Chan Tai San

Chan Tai San was a Martial arts . Chan had often been referred to as one of China's "Living Treasures", and featured as such on a cover of ''Inside Kung Fu'' magazine.

Early years

According to a recorded interview conducted with Chan Tai San, he began his Kung-Fu training at the age of eight years old under Yee Hoi-Long, a stone mason who worked for the Chan family. Yee taught Hung Fist and "Hung Tao Choy Mei" . Hung Tao Choy Mei was the older name for what is now Jow Ga, a system combining strong Hung style fist work with active Choy style footwork. Chan learned from Yee for approximately six years.

At the age of 13, after the death of his father, he was sent by his family to the Clear Cloud Temple where he began training in Kung-Fu and Buddhism. He was primarily a student of Jyu Jik Chuyhn . Chan also was trained by Gaai Si Wu Song at the temple, at the temple, he trained mostly in the Choy Lee Fut Style.

At 17, Chan Tai San left the monastery to fight against the Imperial Japanese Army. He enlisted in a division comprising peasants, but also featuring some of the best traditional Chinese martial arts fighters of the time. While in the army, Chan Tai San trained with and served with Cheung Lai-Chung , Baahk Mo Jyu, nicknamed the "White Haired Devil" and many more.

Later years

After the war, he travelled the country meeting and training with more Sifu, like Mok Jing-Kiu and Chan Sai-Mo of the Choy Lay Fut style. He returned in his 40s to the Clear Cloud Temple and learned Lama Pai from Jyu Jik Chuyhn.

He devoted his entire life to training and promoting Chinese Martial Arts in China and abroad. In China, the respect the martial arts community had for Chan was evidenced by his many appointments to important positions. He was the coach of the Guangdong Province Martial Arts Demonstration Team from 1980–1982, a hand to hand fighting instructor for an elite Fut San military unit, member of the executive committee of the Toi San region martial arts association and a member of the national demonstration team.

Accomplishments

As a member of the national demonstration team, and during demonstrations at national level tournaments in the United States, Chan demonstrated skill in "internal martial arts" , iron palm and iron body.
These are examples of his Chi-Kung demonstrations:


Chan Tai San was one of the only instructors to openly teach the Lama Pai style, at the time he opened his classes to Americans there were only approximately five other public Lama Pai sifu in the world.

Chan Tai San is also mentioned in a 1987 article on the culture of lion dancing in Chinatown

Of interest may be that were taken over the span of more than a decade.

Chan's Choy Lay Fut, Lama Pai, Bok Mei and many other styles have been passed down to Sifus such as Stephen Innocenzi, Michael Parrella, , Chris Jurak, Steven Ventura, Steven H. Laurette, Ho Jih Yiu, and Carl Albright.

Sources

*Kungfu Wushu Winter 1995
*Kungfu Wushu Oct/Nov 1996
*Kungfu Wushu May 2000
*Kungfu Wushu June 2000
*Inside Kungfu Oct 1989
*Inside Kungfu Sept 1993
*Inside Kungfu Jan 1995
*Inside Kungfu Feb 1995
*Inside Kungfu Nov 1995
*Inside Kungfu April 1995
*Inside Kungfu May 1996
*Inside Kungfu Oct 1996
*Inside Kungfu Feb 1999
*Black Belt May 1997
*Grappling Dec 1997
*Martial Arts legends Oct 1995 -->