Grandmaster Tse’s Wing Chun Note 371

Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 – Part 6

The fifth of the Shàolín Five Ancestors 少林五老 is Mìuh Hín 苗顯 and unfortunately there is not much written about him in history or in stories. All the other ancestors, Ngh Mùih Sī Taai 五枚師太, Ji Sihn (Zhì Shàn) 至善, Fùhng Douh Dāk (Féng Dào Dé) 馮道德 and Baahk Mèih Douh Jéung (Bái Méi Dào Zhǎng) 白眉道長 were Buddhists, though later Fùhng Douh Dāk became a Daoist. According to some stories, the last Shàolín Ancestor Mìuh Hín, was the father of Mìuh Cheui Fā 苗翠花, the mother of Fōng Sai Yuhk 方世玉. Fōng Sai Yuhk was a student of Ji Sihn, but before Fōng Sai Yuhk trained at Sīu Lam Jih (Shàolín Sì in Mandarin) 少林寺 – Shàolín Temple, he already a had good Kung Fu, because his mother had trained him a lot. So Mìuh Hín and Mìuh Cheui Fā must have been very good.

Today there are many stories about the Shàolín Five Ancestors and their students and particularly about Hùhng Hēi Gūn 洪熙官, Fōng Sai Yuhk, Yim Wing Chun 嚴詠春 and Wùh Waih Kìhn 胡惠乾 and I heard so many when I was younger. Growing up, these people were our heroes. No matter if they are real or not, we should know a little about their history and some of the stories, especially if we study Wing Chun.