Ten Rules of Conduct
Choy Lee Fut’s rules of conduct were established by Chan Heung when he formed the Choy Lee Fut system. They apply to all practitioners of Choy Lee Fut, regardless of school, country or master affiliation. Through them Chan Heung aimed to instill martial virtue (武德, Mandarin Wu De, Cantonese Mo Duk) on Choy Lee Fut practitioners both in his day and in the future. Being part of the Shaolin lineage with its monastic element, this aspect of the training was very important to Chan Heung and continues to be in Choy Lee Fut schools worldwide.
Below is a translation, however the original is in a poetic form of Chinese so some of these concepts are difficult to accurately render into English:
- Train Choy Lee Fut every day and do not forsake its way without reason.
- You should practice not only to improve your skill and body but also to develop a good and patient heart.
- Never use your skills to commit injustice or injury to others.
- You must pay utmost respect to your teachers and senior students.
- Pay your fellow classmates respect through trust, friendship and honesty. Do not bully them in any way.
- You are not to fight among your brothers of Choy Lee Fut. To prevent this, when in times of trouble, we use the tiger claw (Fu Jau) action as a sign that we are Choy Lee Fut practitioners.
- Do not drink alcohol and eat meat in excessive amounts. Alcohol takes away one’s sense of control and meat slows down the body. Therefore, the two taken excessively can damage your body and spirit.
- When practicing Choy Lee Fut, do not show others your skills without consideration, as it may cause trouble to yourself and to others. If you judge a person to be of good nature, then you may pass on your knowledge.
- Never misuse your skills on others or put yourself above them, as it only causes trouble. Practice kung fu to build a strong foundation for your body. Practice everyday and do not forsake its way.
- All of the above are rules that the founder wishes us to follow, so to disobey these is to go against his wishes. If you cannot abide by these rules, you may leave or if you break them then it is up to your Sifu’s discretion to assess your status within the school.