Tang Lang Quan
IN
MEMORY
OF
OUR LATE
GRANDMASTER LIN BO YAN (1903 - 1990)
Master
Lin
Bo
Yan
was born
on 18th November
1903 in Dayang Village, Longyan County, Fujian Province. He married
14-year-old Zhang Ruo Lan at the age of twenty. They have a son and two
daughters. His son, Lin Han Peng, was born in 1930 in Wuhan. His elder
daughter Yun-Yun settled down in Hongkong. His younger daughter
Yu-Ting, graduated from Yi-An Technology College and lives with her
parents. She studied Wushu ever since she was a child and was a
natural. Lin Yu Ting is still teaching in Singapore today and is one of
the best Tang Lang Masters.
Master
Lin
Bo
Yan
was
introverted, not
sociable and was a person of few words. His only interest in his whole
life was martial arts, so he chose teaching them as his occupation for
over sixty years. His ambition was connected with the surroundings of
his childhood. Like other children Master Lin learned Zi-Wu-Gun when he
was a child. Gun, as one of the "18 Arms", was very popular in Dayang
Village at that time. From then on he took more and more interest in
the traditional martial arts. After the Xinhai Revolution many
elementary schools were set up in Dayang Village. Master Lin's father
was one of the founders and also worked as teacher. In those days
Master Lin was the youngest and the most noticed pupil. Afterwards he
studied in Guoming Primary School in the city and Jimei Pedagogical
School.The now deceased chairman of the Malaysia Chinese Teachers
Association, Lin Lian Yu, who later recommended Master Lin to teach at
Zunkong Middle School in Kuala Lumpur, and the ex-vice director of
“Wushu Research” for the Guoshu Association, Lin Wie Jue, were
classmates of Master Lin at Jimei Pedagogical School.
In
those years there were
wushu classes at
Jimei Pedagogical School. The Bei Quan Master from Shanghai Central
Chin Woo (Jing Wu) Athletic Association, Liu Zhan Chen, was invited to
lead the administration. Another task was preparing to establish a
branch of Chin Woo Athletic Association in Xiamen - in order to
cultivate Wushu trainers and leaders. On recommendation, Master Lin
went to Shanghai for advanced study at the Jingwu Sport Pedagogical
School and graduated two years later. Then he worked as a trainer at
the Shanghai Chin Woo Athletic Association and was also the part-time
Wushu director and teacher at Shanghai Tongji University and Guangdong
Public College.
"Lin Bo Yan listed as one
of the orginal Shanghai Chin Woo Masters in an early edition of Chin
Woo Magazine"
During
his
study
at
Shanghai
Chin Woo Athletic
Association School he learned Wu-Style Xiaojia Taiji Quan from Xu Zhi
Yi, the promising pupil of Wu Jia Quan, the venerable master of
Wu-Style Taiji. He had also learned Shaolin Tantui from the chief
trainer of Chin Woo Athletic Association Zhao Lian He, Tang Lang Quan
from Luo Guang Yu, Yingzhao Gong from Chen Zi Zheng, Xingyi Quan from
Geng Xia Guang, Yang-Style Dajia Taiji Quan from Dong Ying-Jie. Master
Lin's favorite style was Qi Xing Tang Lang Quan, which he learned from
Luo Guang Yu. During the 1st Guangxi Wushu Meeting Master Lin presented
his astonishing talent for Qi Xing Tang Lang Quan. In the three fight
(Du-Ji) competitions he was among the best of the successful
candidates.
Lin Bo Yan listed as one
of the Chin Woo masters in Wong Hon Fun's 'Er Lu Zhai Yao book'
Master
Lin
also
profited
much
from eight years
occupation in Hankou. He learned at first Wudang Jianfa (Wu Tang Sword)
from Wudang master Li Jing Lin. Then his best friend Pang Yi-Zhi
introduced him to work as Wushu trainer in Guangxi, afterwards in
Guangdong, where he saw with his own eyes the performance of Yang-Style
Dajia Taiji Quan by venerable master Yang Cheng Fu. Through the
introduction of Pang he respectfully offered himself as master Dong
Ying Jie's disciple in order to learn Yang-Style Dajia Taiji Quan.
Master Lin’s achievements in Taiji Quan are as high as in Tang Lang
Quan and he had as many Taiji students as Tang Lang students also.
After
1940
besides
Guoshu
(Martial
Arts) he
also taught Chinese and Geography at Zhongzheng Middle School in
Singapore. One year later the Japanese army invaded and occupied
Singapore. In 1952, on the recommendation of Lin Lian Yu, the chairman
of the Malaysia Chinese Teachers Association, Master Lin assumed a
position teaching Chinese at Zunkong Middle School in Kuala Lumpur. He
simultaneously taught Guoshu at Sarawak Chin Woo Athletic Association
for six years. In 1957 he came back to Singapore and was invited by
Zhongzheng Middle School as a Chinese teacher and held a position as
Taiji Quan trainer at Nanyang University and Singapore University.
During that time he set up the Jiulong Tang Taiji Quan gymnastic class
in Lin's ancestral hall in Guangdongming Road. In 1967 this class
changed its name to Bo Yan Taiji Gymnastic Society.
Master
Lin
taught
boxing
for
66 years until he
was 87 years old. He was a great teacher who profoundly influenced all
his students. His pupils are spread all over the world. Master Lin
lived an earnest life without unhealthy hobbies. His lifelong interest
was teaching martial arts. He also exercised Taoist Qigong as
supplement. He held the Taoist ideal of stillness (wu-wei) in high
esteem. So he spent the autumn of his life in quiet and happiness.
"Lin Bo Yan ti - Lin Bo
Yan hand writes the calligraphy for Wong Hon Fun's first edition Mei
Hua Lu Quan book."
(archive photo from Alex Au,
Hong Kong)
Selected from Liang Jun Yi's
"Singapore Wulin Figures"; translated by Cao Jialin and Kai Uwe Pel
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