Master Wong Ha
With Chan Kit Fong, daughter of descendant Chan Yiu Chi
With Chan Sun Chiu, son of descendant Chan Yiu Chi and current keeper
of the style in China
Karate magazine article, circa 1976 (i)
Karate magazine article, circa 1976 (ii)
Karate magazine article, circa 1976 (iii)
Taking a punch to demonstrate his use of internal Chi at the annual
Founder's celebration banquet
Ming Pao newspaper article, 1997
Demonstrating in Chinatown, circa 1978
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We the instructors of this school owe our entire martial
arts careers to our teacher, Grandmaster Wong Ha, and so this section
is dedicated to his story - how he started out in kungfu, his experiences
in China, Hong Kong, and finally how he came to Canada and established
himself as one of Vancouver's respected martial arts elders.
His life spans well over 8 decades and two continents -- just talking
to him about his past is a great history lesson in itself! We made two
3-week long trips to China and Hong Kong with our teacher, and we found
that he was the best tour guide one could possibly find there -- there
was little throughout our travels that he had not seen or experienced
already. And did we mention that he is also a renowned Chinese chef?
Click on the pictures on the left to enlarge
His Beginnings
At the tender age of 15, Grandmaster Wong Ha started working to help
support his family in rural Guangdong, China, washing dishes and doing
odd jobs in a restaurant. As the hours in a restaurant involved split
shifts, most restaurant workers enjoyed gambling to pass the time in
between work. Instead of following suit, he decided to take up lessons
in kungfu. It became an important part of his life, and in fact was
willing to spend a third of his entire income to pay for lessons. Choy
Lai Fut's founder's grandson, Chan Yiu Chi, had opened up a school in
the city of Guangzhou, and that is where our teacher studied the art
for the next decade and more. Not only did his skills in martial arts
improve over the years, he also picked up a second interest that complemented
the kungfu -- Chinese herbal medicine and Dit Da joint manipulation
techniques.
Even during World War II, although life was difficult and times were
tough for everyone around him, still he managed to maintain his skills.
After the war was over and China drifted into a more peaceful, rebuilding
state, he settled back into the Guangdong and Hong Kong areas, often
travelling back and forth depending on where work was to be found. He
and his kungfu brothers would meet on a monthly basis, and pool whatever
money they could to buy food to send back to the village where his Sifu
Chan Yiu Chi lived. While in Hong Kong, he began teaching Choy Lai Fut.
Fast Forward...to Canada
In 1966, he was sponsored over to Vancouver, Canada by the Beachcombers
restaurant to work as one of their chefs. While working in the restaurant,
some of the other Chinese workers there discovered that he was skilled
in kungfu -- and so his teaching career in Vancouver began. For about
10 years, he taught at the Hon Hsing athletic association in Chinatown,
and in the meantime also taught at various other associations before
settling into his own private school on Powell Street. Not long after
that, he relocated to his present-day location on Jackson Street only
a few blocks away in 1973. Over the last three decades, he has taught
over a thousand students the art of Choy Lai Fut. He has remained ever
faithful to the ancestors of the style, and every year is still very
active in organizing the 500-person annual celebration in honour of
the Choy Lai Fut founder and his descendants.
Not for a day has he stopped training - he is 88 this year, but is still
as spry and active as ever. It is hard to believe, but he has the energy
and feistiness of a man half his age. Even now, he comes down to his
school to watch the students practice, and quite often gives pointers
on how to improve. He is a remarkable man, and has the generosity and
kindness to match his energy and youthfulness.
Wong Ha has been like a father to us, and here on this
website want to express our deepest gratitude and respect for everything
he has taught and done for us.
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