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CHAPTER 1

Chinese martial arts has a long, vast, and rich history with some systems dating back as far as the 10th Century, as in the case of the Chang Chuan (Long Fist) system created by Zhao Kuang Yin.

Due to its vast size and typography as a country, the martial arts of China are broken down into two main categories, which are Northern and Southern, and the most famous system of Chinese martial arts, Shaolin, is no exception,

Shaolin martial arts were founded by an Indian monk by the name of Da Mo who, while traveling through China, made his way to Shaolin temple where he taught a series of exercises known as the 18 Lohan methods to help the monks strengthen their bodies during the long hours of meditation they had to endure.

From this emerged a system of martial arts that has become famous the world over. The Jow Ga system can be referred to as a Shaolin-based system in that its roots are connected directly to both the Northern and Southern Shaolin temples but its creation did not originate within the temple.

The creation of Jow Ga kung fu can be attributed to two Southern Styles and one Northern.

One of the Southern styles is the Hung Ga system which traces its roots back to the Southern Shaolin Temple located in the Fukien province.

Hung Hei Gun who was a tea merchant in Fukien acquired his knowledge from Gee Sim who was a monk from the Southern Shaolin temple. The system is known as one of the five family systems of southern China. The other four family styles are Choy Ga, Lau Ga, Li Ga, and Mok Ga with Hung Ga becoming the most famous of the five.

Hung Ga is famous for its rock solid stances and powerful punches. The hand techniques are based on the five animal styles of Shaolin Kung fu. They are the Tiger, which promotes strength and courage; the Crane, which teaches balance and finesse; the Leopard, which teaches speed and aggression; the Snake, which trains relaxation and accuracy in striking; and the Dragon, which cultivates the spirit and teaches breath control.

Hung Ga is also known for its Sup Yee Kiu Sao (Twelve Bridge Hands) technique which is developed through a combination performing the exercise known as Da Sam Sing (Hitting Three Stars) and a form of Hay Gung (Hand Chi Gung) using a combination of breathing and isotonic movement to make the forearms seem as hard as iron.

Shaolin Temple

The other southern style found within Jow Ga is the Choy Ga system founded by Choy Gau Lee. Although the true origin of Choy Ga is unclear, it is believed to have been developed from the Rat Style of Kung fu that was being taught in Shaolin. As time went on it was developed even further by incorporating methods and techniques from the Snake style into it.

Choy Ga is famous for its quick and rapid footwork and its circular style long range punches that work in conjunction with the footwork.

Like many Shaolin systems, a strict moral code is taught hand in hand with the physical training that helps the student develop a strong character.

The Northern side of Jow Ga is represented by what we simply refer to as Bak Sil Lum (Northern Shaolin) as we are unsure of the exact name of the Northern Shaolin style Jow Lung learned from the Abbott of the Kek Lok Si Temple.

What is for certain is that Jow Ga exhibits many of the traits found within Northern Shaolin boxing such as lightness in footwork, as the footwork taught within Jow Ga is not as heavy as other traditional Southern styles.

Also, many northern styles are known for their leaps and jumping kicks. The Jow Ga system contains more aerial kicks than most other southern styles. Kicks such as the Lin Wan Toi (Double Kick), Shin Fung Toi (Tornado Kick), and the Fei Wang Yaung Toi (Flying Side Kick) are all taught within the system.

In the Jow Ga version of the Ng Ying Kuen (5 Animal Fist) there is a special type of Flying Side Kick that is commonly seen in the modern Wu Shu Nan Chuan (Southern Fist) form called Fei Fu Mei Toi (Flying Tiger Tail Kick). This kick is executed like the standard Flying Side Kick, however, instead of landing back on one’s feet a practitioner lands in body drop position on the left side of the body with the kicking leg still extended.

The form Man Jeet Kuen (10,000 Shape Fist) has the leg technique know as Lin Wan Toi which translates a continued kicking method.

Within the form the practitioner will execute a right leg Side Kick followed quickly by a powerful left Heel Kick.

Shaolin martial arts are limitless as one can practice well into their old age, as mastering one system alone can take a life time.

With powerful hand techniques and strong stances of the south along with the lively footwork and versatile kicks of the north, Jow Ga has the best of both worlds when it comes to Shaolin martial arts.

The Jow Ga system is young by comparison to many other styles of kung fu. Created in 1915, this form of martial art has developed a strong reputation as one of the most effective and powerful styles of kung fu created at the end of the Ching Dynasty. Four individuals are most noted for the development and growth of the Jow Ga system from China, Hong Kong, and the U.S.

History of Jow Ga

Jow Lung (1891-1919)

The Jow Ga system, often referred to as a southern style, is a combination of both southern and northern Shaolin Kung Fu. The system begins with Jow Lung who is considered the system’s main founder and his four brothers Jow Hip, Jow Bui, Jow Hoy, and Jow Tin. His brothers originally learned the art of Hung Ga kung fu from their uncle Jow Hong Hei who was a student of the famous Hung Ga master Wong Key Ying, the father of Wong Fei Hung, who is considered the father of modern day Hung Ga kung fu.

Jow Lung

While in his late teens, Jow Lung lent his assistance to an elderly gentleman by giving him shelter from a rainstorm. The old man noticed that Lung was a martial artist and asked him to demonstrate his skill. The old man commented that Jow Lung’s movements were powerful but somewhat slow. The old man suggested that he combine speed with his powerful movements. The old man later introduced himself as Choy Gau Gung a practitioner of his family art of Choy Ga and a direct descendent of Choy Gau Lee, the creator of the style. Jow Lung had great respect for his new teacher and dedicated himself to leaning all that he could from him.

In his early twenties, Jow Lung moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to find work. Sadly, the town in which he looked for work was run by a group of gangsters. One day while working Lung noticed the gangsters were bullying the other workers. Jow Lung decided to step in to confront the men and in doing so one of the gangsters was killed by Lung in a fight. Jow Lung fled the town to avoid trouble with the local police and the gangsters. Thereafter he traveled to Kek Lok Si temple where he spent the next five years.

While he was living at the temple the Abbott took an interest in Jow Lung and decided to take him on as a student. The Abbott began to teach Lung Northern Shaolin boxing to help round out his knowledge of combat. Jow Lung proved to be a quick study and after five years of monistic life he decided to return to his beloved Sa Fu village located in the Guangdong province of China. Before returning home, the Abbott told him that if he combined all he had learned into one he would create a system that would be stronger and more effective than any of the three systems could be alone.

Upon his return home, Jow Lung was pleased to discover that his brothers had not been lax in their training as each had improved their skill greatly. Lung took his teachers advice and began creating a new system that would stand out among all others. His opportunity to demonstrate this new creation came when Warlord General Lee Fook Lam held a tournament to find a skillful teacher to train his troops. Nearly 100 masters of various styles took part in the tournament with hopes of attaining the position as Chief Instructor of the Army. After many days of competition, Jow Lung stood victorious and was awarded the position of Chief Instructor.

With his new post secured Jow Lung sent for his brothers to help him train the General’s troops and refine this new system of combat. Sometime later Jow Lung came down with a cold which quickly turned into pneumonia. Soon after, in 1919, Jow Lung passed away at the age of 29. The system which he had just created needed someone to lead it or it would be lost to the world for all time. So, it was decided that Jow Biu would be the one to lead and spearhead the growth of the style that would soon bear the family name.

Jow Biu (1899-1961)

After his brother’s death, Jow Biu wasted no time in spreading and promoting what would be known as Jow Ga kung fu. (The true name of the style was called Hung Tao Choy Mei which means the Head of Hung and the Tail of Choy.) Because of his tireless work, Jow Biu along with his brothers had managed to open nearly 14 schools throughout China before the outbreak of World War II, all teaching the art of the Jow Ga 5 Tigers. (There are now over 80 schools world wide promoting the Jow Ga system.)

Jow Biu’s fame and reputation as a martial artist grew quickly not only because of his excellent skill as a teacher and fighter but also because of his skills as a mediator. In one such case he was asked to mediate a dispute between the famous Hung Ga master Wong Fei Hung and a local strong man named Ching Hua. Because of his success in handling the matter fairly, Wong Fei Hung’s wife Mok Gwai Lan, wanted to adopt Jow Biu into the Wong family.

Jow Biu’s skill and dedication knew no bounds as he began to expand the system he and his brothers had created. This can be seen in the forms Fa Kuen and Lohan Kuen.

The Fa Kuen set (Flower Fist) was created by Jow Biu when he gave an impromptu performance at a banquet in Hong Kong. In essence Jow Biu created the form on the spot out of thin air using various techniques that were already taught within Jow Ga.

In the case of the set Lohan Kuen (Arhat’s Fist), Jow Biu created it shortly after coming to Hong Kong. The set is unlike many of the other sets taught within the style as it uses a special type of Pow Choi (Uppercut Punch): here the arm remains straight as the strike is delivered to the opponents jaw area. This type of punch is commonly seen in such systems as Hop Ga (Knights Clan), Bok Hok Pai (White Crane).

Jow Biu standing center

Until his passing in 1961, Jow Biu taught many promising students the art of Jow Ga kung fu, many of whom became great teachers in their own right. One of these students was influential in bringing the Jow Ga system to the shores of North America; his name is Chan Man Cheung.

Chan Man Cheung (b. 1929)

Grand Master Chan Man Cheung began his training in Jow Ga first under his own father who was himself a student of Jow Biu. When Chan Man Cheung turned eleven years of age his father took him to study directly under Jow Biu. The training under Jow Biu stressed heavy stance work and mastering the basics of the style. Chan Man Cheung would practice three hours a day every day under the watchful eye of his Master until at the age of twelve his hard work paid off as he was accepted as an Indoor Disciple of Jow Biu.

Chan Man Cheung continued his training under his teacher until the start of World War II when many Chinese including Chan Man Cheung and others fled China for Hong Kong, a British colony at that time. Once he found work in his new home he was by a twist of fate reunited with Jow Biu who had himself fled China because of the war sometime earlier. Chan Man Cheung became Jow Biu’s assistant at his school in Hong Kong and assisted his teacher in all aspects of running his school.

Grand Master Chan Man Cheung

After completing his training under Jow Biu, Chan Man Cheung opened his own school and began the tireless effort to promote the Jow Ga system which he continues even to this day.

Because of this Chan Man Cheung had gained quite a reputation in the martial arts community of Hong Kong not only as a fighter, but as an expert in the art of Lion Dancing which earned him the title “Lion King.” Chan Man Cheung’s skill in the art of Lion Dancing was so high that he was chosen to perform the welcoming Lion Dance for Queen Elizabeth during a visit to Hong Kong.

His skill in Jow Ga also led Chan Man Cheung into the Hong Kong film industry where he trained some of Hong Kong’s top stars. The brothers of the famous actor known as Jimmy Wang Yu were students of Chan Man Cheung.

According to Chan Man Cheung he has trained many students in the art of Jow Ga kung fu and of these only five of them were taken as Indoor Disciples. Of these five, only one would go on to become not only his most famous student outside of Asia, but the founder of Jow Ga kung fu in America: his name was Dean Chin.

Dean Chin (1950-1985)

Dean Chin (Chin Yuk Jeun), often called a child prodigy, began his martial arts training at the age of seven, under his uncles who taught him three different styles of kung fu; Hung Ga, Bok Hok Pai (White Crane), and Bok Mei Pai (White Eyebrow). At the age of nine, Dean Chin began his study of the Jow Ga system under Chan Man Cheung at his school in Hong Kong. While studying Jow Ga, the young Chin took an interest in the art of Ying Jow Pai (Eagle Claw) and decided to train in the school of the famous Eagle Claw Master, Lau Fat Man.

Master Dean Chin

With so much knowledge Dean Chin could have easily created his own style but instead chose to dedicate himself to Chan Man Cheung and the Jow Ga system, and was taken as an Indoor Disciple of Chan Man Cheung.

With his training under Chan Man Cheung complete, Dean Chin decided to move from Hong Kong to the United States where he settled in the nation’s capitol of Washington, D.C. in 1964.

Originally Dean Chin moved to the states to pursue a degree in Engineering at the University of Maryland. However, when D.C.’s martial arts community heard that Dean Chin was an expert in the art of kung fu, he had no choice but to open what would be the first traditional kung fu school south of New York City. In 1968, Dean Chin along with Hoy Lee, the most senior Jow Ga practitioner in the United States, opened the first Jow Ga school on 8th and H Street in the Chinatown section of the city.

The school was an instant success with many men, women, and children studying the art made famous by Jow Lung and his brothers. With student enrollment at an all time high and space in the school becoming increasingly crowded, Dean Chin decided to relocate the school to a larger space in order to better train the next generation of Jow Ga practitioners. In 1971, the school relocated and was officially named the “U.S. Jow Ga Kung Fu Association Headquarters.” From this location came some of the finest kung fu stylists on the East Coast: Deric Mims, Paul Adkins, Robert Woods, Hon Lee, Raymond Wong, and many others. These kung fu stylists brought great fame and success to Dean Chin and the Jow Ga system. In 1976, the Oval Office of the White House asked Dean Chin and the U.S. Jow Ga Kung Fu Association to perform for then President Jimmy Carter. This marked an important milestone, as Dean Chin’s school was the second martial arts troop to perform at the White House. (Historically, the Beijing Wu Shu team which featured the young Jet Li was the first martial arts troop to perform for then President Richard Nixon.)

Dean Chin with his students at a send off party before competing in Taiwan 1979.

In 1979, Dean Chin and his students were given the honor of competing in the World Kuoshu Championships held in Taipei, Taiwan. Dean Chin’s students received awards in the individual categories of Forms, Weapons, and Full Contact Fighting. This victory was honored by the Mayor of Washington, D.C. and was featured in the Washington Post. In August 1985, the founder of Jow Ga kung fu in America, Dean Chin, suddenly passed away, leaving many to ponder the fate of his school. From 1971 until 1985, no one person did more to promote and pass on the teachings of the Jow Ga 5 Tigers than Dean Chin. Although his untimely passing was a great blow to the system, many of his American students continued to spread the art of Jow Ga kung fu as well as the legacy of Dean Chin.

Students of the late Jow Ga Master Dean Chin.

Seated left to right: Sydney Johnson, Raymond Wong, Hon Lee, Reza Moneman, John Chin.

Standing left to right: Ron Wheeler, Chris Henderson, Gloria Grimes, Ed Howard.

Student of the late Jow Ga Master Dean Chin: Tehran Brightheart and Rahim Muhammad.