Now THIS is the kind of thread that makes it worthwhile to check out this forum from time to time!
Thank you Sifu Ross for sharing this with us. Please keep it coming. I’d also like to join some of the others in reccommending that you write a book on GM Chan. I would love to see any of the old photos that you have or could obtain as well.
Once again, thank you. 
Coach Ross,
now that we see some of what kind of man sifu Chan Tai San was, I would like to ask; There was a tournament, I Think a WKF tournament where you guys had set up a huge concrete slab for Sifu Chan Tai San to break with his head, it was set up on the lei tai stage, he had already done a steel wire break, and a break where a spear is at his throat and a slab is broken on his back with a sledge hammer. However, due to the give and bounce of the stage, The slab he was to break with his head wouldn’t break after repeated attempts, finally he just smashed it with his foot. My question is, who caught the wrath for all that after it was done? or since I know he must’ve done those a thousand times, do you even remember that particular one?
Originally posted by brothernumber9
[B]Coach Ross,
now that we see some of what kind of man sifu Chan Tai San was, I would like to ask; There was a tournament, I Think a WKF tournament where you guys had set up a huge concrete slab for Sifu Chan Tai San to break with his head, it was set up on the lei tai stage, he had already done a steel wire break, and a break where a spear is at his throat and a slab is broken on his back with a sledge hammer. However, due to the give and bounce of the stage, The slab he was to break with his head wouldn’t break after repeated attempts, finally he just smashed it with his foot. My question is, who caught the wrath for all that after it was done? or since I know he must’ve done those a thousand times, do you even remember that particular one? [/B]
It was one of the last NACMAF events, and I do remember it well. The Lei Tai kept absorbing the force… SIfu was mad as heck! Lucky for us, that day he took it out on Yim Sifu 
On other stuff…
Sifu Chan was a doctor of Chinese medicine, herbs, bone setting, accupuncture, a member of the herbalists association (those new year banquets were the bomb! Man we used to get so drunk!). It was not Tibetan medicine. Remember, sifu’s teacher (our si gung) was also Chinese…
Sifu Chan learned Bak Mei with Chung Lai Chung and with one of CLC’s students, name escapes me but I will look it up. There’s a story about Sifu Chan wanted to test Chung Lai Chung, tried to kick him in the shin! CLC, while old, avoided it easily and poked Sifu Chan in the eyes and called him an ingrate! I have lots of stories of Sifu Chan being a “bad kid” and getting smacked around…
oh, as for his healing knowledge, none of us got it completely. A classmate, Noran Malouff, went on to study at Pacific Institute, the stuff that Sifu gave him he showed to the professors there, they were all baffled by it! I have some basic first aid stuff, which I use ALL THE TIME…
Coach Ross:
These are great stories, and I thank you for sharing them with us. This is the first I have heard of your sifu and would like to know more. Can you tell us about his background. For example, where he learned his kung fu, his teachers, where he learned all his info, some of his backgound in China and the US. I think this will help us learn more about this great master of kung fu.
Thanks
Cheers Ross.
A few more questions -
Who is your sigung?
I’m interested to know who the student of CLC he trained with was.
I’m interested in those stories of your sifu when he was younger as I’m sure a lot of other people are. From what I’ve been told from at least one person who trained under CLC - training under him was not easy.
Jyu Chyuhn was born in Guangdong and began his training in martial arts at an early age. He studied Choi Lei Faht style under Chan Goon-Bahk, the son of the style’s founder, Chan Heung. This prepared him for what he would learn under both Wong Lam-Hoi and Wong Yan-Lam.
Jyu Chyuhn first learned Lama Pai under the direction of Wong Lam-Hoi and then sought out Wong Yan-Lam when he returned to Guangdong. Eventually, Jyu Chyuhn learned the entire Lama Pai system and became one of the most accomplished martial artists in the area. He was given permission by both Wong Lam-Hoi and Wong Yan-Lam to pass on the Lama Pai system.
(the politically correct version of the next part of this story)
However, Jyu Chyuhn became interested in Buddhism later in life and, inspired by the stories his teachers told him about their youth, retired to become a Buddhist monk in the Green Cloud Monastery. He would not teach for many years.
(the not so politically correct version of how Jyu Chyuhn, rich man from Canton city, ended up in a monastery in the middle of nowhere)
Jyu Chyuhn got into troulbe with the law and retreated to the monastery his teachers had told him about…
Anyhoo…
Chan Tai-San was born into a wealthy and influential family in the Toi San district of Guangdong province. His grandfather had been good friends with the Abbot of the Green Cloud monastery and had contributed a large sum of money to pay for the monastery’s restoration. Because of this, Chan Tai-San was adopted by the monk when his father died. Chan Tai-San was about twelve at the time.
At first Chan Tai-San did not learn Lama Pai. Instead he learned basic kung-fu skills and Choi Lei Faht and general monastic practices. He practiced everyday, three times a day for close to seven years before he even heard about Lama Pai.
Sifu Chan relates that he had a terrible temper and had gotten into fights with local gangsters. Despite repeated warnings from the monks, Sifu Chan engaged in many duels, including several with western boxers, and was always victorious. For this reason the monks suspended his training and refused to allow him to study their most valued system, Lama Pai.
One day, out of frustration, Chan Tai-San decided to challenge his teacher, the very same monk who taught Lama Pai. The monk easily defeated Chan Tai-San but saw a spark of hope in the young student. After Chan Tai-San swore to change his ways he was finally allowed to learn Lama Pai. That monk was Jyu Chyuhn.
After seven years of intense study, Chan Tai-San completed the Lama Pai system under Jyu Chyuhn’s direction. Chan Tai-San had devoted himself to Jyu Chyuhn’s version of Lama Pai and had never realized that there were numerous versions of the Lion’s Roar tradition in southern China. It wasn’t until Chan Tai-San left the monastery and had met teachers of White Crane and Haap Ga that he had an opportunity to see just how complete Jyu Chyuhn’s version had been. To further his knowledge of Lama Pai, Chan Tai-San studied with Dang Ho, a student of Wong Lam-Hoi, and with Ma Yi-Po, a student of Wong Yan-Lam. Ma Yi-Po was particularly valuable in helping Chan Tai-San uncover the truth because he had studied another version of Lama Pai in Manchuria.
This is great stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Sifu Ross,
Thank you very much for sharing these stories…
A great thread… unfortunately I do not know much of your sifu or had a chance to meet him…
I hope you keep this one goin for a while
Joe
Coach Ross,
If it stirs too much trouble or political BS I’ll understand if you don’t respond or confirm, but I heard through the grapevine years ago, WH’s people (I’ll use it loosely) were more or less trying to tell most kung fu schools in mid-town, down-town what they can and cannot do. Rumor had it they tried to tell your Sifu what to, and not to, do. Alot of others had caved in to the coersion but Sifu Chan Tai San did not and openly defied and practically dared them to make a move against him. Are there any stories related to this that you are able to share?
It’s not secret that we, me in particular, had issues with Wai Hong and company. While he set up the first Kung Fu federation in the US (the Eastern United States Kung Fu Federation), which even Tai Yim was originally a member, they got lazy and stopped doing anything. It became nothing more than the “Wai Hong mutual admiration society”
Being that it did NOTHING, we started going to Sifu Yim’s events. This pizzed Wai Hong off, he was angry that NACMAF was called the “North American” federation like it was bigger than his “Eastern US” federation, blah blah, huge F-in ego trip and other such NONSENSE
Wai Hong told us we couldn’t go to Sifu Yim’s events, I told him to mind his own business, and reminded him this was AMERICA, not China…
When we came back, he called us into his school again for a “meeting”.. he said he had fined us $30,000 for going to the NACMAF event. Not only did I not have that kind of money, he had no way to collect it even if I had it. I told him to stop living in fantasy land and left…
When we started promoting USA WKF events in New York, Wai Hong once again called us in… he pulled a gun on me. For a guy who is supposed to be a “kung fu master”, guns are the thing he falls back on,
Why anyone took any of his “orders” seriously is a mystery to me, must be a Chinese thing. In the US in the 1990’s to let a guy who didn’t even have a real school anymore, , to tell you what to do???
Not to mention, what a back woods peasant Wai Hong is. During his “meetings” he’d sit in a wife beater tank top, picking his toe nails…
I bumped into Wai Hong on the street not that long ago, I was on my way to have tea with students. I asked him, “so what are you up to these days?” (I was being polite). He just said “I’m buying some mushrooms”
How this guy was the most feared figure in Chinatown is really beyond me…
Pretty soon, I think I’m gonna start posting some of the less politically correct stuff… be prepared :eek:
“…he pulled a gun on me”
That’s another story I’d like to hear about Mr. Ross.
There is no story, I don’t remember what I said exactly, but it was basicly “are you going to shoot me?” I was there in front of 10 other teachers…
I’ve only heard rumors but nothing substantial. I understand your hesitation.
Thank you for the insight.
Have you ever given any thought to writing a book?
Please continue posting your stories they are priceless.
“I don’t know if you know the background on what I am talking about, I’m only hesitant to go into it so I don’t get banned”
Its best not to stir the turkish coffee.
The dark side of traditional martial arts, the stuff we aren’t supposed to talk about…
OK, this guy was a rich kid in a major city, studying under big time teachers. So how did he end up in a monastery in an out of the way part of nowhere? Might be because he killed someone in a duel and had to run off there.
In China, if you “became a monk” to “atone” for your “sins” then the police usually left you alone, even when you killed someone…
OK, this guy was a famous teacher with 15 schools in Guangdong provice, one day he picks up, leaves his schools and goes to Hong Kong to start over again with nothing?
A famous Lama teacher did just that, left 15 schools behind and went to Hong Kong. Why? Well, a guy walked into his school, looked at the style and said “I don’t think that would work”
Famous Lama teacher says “oh yeah?” and proceeds to poke the guy in the eye! When the guy puts his hands up to cover his face, famous Lama teacher kicks him in the groin. Guy falls down screaming, famous Lama teacher stomps on his head and kills him…
All pretty common knowledge in the circles I was in.
I never paid for a meal in San Francisco when I was there with the Lama guys. We’d walk in, order whatever we wanted, walk out… anyone care to guess why?
Why these same guys all carried meat clevers and had lots of scars on their bodies…
I was at one of Tat Mau Wong’s tournaments one year. This guy goes out and does a White Crane set, it’s beautiful. So we go up to him after he’s done and ask him which school he’s from. Chinese guy looks us straight in the face and says “I don’t do any kung fu”…
WTF! We just watched you do a form, a white crane form…
Chinese guy “what is white crane?”
His teacher comes strolling up with Chan Tai San, so we are then introduced as Sifu Chan’s students. Suddnely, Chinese guy is really friendly
“oh, that is so and so set, my name is BLANK, etc etc”
They took us out to dinner that night. We didn’t pay, neither did they! We then went to their school, in an alley behind a Mah Jong parlor…
Out of the blue one day, one of Harry Ng’s students shows up at our school in New York. He had “just decided to visit” but needed a place to sleep while he stayed in New York, for just 6 to 8 months…
Anyone seeing what I’m getting at?
Ok, Don Ross, that which is understood need not be discussed.
<------ covering ears yelling La La La La La La La La in loud voice.
You should refer people to this thread next time they accuse you of hurting their feelings… Then they can see where you’re coming from.