| Master Yuen Hai was one of the very first students of the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon.
It is believed that he was born around 1821 and came from vietnam, or somewhere from South East Asia. His martial arts background began back in his homeland, where he often got into a lot of trouble. Being gifted athletically as a child he naturally excelled in martial arts quickly. But he had a hot temper and got into a lot of street fights.
By the time he turned 18 years old he was wanted by the police for viciously beating someone up. The police were hot on his trail, Yuen Hai needed to go into hiding to avoid prosecution. So he left his homeland and eventually found himself in Fut San, China. For the time being he felt this place would be good to start over until things cooled down back home.
Yuen Hai came across the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon, and instantly wanted to go in and challenge the sifu. Little did he know he was about to fight Jeong Yim, who defeated Yuen Hai easily 3 straight times, and each time was literally tossed out of the studio by Jeong Yim.
Shocked and amazed at the fighting prowess of Jeong Yim, Yuen Hai admitted defeat and begged to be accept him as a student. He was accepted into the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon, and began learning Hung Sing Kuen. He was there side by side with Jeong Yim through every time the government closed down their school and tried to arrest all the Hung Sing Kwoon members, and was one of the lucky ones to escape the clutches of the Manchu by fleeing to Hong Kong.
While in Hong Kong, Yuen Hai began teaching Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut to many members of various workers unions, while a good number of his students were Longshoreman, who are universally known to be very tough people.
Yuen Hai and his classmate Chan Ngau Sing were very close friends. Chan Ngau Sings business wasn’t doing to well so he decided to go to Hong Kong and stay with Yuen Hai for a short time. But sometime after that Chan Ngau Sing had flee back into China because he had gotten drunk in Hong Kong and managed to beat the hell out of a British Police officer, and was now a wanted fugitive.
It was not known if Chan Ngau Sings actions in Hong Kong brought any negative attention on Yuen Hai’s school in Kowloon, but one afternoon Yuen Hai was approached by 4 local gung fu masters who all challenged him to a fight to the death. Armed with a pair of butterfly short swords and adhering to the Hung Sing rule of “never backing down from a enemy” he accepted the challenge and proceeded to fight ferociously until no one was left standing. He then had to close his school and go into hiding, fleeing to Canton where he tried to live the rest of his life peacefully.
Yuen Hai was living with his wife who was said to be a well known Northern Stylist, until one day a young man named Lau Bun came knocking on his door looking for him. Lau Bun explained that he had heard of his reputation, and was hoping he could learn the
Choy Lee Fut system from such a great master. However, Yuen Hai explained to Lau Bun that he only wanted to live a nice quite life, and politely declined his request.
Lau Bun wasn’t set to take no for an answer and offered to take him into his own home and pay for his room and board if he agreed to teach him. Eventually Yuen Hai agreed, moved he and his wife into Lau Buns home, where he taught Lau Bun authentic Fut San Hung Sing Choy Lee Fut until his death around the early 1900's. Lau Bun was his final student. Master Yuen Hai’s body is reported to be buried in Fut San within a small Hung Sing Cemetery.
Note: Outside of Professor Lau Buns Hung Sing Branch, information about Yuen Hai was extremely hard to come by. His memory, along with so many other masters have began to fade away with the years. Many times our search to learn more on Yuen Hai hit brick walls.
But thanks to Grand Elder Lun Chee-the oldest living student of Tam Sam, Chia Yan Soon-the Jeorng Moon Yan of the Singapore as well as his trusted disciple Alfred Poon. Wu Soh, Sifu Leo Chu, and the Fut San Hung Sing Kwoon for aiding us in our search because since then information on Yuen Hai has resurfaced and his name will once again be added and remembered throughout the Choy Lee Fut fraternity. |
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