History of the School
The founder of the I Liq Chuan style, Chin Lik Keong, was born in Malaysia in a family of Chinese Hakka ethnicity. The history of the school states that he studied martial arts under several teachers. Among them were:
- Shifu Li Sum – Li Jia Quan style. One of the schools of “Ke Jia Quan” – the martial art of the Hakka people.
- Shifu Leng – Feng Yan Quan style (“Phoenix Eye” – based on techniques involving strikes to meridian points).
- Shifu Li Kam Chou – styles of Feng Yan Rui Quan, Xing Yi Bagua, and Liu Min Pai. Liu Min Pai is one of the eight major schools of “Ke Jia Quan” martial arts, which includes “Zhu Jia Jiao,” “Zhong Jia Jiao,” “Li Jia Jiao” (synonym for “Li Jia Quan”), “Diao Jia Jiao,” “Yue Jia Jiao,” “Liu Feng Shan Quan Pai,” and “Kun Lun Quan Pai.”
After studying all these styles, Chin Lik Keong realized and identified the fundamental movements that correspond to the structure and nature of the human body. Although the foundation of his art can be considered the Feng Yan Rui Quan style, over the years of practice, he concluded that the style he created is an art of self-knowledge and self-realization, encompassing both mental (I – mind, consciousness, will) and physical (Li – strength, power) conditions of a person. He named it I Liq Chuan.
In 1976, Patriarch Chin Lik Keong founded the I Liq Chuan Association in Malaysia.
His son, Chin Fan Siong (born in 1954), is the co-founder of the I Liq Chuan style. He started learning from his father at the age of thirteen and fully mastered his methods. For 16 years, he taught I Liq Chuan in Malaysia and Australia. In 1991, Master Chin Fan Siong moved with his family to the United States, California.
There, he spent 10 years at the Chuang Yen Buddhist Monastery in Kent, New York. He was greatly influenced by Shen Ming, Achan Tong, Ji Ru, and Ru Tengcheng, a native of Taiwan who worked there. They spent a lot of time together discussing how the principles of I Liq Chuan relate to Buddhist philosophy. Soon, with the support of Ru Tengcheng, Chin Fan Siong began teaching martial arts classes. Ru Tengcheng himself believed that I Liq Chuan would help better understand Buddhist principles, and vice versa. Using his knowledge and skills, Master Chin Fan Siong assisted the monks in their rehabilitation after undergoing various practices.
During his time at the monastery, Master Chin Fan Siong developed the ability to observe the interpenetration of mind and body, returning to simplicity and the original foundation. With this penetrating clarity, he incorporated Zen philosophy into the family art. Master Chin Fan Siong began to identify the unifying foundation, further clarifying the key mechanisms of the body and the experience of sensory perception, as well as the relationship of all this to mental awareness.
In 1992, in the USA, drawing on Chan philosophy and principles, he redefined the concept of martial arts training and created the first I Liq Chuan training program.
Since 2009, Chin Fan Siong has been the head of the School, the “Gatekeeper” of I Liq Chuan, and represents the first generation line in I Liq Chuan.
Since 2015, the current patriarch Chin Fan Siong has decided to highlight the philosophy and concepts of I Liq Chuan under the name Zhong Xin Dao — the Path of Neutrality.
On July 7, 2014, Master Chin Lik Keong passed away.
Master Chin Fan Siong was inducted into the United States Wushu (Kung Fu) Federation Hall of Fame as an outstanding master. Currently, Master Chin Fan Siong continues to hold seminars around the world, and teaches classes in New York and at Chuang Yen Monastery (New York State).
Originally, I Liq Chuan was an art of physical skill enhanced by trained attention. Master Chin Fan Siong elevated the art by training the mind to achieve awareness. Significant expansion of martial skills is achieved through the elimination of habits and reflexes. Master Chin Fan Siong’s new approach to learning expanded the scope of benefits for practitioners and provided various opportunities for personal growth.
Today, I Liq Chuan schools are spread almost all over the world. They are all united under the Chin Family I Liq Chuan Martial Arts Association (CFILC). Membership in CFILC is granted to applicants without exams, based on their request. Becoming a member provides the opportunity to earn student and instructor ranks in I Liq Chuan, as well as to attend international events, seminars, workshops, retreats, and training camps for I Liq Chuan around the world.
