The Lineage

Born during the Qing Dynasty, Weng was a famed Taizu quan practitioner in Xiamen, awarded the rank of Wujuren after an imperial martial-arts examination in 1892. A physician by trade, he opened his own clinic in Xiamen in 1895 and was known as a patriot and philanthropist — often giving free treatment to the poor. An active member of Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary Tongmenghui (同盟会), his descendants long kept a plaque signed by Sun Yat-sen commemorating his contributions; the original was lost during the Cultural Revolution.

Quek began martial arts at nine under a Shandong master, Cao Fubiao. Moving to Xiamen in 1917, he was introduced to Weng Chao Yan and began studying Taizu quan. He travelled widely — Thailand, Malaysia, and finally Singapore. In the 1960s he was invited to a Chinese–Thai tournament, where he defeated a Muay Thai champion and returned with a purse of 20,000 baht. He founded 闽南国术馆 in Singapore to spread the art. His most notable student: Teo Choon Teck.

Sifu Teo focused on the traditional aspects of Taizu quan, which he called kuntao — old-school conditioning of the limbs, and forms practised with a combative focus. Unlike many modern schools, he taught technique inside the forms. The main form is the San Cheen 三战, namesake of the school; he established its five San Cheen forms, known to build power, stamina and the ability to withstand blows — the foundation of San Cheen Do's success in the arena and its self-defence.

According to Grandmaster Teo Choon Teck's will, San Cheen Do was passed to his son Teo Sook Seng in December 2020. Teo Sook Seng was awarded Seventh Dan in 2006 by the World Organisation of Wushu & Kungfu Masters, and carries the art forward today.