Hung Fut () is a southern style of Chinese martial art, first developed in the early 1800s by Lei Jou Fun, also known as Shaolin Buddhist Monk Wun Lei and is a system that is widely practiced today.
System
Hung Fut is considered to be a hybrid system. Its philosophies are a mixture of two martial art systems: the powerful, external, hard style of Hung Kuen with the flowing, soft, internal style of Fut Jeong (Buddha's palm). Hung Fut is a combat method that uses economy of movement in order to achieve efficiency. Its strategies are to try to throw the opponent into an awkward position that makes defense difficult and counterattack unlikely. There is no need to keep contact with an opponent, as the system uses interchangeable and flexible movements.
The system includes ten animal styles (snake, tiger, leopard, lion, eagle, crane, monkey, elephant, horse and dragon) as well as an "8 Drunken Immortal" form (based on the personality traits of the 8 heavenly deities of Chinese traditional religion), a "4 Afflictions/Cripples" form (a deceptive mimicry of one who is crippled) and a left-handed form (based on the legend of a famous general fighting while holding the infant son of a Chinese emperor).
The left-hand form is practiced as a single-handed form with the right held behind the back, at the waistline. The form became somewhat of a Youtube internet sensation when explosive, powerful and lightning fast sections of it were captured at various events as performed by 8th generation Grandmaster Yim Tai Loi who, as the adopted son of the 7th generation Grandmaster Hung Yu Chung, is the heir to the Hung Fut lineage. As per oral communication from Grandmaster Hung Kam Pui, the single handed form (Duhk Bei Kyuhn) was developed by Hung Jiu Sing for one of his students, who only had one arm. There is also a sword form that is practiced in the same fashion. This is the style that Donnie Yen used in his movie, Dragon, after learning it from Hung Kam Pui.
In addition to 8th generation Grandmaster Yim Tai Loi, and Grandmaster Hung Kam Poi, there are multiple lineages and lineage successions listed by various Hung Fut schools around the world. Rather than a matter of controversy, this in fact is a testimony to the commitment of the 6th and 7th generation Grandmasters Hung Jiu Sing and his son Hung Yu Chung, to spread the benefits of the Hung Fut System first throughout China and Hong Kong, and then the entire world.
In parting from the age-old tradition of tightly controlling and limiting teaching to only family members or local residences of a town, Hung Jiu Sing became the beloved and revered hero affectionately known as "The White Haired Devil", by traveling, performing acts of great benevolence to the less fortunate, teaching and demonstrating his unprecedented skill widely throughout China and Hong Kong. Some of his students were novices, and others were accomplished martial artists and masters of other styles, with each learning differing skills from the system, for varying periods of time, before returning to teach in their own schools. While all benefited from their time with Jiu Sing, not all learned or went on to teach his Hung Fut exclusively, which resulted in, and explains, the variation in forms and techniques from school to school that we see today.[1] As the style has moved around the world, the content of the system, including the number and names of forms, types of power used, stances, techniques, theory, and training methods, have also changed, leading to a level of variation based on a given school's heritage.