Born during the late Qing Dynasty, So Chan was from Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong, or Hunan according to one source,[1] he was skilled in unarmed Chinese martial arts skills in Drunken Eight Immortals Boxing (醉八仙) and Shaolin staff (少林棍棒) said to be taught by the Shaolin monk Chan Fook,[2] and also Brutal boxing (殘拳).