Hung Hei Goon

[Op108wc]

What's his name? Hung Hei Goon or Chu Hei Goon. Hung Hei Goon is considered as the founder of Hung Gar. It is said by some that Hung Hei Goon was born into a distant royal family and was descendant of Prince Leung the 15'th son of the Ming Emperor Chung Chen. He was born in kwuntung province of Southern China when the country was under the rule of Ch'ing dynasty (Manchu). Hung Hei Goon being a Ming patriot disliked the Ch'ing rule like many other Han Chinese and spent most of his life fighting to over throw the Ch'ing and restore the Ming. Hung's real surname was Chu, however due to being one of the most wanted rebels of his time, he later changed his name to Hung to hide his real identity from the Ch'ing government. He chose the name Hung as a tribute to the first Ming Emperor Chu Yuan-Cheung (Hung Mo) who is widely considered as one of the most powerful emperor in the history of China.

[Op108wc]

Hung Hei Goon made a living as a travelling tea merchant up until the time he joined the Shaolin Temple as a layman. According to one of many stories, during one of his travels he was confronted and got into trouble with some Ch'ing officials which resulted with a price on his head. Not wanting to be caught by the Ch'ing, he fled and went into hiding at the Shaolin Temple where many other rebels, Ming supporters and former officials took refuge. Here at the Southern Shaolin Temple, Hung trained "Shaolin boxing" under the abbot Gee Sin, specialising in Shaolin Tiger system. Hung learned the famous Gung Gee Fook Fu Kuen which at the time was known as Shaolin Tiger Fist Boxing. However it is believed that Hung further developed Gung Gee Fook Fu Kuen and he is widely considered as the creator of this form.

According to some sources, Hung Hei Goon, Gee Sim and some others went into hiding in "Hung Suen" or Red Boats which belonged to the Hung Suen Opera troupes that travelled all over Southern China and staged playes. During his travels Hung met Fong Weng Chun (not to be confused with Yim Wing Chun). Fong Weng Chun was an expert in the Fukein Weng Chun White Crane boxing (Fukien Weng Chun county) and Hung learned Fong's Weng Chun White Crane boxing and combined the soft and fluid techniques of the Fukien White Crane with the straight forward and powerful Tiger movements of Shaolin Temple to create the famous Hung Ga Kung Fu. An interesting point to mention here is: Looking beyond whatever different exist, Fukien Weng Chun White Crane is the White Crane system attributed to Fong Weng Chun (aka Fong Chut-Leung), and Hung Ga is the Nam Keun system attributed to Hung Hei Goon.

[SupYeeKiuSau]

Hello,

Very little can be historically verified about Hung Hei Goon. In fact in many Hung Ga school lineages you won't find Hung Hei Goon's name there because of this fact. The only solid historical record available is an old government report out of Fukien Province regarding a man named Hung killing a government official with one punch...

Legend has it that Hung Hei Goon's former surname was Chu/Jyu; this would likely link him to the former Ming regime. His reported occupation was a tea merchant, which was more likely a cover for his anti-Ching activities.

Hung Hei Goon was one of the Siu Lam Sup Git (Shaolin's Ten Best laymen), and according to Lau Jaam they, being all dedicated to the overthrow of Ching and restoration of Ming, left one behind to pass on the fighting style they developed while in Siu Lam, while the rest went to fight the Ching. The person left behind was Luk Ah Choi.

It has been postulated by some that the stories of the early practitioners are code and cipher, meant to communicate a deeper, hidden meaning when the stories are told/circulated. For instance, the meeting and 'marriage' between Hung and Fong could mean a 'marriage' of political and martial aims between two (formerly) separate groups.

Further, according to Robert Chu and other researchers, use of the names "Hung Ga Kuen" and "Wing Chun Kuen" were widespread at that time, by groups whose fighting methods varied to greater or lesser degree. Even today there are great technical and historical differences in styles that use the name "Wing/Weng Chun" (such as Guangjau Wing Chun lines, who maintain that their art is NOT Siu Lam-based, but a folk art from Fukien based on the indigenous Crane styles), and the various "Hung Ga Jaap" or "Village Hung Ga" styles still in existence today, that are quite different in history and content than the "orthodox" Hung Ga that developed through the Wong family.

Regards,
SYKS

[Op108wc]

Hung Ga Kung Fu

http://mail.cssh.tpc.edu.tw/~t479/file/BBB.WMV