Biografie - GM Sam F.S. Chin
English name: Chin Fan Siong / Sam FS Chin
Chinese name: 曾帆祥
Date of birth: August 1, 1954
Grandmaster Sam FS Chin is the eldest son of the late I Liq Chuan founder, Grandmaster Chin Lik Keong.
Born into a traditional Chinese - Malaysian martial arts family, Master Sam Chin has dedicated his life to receiving the complete transmission of the "Martial Arts of Mindfulness".
Early on, young Sam Chin demonstrated the effectiveness of the martial arts in a Selangor (Malaysia) full contact competition. To avoid competing against one of his father's students, he decided to fight up a weight class and despite being much lighter than his opponents, he captured the super heavyweight title.
After introducing his father's martial arts to Australia, Sam Chin emigrated to the United States. He spent the next 10 years at the famous Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York, where he worked and taught martial arts. There he immersed himself in the monastic atmosphere.
Through direct access and the resulting friendships with Dharma masters and scholars, Master Sam Chins has deepened his fighting skills through studying the Buddhist tradition. Master Sam Chin was greatly influenced by many individuals at Chuang Yen Monastery, including Ven. Ji Ru, Ven. Shen-Ming, Ven. Achan Tong and Ruey Teng Chen.
While attending a “Dynamic Mindfulness and Awareness” retreat taught by Thai monk Ven. Achan Tong, Master Sam Chin has made a major breakthrough. He developed the ability to observe the interaction between mind and body and realized that this is due to the simplicity and the basis of the origin.
This initiated his research into the neutral path, which later became The Path of I Liq Chuan, and eventually led to the formation of Zhong Xin Dao in 2016. With this piercing clarity, he introduced Zen philosophy into his family's martial arts. Master Sam FS Chin began to refine the principles, to see through the basic mechanics of the body and the sensory experiences and their relation to mindfulness.
During this time he worked with his father to further deepen his understanding. Together they refined the underlying principles, systematized the training process and developed both the "21 Form" and the "Butterfly Form" and the basic exercises. This collaboration brought Sam Chin full transmission of his father's martial arts, as well as the title of master and co-founder of I Liq Chuan, at the age of 42.
While some of Grandmaster Chin Lik Keong's former students continued to practice the original variant of I Liq Chuan, father and son continued to perfect the family martial arts under the guidance of Master Sam FS Chin.
In August 2009, at the age of 55, Master Sam Chin was officially appointed Gatekeeper of I Liq Chuan by his father. Since his time at Chuang Yen Monastery, he has integrated the cultivation of mindfulness into the I Liq Chuan curriculum as the cultivation aspect has become more and more important.
Finally, there was a shift from cultivation as a tool for martial arts to martial arts as a tool for cultivation. Now, in 2016, it has been shown that his method of cultivation through martial arts practice has developed into a discipline in its own right, leading to the process of defining, naming and founding Zhong Xin Dao.
Zhong Xin Dao best defines and names Master Sam Chin's idea. His approach to learning and cultivation, as well as his understanding of the underlying principles of movement and nature. The Chinese word zhong stands for center / middle, xin - for heart / mind and dao - for way.
Master Sam Chin has often spoken about "the way" of learning the deeper aspects of his family's art. His primary concern has always been to see that his students and his students' students, and all generations to come, will be able to attain the "highest ability". It is his passion that led him to establish ••Zhong Xin Dao to highlight the path itself.
Master Sam FS Chin continues his teaching with workshops worldwide and resides in Pleasant Valley, New York with his wife.