San Cheen Do三战道 · In Memoriam
San Cheen DoA Singaporean martial arts institute, established 1972.
San Cheen Do Institute is a Singaporean martial arts school established in 1972 by its Chief Instructor, Grandmaster Teo Choon Teck (赵春德师傅). Since its inception, classes have been conducted in constituencies throughout Singapore — training members for self-defence and combat sports.
Many members won medals in wushu and sparring tournaments, representing the institution and Singapore across Asia. Within two decades of its founding, the school had grown to over 9,600 students from all walks of life, with 68 "inner-circle" black belters.
The Teo BrothersGrandmaster Teo Choon Teck was the premier founder; his younger brother Teo Teck Huat, the co-founder. Together the brothers ensured the creation, consolidation and growth of San Cheen Do — thousands of students, and an inner circle of sixty-eight black belters who carried the art forward.
太祖拳 · Fujian HeritageThe martial art taught in San Cheen Do is Taizu quan 太祖拳 — a rare and ancient Chinese art brought to Fujian by the Song imperial family when the capital moved south during the war with the Mongols.
As a coastal province, Fujian was constantly harassed by pirates during the Ming Dynasty; practitioners defended their land using everyday objects and farming tools — which is why such weaponry still lives inside San Cheen Do. During the Qing Dynasty the art was used to prepare troops quickly and practically. That is its signature: to train an effective fighter in a short time.
The Straits Times · 28 March 1988As its name suggests, Singa Fist is a unique blend of martial arts — representing each of the eight different masters of the Singapore Martial Arts Instructors' Association. It was eventually incorporated into the grading system in San Cheen Do: all students at Brown 3 were assessed on it before advancing to Brown 2.
In 1987, students from Grandmaster Teo Choon Teck's class showcased the Singa Fist as part of the National Day performance line-up. During its heyday it was also demonstrated by 4,000 martial-arts enthusiasts at the largest-ever joint martial-arts showcase of its time, in 1988.