3 Generations of Lam Family: Lam Saiwing, Lam Jou and Lam Chun Sing (Lam Jansing)

3 Generations of Lam Family: Lam Saiwing, Lam Jou and Lam Chun Sing (Lam Jansing)

Lam Saiwing was born in the town of Naamhoi in the Pingjau district of the Gwongdung province. He worked as a butcher for many years and this is why is he sometimes known as "Porky" Wing ("Jyu yuk" Wing).

Martial arts were handed down in the Lam family from one generation to the next. Lam Saiwing began his study of chinese gungfu under the instruction of his grandfather Lam Geuichung. Later he studied with other masters, mainly master Wu Gamsing and Jung Hungsaan, a master of the fatga kyun style. At the age of twenty two, he became a disciple of Wong Feihung, at that time 13 years his senior, and remained a close disciple of the famous master for more then twenty years.

Lam decided to devote himself to the study and teaching of martial arts and opened a celebrated school in Bouwajing Street in Gwongjau. As a master of this school he often faced challenges from rival martial arts teachers, who wanted to test his gungfu. From the time of his study with Wong Feihung there is a very famous story about Lam Saiwing and his victory over the "Iron Head" monk in the Hoitong temple.

There are many stories about Lams' undisputed mastery of gungfu. Word reached Lam that a master, famous for his iron forearm, had ridiculed and vilified his gungfu. He went to the mater`s school, tore down the school sign and broke it in the middle. The enraged master challenged Lam to a fight. After a short series of hits and blocks, the master attacked from the ground with a side kick. Lam faced him and with a scissors block, broke his leg. Master Y.C. Wong (Wong Yiujing), who had originally narrated this story, added with a smile, that it reflected truth in the proverb that "everything bad is good for something." The defeated master, instead of further criticising Lams' gungfu started to produce Lam`s ditda medicine, because it healed fractures by "the famous Lam Saiwing" and with this shrewd marketing trick, he earned a lot of money.

One day a Japanese officer enrolled at Lam`s school under an assumed identity. He was a champion of jujitsu but didn't reveal his knowledge of martial arts because he wanted to test Lam`s gungfu. After approximately one month of training he told Lam he didn't understand or agree with such slow training of sets and argued that gungfu could not serve anybody usefully in real fight. He jumped on Lam, caught his front leg and tried to throw him to the ground. Lam Saiwing took a step forward and knocked the officer out with the "tiger claw" (fu jaau) technique. The chastened officer apologized and invited Lam onto his ship, where the entire crew stood to attention and fired a cannon salute for Lam Saiwing and his gungfu.

One of Master Lam`s most famous fights was the incident at the Loksin Theatre, situated in Changshou Lu street in Gwongjau. Lam Saiwing and around ten of his students (including Dang Fong and Dang Yi) were caught in a trap laid by a rival martial arts teacher. Lam and his students were attacked by vastly superior and armed group numbering hundreds. Lam's students sustained only soft injuries. The rival side counted more then 80 seriously injured and transported to hospital. Lam Saiwing was unwounded. The Ching authorities put a price on Lam`s head and he was forced to hide in the nearby province of Gwongsai. He returned to Gwongjau after the establishment of the Chinese republic.

In the first years of the Republic Lam was established as the main instructor of martial arts to the Kuomingtang army in Gwongdung, by the army officer Lei Fuklam.

In 1921 he demonstrated and performed his art for the financial benefit of Gwongjau orphanages and he was publicly honoured as the "Father of the Country" with the silver medal of Sunjatsen. When the Kuomintang set out on the North march (1926-1927), he accepted an offer of the position of martial arts instructor from the chairman of the Hong Kong butcher association, Wong Gamyun. He moved to Hong Kong, opened a school and founded the southern association of military physical training (Namm Mou Taiyuk Wui).

Lam Saiwing was responsible for the popularization of this style of Hungga, which he constantly improved as times changed. In contrast to old conservative masters, who kept their knowledge to themselves, he taught his disciples everything he knew and he set the standards for other masters of that time.

Lam Saiwing, the first patriarch of Lam Family Hung Kyun (LGHK), improved the system with many techniques. He devised the first bare-handed "sparring" set" (deui chaak): the "taming of the tiger in gung pattern sparring set " (gungji fuk fu kyun deuichaak) and with weapons - "Yeung family fifth son's eight diagram stick" (ng long baatgwa gwan deuichaak sparring set). Lam was also the author of the unique set with the western type of officer`s sword (daan ji fai dou).

He was also forward thinking for his time, in publishing three (now classic) books, which were written under his direction by his students, Jyu Yukjai, Lei Saifai and Jeung Saibiu. These books were based on the three fundamentals sets of the Hungga style -

"taming of the tiger in gung pattern" (gung ji fuk fu kyun)
"tiger and crane" (fu hok seung ying kyun) and
"iron thread" (tit sin kyun)

These were some of the first books about traditional martial arts of Southern China.

Gandmaster and patriarch of LGHK, Lam Jou, known also as Lam Gunkau, was born in 1910 in Gwongdung province, district of Naamhoi, Pingjau town. As a child he was an orphan and he was adopted by his famous uncle Lam Saiwing. Under his direction, he began a 6 year period of training. Apart from martial arts he also studied traditional chinese medicine, (ditda yifo: the branch of TCM specializing in injuries made by falls or strokes) and treatment of fractures, excavations, bruises, etc.

Owing to his abilities and diligence, he began teaching at the age of 16 - at first as an instructor in Lam Saiwings' association of military physical training (Naam Mou Taiyuk Wui) and later at his uncle's school where he eventually became his successor. Owing to his power, speed, dexterity and perfect techniques he became famous throughout China and people called him "sifu" ("master") as a young man. As a 30 year old he presented gungfu to the British army and navy seals and amazed chinese and foreign audiences. The London press published many photographs of him. Because of Lam Jou, the Hungga style spread over the whole of Southern China. His most famous disciples at this time were Chan Hon Chung (Chan Honjung), Ho See Kit (Ho Sigit), Wong Lee (Wong Lei) and Chiu Kao (Jiu Gaau).

During the Second World War Lam Jou actively joined the anti-Japanese revolt. After the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, disturbances broke out in the streets and Lam Jou`s school was closed down. The Japanese recognised that Lam Jou was a man with considerable influence over the local townspeople and tried to force him to become a member of the local administration. Lam Jou refused to co-operate with them. He escaped to his native land in Gwongdung and secretly taught martial arts there. After the war, he moved back to Hong Kong, opened his school and medical practice again and acted as a martial arts consultant for many associations and commercial institutions.

Of the four grandmaster`s sons, the oldest one, Anthony Lam Chun Fai (Lam Janfai, www.hungkuen.com), Simon Lam Chun Chung (Lam Janjung) and the youngest one, Lam Chun Sing (Lam Jansing, www.hunggakuen.org) still practice martial arts. The talented George Lam Chun Hin (Lam Janhin), the second oldest grandmaster's son, died aged 80 years.

In the United States, "adopted son" Tang Kwok Wah (Dang Gwokwa), Y.C. Wong (Wong Yiujing, www.tigercrane.com), Lei Yatming and a disciple of grandmaster's oldest son, Bucksam Kong (Gong Baksaan), are the most popular propagators of the Lam family gungfu in the West.

Grandmaster Lam Jou improved the LGHK system with many innovations, such as principles and techniques of the northern styles, enlargement of arms techniques, the "tiger and crane" sparring set (fu hok seung ying deui chaak) and many weapons sparring sets.

Lam Jansing sifu Lam Jansing sifu, "tyč osmi trigramů pátého syna" (ng long baatgwa gwan) The youngest son of the legendary grand master Lam Jou 林祖, Grandmaster Lam Chun Sing (林鎮成 Lam Jansing) was born on 30th January 1952. Brought up in a family of expert Gung Fu 功夫 masters, Lam Chun Sing sifu began his Gung Fu 功夫 training as soon as he could stand on his two feet. The training was extremely hard and demanding. Like his brothers and sisters, Master Lam had to train everyday under the strict discipline of his famous father. He practiced day after day, year after year without fail. Not training meant severe punishment like being hanged upside down in the mid air by iron chain. Needles to say that correct training and becoming proficient in the family art of Lam Family Hung Kyun (Lam Ga Hung Kyun 林家洪拳, LGHK) was taken extremely serious in the Lam Family house hold. Every move, every principle and concept of the art had to be perfected before moving on to the next. For Master Lam, this was the way of life. His natural talents and dedication together with years of painfully rigorous training, under strict discipline allowed Lam sifu to quickly grasp and master all that his father taught him. He is one of only hand full of masters who knows all the ins and outs of LGHK by heart.

As Gung Fu and traditional Chinese medicine goes hand in hand, Lam sifu also learned and mastered the traditional art of dit da 跌打 alongside LGHK. He was taught all the various methods of treating a patient as well as learning the traditional herbal formulas which were only passed down from father to son or master to selected student. As a young man Lam sifu assisted his father with teaching Gung Fu 功夫 and helped him with treating patients.

In 1973, Lam Chun Sing sifu set up his own Gung Fu gymnasium and dit da 跌打 clinic in Jordan of Hong Kong where he taught the traditional art of LGHK to anyone wishing to learn. Later on he closed down the Jordan school before venturing into business and returned to teaching LGHK at his father's legendary studio. Over the years, Lam sifu has been invited to give demonstrations, lead seminars and teach private classes in various countries around the world. He has taught and continues teach LGHK to students from many different countries such as England, Italy, Czech Republic, America, Greece and Slovakia.

In a league of his own, Lam sifu is an exceptional master of Gung Fu and a first class teacher. He has devoted his life to the research, promotion and advancement of LGHK. Lam sifu is truly an excellent martial arts teacher and a living example of what he teaches. With years of first hand experience, in-depth knowledge and wisdom under his belt, Lam sifu knows exactly how to teach and pass on the complete art of LGHK to the future generations. Patient and precise, he is extremely careful and accurate when it comes to teaching and guiding his students. He always takes the time to thoroughly explain what he teaches and encourages his students to train properly and devotes the time & energy necessary to become proficient in what they learn.