Mi Jong Lo Han (迷踪羅漢) is a Northern Chinese martial art that consists of Lo Han Men (羅漢門) and elements of Mi Jong Pai (迷蹤派).
Mi Jong Pai is reputed to have originated during the Sung (宋) dynasty (960 AD) and was founded by the legendary Yen Ching (燕青). Huo Yuan Chia (霍元甲), the conceptual founder of the famed Shanghai Ching Wu Kuan (精武館, 1909), was the styles most famous proponent. The characters for “Mi Jong” literally translate as “lost track” but “labyrinth” or “maze” serves as a more functional translation. “Lo Han” refers to a type of Buddha known as an “Arhat”. The name “Lo Han Men” historically refers to the less openly taught or “closed door” school of Lo Han Chuan (羅漢拳).
The larger style of Lo Han Chuan had its roots dating to the establishment of Buddhism in China during the Tang (唐) dynasty (circa 600 AD). Although fighting arts existed in China long before Buddhist influence, the development and evolution of Lo Han Chuan provided a different philosophical orientation and approach. As a result Lo Han Chuan remains a large sophisticated system with many branches and is therefore one of the foundation or nucleus styles to a wide array of Northern Shaolin based martial theory. Some branches of the style may also be referred to as, Shaolin Lo Han Chuan (少林羅漢拳). Mi Jong Pai was likely a variation of Lo Han Chuan to begin with.
Mi Jong and Lo Han share a similar penchant for the dichotomous use of deceptive yet seemingly overt technique with long range approaches
Yeh Yu Ting (葉雨亭) was born in Tsang County (滄縣) of the Hopei Province (河北省) in 1892 during the reign of reformist Emporer Kuang Hsu (光緒). He learned Lo Han Men, the more secretive “closed door” branch of Lo Han Chuan, starting at the age of seven, first from his father, then from his uncle, Yeh Hsi Chen (葉戲震). By age 24, Yeh Yu Ting was well engrossed in his family’s escort and protection company, the “All Victorious Security Service” (關東長勝鏢局). Escort and protection was a common occupation for talented martial artists at the time. He quickly garnered a reputation for his skill and fighting ability, and eventually gained appointment as weapons instructor to the warlord army of General Wang Huai Ching (王淮慶) in Peking (北平). Approximately 9 years later, he joined and served as an instructor for the army of General Chang Hsueh Liang (張學良). After three years with General Chang, he left to serve as a teacher for the Shantung (山東) Provincial Army under General Chang Tsung Chang (張宗昌). In 1931, after the decline of the warlord era and the rise of the nationalists, Yeh Yu Ting accepted an invitation to join the Shanghai Ching Wu Kuan. While there, he adopted some Mi Jong/Ching Wu curriculum aspects into his Lo Han Men teachings. The official name of the style remained Shaolin Lo Han Men Mi Jong Pai (少林羅漢門迷蹤派) and reflects and honors this heritage. By 1933 Yeh Yu Ting was invited to teach at the then prestigious South China Athletic Gymnasium (南華體育會). He accepted and moved south. During World War II he traveled to Kuang Chou (廣州) to teach at the Cosmopolitan Lion Dance Institute and Sze Yong New Martial Arts Center (西營新武堂). He returned to the South China Athletic Gymnasium after the war and resumed teaching until his passing in December 1962 at the age of 70. After his passing the actual name of Shaolin Lo Han Men Mi Jong Pai was abbreviated to the current, Mi Jong Lo Han. This abbreviation also conveys a double meaning of sorts to the style indicating a sort of “ultimate collection of Lo Han”.
During his years as a master martial arts teacher in Hong Kong, Yeh Yu Ting became friends with two other renowned northern martial art masters who had also moved south; Gan Dak Hoi (Keng Te Hai – 耿德海) of Tai Sing Pek Kwa Mun (Ta Sheng Pi Kua Men – 大聖劈掛門, Monkey combined w/Axe Fist) fame and Lau Fat Man (Liu Fa Meng – 劉法孟) of Ying Chao Pai (鷹爪派, Eagle Claw) fame. Due to the talent and reputations of the northerners in the south they became known as the “Three Northern Tigers”. While in Hong Kong Yeh Yu Ting had four principle disciples: CH Marr, Lew Tung Yim, Raymond Wong (黃國忠) and Johnny Lee.
The Mi Jong Lo Han tradition and legacy of Yeh Yu Ting remains intact and passed on through the teaching of Raymond Wong (Wong Kwok Jung – 黃國忠) and the other principle disciples. Raymond Wong, much like his teacher, developed a reputation for shear talent, prodigious fighting skill and perfectionism. After Yeh Yu Ting’s passing, Raymond Wong spent time also mastering the up until then “closed door” style of Dou Gar Leung Yih Mun (Tao Chia Liang Yi Men – 道家兩儀門) under the secretive Chin Cheim (程潛), and later the style of Tai Chi Tang Lang (太極螳螂, Tai Chi Praying Mantis) under famed Chiu Chuk Kai (趙竹溪). In 1968 Grandmaster Wong emigrated to the U.S. where he taught in Palo Alto, CA. He eventually established a school in Culver City, CA, with later privately teaching in Monterey Park.
Sifu Brian Tuan and his assistant instructors Lumen Hwang and Fredrick Chow continues Grandmaster Wong’s legacy and lineage in southern Orange County, with the MJLH school in Lake Forest, CA. Sifu Tuan has been the head Kung Fu instructor at UCI since 1981, and also learned Yang Shih Tai Chi Chuan (楊氏太極拳 , Yang-Style Tai Chi) there from Grandmaster Dr. Dominic Cheung.