The History of Hek Ki Boen Eng Chun
[ Black Flag Wing Chun ]
[As told by GM Tio Tek Kwie, during the interview]
The Burning of Southern Shaolin Temple in Fukien, China.
The creation of the Eng Chun [ Wing Chun] was due to the invasion and overthrow of the Beng [Ming] by the Cheng [Qing] in 1644. The Beng [Ming] Loyalists regrouped and began to formalize plans to fight back against the Cheng [Qing] invasion. There were warriors from the military, the martial arts community, and fighting monks willing to put their lives on the line in support of the Beng [Ming] Dynasty. One of the strongholds used by these groups was the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fukien Province that serve as refugee center for Beng [Ming] royalist. The Southern Shaolin Temple became a main base used by members of the Anti-Cheng [Anti-Qing] movement.
Many warriors including professional soldiers, warrior monks, and civilian martial artists exchanged information and practiced together for the purpose of overthrowing the Cheng [Qing] Dynasty. Through their combined efforts they developed a new hybrid system as the essence of all advanced styles. The place they used to discuss the new hybrid system was called Eng Chun Tim (Weng Chun Dim), which meant “Hall of Forever Spring” inside the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fukien. Their purpose was for the new system to be taught to secret rebellion warriors to overthrow the Cheng [Qing] Dynasty and preserve the depth of wisdom and knowledge within the Shaolin Temples.
There were traitors inside or near the Shaolin temple in Fukien and the Cheng [Qing] / Manchurian government was informed. With a large amount of Cheng [Qing] troops armed with many canons, the Shaolin temple in Fukien was destroyed and burned to the ground. Legends say there were only five survivors, known as the Five Ancestors(Ng Jo). These Five Ancestors are praised as the founders of many southern Kungfu styles and many secret societies. It is most likely that the Five Ancestors in the myths of Southern Chinese martial art families represent the five branches/lodges/flags of secret societies formed by the survivors of the destruction of the Southern Shaolin Temple.
A mysterious phenomenon happened after the burning of Shaolin temple in Fukien: a mysterious sword came out of the ground where the Shaolin temple used to stand. There were two inscriptions on the body of the sword: “Sang liong Jo Cu” that means “Two dragons fighting for the pearl.” On the tip of the sword, there were other inscriptions; “Bhiat Ceng Hok Beng” meaning “Overthrow Ceng (Qing), restore Beng (Ming)”. These sayings were later adapted by many secret societies as their motto and a reminder of Anti Ceng [ Qing] message.
Development of Wing Chun inside Black flags division of Secret society.
Eng Chun [Wing Chun] originated from the Southern Shaolin Temple, located in Fukien Province. The people of Fukien speak a dialect of Chinese called Fukienese. ‘Eng Chun Kun’ is the Fukienese pronunciation of Wing Chun Kuen. Most people are more familiar with the phrase Wing Chun, which is the Cantonese dialect.
The Black Flag communities had a small number of highly trained members. This was due to the main objective of the Black Flag division, which was to train high level kungfu skills master to deal with Cheng [Qing] highly-kungfu-skilled-officials and also traitors within the other Flag/Lodge of secret society. With these two primary missions, most of their organizations operated with extreme caution and more secretly than the Red Flags. Because of their extreme secretive identity, not many people in the Black Flag identities were known.
Among the rebellion organizations (anti Cheng [Qing] and Anti Imperialists), the Black Flag lodge/division is the least known group due primarily to its internal secrecy and the role which it played among the rebellion organizations. The role of Black Flag group was to handle Manchu officials, and traitors within the different Flag Groups. Secret among the Black Flag group was tantamount. Normally, individual members did not know one another. Kong Co (Ancestor) [ GGGM]. Tjia Fun Jiao was the last known Chief Instructor of the Black Flag lodge/division. He fled to Indonesia in 1907 and met the GGM King Yang.
HKB Eng Chun Kun (Black Flag Wing Chun Kuen) system arrived in Indonesia.
There was a Kungfu master in China named “Tjia Fun Jiao”. It was later revealed that he was the last known Chief Instructor of the black flag society in China. During a very chaotic situation where the number of traitors had grown, it was very difficult to identify who was the friend and enemy. Due to one incident in which Tjia Fun Jiao killed one of the government’ officials in public, his identity was almost revealed. In order to protect his society, he fled to Indonesia. He had chosen Indonesia because he heard the rumor that one of his cousins had settled down in Indonesia (at Malang city) and had an established Kungfu school at Malang city (note: there was no phone technology yet at that time).
After KongCo [GGGM] Tjia Fun Jiao arrived at Malang city, he couldn’t found his cousin. He had become a homeless person for weeks. During one incident when he was attacked with local native trouble makers, a number of people armed with axes, he took all of them down without injuring any of them.
After this, he was found by Sujo [GGM] King Yang. After meeting with KongCo [GGGM] Tjia Fun Jiao, Sujo [GGM] King Yang took him home and took care of him as his own parent for almost two years. For two years, Sujo [GGM] still practiced martial arts while KongCo [GGGM] Tjia lived upstairs. During that two years time, KongCo [GGGM] Tjia was very impressed by Sujo’s [GGM] dedication in practicing Chinese martial arts. In 1909, KongCo [GGGM] also felt that he owed too much of a favor to Sujo [GGM] King Yang and he wanted to repay it by teaching Sujo [GGM] King Yang everything he knew about the Black Flag Engchun system. Because of the secrecy of this system, KongCo [GGGM] intiated GGM into the Black Flag blood ceremony/ritual. He also required Sujo [GGM] King Yang to take a blood oath before His master, Kong Co Tjia. If it is being broken, blood will come from 7 holes in the head and you would die. Sujo King Yang, the 2nd generation lineage holder of the Shaolin Black Flag Engchun, passed away in 1986 at 97 years old and left the precious Shaolin Treasure system to the chosen next successor; Tai Sukong [Senior Grandmaster] The Kang Hai and Sukong [GM] Tio.
Our Suhu (instructor)
As a Chinese born in Indonesia, Suhu [ Master] Xiang Fuk Lin [ Kenneth ], has devoted his entire lifetime to the field of martial arts starting from age 10.
He began his Fukien Black Flag Eng Chun ( Wing Chun ) training in or about 1985 at 10 years old with Tai Sukong(Dai Sigung) [ Senior GM council] The (3rd generation lineage holder of HKB Eng Chun). He also sought instruction from Sukong [GM Council] Tio. After an eight-month ‘selection’ process which tested his patience, strong will and diligence, Sukong (Sigung) [Grand Master] Tio finally also accepted him as an in-door student.
Since then, Suhu [Master] Lin dedicated several hours every day to receive private instruction from both Tai Sukong [SGM] The as well as Sukong [GM] Tio after the regular school hours. Not to mention that there were many countless sessions during his school semester break where he spent 10 hours training with both of his Suhus(Sifus) for several years. Seven days per week, he practiced forms, drills, weaponry as well as meditation techniques. He has completed all of his training and has more than 25 years experience(in 2010) in Black Flag Wing Chun Kung Fu.
While finishing his graduate study in Management Information System in 1995, Suhu [Master] Lin had assisted Sukong [GM] Tio in teaching Eng Chun ( Wing Chun ). In 2000, Sukong [GM] Tio appointed him as his next successor. Afterward, Suhu Lin was instructed, by Sukong [GM] Tio, to open his own school.
In 2005, Suhu (Master) Lin Xiang Fuk arrived in the USA. Coming from a Management Information System background, He started his career in Management for one of the biggest retail organizations. As a very busy manager, yet Suhu (Master) Lin still managed to put aside every available time that he had, from the after work time, before the work time and even in his day off, to carry to the responsibility from the Tai Sukong[SGM], Sukong [GM] and the Sujo [GGM] to preserve this extra ordinary art for the next generation.
He had opened the door to the American public as part time in the beginning, In the same year (2005), Suhu [ Master ] Lin successfully opened the first Shaolin Kungfu Center Martial Arts School USA, located in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
In 2008, Sukong [ GM ] Tio visit Suhu [Master] Lin, his school and students. At the same time, Suhu and Sukong were both invited by VTM [Ving Tsun Museum], to visit them and share some informations about the lineage of Black Flag Wing Chun.
After the meeting, Suhu [ Master] Lin finally realized that while there are many managers in the united states, there was only one Master of Black Flag Wing Chun living in the united states. As the 4th Generation lineage holder of Black Flag Shaolin Wing Chun, Suhu Lin has made the decision to leave his management career to devote his whole life into teaching and preserving the art of Shaolin Fukien Black Flag Wing Chun.
In 2010, Suhu [Master] Lin and his students from US had the opportunity to visit Indonesia and meet and train with Tai Sukong [SGM] The Kang Hai and Sukong [GM] Tio. They also had the opportunity to interact with other members of HKB Eng Chun Family in Indonesia. At this time, Tai Sukong [SGM] The Kang Hai was moved by Suhu Lin’s commitment and dedication in spreading the system and encouraged him to continue preserving and spreading the HKB system to the rest of the world.
At last there is now the opportunity to learn and explore the extra ordinary practice of Shaolin Fukien Black Flag Wing Chun Martial Arts that has never been revealed to the West; it is now available for all who have a sincere desire to learn..