Choy Biu Returns

When Lam Luen came to Foshan he went immediately to visit Leung Bok-Lao. Bok-Lao invited him out for tea. At the restaurant, Luen told Bok-Lao he had seen Choy Biu and mentioned to Biu that Bok-Lao was in Foshan. Luen continued, saying Biu was intent on coming to Foshan and confronting Bok-Lao. Luen apologized, saying he never meant to tell Choy Biu and deeply regretted causing problems. Bok-Lao told Luen not to worry about it, that it was Biu's nature to make problems. Bok-Lao pointed out that before, in Siu Hing, Biu went out of his way to make problems. And now that he was in Foshan, Biu was making problems again. Luen apologized again, and said he came to tell Bok-Lao right away so he could think of a way out of it. Bok-Lao smiled and said when he had mastered Wing Chun, he had thought about going to punch Choy Biu, to show him that Wing Chun was good quality. But since Biu was his martial brother, he had decided to forget about it and went on with his life. Bok-Lao said now that Biu was forcing the issue, he would have to teach him a lesson. Bok-Lao was no longer the same person he had been when he fought Choy Biu before, and Luen recognized this and knew this time Bok-Lao would not fail and be forced to leave. Bok-Lao went home and waited for Choy Biu to come.

Choy Biu underestimated Bok-Lao. He thought Bok-Lao only knew Choy Ga Kuen and would prove to be an easy target. Biu thought he could make himself famous in Foshan and perhaps even open a branch school there as well, to help spread Choy Ga. A few days later, leaving the school in the hands of some of his senior students, Biu left for Foshan. Biu's students knew he was going again to fight with Bok-Lao. At first Biu wanted to travel with Lum Luen, because Luen knew the area well, but he found out that Luen had already left for Foshan. Instead, Biu took with him a man named Chao Bing. Chao Bing was a student of Biu's elder brother Choy Lung. When Biu had gotten the school from Bok-Lao, knowing Bing had learned a long time and was very good, Biu asked him to help out with the school in Siu Hing. Choy Biu felt it better to take Bing than one of his own students, because they had previously been students of Bok-Lao and might still have loyalty towards their old sifu.

The next day, Choy Biu journeyed to Foshan and got a room at a local hotel. Wanting to find out about Leung Bok-Lao's situation in Foshan, Biu asked the hotel manager. The manager informed Biu that Bok-Lao had been invited by Leung Jan to be Jan's personal teacher but nobody knew his martial arts since he never gave demonstrations. He had gained fame defeating a vagabond and for his Dit Da medical skills, which were of very high quality. Bok-Lao had gained a reputation for being a nice guy by healing a man and not charging him for it.

Choy Biu found this strange. Before, Leung Bok-Lao only knew martial arts, not medicine. Choy Ga had very limited medical skills, so he wondered where Bok-Lao could have learned them. He began to consider that maybe Bok-Lao had learned something else. Biu asked about Wing Chun Kuen and was told it was very soft, the stance was narrow but the punch was long. It had very strong bridges and its stance used the front arrow and back bow. Choy Biu found this also very strange, and began to thing that maybe Wing Chun wasn't just another name Bok-Lao had given his Choy Ga. Biu had always assumed that Bok-Lao's martial arts were just a slightly altered version of Choy Ga, but the description sounded completely different. At first he thought fighting Bok-Lao would be easy, but now he wasn't so sure. There was no turning back, however. He had come to fight Bok-Lao and he could not leave Foshan before that happened.

Choy Biu decided he would go visit Leung Bok-Lao first and asked for direction on where to find him. He then went to Leung Jan's pharmacy along with Chao Bing. Bok-Lao knew Biu came to fight, to make problems and not out of friendship. They had fought before and it had cost him his school. He had been angry but because they were martial brothers, he had decided to forget it. Now he had come again.

Leung Bok-Lao brought them to his room. Choy Biu called him brother and said the Siu Hing school was doing well. He acknowledged that Bok-Lao had created the school and done many important jobs there. Biu maintained he was only over-seeing the school and hoped Bok-Lao would one day return. Bok-Lao replied he was only a small guy in the Choy Ga Kuen style and could not teach the art, so he would not come back. He said Biu's skill was much better, so he should be the one doing the expansion of Choy Ga. Biu mentioned he heard Bok-Lao was famous in Foshan now, and he was happy Bok-Lao was still spreading Choy Ga.

Leung Bok-Lao told Choy Biu that after he had failed that day, he knew his Choy Ga was not good, so he dared not teach Choy Ga anymore. Bok-Lao said he had come to Foshan for his livelihood, and teaching the pharmacy owner was his job now, that and practicing medicine. Since Bok-Lao had said he did not use Choy Ga any longer, Biu asked him what style he did use. Bok-Lao responded that he taught Wing Chun Kuen. Biu feigned surprise, and said he had never heard of that system before. Bok-Lao told him it was a very rare system from Guangxi, and that had been where he learned it. Choy Biu listened to his story, but said Bok-Lao learned Choy Ga first from his father and had practiced it for over a decade, so all his foundation came from that style; it was his root. Biu maintained if he had learned something else, it would still amount to the same thing. Biu continued, saying three years in Guangxi could not erase his Choy Ga training. He thought Bok-Lao taught using the name Wing Chun, but it was still Choy Ga and thus he was conning his students and forgetting his teacher. Biu said this was not right.

Choy Biu was wrong, he replied. Bok-Lao had learned Choy Ga for more than ten years and thought he had all the secrets and did a good job, but then had lost to him. Bok-Lao said that day he forgot Choy Ga and learned Wing Chun. Bok-Lao maintained he did not know if his Wing Chun could defeat Choy Biu's Choy Ga, but he was sure what he practiced was only Wing Chun. Choy Biu said he thought Bok-Lao was not truthful and that if he tested Bok-Lao, he was sure Bok-Lao would fail again. Bok-Lao knew he must again compete with Biu.

Leung Bok-Lao told Choy Biu he had challenged him before, and forced him to leave Siu Hing. Now he taught Wing Chun for a living. And Biu had come again, this time trying to cost him his livelihood. Bok-Lao said he would fight Biu. This time, Bok-Lao said they would go to the Jo-Miu temple and tell all the people, so that a crowd could be their witnesses.

These stories were translated by Rene Ritchie, and have been included here with his permission. Visit the Yuen Kay-San Wing Chun home page to see the originals.