Ark Yuey Wong

Ark Yuey Wong, also known as Wong Ark Yuey, is a Chinese martial arts master. He was born on January 11, 1900 and died on January 11, 1987. He was one of, if not the first, Chinese martial arts master to teach traditional Kung Fu to non-Chinese students in the United States, specifically, the Chinese martial art of Kung Fu. Grandmaster Wong is credited with spawning a big interest in eastern martial arts and his teachings have yielded several independent schools that have spread in North America. He we the adviser and inspiration for David Carradine's series "Kung-fu".

Biography

Ark Yuey Wong was born in Canton, China, in the village of Toysun Tien Sum Chien, to a moderately wealthy family. He lived as a boy in his grandfather’s farm, near Canton, where an eventful attack on the elderly man by his own younger brother seeking ownership of the family’s properties and assets, sparked what would become Ark Yuey’s career in martial arts. Surviving the attack, the patriarch informed his family that from now on he would only include them in his will on the condition that all males would begin learning martial arts at the age of 7, so they could defend themselves should the need arise to protect the family and its assets. Subsequently, upon reaching age 7, Wong began attending Kung Fu lessons at a Shaolin temple with most of his relatives after school, everyday for at least two hours, under the revered master Lam Ark Fun, an old teacher of Choy Lay Fut. Some years into his training, at age 12, Wong was also taught Chinese Herbal Medicine by his Sifu, a valued skill that he would come to utilize later on in life. He then met and trained under another respected master, Ho Ark Yeung, who taught Mok Gar Kung Fu to Wong, having been hired along with Lam Ark Fun by the boy’s grandfather to teach all the Wong family. At 17, Ark Yuey attended college in downtown Canton, and started giving private Kung Fu lessons. During this time, Wong met a legendary Pung, the Chief Monk of Canton and learned under him the internal areas of Kung Fu, having previously only studied the external aspects of the arts. After civil unrest erupted in Canton, he was asked by his family to return to his village, and he complied, teaching by day at a local grade school, and by night giving Kung Fu classes. It was during an eventful new year’s eve that Wong made a demonstration of the “Lion Dance” which would award the best demonstrators with the title of Master, with his demonstration earning him said distinction at the remarkable age of 19.

The now Master Wong immigrated to the United States of America during his early 20’s in 1921 with some of his relatives, with his uncle further teaching him the ways of herbal healing and acupuncture. He stayed in San Francisco, Oakland and Stockholm, where he taught many Chinese students, since at the time the Chinese community was still very secretive about their martial arts. He finally moved to Los Angeles in 1929 where he taught only to his relatives for two years. He then opened a Chinese Herb Shop and a Kung Fu school by the name of Wah Que returning to China in 1931 to teach the Wong family, and coming back to Los Angeles again in 1934, receiving the title of Grandmaster at 31. Later on, in 1960, Wong would become one of the first genuine Kung Fu masters to open the doors of his school to any sincere student who wanted to learn Chinese martial arts, finally helping in breaking the Chinese-only rule in martial arts enforced for so long by the Chinese community and having a very important role in introducing Kung Fu to America.

In his school, Master Wong taught in the style of the five families, Choy, Li, Fut, Mok and Hung, and in those of the traditional Shaolin (Master Wong explained that Sil Lum is Cantonese terminology for Shaolin) Five Animals: The Dragon, the Tiger, the Snake, the Leopard and the Crane. He also taught Tai Chi Quan, Five element fist, and Hop Gar Lama, along with 18 traditional Shaolin weapons, and even instructing in Lion and Dragon dancing for their role in the Chinese festivities. He exercised during this time his knowledge of Chinese medicine, relying on it for economical support and schooling other people in the medicinal arts of herbal medicine, massage and acupuncture. During his time teaching in the United States he taught many students, and his teachings influenced legends of martial arts such as Bruce Lee (who included aspects of it in his Jun Fan Gung Fu and later on JKD), Ed Parker, and Haumea "Tiny" Lefiti. He was covered by several martial arts publications such as an article on him by the magazine Black Belt in 1965, and numerous articles in the “Inside Kung Fu Magazine” publications, as well as others. Master Wong died on his birthday in 1987, although his martial ability, speed and agility continued to astonish students and colleagues well into his third age.

Legacy

Ark Yuey Wong was one of the first Chinese martial arts masters to have taught non-Chinese students in the arts, thus breaking a centuries-old-tradition. He is widely recognized with having kept the Ng Ga Kuen style alive, even though he was not knkw to have created this system. He is the father of the basics. Teaching without a belt system. Following the destruction of the original Shaolin temple in 1927, and thanks to his effort, the 5 Family Kung Fu is nowadays a widely practiced martial art, with several different schools all over the United States and Mexico. Many have attempted to use his legacy for fame. He had one black student to obtain rank. The grandson, Seming Ma, now carrives on the name. A hand full of close students of Ark Y Wong exists [Wah Que Association]. There are numerous schools named in his honor. However, there are only about 2 or 3 persons to be recipient of the master certificate from Wong. The true master. The "Old Man".

References

Ark Y. Wong was inducted in the Martial Arts History Museum, Hall of Fame in October 14, 2006 located in So. California.