differences in Choy Li Fut styles?

[hansenator]

I've been going to a Choy Li Fut school lately and really like it. I also went to a different Choy Li Fut class many years ago for a short time (about three months) and the two classes are very different, you wouldn't even recognize them as the same style.

The previous class was associated with Doc Fai Wong's Plum Blossom organization and I'm not sure about the details of the current class. The current instructor has also trained in Shaolin and some others so I wonder if that has influenced the curriculum?

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me about different branches in Choy Li Fut? What are the differences and how did they came to be? How different can two Choy Li Fut styles be before one if them is no longer Choy Li Fut?

[clfsean]

I've been going to a Choy Li Fut school lately and really like it. I also went to a different Choy Li Fut class many years ago for a short time (about three months) and the two classes are very different, you wouldn't even recognize them as the same style.

The previous class was associated with Doc Fai Wong's Plum Blossom organization and I'm not sure about the details of the current class. The current instructor has also trained in Shaolin and some others so I wonder if that has influenced the curriculum?

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me about different branches in Choy Li Fut? What are the differences and how did they came to be? How different can two Choy Li Fut styles be before one if them is no longer Choy Li Fut?

In a nutshell which can be broken down if you want / need ...

There are 3 main branches of Choy Lay Fut

-- Chan Family

-- Futsan Hung Sing

-- Buk Sing

As to the differences, there are plenty. The thing that makes all three CLF is the fact they all use the 10 seed principles (gwa, chaap, so, pau, kuhp, jong, kum, na, biu, ding). The variations come with application theory, hei gong & noi gong training, weapon/empty hand/dummy sets, outside influences, etc...

Then there are also divisions with the 3 main branches to create other smaller or more distinct lines. For instance a level down look at the 3 branches above could look like this (depending on who you talk to)

-- Chan Family

-- Chan On Bak (became Kong Chow line under DFW umbrella)

-- Chan Koon Bak (umbrella'd as Wing Sing under Chen Yong Fa)

-- Futsan Hung Sing

-- Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut

-- Lau Bun Hung Sing

And it gets even deeper & more clouded from there easily. However, ALL practice the same stances & seeds above with room for subtle substitution based on teachings & training.

The easiest thing is to get a little better history of the teacher & go from there.

Lemme know if there's anything else.

OH ... I have practiced Lau Bun Hung Sing, Kong Chow line from DFW & now am in the Chan Tai San line from the Green Cloud Monastary & Chan Sai Mo, which that falls under Chan On Bak so there are shared sets between the orthodox Chan CLF line of Chen Yong Fa & DFW, with our own twist to them.

[hansenator]

Wow, thanks for the explanation.

It almost sounds like Choy Li Fut is more of a category than a particular style. I'm not familiar with the concept of 'seeds' but I can see how there can be differences between schools.

When you refer to "the orthodox Chan CLF line", is that considered closer to the original system?

[clfsean]

Wow, thanks for the explanation.

Welcome! Glad to share what little I know.

It almost sounds like Choy Li Fut is more of a category than a particular style. I'm not familiar with the concept of 'seeds' but I can see how there can be differences between schools.

Nah it's a style to be certain, but there are flavors & variations that make it wide spread & not "cookie cutter". Think of it like a "college" & the various subsets "school of ... "

When you refer to "the orthodox Chan CLF line", is that considered closer to the original system?

Yeah ... the one that came down from Chan Yiu Chi (Chan Koon Pak's son) headed by Chen Yong Fa is probably considered "it". Again though, depends on who you ask.