Lam Family Hung Kuen
Lam Sai Wing
Lam Sai Wing (1861-1943) was born in Ping Jau, in the Nam Hoi (Nanhai) prefecture of Guangdong province, China. Raised in a family of skilled kung fu masters, he began his martial arts training at an early age, learning Hung Kuen and traditional Chinese medicine from his father, Lam Che-chung, his grandfather, Lam Bak-sin, and his granduncle, Lam Geui-chung.
His strong interest, natural ability and unbreakable dedication allowed the young Lam Sai Wing to learn and progress rapidly. Due to his skill he had already made name for himself before reaching adulthood. In time he mastered his family style but was still yearning for more. His hunger to learn further and dedication to improve, perfect his skill led him to seek out and train with some of the most well know gung fu masters of his time.
Lam Sai Wing is said to have studied under six or seven renowned kung fu masters, including notable martial artists like Wu Kam Sing and Chung Hung San, an expert in the Buddhist Fist (Fat Gar). He also learned from Lam Fook Sing, a respected disciple of the famous Tid Kiu Saam, before eventually becoming an inner chamber disciple of the legendary Wong Fei Hung.
By the time he met Wong Fei Hung, Lam Sai Wing had already gained recognition as a skilled martial artist in southern China, respected for his martial abilities, virtues, and legendary strength. It is said that Lam Sai Wing was an imposing figure with a muscular build, capable of carrying a sandbag weighing several hundred jin (1 jin = 0.5 kilograms) on his back. He was also known to have the strength to single-handedly slaughter a full-grown hog and haul it to a cart.
At the time of their meeting, Wong Fei Hung was not accepting students and initially refused to teach Lam Sai Wing. In fact, he had a sign outside his clinic that read, “拳術武藝難以傳授千 不傳求師莫問” (“Boxing skills and martial arts are hard to learn; I will not teach for a thousand jin of gold, so desist from asking”). Despite this, Lam Sai Wing remained determined and persistent, ultimately succeeding in becoming one of Wong Fei Hung’s indoor disciples. Under Wong Fei Hung’s careful guidance, Lam Sai Wing trained for decades, mastering not only martial arts but also Wong Fei Hung’s famous Dit Da skills and the lion dance.
In those days, a martial artist’s reputation was earned through combat and practical skill, with open challenges and fights being common occurrences to prove one’s abilities. The more renowned the martial artist, the more challenges they faced. Lam Sai Wing, as a prominent master of his time, accepted all challengers and remained undefeated. His victories cemented his status, and he quickly became one of the most respected figures in the martial arts community. There are countless real-life accounts and stories about Lam Sai Wing, including the famous Lok Sin Theater incident, where he and a handful of his students were trapped and forced to fight for their lives against hundreds of armed opponents, emerging unscathed.
Due to his growing fame, Lam Sai Wing became highly sought after and opened several schools across the province to teach Hung Kuen. Students from all over southern China flocked to study under him. As an exceptional teacher, he trained many talented and high-caliber students. He was also asked to instruct the military in martial arts and became the head instructor for the newly formed Republic of China’s army in Canton. In 1921, after performing the Tiger Crane Paired Form Fist (虎鶴雙形拳) to raise funds for an orphanage in Guangdong, Lam Sai Wing received praise from the famous Chinese revolutionary and political leader, Sun Yat-sen. Sun awarded him a silver presidential medal and addressed him as Mr. Fuk-Hok (虎鶴先生). Some accounts also suggest that Lam Sai Wing won the title of champion at the first provincial martial arts competition held in Canton in 1908, at the end of the Qing Dynasty.
Beyond his martial arts and medical expertise, Lam Sai Wing was revered for his strong character, honesty, righteousness, and moral integrity. He was not only an excellent teacher but also a true Kung Fu master with numerous accomplishments to his name.
Lam Sai Wing is also widely recognized for his tireless efforts to openly teach, spread, and preserve the art of Hung Gar. Unlike many masters of his era, he taught openly and without reservation. He was the first Hung Gar master to publish books on the style. With the help of his disciple, Chu Yu Jai, he wrote and published three books on Hung Kuen, which are now considered treasured works of the Hung Gar style. His continued dedication and many contributions to the advancement of Hung Kuen are well-documented and highly respected.
Lam Sai Wing did not have children of his own but adopted his orphaned nephew, Lam Cho and raised him as his own son, imparting all his knowledge of Chinese Martial Arts and Medicine.
In the early 1920s, Lam Sai Wing was invited by the Hong Kong Butchers’ Association to teach his style in Hong Kong. He eventually moved to Hong Kong, bringing his nephew with him.
Once in Hong Kong, Lam Sai Wing quickly established himself as a leading martial arts master and continued to teach and spread Hung Gar. He founded the Southern Martial Physical Culture Association (Nam Mou Taiyuk Wui), a key institution for the training and promotion of Hung Gar. Under his guidance, the school became a hub for martial artists from all over Hong Kong, further cementing Lam Sai Wing’s reputation as a skilled and respected teacher.
Lam Sai Wing also earned a reputation as a practitioner of both martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine, and his clinic in Hong Kong attracted many patients seeking his expertise in Dit Da (traditional injury treatment). His teachings, both in martial arts and medicine, left a lasting impact on the region.
During his time in Hong Kong, Lam Sai Wing trained many students, passing on his knowledge of Hung Gar to future generations. His legacy in Hong Kong is widely remembered, as he played a crucial role in preserving and expanding the art of Hung Gar during this period. Lam Sai Wing passed away in 1943 but left a legacy of martial arts that thrived and spread all over the world.
