Hek Ki Boen Eng Chun Brazil Trip, June 2011 Report Location: Fortaleza, Brazil

Hek Ki Boen Eng Chun Brazil Trip, June 2011 Report

Wed Jun 15th to Sun Jun 19th

Location: Fortaleza, Brazil

Host: Alex Magnos

Author: Benny Meng

This trip consisted of three events:

1) An official Hek Ki Boen Instructor Candidate Program (ICP) training trip, which included interviews with prospective ICP members

2) Hek Ki Boen Member Training Camp

3) Hek Ki Boen Public Workshop

This was my second trip to Brazil for 2011 and Grand Master Lin’s first.

Day One – Wed 15th

Sifu Magnos was again our host, together with his students. His group maintained a very high, and professional, standard that we’ve come to expect. This first day was primarily focused on resting from the long flight with nothing officially planned. However, Grand Master Lin and I were both eager to get the HKB members training as soon as possible. After a late lunch, we had an organizational meeting to update Alex on many matters pertaining to the continued expansion of the HKB family, and private lessons for the HKB members. We also took the time to educate the Brazilian members on the direction and focus of the family – on the positive development of the lineage without getting sidetracked by negative people or the illusionary arguments of petty personality conflicts and interpersonal politics by a vocal minority.

We also shared details of Great Grand Master The Kang Hay’s visit to the US. Great Grand Master The was the first and main teacher of Grand Master Lin and is currently the most respected, and senior elder in the HKB family in terms of leadership, not in chronological age.

As we explained to the Brazilian students, in the kung fu family, there are two ages to consider: chronological age and kung fu age. Traditionally, the student with the most time training under the Sifu (the ‘kung fu age’) was considered the elder and given the most responsibility, regardless of chronological age – so long as he or she was an adult. For example, I have two students that are both senior students under me – one in his 30s and one in his 70s. The student in his 30s, the Sihing (older kung fu brother) of the two, has been with me longer, traveled more extensively, and performed more administrative work for me because he made himself available and lived closer than the student in his 70s, the Sidaai of the two. However, both of these students show great maturity by respecting each other both on and off the training floor. On the training floor, the Sihing is the elder by virtue of his time, dedication, understanding, and commitment. Off the training floor, the Sihing listens to his chronological elder (the Sidaai) in realms of life, wisdom, maturity, relationships and the like. It’s also worth mentioning that the Sidaai has grand children older than the Sihing so the Sihing would be well advised to listen and consider the input of someone so much more experienced in life. Yet they both respect each other and consider each other’s opinions, input and guidance both on and off the training floor, showing great kung fu life.

In the modern age, even being senior in terms of kung fu age and chorological age does not automatically make a student into the successor of the next generation. Instead, to be considered a successor in a new generation, the student must have four things: 1) a close relationship with the successor in the previous generation, 2) the best experience and skill, 3) contributes the most to the system through the student’s leadership, and 4) is recognized by the student’s peers within his own generation. These four things are true of Great Grand Master The Kang Hay.

From 1965 to 1973 Great Grand Master The Kang Hay, the 3rd generation successor of the HKB lineage, was the chief instructor for Great Grand Master The King Yang, the 2nd generation successor of the HKB system. GGM The Kang Hay was so dedicated to this responsibility and the kung fu family that he didn’t even have time to date. In fact, his marriage was arranged by GGM The King Yang. After the marriage, there were other senior students who helped to instruct, but GGM The Kang Hay continued to be the leader under GGM The King Yang. Great Grand Master The King Hay coming to the US to show direct support for Grand Master Lin shows the closeness of the relationship in the past and now in the present as well.

In Grand Master Lin’s case, he is very unique. Grand Master Lin has learned directly from Great Grand Master The Kang Hay as well as six other elders from several different generations within the Hek Ki Boen Eng Chun Pai, giving Grand Master Lin very broad exposure, knowledge, and experience with a vast array of training methods.

Many training and teaching methods were shared with the group in Fortaleza.

Day Two – Thu 16th

This was the first full day of training. Our morning session was held in a beautiful park, held strictly 1:1 between Grand Master Lin and 8 of us who were there for this special privilege. After lunch, we were joined my more students so we split into two: Grand Master Lin with the ICP members, and I took the regular student members.

With the 2nd training and late dinner finished, we continued our kung fu discussions well into the late night.

Day Three – Fri 17th

This was similar to Thursday, but the focus was on training the ICP members. We also interviewed and accepted four new members to the ICP: Gilsmy Albert Malaqui as Boscolo, Joao Batista Soares do Nascimento, Celio Alves De Oliveira Junior, and Kazi Assaid R. Bahia.

Grand Master Lin and I were both very impressed with Sifu Alex’s progress – when I last saw him in March of this year, he was on crutches due to an injury. This time, he’s off the crutches and has already developed 1st Degree Hoat Keng power.

Overall, we noticed most of the HKB members have improved their skill and “kung.”

Day Four – Sat 18th

This was the day of the public workshop. It was held at the military police academy. Currently, we have many police and military personnel learning HKB in Brazil.

After the intro, I started out with the history and philosophy of the system, how to run a proper warm-up, and then assisted Grand Master Lin in presenting Bridge Hand and Self-Defense. We had outsiders that drove as much as 10 hours to witness the system for themselves because they had seen the short clip on YouTube of Grand Master Lin’s short Hoat Keng demonstration, heard the testimonials on the system, and seen the negative politics directed towards the system. Just like any other honest martial artist, they took the effort to come and see the system for themselves. They were so impressed with the HKB system and the people teaching and learning it in Brazil, they expressed an interest and were willing to join the family immediately after the workshop. There’s nothing more real than direct, personal experience as one of them said to me. This seems like a trend – it seems that 100% of the people that have direct experience with the HKB family want to learn the system and state it publicly.

With this new added group, HKB members have expanded to at least five cities in Brazil with more interest almost every single day.

After the workshop, I had a review with all the students on levels one to six. Sifu Alex had his test on levels one to six, and is now officially a member of the Instructor Program in the Hek Ki Boen Eng Chun Pai for the Orientation Track Levels One to Six. Congratulations on all your hard work and study!

Day Five – Sun 19th

On Sunday, I held an organizational meeting for my downline which included members of the HKB lineage as well as participants in VTM programs that are currently working through the certification program through the Hong Kong lineage.

I reiterated the importance of having genuine relationships among the SiHingDai (kung fu brothers) and SiJeiMui (kung fu sisters), as well as the importance of acting together as a family. Everyone was 100% in support of the direction I am leading them.

Overall, this was another successful trip and I’m both happy and proud of our continued growth!

1) Alex Magnos is the first HKB IP representative in Brazil

2) The skill continues to grow in the Brazilian HKB members

3) We added four (4) new ICP members

4) We welcomed new members to the HKB family in Brazil