My Kung Fu Is an Umbrella
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Feb 28
- 3 min read
Act 1
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - 13:30
The lunch rush is in full swing. The clinking of spoons against porcelain bowls and the loud conversations.
In a private room, two large round tables are occupied by COUNSEL. They're in the middle of a chambers lunch. PETER sits among them.
PETER (V.O.): In terms of years of call. I'm the most senior here. 1985. But in terms of private practice, I only began in 2017.
COUNSEL#1: Do you have a certificate or a formal lineage?
COUNSEL#2: No.
COUNSEL#3: I see many Kung Fu movies. It's all about balance and deflection.
COUNSEL#4: I like Wing Chun. Straight lines, close range.
It seems that Peter understands the exchanges.
COUNSEL#5: The art of it is about discipline.
A thoughtful expression crossing Peter's face.
Act 2
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS
COUNSEL#6: You appear to have a good understanding of Kung Fu.
PETER: I've a solicitor friend who practices Wing Chun, and his Sifu is a student of Yip Man.
COUNSEL#7: Bruce Lee's renowned teacher.
PETER: Recently, I visited a Wing Chun museum in Fo Shan...
A WAITRESS places a plate of steamed fish on the table.
PETER (Cont'd): In the 1960s, I worked as a part-time waiter. When we weren't busy, my colleagues and I would chat about Kung Fu, and some would demonstrate, stances, punches and kicks.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): In the 1970s, I worked in Govt's Squatter Control Unit, demolishing illegal structures.
All listen with keen interest.
PETER (Cont'd): When I discovered any illegal structures in the areas I was answerable, I'd report them and would later head a demolition team to take them down. Tense work.
COUNSEL#8: People's homes! Their livelihoods!
COUNSEL#9: Your job then sounds dangerous.
PETER: I never worried about being physically harmed during the operations...what I worried about was my solo patrols.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): So I devised a defence. A simple one. An umbrella.
He mimes holding one, slightly raised and at an angle.
PETER (Cont'd): Always carried it to fend off possible attackers.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Although my most persistent adversaries were aggressive village dogs, I thought an umbrella might not be enough.
A small, relieved laugh from the group.
PETER (Cont'd): When I knew a friend's uncle practised Lama Pai, I begged to become his disciple.
COUNSEL#2: Lama Pai is really special.
PETER: Sifu taught me a few forms. Practical, efficient moves. Nothing flashy. It was his way.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): I've never used it. But I never forgot my Sifu.
Peter looks down at his own hands, resting on the table cloth.
PETER (V.O.): The last time I saw him was...oh, it must be 40 years ago now. 1986.
FLASHBACK
EXT. ADMIRALTY - LUNCH TIME (1986)
Peter (32) in a dark suit, is walking through and sees his SIFU (50s) in casual wear.
PETER: Ah Sifu! Why you're here?
SIFU: I've a challenging yet rewarding assignment to do in the vicinity. And you?
PETER: I've joined the Attorney General's Chambers as an Assistant Crown Counsel.
SIFU: Good. The law needs good people.
RETURN TO PRESENT
Peter looks up, meeting the eyes of his chamber mates.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 23:45
Peter uploads an image of the type umbrella he used to carry during squatter control work to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): My Kung Fu is my umbrella. The world sees a barrister, an old man at a chambers lunch. But in my 20s, I learned that the thing, held with certainty, can change how I walk through the world.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Sifu has been gone for years. The umbrella itself was disposed of long ago. But when I stand to speak, when the ground meets my feet and the breath moves through me, I'm still holding it.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Sifu never gave me a certificate or a formal lineage. He gave me a stance and a breath. Forty years later, that is still enough.
The END
FADE OUT
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