Pak Mei
I was born in 1958 in NYC in the Bronx at the Old Lincoln Hospital. As a child I was fascinated with the Martial Arts, spending many hours reading the various Martial Arts publications such as Black Belt Magazine and Karate Illustrated.
Cheung Lai Chuen, Founder of Pak Mei Kung Fu
Pak Mei Pai (白眉派) is a system of Chinese martial arts that was officially formulated by Master Cheung Lai Chuen (宗師張禮泉).
Cheung Lai Chuen was born in 1889. Within the district of Waiyeung (惠陽). He was enthusiastic in practicing martial arts. In his life, he had learned martial arts from four martial arts Masters. The last Master was Master Chuk Fat Wan, 3rd generation master of Pak Mei. Though he admired the essence of Pak Mei martial arts, he did not forget the teachings from his former three Masters. He decided to combine what he learned in the past wiith Pak Mei concepts utilizing the waist, footwork and power.
Master Cheung Lai Chuen opened his first Martial Art School in Wai On Lane, Guangdong. He also had been a military instructor for Wong Poe Military Academy. After the Second World War, he moved to Hong Kong with his three sons and continued his teaching.
Pak Mei or Bak Mei (白眉) in Cantonese, meaning White Eyebrow and is a traditional, internal, and external kung fu style from southern china with Hakka heritage supposedly developed by a shaolin monk. The Mandarin (Pinyin) transcription for Pak Mei is Bai Mei. The first character means “White” (白), the second means “Eyebrow” (眉).
Sometimes Pak Mei is referred to by Pak Mei Kuen (白眉拳) meaning “White Eyebrow Fist”, by Pak Mei Pai (白眉派) meaning “White Eyebrow Style”, or by Pak Mei Ga meaning “White Eyebrow Family” (白眉家).
Pak Mei is a highly sophisticated, fast and aggressive system that is rarely seen within the realm of Chinese martial arts today. It can be classified as a short-range, southern, external and internal kung fu style.
Pak Mei Kung Fu is a strong but mobile system, foot base is essential. So the foot posture is in a special triangle. It can be stable and rapid. Upper limb movement must be fast, light and short. Similar to bending a rattan cane and then release it. All the energy releases on one point. After that, let it return. This consumes very little energy. This enables multiple attacks when the bodies get closer and closer.
All the attacks point to the sensitive part of the body, like ears, eyes, throat, underarms, sides, solar plexus and groin.
Kicking is relatively low, rarely goes above the groin level.
In every motion, different parts of the body must coordinate. The speed and force is generated by a strength called Geng Jat Ging (驚紮勁 sudden explosive power).
Our Pak Mei Lineage
Seated Grandmaster Cheung, Standing: ( from the left ) 5th Chin Dor, 6th Ng Nam King, 8th Kwok Wah, 9th H.B. Un.
Grandmaster Cheung Lai Chuen in the center, Sifu Ng Nam King on the left, and Sifu Chin Dor on the right.
Sifu Chin Dor
President of New York
Lai Chuen Martial Arts Association
Our Pak Mei lineage is from New York City
Sifu Chin Dor.
Chen Zuo 陳佐
(1928 – 2012)
Chen ZuoMai (pinyin) – Chan Zo (jyutping) – a.k.a Chin Dor
Chin Dor (陳佐) was born in 1928 in Taishan Shi 台山市 in the province of Guangdong province 廣東省 in a farmers family. In the late ’30 Chin Dor’s father left China for the United States to seek a better and safer future for him and his family. The young Chin Dor was son #1 and left in charge of the family. He had to take care of his mother and sisters. He studied accounting at the Guangzhou Occupational Junior College when he was about 17 years old. He was keen on sports and participates in weight training, fencing, boxing, etc. Besides western boxing, he studied Chen Style Taijiquan at the Junior college. In 1949 the PLA controlled Southern China and life became harder for Chin Dor. Fortunately, his father send him some saved money so Chin Dor and his mother and sisters were able to leave China for Hong kong in 1949.
In Hong kong Chin Dor was able to study Pak Mei with master Ng Wah (吳華). Not much later he was introduced to master Cheung Lai Chuen, the master of his master. Cheung Lau Chun was impressed by Chin Dor’s diligent student and decided to teach Chin Dor personally. This was really rare. In Hong Kong Cheung Lai Chuen had only accepted about 20 students. Chin Dor studied under Cheung Lai Chuen till he passed away in 1964.
In 1966 Chin Dor moved to the United States and settled in New York City. Not long after he settled in NY he got many requests to teach Pak Mei. He began teaching Pak Mei at the New York City Laundry Association. He named his school, in honor of his teacher, New York City Lai Cheun Martial Art Association. Chin Dor taught privately his whole life and his most senior students are professionals and none teach publicly. There are less than 15 members left in his club that are still actively training now and that includes one of his sons and two of his daughters. He passed away in October 2012. He was still teaching until 2 weeks before his passing.
James Chin, Sifu Cheung Bing Lum, and Dr. Richard Chin
Dr. Richard M. Chin holds a M.D. from Far Eastern University in the Philippines and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine from the California Acupuncture College and the Chinese Center in Hong Kong. He is a master of several martial arts, including; Tai Chi Chuan, Jow Ga and Pak Mei Kung Fu. He is the founder and director of the Q.M. Institute, one of the first clinics in New York to combine Eastern and Western medical practice.
Master Chin Pak Mei teacher:
Grandmaster Chin Dor. Was one of the elite inner circle students of the pak mei system.
Martial Arts bio
Pak Mei: He is a indoor disciple of Grandmaster Chin Dor. Dr Chin is 6th Generation pak Mei.
Jow Ga: He is a indoor disciple of Chan Man Cheung and is 3rd generation Jow Ga.
Other teachers:
Chen Tai chi under B P Chan
Korean Karate 6th Dan under Master S Henry Cho
2nd Degree Black Belt in Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo
Front row:
Dr. Richard Chin, James Chin, and Sifu Chin Dor
Dr. Richard Chin fighting days.
Left Jeffery Pascal, Center, Grandmaster BP Chan, behind him on the left is Dr. Richad Chin
Pak Mei Seminar
