Chan Kowk-wai (Chinese: 陳國偉; pinyin: Chén Guówěi; Cantonese Yale: Chan Gwok-wai; 1936-2022) was born on April 3, 1936, at Taishan in the province of Guangdong, China. He introduced traditional Shaolin kung fu to Brazil through the China-Brazil Kung Fu Academy.^[2] His disciples have spread as far as the USA, Canada, Spain, Argentina and the Czech Republic.

In September, 2004, Chan was awarded the 10th degree of the World Organization of Wu Shu & Kung Fu Masters ^[3] at Vancouver, BC, Canada,^[4] in five styles: Northern Shaolin, Yang-style tai chi, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan and Hungsing Choy Li Fut.

Chan has published books, such as Kung Fu Shaolin do Norte (1995) ^[5] and Tai Chi Chuan: Estilo Yang Tradicional (2014).^[6]

Kung fu styles

Chan teaches a broad curriculum of old-school kung fu styles. Most of them are external styles (外家, Wàijiā):

• Northern Shaolin Boxing School (Chinese: 北少林拳門; pinyin: Běi Shàolín Quánmén; Cantonese Yale: Bak Siu-làhm Kyun-mun), the core martial arts system from the Buddhist Shaolin Monastery of Henan, in Northern China.
• Tantui, originated from the Islamic Hui people; 12 Roads version (十二路).
• Choy Li Fut, styles Exalted Victory (Chinese: 鴻勝; pinyin: Hóngshèng; Cantonese Yale: Hung-sing) and Northern Victory (Chinese: 北勝; pinyin: Běishèng; Cantonese Yale: Bak-sing)
• Seven Stars Praying Mantis Fist (Chinese: 七星螳螂拳; pinyin: Qīxīng Tánglángquán; Cantonese Yale: Chat-sing Tong-long-kyun), where Seven Stars refers to the northern asterism called the Big Dipper.
• Fanzi Eagle Claw
• Luohanquan, from the Buddhist concept of Arhat ("worthy of Nirvana" in Sanskrit).
• Chaquan, originated from the Islamic Hui people.
• Liuhequan (Chinese: 六合拳; pinyin: Liùhéquán; Cantonese Yale: Luk-hap-kyun), a Shaolin style based on the concept of the Six Harmonies.

The internal styles taught by Chan are:

• Yang-style tai chi, from the Taoist concept of the Taiji or Yin and Yang.
• Bajiquan, from the Chinese concept of Baji, everything within the eight ends (directions or corners) of the world, the Infinity; originated from the Islamic Hui people.
• Baguazhang, from the Taoist concept of Bagua, the 8 combinations of three proportions of Yin and Yang.
• Xingyiquan
• Ziranmen

Kung Fu Heritage

Chan initiated his kung fu by the age of four with Chan Cheoksing, who taught him Choy Li Fut until he was 14. In 1949, with the constitution of the People's Republic of China, the young Chan moved with his family to Hong Kong, where he trained Shaolin Luohan with his uncle Ma Gimfung (馬劍風). When Yim Seungmou (嚴尚武)^[7] too left the PRC, he stayed in Hong Kong with Chan's family and taught him Gu Ruzhang's Northern Shaolin Style, along with many other systems: Gu's martial qigong (氣功), healing massage techniques, tai chi, Xingyiquan, Bajiquan and Tantui; and Baksing Choy Li Fut, which Yim learned directly from its founder Taam Saam, a friend of Gu. Yim Seungmou also introduced the young Chan to teachers of other styles: Wong Honfan (黃漢勳) of Seven Stars Mantis; Jeung Jimman (張占文)^[8] of Eagle Claw; Wan Laisheng (萬籟聲)^[9] of Ziranmen and Liuhequan; Fu Wingfai (傅永輝),^[10] son of Fu Zhensong, of Baguazhang; and Doctor Yan Yiuchiu (甄耀超) of Hungsing Choy Li Fut, with whom he learned everything he could for roughly ten years. Aforementioned masters Gu Ruzhang, Fu Zhensong, and Wan Laisheng, alongside Li Xianwu (李先五) and Wan's cousin Wan Laiping, were sent from Nanjing to teach northern styles to the South, specifically Guangzhou, around 1929, where their prowess's reputation earned them the nickname "Five Northern Tigers".

In 1960, Chan moved to Brazil, where he co-founded the Chinese Social Center (Portuguese: Centro Social Chinês) through which he taught kung fu classes for twelve years. He also taught classes at the renowned Universidade de São Paulo (USP) for seven years. In 1973, Chan founded the China-Brazil Kung Fu Academy for which he is largely known today.

The heritage tree given below details the main characters of all kung fu styles taught by Chan. Many of these characters are renowned; see section "See Also".

Heritage Tree

Personal Approach

Chan teaches the core Northern Shaolin hand sets in a different order than Gu Ruzhang. The core ten sets are preceded by an introductory set and 12 Roads Tantui, as inherited by the Central Guoshu Institute. His methodology is propagated throughout the whole Sinobrasileira family.

Romanized names below are given Pinyin (Mandarin) first, then Jyupting (Cantonese).

Introductory set:

• 練步拳 [Liànbùquán / Lin-bou-kyun] Training of Stances and Fists

The Five Short sets:

• 短打 [Duǎndǎ / Dyun-da] Close Combat (Gu's 6th)
• 梅花 [Méihuā / Mui-fa] Plum Blossom (Gu's 7th)
• 穿心 [Chuānxīn / Cyun-sam] Pierce the Heart (Gu's 4th)
• 武藝 [Wǔyì / Mo-ngai] Martial Skill (Gu's 5th)
• 拔步 [Bábù / Bat-bou] Pull the Step (Gu's 8th)

The Five Long sets:

• 坐馬 [Zuòmǎ / Jo-ma] Sit on the Horse (Gu's 3rd)
• 領路 [Lǐnglù / Ling-lo] Lead the Way (Gu's 2nd)
• 開門 [Kāimén / Hoi-mun] Open the Gate (Gu's 1st)
• 連環 [Liánhuán / Lin-waan] Linked Chain (Gu's 9th)
• 式法 [Shìfǎ / Sik-faat] Pattern Methods (Gu's 10th)

Trivia

On April 11, 2005, the city of São Paulo paid homage to several pioneers of martial arts teaching in Brazil, including Chan, and instituted that date as the city's official Kung Fu Day. Although the date choice refers to the foundation of the São Paulo Kung Fu Federation^[11] in 1989, incidentally it also coincides with the date of Chan's first arrival in Brazil in 1960.

See also

• Central Guoshu Institute
• Chin Woo Athletic Association
• List of Chinese martial arts

References

External links

• Academia Sino-Brasileira de Kung Fu (Brazil)
• Associação de Wushu/Kung Fu e Tai Chi Chuan (Brazil)
• Associação Pak Shao Lin de Kung Fu (Brazil)
• Academia Sino-Brasileira de Kungfu (Prof. Rodrigo Martins) (Brazil)
• Associação de Kung Fu Shaolin Norte (Brazil)
• Académie Sino Canadienne de Kung Fu (Canada)
• Asociación Kai Men Kung Fu (Argentina)
• Česko-Čínská Akademie Kungfu (Czech Republic)
• Chan Kowk Wai International Association