Secrets of Phoenix Eye Fist Kung Fu. Mark Wiley

      I was first introduced to the rare art of phoenix-eye fist kung-fu in 1986 through a book co-written by the art’s headmaster, Cheong Cheng Leong, and the late hoplologist, Donn F. Draeger. At the time, I was working for Asian World of Martial Arts, one of the largest suppliers and stores of martial arts books and equipment in the world. One evening after work, my co-worker Carlos Aldrete-Phan and I were relaxing in his apartment talking about all the different kinds of martial arts there were in the world. Being well-read and having practiced a number of different systems, I was rattling off a shopping list of names and countries of origin. Carlos stopped me midstream and asked if I had ever heard of the art of Chuka Shaolin. I replied that I hadn’t. Carlos then asked if I had ever heard of a writer named Donn Draeger. I replied that of course I had, as he was quite famous. Carlos then pulled a book off his shelf titled Phoenix-Eye Fist: A Shaolin Fighting Art of South China, by Cheong Cheng Leong and Donn F. Draeger. He handed it to me.

      After browsing through the first couple of pages I found that the proper name of the phoenix-eye fist art was Chuka Shaolin, and that it was an offshoot of Fukien Shaolin boxing. What struck me most about the art was its primary use of the phoenix-eye fist hand formation for striking—hence its more popular name. After a few minutes I looked up from the book to see a big smile across Carlos’ face. We were both thinking the same thing: One day we would train in and master the art of the phoenix-eye fist. The only problem was that the master of the art, Cheong Cheng Leong, resided in Malaysia, and there were no instructors of the art in the United States. Well, at least we had the book.

      While I never attempted to learn the art from the book, it did give me a sense of the use of the phoenix-eye fist hand formation and of the theory behind its use. Carlos, on the other hand, endeavored to memorize the solo empty-hand form it presented.

      It wasn’t until 1996—a full ten years later—that I was able to travel from the Philippines to Malaysia to meet Cheong Cheng Leong in person. And what a meeting it was. Several months prior to the trip, I was given the necessary contact information for Mr. Cheong by Hunter Armstrong, director of the International Hoplology Society. Chip, as Hunter is known to his friends, directed me to a man named Karunakaran, who had been Draeger’s top student and who continues to run Draeger’s jo-jutsu dojo in Malaysia. Upon my arrival in Penang, Mr. Karuna (as I call him) took me to meet Mr. Leong at his kwoon on the steps leading up to the Kek Lok Si Temple in the Air Itam area of Penang.

      I was given a full-blown demonstration of Chuka Shaolin, including several empty-hand forms, a few two-person forms, several demonstrations of weapons forms, as well as training drills and technique applications. Wow! There was so much to be found in this art. I had no idea. From reading the book, I had assumed that the art was merely an empty-hand system. How wrong I was. At that moment I knew what had to be done: another book must be written!

      Before I was given a chance to present Mr. Leong

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