Historical 1979 interview on my family art.
The first ever I Liq Chuan interview published in an independent 3rd party book.
It gives a fair and accurate overview on what the art was based on then and how it was formed by my Gongong (grandpa in Chinese), as they referred to him as the ‘Head Instructor. Just as it states in the publication “Head Instructor Chin has learned from Master Lee Kim Chow and other Chinese martial arts. He then integrated the essence of various styles, and formed the I Liq Chuan Association…”
The interview was given by my grandfather alongside Mr. Wong who was the VP of the association then.
Gongong was a martial art prodigy who was able to perform martial art form after seeing it only once and he’d be able to understand the essence of it. Yes, believe it or not he’s much like the main character of what you see in the movies. He was also a humble man who didn’t care for titles or recognition. He was not a man of many words either. Unfortunately, this left room for those with ill intention to poke holes, argue, and to present twisted ‘truth’ against him.
Though quite frankly, none of these really matter because my dad and the Chin Family have had 30+ years of history in spreading the art internationally since the early 1990’s after my family moved to the United States. Currently our lineage has already passed down to the 6th generation. Not only has my father not stopped spreading the art, he has evolved it after his involvement at the Buddhist temple as a chef and handyman. He would teach martial arts every Saturday as the great master but all other times he’s the low handyman waiting for instructions from everyone else. And he’s also the chef who cooks and serves several hundreds of people at a time.
The pay at a Buddhist temple was next to nothing, the Chin family of six were living below poverty line but we were all very grateful for this opportunity to be closely associated with the temple. This allowed my siblings and I to be brought up in a loving kindness environment that showed us how to be trustworthy, sincere, and open hearted. Most importantly, it allowed my father to be exposed to highly skilled meditation practitioners which deepen his understanding of mindfulness. My father has always explored meditation even when he was a young teenager, however, the exposure to world renowned Dharma and meditation masters has allowed him to see clearly the linkage between the mental and the physical. Not only was he able to understand it, he was able to understand the ‘HOW’ and is able to share it. Which is I believe to be the most valuable asset.
I am extremely grateful to be in such an environment where my father has brought together a community based on openness. This allows our community to bond together as a caring family that shares with each other. As I look back at the years, the Chin family has been through good and bad times but all of which does not matter. What matters is that we observe the changes moment by moment and it is all part of a path in enriching our understanding that helps us to grow stronger!
