Grandmaster Wong Cheung

Commemorative Dinner

During our stay in Hong Kong, Franco Lok (Lok Wah Fai) and Allan Low (Low Shiu Lun) spent almost all day every day with our group. The usual running order of most days was mornings were spent working on Hark Fu Mun routines before lunch, then in the afternoon site seeing before dinner. Franco worked with Brandon Hickman improving Front Dummy (Chin Chong) and the broadsword, and with Beverley Johnson improving her Lee Lar staff, while Alan worked with me improving Kam Kong and Night Tiger (Yeh Fu). Both Franco and Allan took time off work to be with us for which I am truly grateful for and I appreciate all their help and support.    
 

 

 





Besides training and site seeing, our main purpose for travelling to Hong Kong at this time was the annual commemorative dinner for our late Grandmaster. Grandmaster Wong Cheung passed away in 1989, and his students have held an annual dinner every year since at the same restaurant. This is the London Restaurant, located in the Good Hope Building, 612 Nathan Road in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.  



On Sunday 23rd March, 2014, I met Alan Low and several other members of the Hong Kong club including Kwan Pak Cheung (Wong Cheung's cousin), his wife, Sam Ribet and Lee Wai at the Mong Kok MTR at 7.00am. This was to help transport and set up equipment for a competition organised by the China (Hong Kong) Traditional WuShu Federation at a local sports centre. This was at the new MacPherson Stadium located at 1/F 38 Nelson Street, in Mong Kok. After we had finished setting the equipment up we then watched this competition until around 4.30pm when we had to leave to get to the Hark Fu Mun annual dinner to commemorate Grandmaster Wong Cheung. As we were leaving I asked one of the main officials if I could have a pennant for our academy back in the UK. He then asked the main organiser who made a phone call before then saying yes that would be OK. He then sent one of his staff to the main table to get a pennant and when he returned with the pennant, the main organiser wanted to have a photo taken with me. Suddenly this was made into a ceremony with several other officials and members of our Hong Kong Hark Fu Mun group. After many photos, I give my thanks for their generosity and we finally left.  



 

We then made the short walk to the London Restaurant on Nathan Road where the annual dinner is held every year. We helped set up the room before then practicing our routines that we would be performing during the demonstration. Paul Hickman suggested at the last minute that Brandon and I perform the Hark Fu Yee Yan (Black Tiger Two Man) routine. We had not practiced this and so after a quick run through Brandon and I decided to give it a go.   The senior committee members had a meeting early before the rest of the association members arrived. When everyone had arrived the senior members of the committee took turns giving their annual reports and summarizing the events for the last year as well as their expectations for the forthcoming year. This was done in a very relaxed informal manner with lots of jovial banter mixed in. Once this was completed several acknowledgements were announced and some certificates were presented for various achievements over the year. This was then followed by a mass photo which included all the members of the association present.  



The next part of the evening was the martial arts demonstrations. Franco was continually commenting as the compare on the microphone during these performances. The running order of the martial arts demonstration:- Alan Low – Night tiger fist Chan Kin Shing – Cymbals Sam Ribet & Lee Wai – Hark Fu Two man fist (Hong Kong version) Chung Kin Kwong & Wong Hin Sing – Spear against double board sword Tse Lai Fun – Soaring Dragon Sword Paul Burkinshaw – Single Elbow Brandon – Single board sword Sam Ribet – Kam Kong fist Lee Wai – Chung Wai Karn (short staff) Paul Burkinshaw and Brandon – Hark Fu Two man fist (UK version) Chung Kin Kwong – Hark Fu Rear Dummy Alan Low – Rocket Umbrella  

 
 

 

At the end of the demonstrations I was called out and I was presented with a certificate of appreciation. During this several photos were taken with first the president (Mr Yeung Wong Hing) of the Sil Lim Hark Fu Mun Wong Cheung Martial Arts Association, and then with the Vice President (Mr Kwan Pak Cheung -Grandmaster Wong Cheung's cousin) also.

 

Once the ceremonies were completed the restaurant staff quickly set out the tables and we were seated for the dinner. Our group had the honor of being on the top table with the President, (Mr Yeung Wong Hing) and his wife and the Vice President, (Mr Kwan Pak Cheung) and his wife. Also at our table, there was Alan Low, Sam Ribet and his wife, Chan Kin Shing and his son Josh.  

Franco Lok who is the Martial Art executive on the Hong Kong committee is a born entertainer had been on the microphone all night. He had been commentating on events in his light hearted style keeping everyone amused and during the meal he did not stop. He first did a prize draw followed by a fun competition involving the throwing stone locks. The idea of this was to complete thirty throws without stopping on both arms and if successful then you would receive a lottery ticket for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Lottery. During the meal several members volunteered and Franco persuaded several others to have ago. Near the end of the meal several people at our table suggested I had a go but I was reluctant as I had only practiced the stone locks on one arm at a time. Franco and the senior members encouraged me to have a go stating that it was OK for me to do it with just the one arm. I completed the thirty throws on one arm and then decided to try this again using both arms. The normal practice is to alternate the arms front and behind but one of the previous persons had done it with both arms in front. This is the way I adopted and succeeded in the thirty throws using this method.  



The remainder of the evening was taken up with everyone mingling and talking. I talked with several people that I met last year and we discussed what had happened on the past twelve months. One of these was Edward (Sze Tak Wah) who I had previously contacted before last year’s annual dinner after being given his email address by Eric Wu in the U.S.A. After sharing various stories and memories we left around 11.30pm catching the MTR back to our hotels on Hong Kong Island.

Before we left, Alan informed us that on the following evening we had been invited by the senior committee to attend a dinner as appreciate for making the trip to Hong Kong.    



I personally feel that we have strengthened the bonds between our two branches and that we will continue to build on this in the years to come. I look forward to travelling to Hong Kong later this year and hope that I can take a bigger group from the UK to next year’s annual dinner. I would like more of my students to share in the experiences of Hong Kong and improve their Chinese martial arts in its home environment under the excellent tutelage of both Franco Lok and Alan Low.