WHY GRANDMASTER CHEE THOUGHT SO HIGHLY OF ALAN

‘…. You are one of the few disciples who really
thought and cared for me….
‘With best regards to your parents and your family.
‘Your loving Master,

CHEE KIM THONG’
 [From a personal letter to Alan: click here to go to excerpt from original document]

Through his personal association with Alan, Grandmaster Chee always taught him the importance of Being COMPASSIONATE, MODEST and HUMBLE in his personal values, way of relating to others, and above all in his role as a true GUARDIAN OF THE ARTS OF THE LINEAGE: Arts which he knew Alan greatly treasured and would never seek to alter in any way.

Grandmaster Chee always steered Alan, to keep him free of political distractions and jealousy: he felt protective of Alan where such matters were concerned for many people flocked to Master Chee’s door from all parts of the world, and for all types of motives.

For those whose motives were coloured for reasons of personal vanity and pecuniary desire, the door of access to the Grandmaster was ever shut.  By way of contrast Alan was invited to be a Lifetime Member of the CHEE KIM THONG PUGILISTIC AND HEALTH SOCIETY, and bears the Membership Number 001 (click here to see original document).

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For Alan training often had to give way to teaching others under the direction and express request of his Master who appreciated that Alan would teach well and accurately, not only grasping the details of a form properly as it had been taught, but understanding and showing its application in fighting and self-defence – all hallmarks of what Master Chee regarded as making a successful and trusted teacher of the arts.  When in Malaysia, Alan would assist in teaching at the clubhouse in Kuala Lumpur, and on the many regular visits to the outstation branches, Alan would assist Master Chee.

Many people came to Alan, knowing the closeness of the loving bond he had with his Master and also being aware of Alan’s great ability as a true and accurate teacher possessed of so many arts, including secret ones, taught to him by his Master.

The frustrations Alan was put to in trying to avoid those who he rightly perceived only came to take from him with no acknowledgment of the source of the teaching of the arts they wished to gain and use for their own ends, were immense.  He always kept these problems within his own domain, and as far away as possible from his relationship with his beloved Master.

Knowing that love and respect are intimately connected, Alan always abided by traditional etiquette, and only brought students to train at the clubhouse in Kuala Lumpur, who were humble and well-mannered in their attitude.

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Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong’s high and loving regard for Alan was shown in the lengths he would go to, to teach him privately far from the intrusion of unwanted witness of the arts he passed on to him.

A direct agent of the transmission of such teachings on these special occasions, was Mr Tan Kay Ngee, a close personal friend of Master Chee, who acted as translator [Hokkien to English] of the detailed teachings Master Chee wished to communicate to Alan.

Finally, on the topic of traditional training of disciples, it must be remembered that Grandmaster never taught anything to anyone whose character was perceived by him to be poor and whose motives he suspected as being less than of the highest kind.

For a student to attempt to directly ask the Grandmaster Chee to teach him some form or another was regarded as of very poor etiquette, and always met with failure.  Alan witnessed this many times over the course of the years through his close personal association with Master Chee, living with him and his family.