Chan Tai San and Chen Rong En - What Is the Connection?

Students of my school are aware that the curriculum taught in the school came from two sources, Grandmaster Chan Tai San and Grandmaster Chen Rong En. Students are extremely fortunate when they are able to train under a Sifu with great knowledge but to have the opportunity twice is unheard of. To be clear, I am not the luckiest person in the Martial Arts world...there was actually a connection between my Sifus (is that the proper pluralization?....Steve, Jackie help me out here). My time training with Chan Tai San was extremely important to my development and I was happy to spend the rest of my time training in Choy Li Fut (the style in which Chan Tai San named me an instructor) and Lama (the style that was taught to my brother Chow Wun Dak...for my students that is your Si Bak). Then one day in 1992 or 1993 my brother called me and said that Sifu has asked us to take up the Fut Gar style of Kung Fu with his friend Chen Rong En. Sifu had officially introduced Wun Dak (see picture above) and myself as good students that would be excellent candidates to carry on his style.

So how did they know each other? My Sifus were instructors in the same region of China at one point and happened to become friends. Below is a photo taken of instructors in the region...not sure how or why the instructors were brought together for a photo but you will see Chan Tai San (bottom row 2nd from the right) and Chen Rong En (middle row, middle). When Grandmaster Chen Rong En moved to Canada, he mentioned to Grandmaster Chan Tai San that he is looking for a few students to carry on the Fut Gar style and was promptly directed to my brother and I. I feel fortunate that Sifu would recommend me as a person that he felt highly of and with good character to carry on a style. I have done my best to ensure that the style survives as a whole style instead of in pieces as it is taught in many schools worldwide. My Sifus continued to stay in touch over the years and actually participated in an event together in 1995 (see photo below).