On December 5th, 2008 we started our two-week trip to Hong Kong via Singapore.
In Hong Kong we were welcomed by the daughter and Jacky Mak, the son of Mak Chin Ching (Mai Zhan Qing). Mak Chin Ching was one of the most important masters of Hung Choy Kung Fu (Zhou Jia Quan / Chow Gar Kuen). Together we visited his grave to show our respect. This stop was not the only one on our journey: The way leaded us as far as the Peoples Republic of China.
Grandmaster Wong Shiu Fong, Ho Fan Lok and Szeto Kam Fai joined our small travel group to visit the Mak-Village, the birthplace of Mak Chin Ching and his brother, our Grandmaster Mak Chi.
Jacky Mak, the son of Mak Chin Ching, and some members of his family showed us the village. We encountered some contemporary witnesses who knew Mak Chin Ching and had the opportunity to find out interesting facts from different sources.
The topic of our first days in Asia was „travelling, travelling, travelling“. Together we went to Jiu Jiang to the memorial place of the Zhou brothers and the grave of the founder of Zhou Jia Kung Fu, Zhou Long. It was quite impressive how much the grave had changed in the last years. Since the first travel of Sifu Frank Greinacher in 1995, when there was only a simple gravestone, there is now a marvellous grave place. This was possible because of donations from students of our style from all over the world.
The visit of the birthplace of the Zhou family was obligatory for us. There we met the son of Zhou Tian and his grandson Zhou Po Hong, who are still living there.
In Guangzhou we met some reporters of the „Chinese Traditional Kung Fu Magazine”. This magazine is published in English and Chinese. They were much interested in our Kung Fu style and wished cooperation.
Back to Hong Kong we could exchange the experiences of our days in China and discover a bit of the metropolis Hong Kong. There we met some reporters of the „New Martial Hero Magazine“, which also would like to have cooperation with us.
Finally, our trip went back to Singapore. There we visited a remembrance celebration which was organized by the Koon San school to honour the deceased Zhou Jia master Ng Hang Thia from Singapore. With some performances we supported the celebration.
There we visited a remembrance celebration which was organized by the Koon San school to honour the deceased Zhou Jia master Ng Hang Thia from Singapore. With some performances we supported the celebration.
Sifu Michael Ek Eng Guan, the elder Kung Fu brother of Sifu Frank Greinacher, had an anniversary celebration of his lion- and dragon dance clubs on the next day. We accepted the invitation and, of course, supported him. It was a great evening, because many masters from different Kung Fu Styles took part to enjoy the spectacular lion- and dragon dances and Kung Fu performances.
After two weeks our journey „on the trace of the Kung Fu history“ ended. We got many new and some partly strange impressions that left a mark on us. We look forward to April 2009, when Grandmaster Wong Shiu Fong from Hong Kong will visit us in Gevelsberg, Germany.
Leonardo Tarantino
