined Fist, also known as the "Three Shapes Fist" or "Sam Yin Kuen", was created in the 1920s.

In his work travel through Hubei, he met several kung fu masters and exchanged martial arts knowledge and medical techniques with them. Two elderly guards, Yeung Han-git (楊漢傑) and Chan Saam-gaap (陳三甲) both became a great influence on the Leung development of the Sam Yin Kuen (三形拳) style. The Yeung's family martial arts style was Dai-min-jeung (大綿掌), and Chan's martial arts were called Ying-jaau-tong-long-bo-yin-sun (鷹爪螳螂步燕身). Observing and exchanging techniques with them, Leung was motivated to develop his style emphasizing softness.

Based on the five animal fists, Leung made the decision to extract the soft elements from the snake and the crane. Additionally, he recognized that the tiger and the leopard possessed strength and speed simultaneously, prompting him to merge both animals into one and develop the cat fist. After an extensive period of study, he came to the realization that the cat fist embodied the philosophy of Wu Xing. Leung Wing-hang's intention was never to replace the five animal styles with the cat fist, but rather to establish a connection between the cat and the five animals, uniting them as one. Leung concluded that his kung fu could reach a higher level by combining the Snake, Cat, and Crane techniques with the essence of Yung's and Chan's styles. After 1931, Leung returned to Hong Kong to operate his Dit-da medical clinic and teach martial arts.

“First comes courage, second strength, and third Kung Fu"

"一膽二力三功夫” -- Leung Wing Hang

Following World War II, during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, numerous Kung Fu masters either concealed themselves or migrated from China to various other countries. As documented in the history book "History Of Asian Americans: Exploring Diverse Roots" by Jonathan Lee, a significant portion of the Chinese population that departed from China sought refuge in the United States, Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela. One of his students moved to Brazil, and that is how his legacy was passed on.

According to Hong Kong Movie Database (香港影庫 ) Leung Wing-hang was also an actor, movie director, and a scene fighting director as well, he worked in the following movie titles:

- The Story of Wong Fei-Hung 黃飛鴻傳(上集) (1949)

- Wong Fei-Hung Burn the Tyrants's Lair 黃飛鴻傳(下集大結局) (1949)

- Story of Wong Fei-Hung, Part 3: The Battle by Lau Fa Bridge黃飛鴻傳第三集:血戰流花橋 (1950)

- The Story of Wong Fei-Hung, Part 4: The Death of Liang Huan 黃飛鴻傳第四集:梁寬歸天 (1950)

- How Ten Heroes of Guangdong Slew the Dragon 廣東十虎屠龍記 (1950)

- The Story of Wong Fei-Hung (Part 5) 黃飛鴻傳(大結局) (1951)

- The Three Sieges of Zhu Village 三打祝家莊(上集) (1951)

- The Three Sieges of Zhu Village (Part 2) 三打祝家莊(下集) (1951)

- The Five Heroes' Deadly Spears 五虎斷魂 (1951)

- The Brave Archer 百戰神弓 (1951)

- Huang Feihong's Battle in Furong Valley 黃飛鴻血染芙蓉谷 (1952)

- The Battle of the Peaks Part 1血戰摩天嶺 (1953)