To supporters of the legacy of Patriarch Moy Yat,

Before we begin our reflection, we would like to consider the following:

 

  1. The processes of social, political and cultural transformation are generating new conditions for a renewed dialogue among the future bodies that will administer Ving Tsun Kuen, bringing with them, similarly to the current phenomena, great changes that will affect the safeguarding of the Ving Tsun System;
  2. The manifest will of the descendants of Patriarch Moy Yat to safeguard the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, identifiable through the communities, groups, and individuals who play an important role in the production, maintenance, and recreation of this Kung Fu system, thus contributing to the enrichment of the notion of Kung Fu Life;
  3. As of 2019, there was still no autonomous body linked to the Moy Family – led by Madame Helen Moy and represented by Grandmaster William Moy, that was exclusively dedicated to safeguarding the legacy of Patriarch Moy Yat, particularly the Ving Tsun System;
  4. The need to raise awareness, in particular for future generations, of the importance of Patriarch Moy Yat’s legacy, particularly the Ving Tsun System, and its safeguarding;
  5. The invaluable role of the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, as an exemplary factor for a type of education essential for the future: Kung Fu Education, an education by investment;

Based on these preliminary considerations, we would like to present the following initial provisions:

The term Kung Fu, between the 3rd and 4th centuries, was already in use and was originally used to describe human work. Over time, it acquired a set of meanings such as the time and effort spent on something, the ability to achieve intended results, and the result of such effort or skill. Eventually, it came to be used to designate all the arts of life that demanded cultivated skills and effective expertise, whether it be in the arts of cooking, speaking, dancing, or dealing with human relationships. The Neo-Confucianists, as well as Taoists and Buddhists, all unequivocally referred to the art of living that required corporeality and the manifestation of excellent skills as Kung Fu. The educational basis of this cultural expression is what we are call Kung Fu Education.

The Ving Tsun System is a Kung Fu system whose foundation is attributed to Founder Yim Ving Tsun. It is integrated by six domains represented by listings of symbolic combat devices, namely: Siu Nim Tau, Cham Kiu, Biu Ji, Mui Fa Jong, Luk Dim Bun Gwan and Baat Jaam Do. This kung fu system is recognized as the legacy of a kung fu family descended from the Founder. Transmitted from generation to generation, it is constantly recreated by these kung fu families based on their surroundings, their interaction with nature and their history, giving them a sense of identity and continuity. All of this contributes to promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity, in accordance with a broad sense of Kung Fu.

The Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation is the commitment of progressive provision of Kung Fu Life as the way of transmission of the Ving Tsun System., assumed by Patriarch Moy Yat, towards his descendants.

The Moy Yat Institute is an initiative with full support from the Moy Family, which has an independent and purposeful character. These are important points for its existence:

  1. Ensure for the safeguarding of the legacy of Patriarch Moy Yat, particularly the Ving Tsun System. “Safeguarding” means (a) Identification, (b) Documentation, (c) Research, (d) Preservation, (e) Protection, (f) Promotion, (g) Enhancement, (h) Transmission – essentially through education by investment -, and (i) Revitalization of the various aspects of this Kung Fu system, adapting them to present and future cultural changes, without losing its essence. That is, to take the necessary measures to guarantee the existence of Kung Fu Education, particularly the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, in territories where descendants of Patriarch Moy Yat are or will settle down, including promoting scientific, technical, and artistic studies, as well as research methodologies:

1.1. Promote programs to make the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation viable, in addition to promoting and supervising its implementation, in order to value Kung Fu Education in society;

1.2. Endeavor to find ways to increase its resources and take necessary measures towards that purpose;

1.3. Accredit communities with proven competence in promoting Kung Fu Education, particularly in safeguarding the Ving Tsun System according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation;

1.4. Adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative, and financial measures to:

(i) encourage the creation or strengthening of educational  institutions for the safeguarding of Patriarch Moy Yat’s legacy, particularly the Ving Tsun System, through physical and virtual spaces dedicated to its manifestation.

(ii) ensure access to the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, respecting the traditional practices through which specific aspects of Kung Fu Education are accessed;

(iii) establish documentation institutions on Kung Fu Education, particularly the Ving Tsun System, as per the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, and facilitate access to them.

  1. Respect for the particularized vision of the Ving Tsun System of any institution or individual, particularly the descendants of the Moy Yat Lineage:

2.1 Provide opinions on best practices and make recommendations on the necessary measures to safeguard the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, through Kung Fu Education;

2.2 Review applications and decide on Kung Fu Education programs developed for the safeguarding of the Ving Tsun System, as per to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation;

2.3. Select and promote programs, projects, and activities of a global and local nature for the safeguarding of the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, based on proposals presented by any descendant of Patriarch Moy Yat, and in accordance with the defined and approved criteria that best reflect the specific needs of each kung fu family in question, always grounded in Kung Fu Education.

2.4. Monitor the implementation of said programs, projects, and activities by disseminating best practices according to the established modalities.

  1. Ensure recognition, respect and social appreciation for the contemporary relevance of Kung Fu Education, particularly manifested by the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Denomination, through:

3.1. Educational programs, awareness campaigns, and information dissemination among the public, from children to the elderly, about Kung Fu Education;

3.2. Educational and training programs for Kung Fu Education within underprivileged communities;

3.3. Activities to reinforce the safeguarding of the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, particularly in management and scientific research;

3.4. Non-formal means of transmitting knowledge through Kung Fu Education;

3.5. Keeping the public informed of the current and future importance of Kung Fu Education, particularly of the Ving Tsun System, as per the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation, as well as the activities carried out for its safeguarding;

3.6. Promoting Kung Fu Education in order to protect related spaces and places of memory, whose existence strengthens the expression of the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation.

  1. Provide assistance to requesting institutions and individuals who contribute to the fulfillment of the above-mentioned activities. This involves providing information and experiences, joint initiatives, and the creation of aid mechanisms in the promotion of Kung Fu Education, as well as safeguarding the Ving Tsun System, according to the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation.

Based on the above elements, we present our vision for the next decade of what we envision the Moy Yat Institute to be:

  1. The organization will have a physical headquarters will be located, particularly in places where descendants of Patriarch Moy Yat are or will be established. To provide people with a communal experience, hospitality services are essential, including accommodation, meals, and transportation facilitation. This physical structure of the institute should accommodate the dynamics of Kung Fu Life, provided by prepared masters who will make the Moy Yat Institute a global reference center for information on the legacy of Patriarch Moy Yat.

 

  1. Additionally, it will have a virtual platform that will be shared by all physical headquarters as well as its members, as it will be a megahub of the legacy of Patriarch Moy Yat, where it will be possible to access EVERYTHING available about this cultural heritage. Additionally, the institute will have a sophisticated audiovisual and graphic production center, relying on cutting-edge technology. This cutting-edge technology will be the foundation of the virtual platform, which will indeed be a metaplatform, where photographic, audiovisual, graphic, and testimonial records of the legacy of Patriarch Moy Yat will be archived. These records will be dated, translated into multiple languages (with special attention to the specific Chinese terms of the Kung Fu Dimension, based on the understanding of the Moy Yat Lineage), and contextualized through comments. Everything will be hyperlinked with each program produced by the institute.

 

  1. The entity will have the necessary structure to safeguard the legacy of Patriarch Moy Yat, which involves not only virtual material, but primarily human resources, where an increasing number of people can understand and honor the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Designation. The human resources will be represented by the preparation of masters who are sensitive to the new networked reality, in which continuous learning is the main hallmark of Kung Fu Education. These masters will be invited to transmit their knowledge in person, semi in person, and virtually.

That in subsequent decades, we can build together the path that will make the future of our legacy possible.

 

New York and São Paulo, June 28th, 2023

 

 

HELEN MOY

Widow of Patriarch Moy Yat, Matriarch of the Moy Family and Leader of the Moy Yat Lineage

 

WILLIAM MOY

 Son of Patriarch Moy Yat, Representative of the Moy Family and General Director of the Moy Yat Institute

 

LEO IMAMURA

First Generation Disciple of Patriarch Moy Yat and Founder of the Moy Yat Institute of São Paulo

 

ALBERT HOLZHACKER

Second Generation Disciple of Patriarch Moy Yat and President of the Moy Yat Institute of São Paulo