Question: Sifu,  I have a question. I have found out that Wong Fei Hung used an umbrella as a weapon.

Do you know any form and application of an umbrella, or is lost?

Thank you!

Andrea C.

Answer: According to historical accounts, an umbrella was actually one of the favorite weapons of Wong Kei Ying, Wong Fei Hung’s father, not Wong Fei Hung. Please see an entertaining video below, from a legendary movie Iron Monkey.

Wong Kei Ying is played by Donnie Yen, and gives a nice show of an umbrella fighting.

I personally think that there was no formal umbrella set passed down from Wong Kei Ying to Wong Fei Hung and the subsequent generations, although various lineages (and styles) today teach do teach an umbrella set.

Grand Master Ho Lap Tin, disciple of Grand Master Dang Fong, taught a set called Shaolin Dragon and Tiger Umbrella (Siu Lam Lung Fu Saan), as well as other more exotic weapon, like farmer’s hoe. His book Self Defence Hung Ka Pugilism. Umbrella of Dragon and Tiger. Eight Styles for Body Health is highly recommended.

My personal suggestion: Instead of learning or composing a new set, you can easily adapt techniques from long pole to umbrella. That is exactly what we do in our Practical Hung Kyun curriculum. Level 2 students (2^nd Kap) learn to apply the techniques from Six and Half Point Long Pole set to various improvised weapons, including an umbrella.

As for other styles/lineages,  Grand Master Wong Kiew Kit of Shaolin Wahnam teaches a nice traditional umbrella set called “Through-Cloud Umbrella” (Chyun Wan Saan) – please check the video below.

Pavel Macek Sifu, Practical Hung Kyun

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