The school’s Master, Yu Jim-Yuen, believed in rigorous physical training and harsh discipline. Every day began at five o’clock in the morning, and even the youngest students were required to run on the academy’s rooftop. “After the run, we’d march back down to breakfast, the sweat still wet on our bodies,” Chan wrote. “There was no time to stop for a bathroom break, because it was Master’s theory that any need to use the toilet in the morning meant we hadn’t been training hard enough…. The first time I made the mistake of asking to relieve myself, I was given ten extra laps to run.”

The children also were subject to frequent beatings with a cane, sometimes for misbehaving, but often for not training hard enough. In addition, the older boys often bullied the younger students, taking gifts and treats their parents had sent them. It was against the rules for a younger student to strike a “big brother,” so if a disagreement came to blows, the younger student could not fight back.

Chan describes one incident where he repeatedly insulted a bigger brother, and endured repeated strikes in the face. “He kept on hitting me…. My face began to swell with bruises… blood was pouring from my mouth and nose, my jaw was swollen like a chipmunk’s.”