Category Archives: Guest Articles

“The Five Animal, Five Element Boxing Set” of Hung Kyun Master Lam Sai Wing: Snake Section [Part 2 of 10]

“The Five Animal, Five Element Boxing Set” of Hung Kyun Master Lam Sai Wing: Snake Section [Part 2 of 10]

Whereas the dragon represents the spirit, the snake represents the Qi (氣), the breath, and circulation of energy within the human body. Sometimes referred to as a “little dragon,” the snake likewise speaks to the covert, and the unseen. 

The snake techniques are generally considered to be a bare-hand extrapolation of ancient spear technique, and as such exemplify the principle of, “defend with a circle; counter with a straight line.” The Hung Kyun maxim states, “hard counters the soft; soft controls the hard.” Thus, the snake’s hard bridging is manifest with rooted stance and iron force, heavy as a python’s coils, while it’s elusive twining, soft bridging action is unfelt until striking the vital points, venomous as a cobra’s touch. Continue reading

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[VIDEO] Dang Family Hung Kyun: “Smashing and Hitting Set” (Jong Da Kyun)

Dang Family Hung Kyun 鄧家洪拳: "Smashing and Hitting Set" (Jong Da Kyun 撞打拳) | Practical Hung Kyun

This is one of the original forms, and was the first form taught in the Dang Family Hung Ga curriculum. The form is much shorter than Gung Ji Fuk Fu Kyun, comprising of less than one hundred moves.

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“The Five Animal, Five Element Boxing Set” of Hung Kyun Master Lam Sai Wing: Intro & Dragon Section [Part 1 of 10]

“The Five Animal, Five Element” aka “Ten Forms“ Boxing Set of Hung Kyun Master Lam Sai Wing: Intro & Dragon Section [Part 1 of 10]

In the Wong Fei Hung curriculum, three famous sets, the “Gung 工 Character Tiger Subduing Set” (Gung Ji Fuk Fu Kyun 工字伏虎拳), the ““Tiger and Crane Twin Pattern Set”” (Fu Hok Seung Ying Kyun 虎鶴雙形拳), and the “Iron Thread Set” (Tit Sin Kyun 鐵線拳 ), are collectively known as “The Hung Kyun Three Treasures.” However, the “Ten Patterns Boxing Set” (Sap Ying Kyun 十形拳) was originally established by Lam Sai Wing, to revise and consolidate key portions of the curriculum as he had learned it from Wong Fei Hung.  Continue reading

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Hung Ga vs. Wing Cheun: Differences and Similarities

Hung Ga vs. Wing Cheun: Differences and Similarities

Today I would like to share my thoughts concerning the differences and similarities between Wing Cheun (Yip Jing and Yun Kei Saan lineage) and Hung Kyun (Lam Family lineage).  In the first place, please note that it is not the intention of this article to assert whether these excellent arts are superior to one another or to any other styles of martial arts.  My intention is to explore the similarities and differences between the two arts so as to expand knowledge and understanding of these arts.

Having trained in Wing Cheun for more than 20 years and Hung Kyun for nearly 10 years, it is quite clear despite some fundamental differences that both of these excellent arts have, they also share a number of similarities. Continue reading

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Legends of the Old Hung Ga Kyun Masters: Lau Jaam

The Story of Hung Ga Kyun Grandmaster Lau Jaam

Cantonese martial art Master Mr. Wong Fei Hung, among his inheritors, there were two famous names, one being verified as Leung Fun, and the next was apparently Mr. Lau Jaam. They both as known-brave and skillful in fighting, outstanding in the Wong Fei Hung. Leung Fun died early, and Lau Jaam healthy and still alive. In martial art Lau was in no way weaker than Leung. They treated Lau as junior to Leung. But actually Lau was not learning from Wong Fei Hung, instead he was the pupil of Lam Sai Wing.

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Pavel Macek Sifu on Attaining Balance, Practical Martial Arts and Being Strong [Podcast]

Pavel Macek Sifu on Attaining Balance, Practical Martial Arts and Being Strong - Podcast

Health, strength, and practical combat skills – these are some of the main themes of Robin Gamble Sifu’s Scholar-Warrior podcast with Practical Hung Kyun Chief Instructor, Pavel Macek Sifu.

Gamble Sifu’s motto of the podcast is simple:

“To become a Scholar Warrior is to become a truly balanced, cultured and cultivated person”

In this episode of the Scholar-Warrior podcast you find out how Pavel Macek Sifu: Continue reading

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The Unique Skill of the Double Dragon Sabres

In the Hung Kyun collection of Mr. Lam Jou, one of the most classic weapon skill is “Double Dragon Sabre” (Seung Lung Dou), it is the set that master Lam Jou often performed in his time.

The predecessor of Seung Lung Dou has not been previously investigated. However, the pattern of this sword set is similar to  “Single Battle Sword” (Daan Pok Dou 單朴刀). Comparing Seung Lung Dou to Geui Chung Dou the former uses different kind of blades. It should also be pointed out that Seung Lung Dou and the Cantonese “Butterfly Knives” (Wu Dip Dou) have a different origin. So we can assume that Seung Lung Dou was created in the beginning of the 20th century when different martial art styles came together in Hong Kong, perhaps this set is a result of inter-exchange between areas and cultures, it is also Lam Jou’s mastery and comprehensive study of Northern and Southern martial arts. Continue reading

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Hung Kyun’s Traveler’s Staff [Rare Video of Full Set]

Hung Kyun's Traveler’s Staff

The Hang Je Pang is the only double-ended staff set of Lam Family Hung Kyun, it is a set that Lam Jou incorporated to the Lam Family Hung Kyun. The set originates from another style of martial art.

The specific origin of this set, the “Traveler’s Staff”, also known as the “Monkey Pole”, is not well known, some say that it comes from a Northern martial art, whereas some say that it comes from the “Monkey Fist” of Fujian. Regardless of its origin, Lam Jou did some changes to the original set. He made adjustments to the arrangements and techniques, so the “Traveler’s Staff” we know today has a classic Hung Ga flavor to it.

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Tit Sin Kyun: Hung Kyun’s Internal Training Form

Simon Lam Chun Chung - Iron Wire Set (Tit Sin Kyun)

Tit Sin Kyun was a form passed down from Tit Kiu Saam (Iron Bridge Three), one of the ten tigers of Canton and a grandmaster of Hung Ga Kyun. The form was taught to Grandmaster Wong Fei Hung by Lam Fuk Sing, one of the students of Tit Kiu Saam.

Tit Sin Kyun is an internal form (Noi Gung 內功) of the Lam Ga Hung Kyun System. There is a common misconception that Tit Sin Kyun trains self defence techniques. Rather than solely training self defence techniques, Grandmaster Lam Chun Chung suggests that Tit Sin Kyun utilizes dynamic tension, breathing exercises and pronunciation of sounds to generate power in the practitioner’s bridge hands, improve rooting of the practitioner’s stance and improve the overall health of a practitioner by treating each of the five major organs of the human body (i.e. Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs and Kidneys). Continue reading

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Some Misconceptions of “Iron Thread Set” (Tit Sin Kyun)

Some Misconceptions of “Iron Thread Set" (Tit Sin Kyun)

There are a lot of stories on Tit Sin Kyun, the Iron Thread set, creating a mystic air. Some are nothing more than misconceptions and misinterpretations, partly because the Taoist holistic idea is not always easily translated into Western concepts.

This article will go into some often-heard misconceptions heard in the West and offers some references to other comparable current Western concepts. Continue reading

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