The myth—Most Chinese are brought up believing that the great martial arts practitioner Huo Yuan Jia founded Chin Woo.
This is incorrect according to the book “Jingwu: The School that Transformed Kung Fu” by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo, 2010.
This book, though brief and considered by me as a mere introduction to the history of Chin Woo, has usefully given us an English translation of the 10th anniversary book published by the Chin Woo Association of Shanghai in 1919. The pictures and sketches are also reproduced. (P 18 to 148).
Chin Woo was not set up by the great martial arts practitioner, Huo Yuan Jia. Instead, he was invited by the founders to be the chief instructor. (P 10).
Unfortunately, he died shortly thereafter. There is much speculation as to whether Huo died from poisoning by a Japanese doctor or from his chronic medical condition. The authors preferred the latter, though no reasons are given. (P 10).
The Chin Woo Association was founded by a group of pro-Republican journalists and reformers in 1909. The funds came almost exclusively from its three early graduates, all of whom came from wealthy business families. (p 10).
When these three patrons became bankrupt in 1924, Chin Woo closed its doors in China in 1926. (pics ix and 17)
