CHEUNG Lai Chuen was the fourth generation Grand Master of the Pak Mei (White Eyebrow). He was born in 1882 and passed away in 1964 at age of 83. He acquired his skills from four masters and has dedicated his entire life to martial arts.
His fourth master was Monk Jok Fat Wan who taught him Pak Mei kung fu. He believed that Pak Mei was no ordinary martial arts and he was proud to learn it. However he still respects the three former martial arts masters that he has learned from; and has adopted their best technique into regular routines. He retained their forms, but infused Pak Mei style has included the authentic Pak Mei forms such as "Jik Bo Biu Jee (Straight Finger Punch)" , "Gau Bo Tui (Nine Step Push)" , "Day Sark Kuen (Ground Strike)", "Sub Baat Moh Kiu (Eighteen Mystic Deflects)", "Chi Lim Kuen (Sticky Combination)", "Hung Sau Yup Bak Yan (Bare Hands Against Knives)" and "Mang Fu Chut Lam (Ferocious Tiger Exits Forest)".
Pak Mei style also includes "Sam Moon Tsui (Three Doors Form)" from Master Li Yee, "Sup Ji Kau Da (Cross Lock and Strike)" from Master Shek and "Ying Chow Nim Kiu (Eagle Claw Sticky with Front Arms)" from Master Lam, Nga-Hop. Later Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen has taken the best from each style and merged them into a form called "Sei Moon Baat Gwa (Four Doors Form)" which makes it easy for students to learn. In practice, he has arranged a combat exercise called "Tit Til Kuen (Jump Out Boxing)" to allow students to learn martial arts step by step. He applied the same principle to weapons such as Pak Mei's "Tai Chun Kwan (Large set staff)", "Lau Yip Sheung Doe (Double Sabre)", "Wiu Wan Seung Gwai (Double Crutches)", "Dui Chart Kwan (Staff Combat)", "Ching Lung Kim (Green Dragon Sword)", "Fei Fung Sheung Doe (Double Flying Phoenix Sabre)", "Ching Lung Ying Yuet Doe (Green Dragon Kwan-Doe)", "Yuen Bean (Soft Whip)" and "Fong Tin Gig (Square Halberd)". There are also weapon forms from other Masters such as "Ng Hang Chung Lan Kwan (Five Elements Staff)" from Master Li, "For Day Sam Cha Tai Pa (Tiger Fork) and "Sin Far Bo Tang (Combat Bench From)" from Master Shek.
Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen has been true to his masters and gave credit where it is due when it comes to different styles of martial arts. Such are the virtues that we should learn from.
Towards the end of Ching Dynasty, there were many uprisings to overthrow the corrupt Ching government, Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen joined the revolutionaries to fight for a better country. After the revolution, in order to help the new government, Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen defeated a smuggling became famous in Xinhui and Jiangmen Counties. He started teaching martial arts and has defeated many famous martial arts instructors. On one occasion, he was ambushed by a gang of 60 but his martial arts school to Guangzhou and defeated all who came to challenge him. One of the challengers was Tsang, Wai-Pork, who brought fear to many martial arts instructors, but was defeated by Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen and later became his student. People complimented his superior skills by calling him "Tiger of the Eastern Pearl River".
Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen held the position of "Chief Martial Arts Instructor" in the prestigious Whampu Military Academy. He later moved to Hong Kong to avoid the Civil War between the Nationalist and the Communist. Pak Mei therefore took root in Hong Kong. Grand Master Cheung Lai Chuen passed away in 1964.
In North China, Sun, Yuk-Feng is the best; in Southern China Cheung Lai Chuen is the best. This was the common saying amongst the folks in China when it comes to martial arts for many decades. It reflects how well the two masters have been respected. Sun,Yuk-Feng is the grand master of the Lohan style martial arts. He has also been known as the "Champion of the saber for seven Provinces". Cheung Lai Chuen is the grand master of Pak Mei style martial arts and he has been dubbed "Champion of the boxer for seven province". Pak Mei style martial arts has been limited to Buddhist monks before Cheung Lai Chuen. Cheung has elevated Pak Mei to a new level and has been credited for spreading it around the world.
