Bak Mei
Bak Mei is a semi-mythical 17th-century figure of Chinese martial arts folklore. He is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders—survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing dynasty. In later folklore traditions, he is sometimes portrayed as having betrayed Shaolin to the imperial government.
He is the namesake of the South Chinese martial art attributed to him: Bak Mei Kung Fu.
In modern popular culture, Bak Mei has been fictionalized in Wuxia literature and Hong Kong martial arts films such as Executioners from Shaolin, Abbot of Shaolin, and Clan of the White Lotus. Bak Mei as a fictional character is better known in the West as Pai Mei, played by Gordon Liu in the Hollywood action films Kill Bill: Volume 2 and Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair.
Background
Bak Mei belongs to a rich body of stories from Southern Chinese martial arts folklore. These stories mix oral transmission, local legend, historical events and popular literature to the point where fiction and reality are intertwined. Most information about him comes from these narrative traditions, rather than contemporary documentation. For these reasons, his existence is best understood as a legendary construct rather than an established historical figure.He is usually described as a Daoist ascetic with striking white eyebrows, from which is name is derived, and a mighty martial art master. He appears in accounts at the time of the burning of one or more Shaolin temple, being generally listed as one of its five survivors. These accounts are inconsistent and often contradictory but commonly take place during the Ming-Qing transition in the 17th or sometimes 18th century.Bak Mei's role varies across sources, ranging from a villainous traitor betraying Shaolin for selfish motives to a coerced figure acting to protect his followers.
These stories became particularly widespread in the 19th century through Wuxia novels and the mythology surrounding anti-Qing organizations such as the Heaven and Earth Society. His reputation as a traitor, whether justified or not, contributed to historical tensions between practitioners of Bak Mei Kung Fu and other martial arts linked to the Shaolin lineage.
Legendary narratives
In several versions of the legend, Bak Mei is described as a former Shaolin monk or associate who came into conflict with other Shaolin leaders, particularly the figure known as Jee Sin.Some traditions depict Bak Mei as rejecting loyalty to the fallen Ming dynasty, which he is said to have viewed as corrupt, while others portray him as acting under duress or attempting to limit loss of life.
The location and number of Shaolin temples involved vary by account. Some traditions situate the events at a southern Shaolin temple in Fujian province, while others place them in Henan or describe multiple destructions occurring over time. The role of Qing forces also differs between narratives.
Bak Mei is frequently portrayed as a traitor within popular retellings, though other versions emphasize ambiguity in his actions or frame them as reluctant cooperation with Qing authorities.
Accounts of his death likewise vary, with some traditions claiming he was killed by other martial artists, while others allege poisoning or death in obscurity.
Lineage-based traditions (Jie Kon Sieuw and Nam Anh lineage)
Several Bak Mei Kung Fu lineages preserve oral traditions about the figure of Bak Mei, whom they regard as the founder of the Bak Mei Kung Fu style. These accounts are transmitted within the art itself and do not cite contemporaneous Qing dynasty sources.Within the traditions associated with masters Jie Kon Sieuw and Nam Wan, Bak Mei is described as a Taoist practitioner rather than a Chan Buddhist monk. As in other narratives, he is situated within the southern Shaolin milieu at the time of the Ming–Qing transition, but greater emphasis is placed on his later association with Taoist practice.
Bak Mei is presented as one of the Shaolin five elders who survived Qing suppression. Rather than focusing on the destruction of specific temples, these accounts emphasize the subsequent dispersion of these figures after the fall of Shaolin. Bak Mei is said to have relocated to Mount Emei, Sichuan Province, a site commonly associated with both Buddhist and Taoist cultivation in martial arts folklore.
Unlike popular retellings that portray Bak Mei primarily as a traitor, these traditions frame his withdrawal from anti-Qing resistance as a pragmatic decision rather than active collaboration with Qing authorities. This interpretation forms the basis for the transmission of Bak Mei Kung Fu within these traditions.
Bak Mei Kung Fu
Bak Mei Kung Fu, also known as Bak Mei Pai, is a southern Chinese martial art traditionally attributed to the figure of Bak Mei. The art formed and spread in Guangdong province, especially in the regions of Huizhou, Guangzhou, Foshan, and later Hong Kong.Characteristics
Bak Mei kung Fu is characterized by powerful, short-range striking and an emphasis on structural efficiency and explosive force. Movements are compact and direct, with techniques often used to intercept, jam, and counter an opponent at close range. Some applications involve throwing, takedowns, and restraining techniques.The system also includes low sweeping techniques and leg checks, which are used to disrupt an opponent’s balance and support close-range striking.
The Pak Mei system is also known for its "Phoenix Eye Fist". This technique involves striking with the extended knuckle of the index finger, targeting vital points such as the eyes, throat, temples, or solar plexus with explosive force.
Like other southern Chinese martial arts, it incorporates the four core principles of fau, chum, tun, and tou, which describe changes in body energy and intent during combat.
The style also classifies six types of trained power including six major body parts: ngaa ', but ,' gin ', sau ,' jiu and goek. Traditional accounts often describe the style using tiger and leopard imagery, reflecting an emphasis on aggressive forward pressure, strong rooting, and explosive close-range power.
Transmission and lineages
According to Bak Mei lineages, the art is said to have originated at Mount Emei with the figure of Bak Mei. In these accounts, Bak Mei is credited with transmitting the art to figures known mainly from oral tradition, beginning with the Chan monk Gwong Wai. The art was later passed on to the Chan monk Juk Faat Wan. These figures form the traditional foundation of later Bak Mei lineages.In historical terms, modern Bak Mei kung fu developed primarily in Guangdong during the late Qing and Republican periods. Its most influential figure was Cheung Lai-chuen, in Mandarin Zhang Liquan, a native of Huizhou. Cheung had prior training in several southern Chinese styles before studying a style known as Bak Mei under a Buddhist monk referred to as Juk Faat Wan, in a temple near Guangzhou. The historical veracity of this account remains uncertain due to the lack of independent evidence. Regardless, Cheung’s background in Hakka martial arts and his close association with Lam Yiu-Kwai, a key figure in Dragon style kung fu, contributed to the technical character of his Bak Mei lineage. Cheung later played a major role in spreading the art in Guangzhou.
Drawing on his earlier training, combat experience, and teaching career, Cheung systematized Bak Mei into a distinct style. Through his activities in Guangzhou and Foshan, and later in Hong Kong, the art spread widely and developed several regional branches. After 1949, Hong Kong became an important center for the preservation and transmission of Bak Mei through Cheung’s sons and senior disciples.
Early disciples
In Guangzhou, Cheung Lai-chuen’s earliest group of disciples is traditionally listed as six individuals:- Yau Yan-wo
- Lau Yam-yung
- Chu Bak-gwai
- Yip Juk-lam
- Wong Yiu-gwong
- '''Lei Dat-kiu'''
Curriculum
Historical origins of Bai Mei
In 2012, academic research was done on the historical origins of the style of Baimei Quan and the validity of the monk Bai Mei, using the resources of US University Professors of Chinese and Buddhist Studies as well as Mr. Xiong Feng of the Emei Shan Museum, Sichuan, China.The earliest reference to the monk Bai Mei as an actual person comes in the Wuxia novel called Wunnian Qing as being one of the five Elders who survived the sacking of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing army. Yet there are problems with this source: it is a work of fiction, and there is no historical evidence to suggest that the Shaolin Temple of Henan Province was ever attacked and destroyed by the Qing armies but this is not unexpected considering the destruction of many martial texts in Shaolin history.
Guanghui means Vast Benevolence and is a typical Buddhist nomination for either a monk or a temple; indeed there are several temples throughout China that bear this name. Yet on searching through the surviving gazetteers for Mount Emei there is no mention of a monk named Guanghui. There is no material evidence to suggest that Guanghui came from Emei Shan; all we have is the oral tradition from Zhang Liquan that his Shifu, Zhu Fayun, came from a temple in Sichuan Province.
Zhu Fayun. Fa, in the context of a monk's name, means Buddhist Teachings and Yun means Cloud. The Chinese character Zhu formed part of the ancient word Tianzhu, meaning India.
Zhu Fayun is said to have been a Buddhist monk from Emei Shan in Sichuan Province on a pilgrimage to the Guangxiao, in Guangzhou. This is entirely plausible as the Guangxiao monastery is one of the oldest temples in south China as well as being one of the most influential Buddhist shrines. During his stay in Guangxiao, Zhu Fayun committed to teach Zhang Liquan the Baimei arts.
Zhang Liquan. It would seem that Zhang Liquan was essentially an honest man with respect to his martial arts. He learnt three different styles from three different masters prior to having met Zhu Fayun. He formally acknowledges each of his former Shifu by name and honors them by keeping at least one of their forms in the Pak Mei syllabus. At a later stage in his career, Zhang Liquan formulated several of his own forms, including Tuotiao Quan and Simen Bagua which he openly professed were his own works. It would appear contradictory to suggest that such a man, who has been totally honest about the origins of all that he has learnt, would deny the existence of one teacher, or indeed invent a fictional character to disguise his own works when he has already affirmed creating several of his own.
All the supplementary forms in the Pak Mei syllabus, whatever the original style, fall under the collective classification of Nan Quan or more precisely Dong Jiang Quan. A common denominator to all these forms is that they are divided into two parts; the second being a repetition of the first, performed in the opposite direction. They also have numerous stances and techniques in common and share similar terminology and methodology.