The Ching Yi Kung Fu Association (CYKFA) was founded by Dr. Her Yue Wong in 1972 as an organization of fellowship for practitioners of the Ching Yi Kung Fu System, and as a certifying body for those wishing to attain official rank in the System. The term "Ching Yi" can be translated as "fine arts" or "refined arts," and was chosen by Dr. Wong to convey the goals of his Kung Fu System and the Association - constant refinement of our skills toward the objective of total mastery.  From the beginning, Dr. Wong has emphasized what has essentially become the motto of the CYFKA, "Kung for for Health and Peace of Mind."  Of course, self defense is an integral part of that concept, since neither health nor peace of mind would be possible if one were living in fear of physical aggression.

     Students of the Ching Yi System are afforded a great deal of latitude in their training, to fit the goals, interests, needs and limitations of each individual.  For example, a 60-year-old with arthritis would learn at a different pace than an 18-year-old college athlete, and would likely focus more on restorative Ch'i Kung exercises and T'ai Chi than on punching sandbags and practicing 360-degree jumping spin kicks.

     Some students have chosen from the beginning to only learn one form, such as T'ai Chi, but Dr. Wong's original concept was to give practitioners a solid grounding in the Chinese martial arts through the Association's basic training program before they select one style to pursue to mastery.  Regardless of age, gender or previous physical condition, the majority of students have been able to achieve a considerable degree of skill in all of the Ching Yi arts, T'ai Chi, Hsing Yi, Pa Kua and Shaolin Kung Fu.

The Ching Yi Kung Fu System

(Click for a Glossary of CYKFA Chinese-English terms)

     The Ching Yi basic training regimen is comprised of the following forms and their unique supplementary exercises and self-defense applications:

- Yang Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan Long Form
- Hsing Yi Ch'uan Five Element Forms
- Hsing Yi Combined Forms Hsiang Sheng, Hsiang Keh and Lien Huan
- Shien T'ien Pa Kua Tsang Eight Forms
- White Crane Form
- Yuen Ch'ing Ch'uan Form 1
- Yuen Ch'ing Ch'uan Form 2
- Northern Preying Mantis "Stomping Fist" Form (Peng Pu Tang Lang)
- Chang Ch'uan (Long Fist) Forms 1 and 2 (connected)

     After completing this basic regimen, some students choose to focus only on these forms, practicing them daily, studying their history, principles and subtleties, toward the goal of total expertise in all aspects of the original Ching Yi Kung Fu System.  Others, however, select one style, like Hsing Yi Ch'uan or Preying Mantis, and learn more and more forms from that style, either from Dr. Wong or from other instructors outside the Association.  Still others have chosen to maintain their overall skills through practicing the basic Ching Yi regimen, while mastering one specific technique or attribute, such as Iron Palm.  This flexibility brings a wealth of additional knowledge into the Association, and provides valuable resources for current and future students of the Ching Yi System.  For those who would like to learn more about Hsing Yi and Pa Kua, for example, several advanced forms and supplementary training methods are featured on the videos available through our CYKFA Videos page.

Ranking in the Ching Yi Kung Fu System

     While most Chinese martial arts do not employ a belt rank system such as those used in Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Jujitsu and other martial arts, in the early days of the Association Dr. Wong found that some form of ranking was necessary when Ching Yi students wanted to compete in open tournaments against practitioners of other styles.  Such competition was neither encouraged nor discouraged by the CYKFA, but those who chose to enter tournaments needed certification of official rank in order to compete in a given category.  Ranking also tends to encourage students in their practice by giving them a measurable objective.  The rank of Black Belt denoted a student who had successfully completed the entire basic training regimen and undergone rigorous testing, and Green and Brown Belts were awarded to those who had completed only parts of the program, but who desired an interim rank, or wanted to compete in the Green or Brown Belt divisions at tournaments.

     In the early days of the Association, the rank of CYKFA Black Belt was earned only at an annual competition, and limited to three Black Belts per year.  Aspirants demonstrated all of the required forms, performed self-defense techniques, and underwent a test of physical strength.  Dr. Wong and a panel of previously certified Black Belts then scored the performance of each candidate, and the top three were awarded the rank of Black Belt, with certificate numbers denoting their relative position in the competition; e.g., the top candidate that year might receive certificate number 13, second place got 14, third place 15.  All others had to wait until the next year's competition to try again.

     Shortly thereafter, however, as senior CYKFA instructors spread out across the U.S. and around the world, it became apparent that it would be increasingly difficult to get everyone together for an annual competition.  Dr. Wong himself was often on geological expeditions abroad, so it became clear that we needed an alternative method of certifying new Black Belts.  Therefore, the current certification system was born.  Any student of the Ching Yi Kung Fu System can now test for Black Belt before any previously certified CYKFA Black Belt.  Successful candidates are awarded a Black Belt certificate signed by the certifying CYKFA Black Belt as Instructor/Coach, and by Dr. Wong as the Founder and Director of the Association.

     There have never been any higher "degrees" of Black Belt.  A certified CYKFA Black Belt is granted lifetime membership in the Ching Yi Kung Fu Association, is qualified to teach the Ching Yi System, and is authorized to award the rank of Black Belt to other students.  Any ranking system below the level of Black Belt (White, Green, Brown, etc.) is organized at the discretion of each individual CYKFA instructor.

CYKFA Apparel

     As for wearing an actual belt, this is again pretty much a matter of individual preference.  Most practitioners of the Ching Yi System wear either what has come to be popularly known in martial arts circles as a "Kung Fu jacket" of the Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911) design, or just a CYKFA T-shirt, and loose-fitting pants.  In that case, the thick cotton belts used by other martial arts styles seem to be rather cumbersome and restrictive to the physical movements in Kung Fu.  Some practitioners will therefore instead opt for a colored sash to denote their rank, or simply wear no belt at all.  On the other hand, if a particular CYKFA instructor chooses the old Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) style of uniform (the open-front, "crossover" jacket like the Japanese martial arts "gi" or Korean "dobok"), the standard cotton belts are more practical.  There is no such thing as a "traditional Kung Fu uniform." The masters of old wore the clothing of their day, and trained in whatever was comfortable. Ching Yi students follow their example; function rules over fashion.  Therefore, a CYKFA instructor might just wear a T-shirt and pants for everyday training, a Ch'ing-style jacket with no belt for a public Pa Kua or T'ai Chi demonstration, and a Ming-style jacket and rank belt when giving a performance of self-defense techniques, throws and grappling.

Other Arts and the Ching Yi System

     Dr. Wong has repeatedly made the statement that "no two people's Kung Fu will ever be exactly alike, not even teacher and student."  Differences in innate ability, physical attributes, age, gender, previous training - all result in noticeable variations in the way each practitioner approaches training and performs a given technique or form.  Also, due to the widespread popularity of the martial arts over the past few decades, it is increasingly rare that a student comes to the Ching Yi System without at least some prior exposure to the arts.  Indeed, several CYKFA Black Belts were long-term practitioners of other styles, some even professional instructors with advanced rank degrees.  Since the human body is capable of only a finite set of physical movements, and the vast majority of extant martial arts today openly acknowledge their historical roots in Chinese Kung Fu, it would therefore be absurd to attempt to compel students of the Ching Yi System to just discard any previous skills they may have acquired, and force them into a "mold" of set CYKFA patterns.

     For this reason, in addition to the forms taught in the Ching Yi System, some CYKFA instructors also incorporate techniques from their prior training.  A CYFKA Black Belt who is also a Black Belt in Taekwondo, for example, might offer students in-depth instruction in the kicking techniques for which that art is renowned, while a previous Jujitsu expert could provide a wealth of insight into practical Chin Na applications, throwing, grappling and ground fighting.  This synthesis of other arts and the Ching Yi Kung Fu System is openly accepted, and encouraged, by Dr. Wong and the Association.  It is in perfect harmony with the history of Chinese Kung Fu, and with the principle of practicality over politics.

Affiliations

In 2003, the Ching Yi Kung Fu Association was proud to become a Group Member of the Martial Arts International Federation (MAIF), a worldwide martial arts federation for all systems. The MAIF is a non-profit corporation founded to provide a global network of Nationally Recognized Martial Art Organizations (NRMAO) and International Partner Martial Art Organizations (IPMAO). The MAIF website serves as a key source for information on the martial arts and its Affiliated Organizations that are focused on Integrity, Honor, Discipline and a Commitment to Excellence. The mission of the MAIF is to unify martial arts organizations worldwide with a foundation of mutual respect for all styles or systems and to provide services and guidance to foster Technical Excellence, Fellowship and Human Character Development. The MAIF is committed to ensuring Integrity and the Highest Standards within the International Martial Arts community. Upon being granted MAIF Group Member status, CYKFA Founder-Director Dr. Her Yue Wong and President Michael Brown were named Founding Board Members on the MAIF International Board of Advisors.