03/23/2018
Grandmaster Henry “Poo” Yee (余冠溥), Houston, TX
It is with great sadness that the Chinese Kung Fu Academy of Southern Praying Mantis Federation family announces Grandmaster Henry “Poo” Yee’s passing, on Friday, March 2nd 2018, at the age of 82.
Grandmaster Henry “Poo” Yee was born and raised in the Toisan county region of Guangdong Province, China, later moving to Hong Kong as a young teenager before leaving for the United States. He began his training in 1947 with the southern styles of Hung Tao–Choy Mei (洪頭 - 蔡尾), Bak-Hok (白鶴), and Bak-Mei (白眉) in China and Hong Kong. Grandmaster Yee first encountered Southern Mantis in 1955 after immigrating to the US to join his family in New York City. He was sixteen when he first met the Great Grandmaster of Jook Lum Gee Tong Long Pai (竹林寺螳螂派), Lam Sang See (林生師), who was then teaching at the New York Chinatown Hip Sing Tong (協勝堂).
In 1966, Great Grandmaster Lam Sang retired from teaching at New York Hip Sing Tong and later moved to Taiwan in 1969. With this, Grandmaster Yee turned to one of Grandmaster Lam Sang's Kung Fu brothers and roommate, Sifu Chang Peng, to mutually inspire and share knowledge about this style of Kung Fu called Nam Tong Long (南螳螂). Following Sifu Chang Peng's death, Sifu Yee would then turn to the famous Bak-Mei Pai Sifu, Chan Fung Ho, who would further help Sifu Yee understand the close-range energy of Fat Gain (發勁)
In 1980, Grandmaster Yee was involved in a devastating automobile collision and sustained massive injuries, including partial paralysis. When Western medicine failed, he reunited with his Sifu, Great Grandmaster Lam Sang, who began treating him with a combination of traditional Dit Da medicine treatment and Jook Lum Gee Tong Long Pai Fut Sao Mui Fa Ting Sing Kung for rehabilitation. This would mark the beginning of Grandmaster Henry Poo Yee's era of intensive retraining and transformation.
After Grandmaster Yee regained his mobility and health, Great Grandmaster Lam Sang encouraged him to openly teach this system of Kung Fu to the general public. Hence, the organization known as the Chinese Kung Fu Academy (CKFA) of Southern Praying Mantis Federation (美國南螳螂功夫學會) was born. At his Sifu's behest, Grandmaster Yee began publishing articles and doing public demonstrations to promote the system.
In 1984, the Great Grandmaster Lam Sang See appointed his disciple Grandmaster Yee to the position of "Yee-Fong" (二房) in the lineage of Jook Lum Gee Tong Long Pai 竹林寺螳螂派 and presented him with the altar of Jook Lum Gee Tong Long Pai as the fourth generation Yee-Fong heir.
For nearly the next 40 years, Grandmaster Yee would devote all of his time and energy to the development and promotion of traditional Chinese Kung Fu, traditional Chinese Medicine of Dit Da (中國跌打醫療), Chi-Kung healing (氣功養生醫療), and Chinese culture all around the world.
In 2014, Grandmaster Yee appointed three disciples to continue his legacy and lineage: 竹林寺螳螂派余冠溥嫡傳徒 : 頭房 : Tommy M Quan (關耀明); 二房: Paul Dermody (保羅, 德慕迪); and 三房 : Abraham Chu (祝伯漢); also promoting the following as: 美國南螳螂派 : 入室弟子傳人; Bruce Campbell, Paul Huber, Russell Chell, Khanh Ly (李國 卿), Sapir Tal, Peter Goulbourne (彼德,高渤), Blondel Adolphe (亞祖,班超), David Choi (蔡學誠), Peter Scheers (彼德,高渤), Alfonso Salinas (阿方索,蘇利亞), Wayne Lee(李小龍), and Eddie Urbistondo (愛迪, 可必頓道)
In 2017, three more disciples are named 竹林寺螳螂派余冠溥嫡傳徒: 關門入室弟子傳人; Bill Szeto (司徒琪恩); Terry Szeto (司徒琪俊); and Jeven “Sam” Han (韓慕學).
Grandmaster Henry “Poo” Yee, was laid to rest on the morning of March 17th 2018, as witnessed by students, friends, and family from all over the world. We would like to thank everyone in attendance for coming together to join us in this time of sorrow and mourning. We would also like to thank our Sisuk’s Lau Lily, Yim Tai, Jimmy Wong, and Stephen Lee for their words of encouragement and continued support. We will turn the grief into strength and promise to carry on our Sifu’s legacy and passion for traditional Chinese Kung Fu, medicine, and culture.
A new generation arises, standing on the shoulders of our forefathers. We shall honor and remember you always.
學武強身 , 禮義忠愛
發揚中華文化為宗 , 修身健體立德為旨
