What is Jin Wu Koon Karate?
By Ric Light
After being awarded my Jin Wu Koon Karate shodan (1st dan) in Hong Kong by Sensei Chan Cheuk Sam in 1977 I established the first karate club in Byron Bay. After a long break much water has flowed under the bridge, and I am back to teach Jin Wu Koon Karate in my hometown. People sometimes ask me why a karate style has a Chinese name, and this is the focus in this first blog.
I trained under Sensei/Sifu Chan Cheuk Fai and Sensei Koh Beng Soon when I first began in 1974, while living in Sydney. They had been brought to Australia to teach in Goshin Ryu karate and had a karate background in Budokan Karate. Sensei Chan Cheuk Fai, and his two older brothers had been taught Jin Wu Koon kung fu by their father, Chan Keng Wah, who became a kung fu master in China at the age of 22 and established many JWK kung fu clubs across the country. He had led guerrilla attacks behind enemy lines during World War II using only knives and was highly respected.
When Chan Keng Wah left China during the Communist revolution he settled in Hong Kong where he taught his three sons very long and complex kung fu kata. When the family moved to Malaysia, Master Chan worked for Budokan Karate and allowed his sons to begin training in Budokan Karate. Budokan was established in 1966 by Sensei Chew Choo Soot who was taught by Japanese officers during Japan’s occupation of his country in World War II. They practised Keishinkan and Shotokan Karate that Sensei Choo Chew Soot combined as Budokan Karate in 1966. The Chan brothers all flourished in karate and were renown for success in tournaments and being strong fighters. Their background in JWK Kung Fu from a very young age influenced their karate with Budokan. Sensei Koh had also been exposed to Jin Wu Koon in Budokan after the arrival of grand master, Chan Keng Wah in 1967.
I practised Hayashi Ha Shito Ryu Kai Karate in Osaka for six years from 1990 -1996 and was awarded a 5th dan by the founder of the style and globally renowned karate and kobudo master, 10th dan Hayashi Teruro Soke. As one of my early teachers in Australia, Sensei Koh Beng Soon changed to Hayashi Ha Karate in 1979 and in December 2022, was awarded a 9th dan in Hayashi Ha Karate in Osaka during the Hayashi Ha 50-year celebration that I also attended. JWK Karate Byron Bay teaches Hayashi Ha kata but retains links with JWK Kung Fu as taught by Sifu/Sensei Chan Cheuk Fai. I am the sensei of the Byron Bay JWK Karate dojo but work under the guidance Sensei Chan Cheuk Fai, based in Sydney.
