Misplaced Pages

Chan Tai San: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 20:42, 23 September 2009 editNysanda (talk | contribs)442 edits Undid revision 315740010 by Xavierq (talk) As per EAR DO NOT EDIT THIS ARTICLE!← Previous edit Latest revision as of 16:36, 5 January 2025 edit undoIkamborden (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, IP block exemptions11,647 editsNo edit summary 
(86 intermediate revisions by 35 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Chinese name|Chan}} {{family name hatnote|Chan|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox martial artist
| name = Chan Tai San
| residence =
| other_names =
| image = Chantaisan.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = T. S. Chan, ''c.'' 1980
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1920|7|12}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2004|9|1|1920|7|12}}
| death_place =
| martial_art = ], ], and others
| rank = Grandmaster
}}
⚫ '''Chan Tai San''' (Chan Tai-San; Chinese: 陳泰山) (July 12, 1920 – September 1, 2004) was a ] ] ].<ref name="Newsletter">Yee's Hung Ga Association newsletter.</ref> Often called one of China's "living treasures", Chan was featured as such on the cover of ''Inside Kung Fu'' magazine in 1996.<ref name="Journey">Cater, Dave: "Chan Tai San's Journey of a Lifetime", ''Inside Kung Fu'' (October 1996), pp. 38–41.</ref>


==Early training and military service==
]
⚫ Chan said he began ] training at age eight under Yee Hoi-Long (余海龍), a stonemason who worked for the Chan family.<ref name="Journey"/> Yee taught "hung fist", also called "hung kuyhnn" or "village style", a forerunner to ], and "Hung Tao Choy Mei" (which means "Hung Head Choy Tail"), later known as ], a system combining strong "Hung" style fist work with active Choy-style footwork. Chan learned from Yee for about six years.<ref name="Journey"/>
⚫ '''Chan Tai San''' (Chan Tai-San) (Chinese: 陳泰山) (July 12, 1920&ndash;],]) was a ] ] ].<ref name= Newsletter></ref> Chan had often been referred to as one of China's "Living Treasures", and featured as such on a cover of ''Inside Kung Fu'' magazine.<ref> - ''Inside Kung Fu'' magazine (October 1996)</ref>


⚫ Chan was 13 when, after the death of his father, he was sent by his family to the Clear Cloud Temple where he began training in kung fu and Buddhism and was mostly a student of ] (朱亦傳).<ref name="Journey"/><ref name="Parrella">Parrella, M.: {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728180952/http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs020.snc1/4541_101257635559_81027985559_3118525_1403533_n.jpg |date=July 28, 2011 }} Retrieved 27 December 2009.</ref><ref name="Inside1989">''Inside Kung Fu'' (October 1989).</ref> Chan was also taught by the monk Gaai Si Wu Song and trained mostly in the ] style.<ref name="tradition">Cater, Dave (1993): "A Tradition Whose Time has Come", ''Inside Kung Fu'' (September 1993), p. 56.</ref>
==Early years==


⚫ At 17, Chan left the monastery to fight against the ], enlisting in a peasant division which also had some of the most skilled traditional martial arts fighters in China. While in the army, Chan trained and served with Cheung Lai-Chung (張禮泉), a master of ] or "]" style, and Baahk Mo Jyu (洪瑋翔, nicknamed the "White Haired Devil"), a master of ] style, and others.<ref name="Journey"/>
⚫ According to a recorded interview conducted with Chan Tai San, he began his Kung-Fu training at the age of eight years old under Yee Hoi-Long, a stone mason who worked for the Chan family. Yee taught ] (]&mdash;often called "village style" and the predecessor to modern ]) and "]" (literally "]"). ] was the older name for what is now ], a system combining strong Hung style fist work with active Choy style footwork. Chan learned from Yee for approximately six years.<ref name=Journey>"Chan Tai San's Journey of a Lifetime" by Dave Cater ''Inside Kung Fu Magazine'' (October 1996), 38-41</ref>


==Career==
⚫ At the age of 13, after the death of his father, he was sent by his family to the Clear Cloud Temple where he began training in Kung-Fu and Buddhism. He was primarily a student of ] (朱亦傳).<ref name=Journey/><ref></ref><ref name=Inside1989></ref> Chan also was trained by ] (Monk Gaai Si). At the temple, he trained mostly in the ] Style.<ref name="tradition">"A Tradition Whose Time has Come" by Dave Cater ''Inside Kung Fu Magazine'' (September 1993) p.56</ref>
After the war, Chan traveled throughout China meeting and training with more sifu such as Mok Jing-Kiu, head of the Mok family style, Chan Sai-Mo (陳世武), master of ] style, and Chan Jik Seung (陳績常), master of Bak Mei. In his 40s, Chan went back to the Clear Cloud Temple and learned ] (喇嘛派) from ].<ref name="Journey"/> Other arts he trained in were the Southern ], also known as the Ngok Ga (Mandarin: Yue Jia) style, as well as the ] Style under Jow Biu. Devoting himself to mastering the Tibetan lion's roar system, he trained with various sifu of related lineages such as Deng Gum Tao (鄧錦濤) of ], Gung Yuet Gei (孔乙己) of Tibetan White Crane, and Mai Yi Po of the Manchurian Lama Pai lineage.


Chan trained and promoted Chinese martial arts in China and abroad. He was coach of the ] martial arts demonstration team from 1980 to 1982, a hand-to-hand fighting (]) instructor for an elite ''Fut San'' military unit, and a member of the executive committee of the Toi San region martial arts association.<ref>Cater, Dave: "A Tradition Whose Time has Come", ''Inside Kung Fu'' (September 1993).</ref> As a member of the national demonstration team (and through exhibitions at national level tournaments in the United States), Chan demonstrated internal martial arts (]), Iron Palm and Iron Body.
⚫ At 17, Chan Tai San left the monastery to fight against the ]. He enlisted in a division comprising peasants, but also featuring some of the best traditional Chinese martial arts fighters of the time. While in the army, Chan Tai San trained with and served with ] (], ] Style), ], nicknamed the "White Haired Devil" (] Style) and many more.<ref name="Journey"/>


Chan was one of only a few instructors who openly taught the Lama Pai style. When he opened his classes to Americans, there were estimated to be only five other public Lama Pai sifu in the world.<ref name=Inside1989/><ref>Ross, David: "The Lion's Roar", ''KungFu Wushu'' (Winter 1995).<br>- Ross, David: "Is Traditional Practical?", ''KungFu Wushu'' (October/November 1996).<br>- Slovenz, Madeline Anita: "", ''Drama Review'', Vol. 31 No. 3 (Autumn 1987), pp. 74–102.</ref>
==Later years==
After the war, he travelled the country meeting and training with more Sifu, like ] (Head of the ]) and ] of the ] style. He returned in his 40s to the Clear Cloud Temple and learned ] (喇嘛派) from ].<ref name=Journey>"Chan Tai San's Journey of a Lifetime" by Dave Cater ''Inside Kung Fu'' magazine (October 1996), 38-41</ref>

He devoted his entire life to training and promoting Chinese Martial Arts in China and abroad. In China, the respect the martial arts community had for Chan was evidenced by his many appointments to important positions. He was the coach of the ] Martial Arts Demonstration Team from 1980&ndash;1982, a hand to hand fighting (]) instructor for an elite Fut San military unit, member of the executive committee of the Toi San region martial arts association and a member of the national demonstration team.<ref></ref><ref>"A Tradition Whose Time has Come" by Dave Cater ''Inside Kung Fu Magazine'' (September 1993)</ref><ref></ref>

==Accomplishments==

As a member of the national demonstration team, and during demonstrations at national level tournaments in the United States, Chan demonstrated skill in "internal martial arts" (]), iron palm and iron body.
These are examples of his Chi-Kung demonstrations:

Chan Tai San was one of the only instructors to openly teach the Lama Pai style, at the time he opened his classes to Americans there were only approximately five other public Lama Pai sifu in the world.<ref name=Inside1989/> Chan Tai San, his school, and the Lama Pai system he taught also received coverage in other martial arts magazines such as "Kung Fu Wushu".<ref></ref><ref></ref>

Chan Tai San is also mentioned (transliterated in the article in the Mandarin pronunciation "Chen Tai Shan") in a 1987 article on the culture of lion dancing in Chinatown<ref>"The Year Is a Wild Animal" Lion Dancing in Chinatown by Madeline Anita Slovenz, The Drama Review: TDR, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Autumn, 1987), pp. 74-102</ref><ref></ref>

Of interest may be that were taken over the span of more than a decade.

Unforunately, since Chan Tai San passed away a number of individuals have claimed to have trained directly with him. Fortunately, the most reliable sources for verification remain the articles published in during his lifetime<ref name= 89article></ref><ref name= ikfcover></ref>. Based upon these, we can say that Chan's Choy Lay Fut, Lama Pai, Bok Mei and many other styles have been passed down to Sifus such as Stephen Innocenzi<ref name="tradition"/><ref name= "ikfcover"/> , ]<ref name= Newsletter></ref><ref name="inside">Inside Kung Fu'' magazine (October 1996)</ref>, David Ross<ref name= Newsletter></ref><ref name="inside"/><ref name="tradition"/>, Gus Kaparos<ref>http://www.akasd.com/images/SifuAliotta_001D.pdf Scan of inside kung-fu.com magazine, p61. July 2008</ref>, Chris Jurak<ref name="inside"/><ref name="tradition"/>, Steven Ventura<ref name="tradition"/><ref name= "89article"/>, Steven H. Laurette<ref name="89article"/>, Ho Jih Yiu<ref name="tradition"/>, and Carl Albright.


==Footnotes== ==Footnotes==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}


<!-- ==Sources== <!-- some sources
*] Winter 1995 *] Winter 1995
*Kungfu Wushu Oct/Nov 1996 *Kungfu Wushu Oct/Nov 1996
Line 52: Line 51:
*] Oct 1995 --> *] Oct 1995 -->


{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan Tai San}}
==External links==
⚫ ]
*
]
*
]
*
]

⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 16:36, 5 January 2025

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chan.
Chan Tai San
T. S. Chan, c. 1980
Born(1920-07-12)12 July 1920
Died1 September 2004(2004-09-01) (aged 84)
StyleLama Pai, Choy Lay Fut, and others
RankGrandmaster

Chan Tai San (Chan Tai-San; Chinese: 陳泰山) (July 12, 1920 – September 1, 2004) was a Chinese martial arts grandmaster. Often called one of China's "living treasures", Chan was featured as such on the cover of Inside Kung Fu magazine in 1996.

Early training and military service

Chan said he began kung fu training at age eight under Yee Hoi-Long (余海龍), a stonemason who worked for the Chan family. Yee taught "hung fist", also called "hung kuyhnn" or "village style", a forerunner to Hung Ga, and "Hung Tao Choy Mei" (which means "Hung Head Choy Tail"), later known as Jow Ga, a system combining strong "Hung" style fist work with active Choy-style footwork. Chan learned from Yee for about six years.

Chan was 13 when, after the death of his father, he was sent by his family to the Clear Cloud Temple where he began training in kung fu and Buddhism and was mostly a student of Jyu Jik Chuyhn (朱亦傳). Chan was also taught by the monk Gaai Si Wu Song and trained mostly in the Choy Lay Fut style.

At 17, Chan left the monastery to fight against the Imperial Japanese Army, enlisting in a peasant division which also had some of the most skilled traditional martial arts fighters in China. While in the army, Chan trained and served with Cheung Lai-Chung (張禮泉), a master of Bak Mei or "White Eyebrow" style, and Baahk Mo Jyu (洪瑋翔, nicknamed the "White Haired Devil"), a master of Hung Fut style, and others.

Career

After the war, Chan traveled throughout China meeting and training with more sifu such as Mok Jing-Kiu, head of the Mok family style, Chan Sai-Mo (陳世武), master of Choy Lay Fut style, and Chan Jik Seung (陳績常), master of Bak Mei. In his 40s, Chan went back to the Clear Cloud Temple and learned Lama Pai (喇嘛派) from Jyu Jik Chuyhn. Other arts he trained in were the Southern Eagle Claw, also known as the Ngok Ga (Mandarin: Yue Jia) style, as well as the Jow Ga Style under Jow Biu. Devoting himself to mastering the Tibetan lion's roar system, he trained with various sifu of related lineages such as Deng Gum Tao (鄧錦濤) of Hop Ga, Gung Yuet Gei (孔乙己) of Tibetan White Crane, and Mai Yi Po of the Manchurian Lama Pai lineage.

Chan trained and promoted Chinese martial arts in China and abroad. He was coach of the Guangdong Province martial arts demonstration team from 1980 to 1982, a hand-to-hand fighting (Sanshou) instructor for an elite Fut San military unit, and a member of the executive committee of the Toi San region martial arts association. As a member of the national demonstration team (and through exhibitions at national level tournaments in the United States), Chan demonstrated internal martial arts (Qigong), Iron Palm and Iron Body.

Chan was one of only a few instructors who openly taught the Lama Pai style. When he opened his classes to Americans, there were estimated to be only five other public Lama Pai sifu in the world.

Footnotes

  1. Yee's Hung Ga Association newsletter.
  2. ^ Cater, Dave: "Chan Tai San's Journey of a Lifetime", Inside Kung Fu (October 1996), pp. 38–41.
  3. Parrella, M.: Chan Tai San's lineage Archived July 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 December 2009.
  4. ^ Inside Kung Fu (October 1989).
  5. Cater, Dave (1993): "A Tradition Whose Time has Come", Inside Kung Fu (September 1993), p. 56.
  6. Cater, Dave: "A Tradition Whose Time has Come", Inside Kung Fu (September 1993).
  7. Ross, David: "The Lion's Roar", KungFu Wushu (Winter 1995).
    - Ross, David: "Is Traditional Practical?", KungFu Wushu (October/November 1996).
    - Slovenz, Madeline Anita: "The Year Is a Wild Animal: Lion Dancing in Chinatown", Drama Review, Vol. 31 No. 3 (Autumn 1987), pp. 74–102.
Categories: