Choy Gau Lee
蔡九儀
Semi-legendary figureAccording to tradition, the Cantonese founder of the Choy Gar style, one of the five main family styles of southern Chinese kung fu, and teacher of the monk Choy Fook.
Quick Facts
ChinaBiography
Choy Gau Lee (Chinese 蔡九儀), also called Choy Tsing-hung, is by tradition the founder of the Choy Gar style, which is one of the five main family styles of southern Chinese kung fu. He came from Canton, and the origin of the style is placed in the 17th century. We have not been able to verify the dates of his birth or death.
He was taught the martial art by the monk Yi Guan. Choy Gar combines elements of the rat and snake styles and stresses fast footwork and short, fast strikes suited to cramped urban surroundings. The basis of training is strengthening the legs in low stances (Chapma). The forms are taught in two versions, side and front, and are performed against a sifu; the syllabus includes, among others, the forms Choy Wi Poo, Chi Poo, Suilan, Sikwa and the longest, Ta Shon, lasting over fifteen minutes, as well as forms with the staff and sword.
His student was the Buddhist monk Choy Fook, who studied with five masters and then passed Choy Gar to Chan Heung over nine years; Chan Heung founded the Choy Li Fut style in 1836. A descendant of the founder, Choy Gar-gung (Choy Kau), according to tradition taught Jow Lung, the founder of Jow-Ga Kung Fu.
Chinese sources on the Choy Gar style (蔡家拳) do not give his name and regard Cai Zhanguang as the founder; we believe this is a different tradition or another transcription. We have not found further details of his life in the sources.