Hung Gar is one of the most popular styles of the traditional kung fu in the Word. Its beginnings go back to the times of the Ching dynasty (1644-1911) and are inseparably related to the person of Hung Hei Guan (Juy) whose surname gave the name to the system.

HUNG HEE GUNG

Hung Hee Gung (Hung Hei Goon / Hung Hei Guan) (1745-1825) whose real name was Juy, was the descendant of the prince Ming Leung of Ming dynasty. The rule of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was finished by the Manchurians who conquered whole of China and established the Ching dynasty. Manchurians exploited the Chinese people which resulted in a very hard life and dissatisfaction. Thus many organizations were founded in order to remove the Manchurian dynasty from China. Due to his origins Juy joined the rebel and when he was in danger he went to the South Shaolin Monastery where many rebels were hiding from the Manchurian authorities. Juy changed his name to Hung Hai Kwun - to praise the first emperor of the Ming dynasty who had ruled under the name of "Hungmou". In the Shaolin Monastery Hung became the disciple of the prior of the temple Chee Shin. From him Hung learned the tiger style and the Lohan style as well as the Fok Fu Kuen form. In that period Shaolin Monastery was destroyed (around 1768), Hung and part of the rebels survived the attack on the temple. After the Monastery had been destroyed Hung withdrew from the rebel, married Lau Ying Cheun who gave him the son Hung Manding. During that time Hunk worked as a tea merchant and improved his style. Several years later his wife died. Hung joined the rebel again and in that time he met his future wife Fong Wing Chung, the master of white crane style. From her Hung learned the crane techniques which later he adopted to his style. By meeting and learning together with other Kung Fu masters Hung learnt the techniques of other animals and the techniques of five elements. Due to that Hung's style became much better and Hung himself became a better warrior. His skills allowed Hung to defeat many enemies which gave him fame and respect. Continuing his actions to overthrow the Manchurian dynasty Hung traveled on the Chinese opera troupe barges on the Pearl River - they were known as "Red Boats". They were a shelter for rebels and a place of training. 

LUK AH CHOY

Luk Ah Choy was another well known disciple of the abbot Gee Sin Sim See and classmate of Hung Hei Guan. He, unlike many other Hung Gar masters was a Manchu descendant who is credited for his efforts to spread the art of Hung Gar. It is indicated by some sources that Luk Ah Choy started his gung fu training as a young boy under a monk named Li Bakfu who taught Luk Ah Choy the FA Kuen (Flower Fist), a northern style of kung fu. He became an expert in this style.
Luk Ah Choy trained under Gee Sin for a long time. Acording to one story when, Gee Sin heard about Hung Hei Guan's school he sent Luk Ah Choy to FA city to further develop his skills under Hung Hei Guan and help him with his new school which had already became one of the most famous kung fu schools in southern China. Hung Hei Guan passed all his skills on to Luk Ah Choy, teaching Ah Choy everything he knew including the famous Tiger/Crane Set - Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen which he had developed. Luk Ah Choy became an expert in Hung Gar Kuen. He was later sent to Canton by Hung Hei Guan to spread the art of Hung Gar in Canton. According to some sources, Luk Ah Choy opened a school in Canton where he taught Hung Gar openly to the public.
Luk Ah Choy's best student was Wong Tai (and later Wong Kei Ying) who learned the complete system under his sifu's instructions and became an expert in the Hung style. From this point onwards, the traditions and teachings of Hung Gar were carried on by the three generation of the Wong Family: Wong Tai, his son Wong Kei Ying and grandson Wong Fei Hung. It is believed that Luk Ah Choy died at the age of 68.

TIT KIU SAM

Tit Kiu Sam was born in the years of the emperor Jai Jing rule (1796 - 1821) and lived during the rule of emperor Xian Feng and emperor Tong Zhi, he died in the twelfth or thirteenth year of the rule of emperor Guang Xu (1887 or 1888), he lived 70 years, he was an opium smoker and died due to overtraining. "Tit Kiu" means an "iron bridge" and "Sam" a third son in the family. Tik Kiu Sam learned several kung fu styles wondered all over China seeking new teachers. This way he learned lion's scream, old Siu Lam Hugn Kuen (which is based on 10 animals and five predecessors of the Chinese boxing) and Taoist Chi Kung. On the grounds of his knowledge he created Tit Sin Chi Kuen (around 1850) in which he united 12 Kiu Sau and Taoist Chi Kung, it improved health and made the arms hard as an iron. Later on this form was adapted to Hung Gar system where it became the most advanced form.

WONG TAI

Wong Tai always had an interest in kung fu and begun his training in Chinese Martial Arts at a young age. When Luk Ah Choy came to Canton, Wong Tai went to learn the famous Hung Gar style under Luk Ah Choy who accepted him as a student and taught him all he knew. Some claim that Wong Tai also trained under Hung Hei Goon too. Wong Tai, passed his knowledge on to his famous son Wong Kei Ying who had also said to have trained under his fathers teacher Luk Ah Choy.
There isn't really much information or any documented material available on Wong Tai and his life. His involvment in Hung Gar style is often overshadowed by his famous grandson, the legendary folk hero Wong Fei Hung. Not suprisingly his name is often missed out in Hung Gar lineages too.
The Hung style was passed down within the Wong family, from father to son for three generations.

WONG KEI YING

Wong Kei Ying, son of Wong Tai and father of the famous Hung Gar master and Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, was said to have born in the Nam Hoi district of Kwungtung province. Wong Kei Ying was well known and respected for his skills in kung fu as well as his knowledge and skills in traditional Chinese medicine. Although sometimes over shadowed by his son's fame, he is widely regarded as one of the best martial artists of his time and was one of the Ten Tigers of Kwungtung.
Wong Kei Ying started learning Hung Gar at a very young age, first under his father then Luk Ah Choy. After years of hard training and dedication, Wong learned and mastered the Hung Gar Kuen under the guidance of his teacher Luk Ah Choy and his father Wong Tai. He later opened a dit da clinic and gung fu school in KwungTung.
Although Wong Kei Ying had excellent skills and had already mastered all he was taught, he was not satisfied and searched for other Hung Gar practitioners to improve his understanding of the style as well as his existing skills. Being a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine he, often had to travell all over China to find and bring back herbs and medicine to his clinic in Kwungtung. During his travels, he met many famous and skilled masters of kung fu which helped him to further improve his martial skills and knowledge in Kung Gar. His son Wong Fei Hung also travelled with him from a very young age which gave young Wong Fei Hung the chance to meet and train with some of the best kung fu masters of the time. It is said that during one of their journeys , they helped a famous martial artist who was performing his kung fu skills in the street and accidentally hurt a bystander. The street performer was Lam Fook Sing who was a top student of the famous Tid Kiu Sam (Leung Gwan). Wong Kei Ying helped Lam Fook Sing by treating the bystander. Lam Fook Sing was so grateful that in return for their help he taught both Wong Kei Ying and young Wong Fei Hung the famous internal form of Hung Gar "Tid Sin Kuen".

WONG FEI HUNG

Wong Fei Hung was born (circa 1847) in the Nam Hoi district of Kwungtung province into a well respected and famous family of kung fu practitioners. He is the most famous and extremely well known Hung Gar master to date whose life has been immortalized by hundreds of movies, publications, TV shows etc. Wong Fei Hung is widely considered as the father of modern day Hung Gar due to his additions and the pivotal role on the development of Hung Gar as we know today.
Wong Fei Hung started learning gung fu and traditional Chinese medicine from a very young age under the guidance of his father Wong Kei Ying. As a young boy, Wong Fei Hung traveled with his father all over China which gave him the opportunity to meet and train with some of the best gung fu masters of the time. During one of these travels (as mentioned above) he met Lam Fook Sing, a student of the famous Master Tid Kiu Sam. Lam Foon Sing passed all his knowledge on to Wong Fei Hung including the form Tid Sin Kuen which was created by Tid Kiu Sam.
As Wong Fei Hung grew up, he earned an excellent reputation for his gung fu as well as for his skills as a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. He also became known and respected for his strong character, honesty, righteousness and moral values. He always helped those in need without asking for anything in return. Wong Fei Hung's martial skills and the effectiveness of his style (Hung Gar) was tested and proven time and time again in many open challenges. Many famous and skilled gung fu fighters of the time came to cross hands with Wong Fei Hung but none could defeat him. He soon became one of the most famous masters of his time if not the most famous. His name and stories about his gung fu skills and moral values spread far and wide. Wong Fei Hung eventually inherited his father's school and clinic "Po Chi Lum" where thousands of people came to be accepted as his disciple and study his famous Hung Gar kung fu. It must be mentioned that besides his martial and medical skills, he was well known for h is excellent Lion Dance and was referred to as the "King Of Lions". Wong Fei Hung was also the head instructor of the Kwuntung army and leader of the Civilian Militia.
As mentioned earlier, grandmaster Wong is widely known as the father of modern day Hung Gar due to the reason that using his excellent knowledge and hand on experience he further developed and modified Hung Gar.One of his greatest legacies and masterpiece is the Fu Hok Sheung Yin Kuen, or Tiger and Crane set, which he re-choreographed and further developed. Many important aspects and principles were further developed and added in , such as the unique internal training handed down by the Tid Kiu Sam, 10 special hands(sup duk sao- sup jeut sao) also known as 10 killing hands, theory of yin-yang, 5 elements, 7 stars etc. The ten special hands were the ten most favored techniques/principles of Wong Fei Hung which he used in many challenges to defeat his opponents.He is also accredited for developing and creating the Sup Ying Kuen as a bridge form between Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen and Tid Sin Kuen.
Wong Fei Hung was married four times and had many children. Three of his wives sadly died due to illness. It is said that his first wife died not long after their wedding. Wong had no children from the first wife, however his second wife bore him two boys who were named Wong Hon-Sum and Wong Hon-Lam. Sadly, she also died. Grandmaster Wong's third wife did not live long either, she also bore two sons for Wong, they were named Wong Hon-Hei and Wong Hon-Hsu. It is said that Wong Fei Hung's first son Wong Hon-Sum was excellent in gung fu, however he was ambushed and shot dead by gangsters. After this tragic incident Wong Fei Hung stopped teaching gung fu to his other children only to protect them.
He did not remarry for many years until he met Mok Gwai Lan through a funny but rather embarrassing incident on Wong Fei Hung behalf. It is said that Wong Fei Hung and his students were asked to perform lion dance and demonstrate kung fu for the anniversary of the Lam Hoi Association. After excellent lion dance performance and gung fu demonstration by his students, the grandmaster Wong Fei Hung stepped out to demonstrate his famous skills to the eagerly waiting crowd. During his performance, one of his shoes accidentally came off, flew into the crowd and hit a young woman in the face. Wong Fei Hung quickly approached her and apologized. The young woman was furious and slapped Wong in the face and told him off in front of the crowd saying that such a famous master of gung fu had no excuse and should be more carefully. After this incident, Wong Fei Hung could not forget about the young woman and later found out that her name was Mok Gwai Lan and she was not yet married. She was also from a resp ectable family of gung fu masters and was skilled in her family style of Mok Gar gung fu. (Mok Gar is one of the 5 main family styles of the southern gung fu). It is said that she learned Mok Gar under his uncle who was also a good friend of Wong Fei Hung. Despite the age difference, Wong Fei Hung eventually married her. Because of her background in Mok Gar gung fu and her interest, Grandmaster Wong taught her the Hung Gar system. Later she became an instructor at her husband's school and was responsible for teaching a all women's class. After Wong Fei Hung passed away (circa 1924) she moved to Hong Kong with her children and lived in Wanchai where she carried on teaching gung fu until her death. She was interviewed by Hong Kong TV a few times in the late sixties, and early seventies. When she was about 83, she was interviewed by the Hong Kong TV and performed the famous Tiger and Crane form .
Wong Fei Hung had many outstanding students. One of the most famous and well known of his students who carried on the legacy and teachings of his master was Lam Sai Wing. Wong Fei Hung had two other excellent students Leung Foon and Ling Wan Gai. However they both died at a young age and never had students of their own. It is said that Leung Foo was one of Grandmaster Wongs top student, but sadly he got addicted to opium and soon fell ill and died.
Wong Fei Hung remains as the most famous of all Hung Gar masters to date. The story of his life has been immortalized by over hundred movies, publications, TV and radio shows. Kwan Tak Hing a well known Chinese actor rose to fame playing the character of Wong Fei Hung over 80 plus black/white and colured movies. Even today many movies and TV shows are still made about his life and his adventures by such famous actors like Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

LAM SAI WING

Lam Sai Wing was born in 1861 and died in 1942. When he was young he learnt kung fu from his father, he practiced very hard and thus he became a master of the family style. Then he learnt from such famous masters as Ng Cheun and Wong Fei Hung. When he was 20 he became famous, opened his own school in Kwantung where more than 10000 disciples learned during its existence. During the last years of the Ching dynasty ruling, a tournament was organized in which Lam Sai Wing won the first price and thus became more famous than the town of Kwantung itself. Si Fu Lam Sai Wing made Hung Gar one of the best known and popular styles in Kwantung and Hong Kong. At the beginning of the XX century together with one of his students he published three books which contained the description of the forms Kung Chi Fok Fu Kuen, Fu Hok Seung Ying Kueng, Tit Sin Kuen - these books are still being republished. Lam Sai Wing joined the Ching Wu Association which was created in 1909. He became the head of the Hung Gar line in Hong Kong. Through Ching Wu many masters exchanged their views and knowledge. At that time also a basic learning programme independent of the style was created.

CHIU KOW

Chiu Kow was born in 1895 in the Sam Kong county of Kwangtung province of southern China. Chiu Kow came from a poor family and spend most of his early childhood with his family in his home village. He was only 12 years old when he left his home to find work in a foreign country. Under the care of his uncle, he first traveled to Malaysia to work as a miner. Working in the mines was a dangerous job, work conditions were terrible and the pay was bad. Like his fellow countrymen, Chiu Kow was mistreated and often bullied. The life was hard for all the Chinese workers. Due to his young age, it was even worst for Chiu Kow.

Besides Malaysia, young Chiu Kowalso traveled and worked in Singapore and Indonesia. It was during his time in Singapore, when Chiu Kow first started training in kung fu. His interest and desire to learn kung fu was sparked when he witnessed a challenge fight between Leng Jai Yuk (Wong Yuk), a Hung Gar expert and Ha Shan Fu, a well known exponent of internal style of kung fu of the time. This public challenge match, which took place in front of a huge crowd, did not last long. Countering his opponent’s fierce attacks, Leng Jai Yuk knocked his opponent down dead with a single blow. Immensely impressed by Leng Jai Yuk's victory and gung fu skills, Chiu Kow went on to learn Hung Gar kung fu from Leng Jai Yuk's (Wong Yuk) uncle for many years.

After working abroad for many years, Chiu Kow decided to return to his home country. It was also during this period when Chiu Kow met Wong Sou Lan and married her in China. Wong later adopted her new name, Siu Ying. Being interested in kung fu and coming from a well-known and respected family of martial artists, Wong started learning Hung Kuen from her husband. They decided to settle down and live in Hong Kong where they could also continue with their kung fu training. They continued their Hung Gar training at the Lam Sai Wing National Art Association at Hong Kong Island, later they learnt at Lam Sai Wing National Wing Art Association Second Branch at Kowloon. After many years of training, Chiu Kow finally established his first Hung Gar school in Hong Kong during the year of 1935. Chiu Kow together with his wife taught Hung Gar to anyone interested. However, in 1941 due to Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, the couple had to close down their school and traveled to Kwangtung where they worked as herbal doctors. After the Japanese invasion, the couple returned to Hong Kong and re-opened their kung fu school. Chiu Kow and his wife became well known figures in the Chinese martial arts circle of Hong Kong. Besides teaching kung fu and running a dit-da clinic, Chiu Kow also took part in many martial arts performances, competitions and public events in Hong Kong and China to spread his style of kung fu. Chiu Kow and Siu Ying had five children, all of whom learned kung fu from their father and mother. Chiu Kow passed away on 20th of February 1995 , leaving his legacy and teachings to his family and students. Today, his sons Chiu Wai and Chiu Chi Ling continue to teach and spread the Hung style around the world.
 

CHIU WAI

Chiu Wai is born in 1931 in Hong Kong, China. Starting at the age of 7, he learnt traditional Hung Gar martial arts from his father Chiu Kow. The late Master Chiu Kow (1895-1995) and his wife Siu Ying (1904-2002) were disciples of Hung Gar Master Lam Sai Wing (1861-1942). Master Lam was the prominent protégé of the famus Hung Gar master Wong Fei Hung (1850-1933).

Master Chiu Wai has taught Hung Gar for over 50 years until his retirement in 1993.
In his teenage years, he was the assistant in his father's martial art school and dit-da clinic.
He set up his own school and clinic in 1957. Since them, he has thaught Hung Gar to thousands of students. He is also famous for Chinese dit-da medical treatment. In the seventies, he was invited to teach Hung Gar to movie stars and extras in the Shaw Film Studio in Sai Kung, Hong Kong.
Many of his students have moved overseas and keep on teaching Hung Gar in North America, Europe and Australia.
After his retirement, Master Chiu emigrated to Canada. He is 76 year old now, and his lives in Calgary, Alberta. He is still active in the Chinese community in downtown Calgary. Being a honorary committee member of the Calgary Chinese Eldery Citizen's Association, he acts as a volunteer in teaching Hung Gar at the Calgary Chinatown Senior's Center.

Following Master Chiu's footsteps in teaching Hung Gar and operating a dit-da medical clinic are his elder son in Calgary, Ambrose Kwok Keung Chiu, and his younger son in Hong Kong, Dennis Kwok Kei Chiu.

Master Chiu Wai'a achievement in Chinese martial arts tournaments throughout his career life are shown below.
1957,1958,1959 - First Honour Prize, Guangdong Martial Arts Tournaments.
1979 - First Honour Prize, in southern Chinese Martial Arts, Nanning, Guangxi.
1980 - First Honour Prize, in southern Chinese Martial Arts, Taiyuan, Shanxi.
1985 - 1st runner up in southern Chinese Martial Arts, and 1st International Tournamentbof Chinese Wushu, Xian, Shaanxi,
1986 - 1st runner up in southern Chinese Martial Arts, and 2nd International Tournamentbof Chinese Wushu, Tianjin,

AMBROSE CHIU

Ambrose Kwok Keung Chiu born in Hong Kong in 1957. He started his training on Hung Gar Martial Arts since he was a child. In the summer of 1976 after finishing secondary school in Hong Kong, he went to Toronto, Canada for further education. After he finish he education at the University of Toronto in 1982, he returned to Hong Kong with Bachelor of Sciences degree. It was then he replenished his knowledge of dit-da medical treatment. At first he work as an assistant at his father's clinic. Apprenticeship is one of the channels to acquire skills in dit-da medical treatment.
Through a famous senior acupuncturist from Shanghai, he has also learned acupuncture techniques and fundamental theories of traditional Chinese medical treatment. His knowledge on acupuncture points has become a good supplement to dit-da treatment. Since 1985 he become a full-time dit-da medical practitioner in Hong Kong. In 1997 he moved his clinic to Calgary. He is the recommended dit-da medical practitioner for the Calgary Chinese Eldery Citizen's Association and Calgary Vietnam Chinese Association.
Following Master Chiu Wai's footsteps he is still teaching Hung Gar Martial Art's in Calgary, Canada.

MARCIN JÓŹWIAK

Marcin Jóźwiak The founder and the person running the school of Chinese martial arts - ACADEMY of TRADITIONAL HUNG GAR KUNG FU. He has been training the Hung Gar Kuen system from 1990 year.
The participant and the organizer of many camps and training seminars. Repeatedly he participated in many traditional and sports championships taking high places
Constantly he is improving his abilities and he is broadening his knowledge under the Chiu Kwok Kueng and Chiu Wai masters.
In the year 2001 he closed his sport career and fully concentrated on teaching the system of Hung Gar Kung Fu and for handing over principles of both the attitudes based on the righteousness and the honesty - promoting ideas of Hung Gar Kung Fu.
He is dealing with Traditional Chinese Medicine - has the certificated by Professional Improving Institute in the scope of traditional Chinese medicine.
He has press publications and television concerning traditional Chinese medicines and martial arts, for example:
- In monthly Martian arts magazina "Samurai",
- he led the series of TV programmes dedicated to Hung Gar Kung Fu on the TVN Turbo Channel under - the master serie called "Principle of the Fight",
- On Internet websites dedicated to martial arts.

Majority of information concerning the lives of Hung Gar Masters come from oral tradition transferred from one generation to another, which gradually turned into legends. Thus it is hard to speak about reliable facts concerning their lives and activities. Some information is repeated many times in different sources, including oral tradition of the Hung Gar masters themselves. During the years this knowledge has been collected and transferred to their disciples together with the whole Hung Gar system, thus one may conclude that this oral tradition is the most reliable source.*