Yes. Dave's style was Tibetan White Crane. But he had researched and was very knowledgeable about Fujian White Crane as well. His info about Leung Jan's family running a military academy is something I thought Guy might find interesting. I'm not sure what Dave's source is, because I've never heard that information from anywhere else.
Dave also does Vietnamese Wing Chun. This gives him a somewhat unique perspective and interesting things to say! I wish he still came around as well!
The story of the Leung family military academy is verified in the new book by Judkins & Nielsen titled The History of Wing Chun. Leung Jan's father was a physician & the Leung clan were merchants. Aligned with the Hung Mun, they opened one of the many Yi halls, based on the original Zong Yi association. Here Wing Chun & Hung Gar were taught side by side.
Interestingly enough, Lam Sai Wing's grandfather taught him Red Boat Hung Gar prior to him learning from Wong Fei Hung. Red Boat Hung Gar consisted of the Arrow Palm form, 6 1/2 Point pole & Heung Yuet double knives. It is said to be a system very similar to Wing Chun. Lam Sai Wing incorporated it into the Hung Gar he learned from Wong Fei Hung to create the Lam Family style of Hung Gar.
Most likely that this Red Boat Hung Gar was formulated in one of Foshan's many Yi association halls. Even possibly the Leung family academy, though no one is certain. Having seen this system it is very similar to Hung Fa Yi style, as Hung Fa Yi was one of Foshan's many Yi association halls.
It's interesting, unfortunately little more is known about who actually taught at these halls or exactly what was taught beyond the vague terms Wing Chun & Hung Gar. I suspect that is where lineage histories actually come into play.
In truth, currently Wing Chun cannot be verified beyond Foshan, as no documentation has yet been verified. There are stories but they are just that until they can be collaborated.
As far as what was actually taught we only have what Leung Jan said existed. San Sik from Leung Yi Tai & forms from Wong Wah Bo. We have to assume these two men were the instructors at some point for the Leung Family martial academy. In Leung Jan's own words the system of Wing Chun was originally loose technique. So Kuluo is most likely the most original method.
According to oral history, Leung Jan said Wong Wah Bo created the forms. Leung Yi Tai says that the San Sik came from White Crane as taught by opera performer Li Wen Mao.
White Crane shares the same oral history as Hung Gar and is most likely why they were paired together. Here in this pairing, is where the branches not coming from Leung Jan occur. Doesn't make them any less original, as we really don't know what Leung Yi Tai actually passed down. We only have what Leung Jan says he did. Until a another lineage of Leung Yi Tai arises, who has no affiliation with Leung Jan, we don't exactly know what original Wing Chun looked like.
Our only course is to compare Kuluo with White Crane, problem is White Crane has gone through many revisions. When Tai Chi was introduced to the south in the early part of the 1900's. The internal theory was introduced and the art of White Crane was made more internal. Too hard to sort out what is what without verified documentation of the era.
