My Master Chee Soo taught me that The Lee family style was originally created by Ho-Hsieh Lee around 1000 BC, so this style is around three thousand years old.  The original form consisted of only eight movements, and whilst these same movements still exist within the form, it now comprises 140 movements structured into 42 sets.

Ho-Hsieh Lee lived with his family just outside Beijing (Peking). Later in his middle fifties he moved the family to Wei Hei Wei, a fishing village about 200 miles east of Beijing, where their descendants remained until 1934. The family had always been Taoists practising the Taoist arts of: The complete range of  T’ai Chi Ch’uan - T’ai Chi Stick, T’ai Chi Sword, T’ai Chi  Silk and more recently T’ai Chi Dance. The self defence arts which are taught in separate classes include: Feng Shou Ch’uan (Hand of the Wind Boxing); Chi Shu (the equivalent of Chinese Aikido); Chiao Li (Taoist Wrestling) and weapons training. The family practised together, with parents teaching their children.  The last three children, one daughter and two sons, had the responsibility of continuing the Family Arts. In fact the eldest of the three, Chan Kam Lee, was the only one to do so.

Chan Kam Lee, an unmarried businessman dealing in precious and semi-precious stones, finally opened a small office in the Holborn district of London, which in those days was the world centre of this trade. In 1933 he started a small class in Red Lion Square to keep himself fit and teach a few close fiends.  A chance meeting in Hyde Park brought a fourteen-year-old boy, himself Chinese, into contact with Chan Kam Lee.  The two became fiends and Chan Kam Lee invited this boy to join his little group in Holborn. That boy was Chee Soo.

Chan Kam Lee died in a storm off the coast of China in the winter of 1953/54.  Chee Soo turned down any title at that time. However in 1958, with so many groups and clubs being formed, Chee Soo decided to accept the post of President. Chee Soo formed the ‘The Chinese Cultural Arts Association’ and ‘The International Wu Shu Association’ which were based on the foundations laid down by Chan Kam Lee, and it grew from strength to strength in the British Isles and abroad. Many years later Chee Soo renamed his Association to ‘The International Taoist Society’.

Chee Soo devoted his life to the practice and teaching of the Taoist Arts, and anyone who has ever been to one of his classes will have seen for themselves the enthusiasm and love he had for these Chinese arts.

Master Howard Gibbon pictured above has been a practitioner of the Taoist Arts for thirty-four years, a student of the late Grand Master Chee Soo for twenty-one years.   Through dedicated practice and regular personal training with Chee Soo Howard was awarded the highest grade issued by the Grand Master. 

Having taught the Lee Family Style for the past thirty years Howard has guided many students to Instructor levels and continues the work of his Master in regular classes, weekend seminars and specialized workshops all over the country. Howard has also conducted seminars for the Education Service, Mental Health Authorities, Keep Fit Associations and taught in Jersey and Northern Ireland where he was sponsored by Londonderry County Council.

Howard has had several articles published in newspapers and magazines on aspects of the Taoist Arts. Howard has made a personal commitment to pass on the teachings he has received in a way that he feels follows the true spirit of the Arts.