Sam Chin

Grandmaster Sam F.S. Chin is the co-founder of the art, and the current gate keeper of the system. He is the founder and President of Chin Family I Liq Chuan Association, as well as the creator of I Liq Chuan Grading System.

Grandmaster Sam Chin trained martial arts since childhood by his father – the founder of I Liq Chuan, Chin Lik Keong. During the 1980’s, Grandmaster Sam Chin won numerous competitions, as well as the state heavy weight kickboxing championships of Selangor (Malaysia) in 1978. He was also recognized by the USA Wushu Kung-Fu Federation as a Hall of Fame Outstanding Master.

In August 2009, Grandmaster Sam F.S. Chin is officially named the Gate Keeper / Lineage Holder of the art by his father, founder of I Liq Chuan, Chin Lik Keong.

Today, Grandmaster Sam F.S. Chin continues his teaching via workshops worldwide and resides in Pleasant Valley New York with his wife and four children.

BEGINNING OF I LIQ CHUAN ABROAD
Chuang Yen Monastery

Grandmaster Chin and his family migrated to California from Malaysia in 1991. One year later, he was advised to come to the Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel New York by one of his closest friend as well as I Liq Chuan brother – Ven. Ji Ru (继如法师), and decided to move to New York soon after. There, he met a man by the name of Ruey Teng Chen from Taiwan who had deep understanding of Buddhist/Chan (Zen) philosophy. They frequently spent time discussing how similar the art of I Liq Chuan’s principles were to the concepts and philosophy of Chan (Zen). In time, Ruey also created the I Liq Chuan Poem.

Not long after Grandmaster Chin started working at the monastery, he was asked to start a martial art class for the English Program. He originally thought of teaching the standard 24 official form of Tai Chi Chuan, but realized that another Sifu was already teaching it. Under the suggestion and encouragement of Ruey, Grandmaster Sam Chin decided to teach his family art, I Liq Chuan. He thought that I Liq Chuan would be a tool to better understand the principles of Chan (Zen) and vice versa.

INFLUENCES TO GRANDMASTER CHIN & ADVANCEMENT OF I LIQ CHUAN CONCEPTS
In the ten years of working and teaching at the Chuang Yen Monastery, Grandmaster Sam Chin was profoundly influenced by many other individuals including Ven. Ji Ru, Ven. Shen-Ming, Ven. Achan Tong, and Ruey Teng Chen. A breakthrough occurred during Grandmaster Sam Chin’s attendance to Thailand monk – Ven. Achan Tong’s dynamic meditation retreat emphasizing on mindfulness and awareness. Grandmaster Sam Chin developed the ability to observe the vicissitudes of the mind and physical body, realizing back to simplicity and the base of origin. With this penetrating clarity, he introduced Zen philosophy into his family art. Grandmaster Sam F.S. Chin began to distill unifying principles, further clarifying the essential body mechanics and sensory experiences, and their relationship to mental awareness.