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The mastery of the Northern Shaolin Kung Fu system known
as My Jhong is the guarded legacy of the Foh's Clan. It is therefore
known as Foh's Fist, which, by the time it was mastered by Foh
Yuan-chia (founder of the Chin Woo School) of the early 20th century,
had been taught for seven generations. Like the Northern Kung Fu styles
of Tai Chi, Erh Long, Fan Tze, Pa Kua, Cha Tsuan and Tan Tui, it
belongs to the 'long-fist' school of martial arts. The viability of the
My Jhong School lies in the alacrity and shrewd precision of its
movements, which, precipitous while in attack, forces its opponents to
focus on defending themselves, rather than attacking.
The My Jhong Law Horn Style is a branch of the My Jhong
School, and is characterized by the peculiar versatility of the hand
movements and foot work involved. With markedly fleeting movements and
nimble jumps, a typical My Jhong Law Horn form metamorphoses from a
side-blow to a flying kick in mid-air, or to a sweeping stroke beneath
the legs. In the face of such unpredictable moves, now upwards, now
downwards, the opponent is often left at his wits' end. To top it all,
every maneuver is so minutely devised that it transcends prediction.
With the hands, eyes, body and feet in one coordinated motion of
agility and swiftness, the practitioner can deal far-reaching blows.
Designed to strike from a wide range, the form has a flexible and
extensive stretch. Beneath the ostensibly fragile stance lurks a
tremendous force from which the very potency and strength
characteristic of this style generates. This is what truly makes My
Jhong Law Horn a renowned style of Kung Fu of Northern China.
The My Jhong Law Horn Style dates back to time
immemorial. Its origin has been traced to Chuong Hsien and Nan Pei of
the Hopei Province. In those days teachers and students alike treasured
and confined the art to themselves. Consequently it became a family
inheritance and was rarely taught to outsiders. There were numerous
followers of the art in Northern China, but is was Grand Master Yip
Yu-Ting who first brought and revealed this art to the people in
Southern China.
 Sifu Yip Yu-Ting,
alias Yeh Chuk-chuan, came from Chuong Hsien of Hopei Province in
Northern China, was born in the times of Emperor Kwang Shi of the Ching
Dynasty. He started learning My Jhong Law Horn, the family legacy, from
his father at the age of seven. By the time he was fourteen, he had
achieved great stability in stature and immense versatility in body and
limbs. In furtherance of his skills, he practiced My Jhong Law Horn
under the pupillage of a great Master, Yeh Sheh-tsun of Sifu Yip's own
family. Endowed with high intelligence and evincing sheer dedication
which made practice of the art an all weather, night and day
preoccupation, he won the favor of his Sifu. Intensely gratified that
he had found a successor, the old man unreservedly taught Sifu Yip all
his skills within a few years.
When Sifu Yip reached the age of twenty, he started to
teach martial arts in his home town of Chuong Hsien and the neighboring
Nan Pei County. Upon the instruction of his Sifu, he became the Chief
of Guards in the All Victory Security Service of the East Gate at the
age of twenty-four. It was a time of segmentations of the country by
the warlords after the collapse of the Ching Dynasty. Civil wars were
rife. Across the Northeastern parts and within and beyond the Great
Wall, bandits spread like plague. They robbed all over the place,
plundering and wreaking havoc with unsurpassed vehemence.
Viewing Sifu Yip as a fledgling, they were filled with
spite, and tried to waylay his guarded consignment. As they soon found
out, the debut of Master Yip on horseback was a stunning shock. His
mastery of My Jhong Law Horn sent them fleeing under the grass. It took
them little time to learn that they should scurry away at the mere
sight of the 'All Victory' banner, less still to fall to pieces at the
mere mention of Sifu Yip's name. After the proprietor of the All
Victory Security Service died, and as highway robberies dwindled away,
Sifu Yip grew tired of his job. It so happened that General Huang
Wei-hsin of Peking was reorganizing his troops to fight the Northern
warlord at the time, and was determined to make martial arts part of
the army training. He heard of Sifu Yip and secured his services as the
Chief Martial Arts Instructor of the First Company.
On his promotion to Commander of the Peking Army,
General Huang appointed Sifu Yip as the army instructor in martial
arts. Sifu Yip was given three promotions within a span of three years,
after which he stayed on in his job for another seven years. General
Huang subsequently quit, so he could work under General Chang
Hsieh-liang, son of General Chang Jor-Lin. Having held his job for
another three years, Sifu Yip resigned on the pretext of family
commitments. After a while, however, he was again courted by the
military, this time by General Chang Chung-chuang of the Shantung
Provincial Army, who appointed him as army instructor. Having served
there for two years, he resigned upon General Chang's death, and
migrated southwards to Shanghai on his own. He became allied to the
Central Chin Woo Athletic Association of Shaolin Class in the South
China Athletic Association.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Sifu Yip moved
on to Guongzhou Wan, located 242 nautical miles to the Southwest of
Hong Kong, where he taught at the Cosmopolitan Lion Dance Institute and
the Sze Yeng New Martial Arts Center. After the war, he was invited by
members of the South China Association to return to his post in Hong
Kong. Moved by their earnestness he made a comeback. From then on he
remained Head Instructor of Shaolin Class at the South China Athletic
Association for nearly thirty years, within which period he turned out
a stream of students. His end, alas, came all too soon at the age of
seventy. He died after a brief illness in December, 1962, surrounded by
his devoted and heartbroken students at his bedside. He was buried in
the Tsuen Wan Chinese Permanent Cemetery. Buried with him was the life
he had had as a renowned Master of My Jhong Law Horn, but never our
profound grief at the loss of this great master!
Sifu Yip's death did not mark his end to posterity. His
devout disciples include Chi-hung Marr, Johnny Kwong Ming Lee, and
Raymond Wong, to name a few, who, together with their students, have
since proudly shouldered the responsibility of propagating the art of
My Jhong Law Horn at home and abroad. To remind themselves of such a
meaningful task, they have on display in the training halls of their
Kung Fu schools two scrolls flanking the Grand Master's portrait, a
couplet which reads:
The five continents are simmering;
Tigers and monsters are waiting
To be conquered by Law Horn.
May there be no diversions from the main course;
To spread the art and defend the cause
Are the duties of the My Jhong Masters.
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